Used Music Gear & Audio Marketplace - Gear Exchange
Used Gold Tone Arch-Top Single-Cutaway F-Hole Acoustic-Electric Mandocello w/ Custom Hardshell Case
Excellent Condition
11
11 views
$900.00
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August 30, 2023.
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Pickup Required
in Annandale, VA
Sweetwater's Gear
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Item Description
Serial: 2190562
Listed 2 years ago
Gold Tone GTCELLO Arch-Top Single-Cutaway F-Hole Acoustic-Electric Mandocello (Tobacco Sunburst) w/ Custom Hardshell Case and Custom Extra Strings.
As they were in good shape when I bought the instrument, the original strings are also included, except for one that busted while removing it. They are the exact same strings as there is only one set made for this instrument and it's the one that Gold Tone sells through direct sales -- although it's likely that they second-source them to D'addario.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT HAVE ANY SHIPPING BOXES AT THE MOMENT. LOCAL PICKUP ONLY. I MAY BE ABLE TO DELIVER TO NC OR MD SOON THOUGH.
NOTE: It looks like U-haul now sells guitar shipping boxes, so I may be able to make this a non-local sale soon if I order some, but right now my time is tied up with new tenants moving in.
This is a lovely instrument, and in my opinion it is way better than the Eastman model, perhaps due to having more traditional specs for a Mandocello when it comes to body size, scale length, etc. The Eastman is nice for what it is though, and I own and love their Mandola and Octave Mandolin.
Mandocello is an octave below Mandola, so it is tuned CC-GG-dd-aa. I find that the instrument works well on old songs like "Ain't She Sweet". Not sure if it's used much in Bluegrass as that isn't my thing, but maybe in Old Time Music. Of course Cheap Trick is known for using it!
As a bassist, I was hoping to use this for an Early Swing project I was in, but the pandemic threw me to the east coast and I don't play that kind of music anymore. Although this instrument has a lovely sound, I need to size down, and I don't think I would use it in the studio vs. other lower-pitched instruments, as I have found I don't care much for double-courses in the lower octaves, if only because the string spacing is hard for me.
I always buy backup strings, so there's an extra set. They are probably still made if you need more later on, and if not, it shouldn't be hard to cut regular guitar strings to size (or maybe short scale bass strings). Gold Tone tends to support their products though, so I wouldn't get worried about the instrument being orphaned for later string replacements.
Interestingly, overall instrument design is somewhat akin to a cello vs. a mandolin. I suppose that is necessary in order to handle the tension at that string length. Unlike most mandolin family instruments, it takes ball-end vs. loop-end strings.
Another unusual trait is that it has two pickups: a floating humbucker by the neck and a transducer by the bridge.
I am a big fan of Gold Tone and also own their Irish Tenor Banjo and almost bought their Paul Beard Resonator Guitar before finding a handmade Paul Beard model used for a good price. They make a lot of unusual instruments and do a good job on all of them. Also an easy company to deal with; very good at responding to customers.
These tend to go for $1200 new and $900 used.
I bought this a few weeks before the pandemic started, from The Mandolin Store, who also do a great setup job on everything they sell.
Specs:
Ladder Bracing -- typical of all members of the Mandolin family
20" Body Length
16.5" Lower Bout
3.0625" Body Depth
24.875" Scale Length
20 Medium Frets
1.5" Nut Width
Maple Neck w/ Blackwood Fingerboard
Solid Maple Body/Back/Sides
Solid Spruce Top
Two-Way Truss Rod
Dovetail Neck Join
Floating Humbucker Neck Pickup
Transducer Bridge Pickup
Gold Tone MCS Bronze Wound Mandocello Strings w/ Ball-End
.020"2/.020"w, .034"w/.034"w, .044"w/.044"w, .070"w/.070"w String Gauges
As they were in good shape when I bought the instrument, the original strings are also included, except for one that busted while removing it. They are the exact same strings as there is only one set made for this instrument and it's the one that Gold Tone sells through direct sales -- although it's likely that they second-source them to D'addario.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT HAVE ANY SHIPPING BOXES AT THE MOMENT. LOCAL PICKUP ONLY. I MAY BE ABLE TO DELIVER TO NC OR MD SOON THOUGH.
NOTE: It looks like U-haul now sells guitar shipping boxes, so I may be able to make this a non-local sale soon if I order some, but right now my time is tied up with new tenants moving in.
This is a lovely instrument, and in my opinion it is way better than the Eastman model, perhaps due to having more traditional specs for a Mandocello when it comes to body size, scale length, etc. The Eastman is nice for what it is though, and I own and love their Mandola and Octave Mandolin.
Mandocello is an octave below Mandola, so it is tuned CC-GG-dd-aa. I find that the instrument works well on old songs like "Ain't She Sweet". Not sure if it's used much in Bluegrass as that isn't my thing, but maybe in Old Time Music. Of course Cheap Trick is known for using it!
As a bassist, I was hoping to use this for an Early Swing project I was in, but the pandemic threw me to the east coast and I don't play that kind of music anymore. Although this instrument has a lovely sound, I need to size down, and I don't think I would use it in the studio vs. other lower-pitched instruments, as I have found I don't care much for double-courses in the lower octaves, if only because the string spacing is hard for me.
I always buy backup strings, so there's an extra set. They are probably still made if you need more later on, and if not, it shouldn't be hard to cut regular guitar strings to size (or maybe short scale bass strings). Gold Tone tends to support their products though, so I wouldn't get worried about the instrument being orphaned for later string replacements.
Interestingly, overall instrument design is somewhat akin to a cello vs. a mandolin. I suppose that is necessary in order to handle the tension at that string length. Unlike most mandolin family instruments, it takes ball-end vs. loop-end strings.
Another unusual trait is that it has two pickups: a floating humbucker by the neck and a transducer by the bridge.
I am a big fan of Gold Tone and also own their Irish Tenor Banjo and almost bought their Paul Beard Resonator Guitar before finding a handmade Paul Beard model used for a good price. They make a lot of unusual instruments and do a good job on all of them. Also an easy company to deal with; very good at responding to customers.
These tend to go for $1200 new and $900 used.
I bought this a few weeks before the pandemic started, from The Mandolin Store, who also do a great setup job on everything they sell.
Specs:
Ladder Bracing -- typical of all members of the Mandolin family
20" Body Length
16.5" Lower Bout
3.0625" Body Depth
24.875" Scale Length
20 Medium Frets
1.5" Nut Width
Maple Neck w/ Blackwood Fingerboard
Solid Maple Body/Back/Sides
Solid Spruce Top
Two-Way Truss Rod
Dovetail Neck Join
Floating Humbucker Neck Pickup
Transducer Bridge Pickup
Gold Tone MCS Bronze Wound Mandocello Strings w/ Ball-End
.020"2/.020"w, .034"w/.034"w, .044"w/.044"w, .070"w/.070"w String Gauges
