Clawhamr - Posted - 10/08/2021:  12:39:34

As many of you may know, I started the GT "Bluegrass Heart" banjo project, and I remain a part of the team that saw the thing through to completion. As such, Gold Tone president Wayne Rogers asked me to post the following infodoc (written by Wayne, edited by me) to clear up any misconceptions about this great banjo. This should answer most of the questions posted on the Hangout, as well as correcting some major misconceptions.



What Goes Into the Gold Tone “Bluegrass Heart” Béla Fleck Banjo?



•Machine heads: Béla uses four Keith D-tuners on his Style 75 and is certain that the extra mass of these tuners helps to produce his signature tone. We suggested the higher ratio (10:1) Rickard Cyclone tuners, for great tuning accuracy. To achieve the same headstock mass, we designed red-anodized solid brass buttons. The four Cyclone tuners with these buttons equal the weight of four Keith D-tuners. A spectrum analysis confirmed Béla’s theory, with the first, second and fifth strings producing more pleasing overtones with the brass buttons fitted.



•Bridge: Béla tested at least SIXTEEN different bridges. We had prototypes submitted by many of the finest bridge makers in the USA. Like the bridge on Béla’s Style 75, it is .855" high and double radiused to match the fingerboard. It’s made from seventy-year-old maple with a padauk top. The increased angle to the tailpiece helps to produce the tone he favors and the ergonomic benefit to the right hand is pronounced.



Zero Glide nut: Béla has used our patented Zero Glide nut on his Style 75 since its introduction. See Zeroglide.com to read his comments on its benefits.



•Little Mountain Thinline armrest: As used on his Style 75. The mounting system is unique and Béla is certain this contributes to the tone he prefers.



•No-hole sand-cast bronze flathead tone ring: Originally designed for our OB-3 "Twanger", it’s made of an alloy that produces tone that evokes the sound of pre-war Mastertone flatheads.



•Prucha Presto-style tailpiece: This faithful Presto reproduction by the famed Czech company enhances tone due to its stronger structure.



•Taiwanese Remo head: Preferred by many players for its tone. The paint type differs from that applied to the USA-made Remo head.



•GHS custom gauge strings: Béla’s string of choice for many years.



•Custom Inlays: Based on the Flying Eagle pattern, with subtle changes to make it unique.



•Matte finish: The satin finish on the back of the neck promotes easier position changes.



•Metric hook threads: Finer than Standard threads, the metric 1/4" nuts provide a smoother feel for more critical head tensioning.



•Tone-enhancing neck attachment: A .5mm space is left between the end of the fretboard and the tension hoop. Béla specified this feature because it purifies and focuses the tone. The wood rim transmits vibratory energy only to the heel of the neck.



•Custom Fiberglass case (included): Lighter than the case Béla uses for his Style 75, the padded interior assures a perfect fit. The latches and hinges are extremely heavy-duty. A double strap handle provides perfect weight distribution.



•Wide mahogany neck with radiused fretboard: Béla’s most-desired feature was a neck that closely resembles that of his treasured Mastertone (the neck that was custom-built for him back in 1982 by renowned luthier John Monteleone), but with some subtle modifications to improve comfort and playability. This was the trickiest thing to get right, but the result was worth the effort. After multiple prototypes were made for and tested by him, Béla had what he needed: a banjo he could use on the concert stage that sounded good enough to interchange with the Style 75.



•The OB-Béla also features a three-ply Canadian maple rim, jumbo frets on the compound-radiused ebony fretboard, and nickel-plated hardware.



Béla was emphatic: any banjo that carried his name had to closely approach the playability and tone of his main axe. Every inch of this banjo was designed, tested, and redesigned, with a total of five individual prototypes created and evaluated by Béla, myself and Marc Horowitz. Béla has been amazing to work with, and between the three of us we logged hundreds of emails and phone conferences. He was also insistent that the OB-Béla should be an affordable, modern interpretation of his instrument. It’s an honor for us to offer the Béla Fleck Bluegrass Heart professional banjo to the serious modern banjo player. We promise you that the specifications of his setup will be accurate on every one that leaves the Gold Tone factory.



Sincerely,



Wayne Rogers

President, Gold Tone Instruments

Edited by - Clawhamr on 10/08/2021 12:53:30

MacCruiskeen - Posted - 10/08/2021:  14:17:43

Metric 1/4” nuts?

Clawhamr - Posted - 10/08/2021:  14:21:19

The head of the nut is 1/4" , the THREADS inside are metric. This was done to provide a finer adjustment while being able to use a standard banjo wrench.

banjoy - Posted - 10/08/2021:  14:31:01

I'm glad to see the .5mm offset of the fingerboard away from the metal tension hoop. I always thought I was the only one that was driven crazy by that wood to metal contact. I didn't know this was a thing, I thought it was just me. That's cool and reassuring.



I also didn't know until all this came up that Bela uses a Zero Glide nut on his prewar. I've always been intrigued by them and the idea seems to be very logical and makes a lot of sense. Makes me wonder if one could be retrofit to my Nechville...(?)



If I can go full banjo nerd here ... may I ask what string gauges are being used?



And I guess the last thing I'm very curious about is, how and where could someone find one of these in the flesh to give it a test drive?



Thank you for posting all this spec info and back story, it's all very cool and interesting.

Edited by - banjoy on 10/08/2021 14:31:53

Brian Murphy - Posted - 10/08/2021:  14:53:50

quote:

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Originally posted by Clawhamr

The head of the nut is 1/4" , the THREADS inside are metric. This was done to provide a finer adjustment while being able to use a standard banjo wrench.

---

Hard to believe you can get pre-war tone with metric threads.  Yes, I'm kidding.  I'm fascinated at the variables that are claimed to affect tone.  I'm not saying that to be argumentative, as I am in no position to argue with Bela Fleck or your spectrum test results, but I have never heard of anyone who could perceive tone differences from the mass of tuners or the type of arm rest.  This gives us new stuff to argue and obsess about for which I am all sure we are grateful.  

warpdrive - Posted - 10/08/2021:  15:20:15

I like what I'm hearing, and i too am enthralled by the almost what could be described as a fine tuning for the threads on the tension hoop bracket nuts.

as somebody who is very precise in his tap tuning the head, i've never cared for how traditional nuts sometimes are not cooperative all the way around the hoop.
i bet it will be easy to find the sweet spot tuning the head, and i like the zero glide nut.
can't wait to play one!

Warp!

joe stone - Posted - 10/08/2021:  15:50:37

what age is the wood for the rim

YellowSkyBlueSun - Posted - 10/08/2021:  16:21:15

This is awesome. Gold Tone is a great asset to the banjo community.

I'm curious about the manufacturing process for this particular model. It has a "Canadian maple" rim, any more details on that? How thick? It has a Prucha tailpiece, but doesn't mention anything about the flange or other hardware. What's the source and plating on the other hardware? Is this banjo assembled overseas with final QC in Florida, or is it parts from oversees with actual assembly in the US?

For $3700, I think these little details matter. That's "domestic-small-shop" prices.

Old Hickory - Posted - 10/08/2021:  16:39:38

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian Murphy

. . . I have never heard of anyone who could perceive tone differences from the mass of tuners or the type of arm rest.  This gives us new stuff to argue and obsess about for which I am all sure we are grateful.  

---

Have to go along with you on the armrest. Mastertone style armrests clamp to a pair (or two) of tension hooks. The Thinline, I believe, mounts on the flange. I'm not aware of any experiments demonstrating the impact on banjo sound of anything attached to the armrests. Heck, everyone who uses leather straps has laces or strap ends (sound muffling material if ever there was any) wrapped around hooks. Or has long strap tails passing behind several hooks, touching them and the tone ring skirt. Anyone looked into the effect of strap material and attachment method on sound?

At the same time, while I haven't heard the impact myself, Fender guitar and bass players have for years believed in the benefits of adding mass to the headstock. A third party product, eventually bought by Fender, called "Fatfinger sustain enhancer" was essentially a clamp to do just that. Fender Bass players, in particular, believed the Fat Finger could help them eliminate or at least move the dreaded 1st string dead spot. I never tried one, so I can't say. 

Brian Murphy - Posted - 10/08/2021:  17:07:17

quote:

---

 

Heck, everyone who uses leather straps has laces or strap ends (sound muffling material if ever there was any) wrapped around hooks. Or has long strap tails passing behind several hooks, touching them and the tone ring skirt. Anyone looked into the effect of strap material and attachment method on sound?

There was a debate some time ago about cradle straps and whether leather pressed up against rim and ring affected vibrations/tone.  I think the conclusion was that it depended on the phase of the moon and the presence of radon in one's house.

Edited by - Brian Murphy on 10/08/2021 17:08:56

Old Hickory - Posted - 10/08/2021:  17:27:41

Brian Murphy

I so love that comment.

Clawhamr - Posted - 10/08/2021:  17:39:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by Old Hickory

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian Murphy

. . . I have never heard of anyone who could perceive tone differences from the mass of tuners or the type of arm rest.  This gives us new stuff to argue and obsess about for which I am all sure we are grateful.  

---

Have to go along with you on the armrest. Mastertone style armrests clamp to a pair (or two) of tension hooks. The Thinline, I believe, mounts on the flange. I'm not aware of any experiments demonstrating the impact on banjo sound of anything attached to the armrests. Heck, everyone who uses leather straps has laces or strap ends (sound muffling material if ever there was any) wrapped around hooks. Or has long strap tails passing behind several hooks, touching them and the tone ring skirt. Anyone looked into the effect of strap material and attachment method on sound?

At the same time, while I haven't heard the impact myself, Fender guitar and bass players have for years believed in the benefits of adding mass to the headstock. A third party product, eventually bought by Fender, called "Fatfinger sustain enhancer" was essentially a clamp to do just that. Fender Bass players, in particular, believed the Fat Finger could help them eliminate or at least move the dreaded 1st string dead spot. I never tried one, so I can't say. 

---

The Thinline armrest does attach to two brackets (hooks). The key differences between it and the ALL-METAL armrest usually installed on most banjos are 1) The Thinline amrest itself is made of solid maple and the standard type is made of plated brass. 2) The mounting brackets on the Thinline have a brass tube through which the tension hook passes and is locked at the desired height by a small set screw. The mounting brackets slide into a dovetail slot on the underside of the armrest, thus allowing the Thinline armrest to be installed on any banjo, regardless of the hook spacing or the number of hooks. 

The practice of adding mass to a fretted instrument's headstock demonstrably increases sustain and changes the overtones generated by playing. The sound energy travels from the strings to the bridge, then to the head, to the nut and vice versa. The entire instrument and every part attached to it reacts to the vibrations the player sets up by striking the strings, so EVERYTHING on the instrument affects what we hear. Want proof? Change your banjo's tailpiece, bridge or head to a different type and listen...

MH

warpdrive - Posted - 10/08/2021:  17:46:35

Look people,
The average age of hangout members is about 60, and as I pointed out bela is over 60, but a progressive, always has been.

This stupid back and forth with the traditional scruggs heads is silly...
We're going to get splash back, and the first person through the wall always gets the bloodiest.

The end result of how it plays and sounds is all that matters.

I killed many many master tones with an rk-35...yes even old
ones,
I'm certain this new bela banjo will deliver...
it certainly can't be worse than the first run... Horrible Honey colored earl scruggs models, we all know what P.O.S those were.
And that was a good old usa product.
Just saying...

Warp!

Clawhamr - Posted - 10/08/2021:  17:49:49

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoy

I'm glad to see the .5mm offset of the fingerboard away from the metal tension hoop. I always thought I was the only one that was driven crazy by that wood to metal contact. I didn't know this was a thing, I thought it was just me. That's cool and reassuring.



I also didn't know until all this came up that Bela uses a Zero Glide nut on his prewar. I've always been intrigued by them and the idea seems to be very logical and makes a lot of sense. Makes me wonder if one could be retrofit to my Nechville...(?)



If I can go full banjo nerd here ... may I ask what string gauges are being used?



And I guess the last thing I'm very curious about is, how and where could someone find one of these in the flesh to give it a test drive?



Thank you for posting all this spec info and back story, it's all very cool and interesting.

---

Béla's string set is .010, .022, .013, .011, .010. fifth to first. Availability of the OB-Béla banjo is first quarter of 2022. Also, Zero Glide has models for any fretted instrument, and installs in the stock nut slot without any alterations to your instrument. Go to Zero Glide Replacement Nut System (goldtonemusicgroup.com)

Old Hickory - Posted - 10/08/2021:  18:02:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clawhamr

The Thinline armrest does attach to two brackets (hooks).  . . . The mounting brackets on the Thinline have a brass tube through which the tension hook passes and is locked at the desired height by a small set screw.

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Yeah. I was mis-remembering those column-like tubes as flange-mounted legs.

jan dupree - Posted - 10/08/2021:  19:34:11

What is the string spacing of the bridge that comes with the banjo? I know it can be changed a couple of mm's either way to fit the player, but I was just curious to know what Bela specified.

Clawhamr - Posted - 10/08/2021:  20:27:04

quote:

---

Originally posted by YellowSkyBlueSun

This is awesome. Gold Tone is a great asset to the banjo community.



I'm curious about the manufacturing process for this particular model. It has a "Canadian maple" rim, any more details on that? How thick? It has a Prucha tailpiece, but doesn't mention anything about the flange or other hardware. What's the source and plating on the other hardware? Is this banjo assembled overseas with final QC in Florida, or is it parts from oversees with actual assembly in the US?



For $3700, I think these little details matter. That's "domestic-small-shop" prices.

---

All of the hardware is of very high quality; all threaded items go together with precision (ie; almost no play in the threads) including the resonator attachment bolts and the hooks and nuts. These parts as well as the tension hoop and the resonator flange are made... YES, in CHINA. All of the nickel plating is thick and lustrous, and the metal work (castings and machining) is sharp and clean. To repeat: it does not matter WHERE a banjo is made; what matters is HOW it's made. When you have the opportunity to handle, examine and play the OB-Béla banjo, you'll understand. Where we thought we needed to source something elsewhere in order to keep to the standard we'd set, we did so. The Prucha Presto tailpiece has no equal, so it's on there. The Rickard Cyclone tuning machines are now the best tuners to be had, so THEY'RE on there, too. Whatever was required to make this banjo what it NEEDED to be for Béla,  we specified it.

Understand this: we began this project with the intent of building ONE example for Béla to take on the road to serve as a worthy backup for his precious Style 75. As it became apparent that we were onto something, we were off to the races. Any of you in Banjoland that choose to acquire one for yourself will be really pleased. REALLY.

MH

Silver_Falls - Posted - 10/09/2021:  06:55:02

Ok fine, sounds like Bela is taken care of.

Now, how about one for Abigail too ;>

banjoy - Posted - 10/09/2021:  08:32:46

Mr. Horowitz, I was wondering if you might be so kind as to confirm what I'm seeing in that "Strider" YouTube video where Bela is playing this banjo.



Since you're talking specifications I noticed on his banjo he seems to have tweaked the prototype even more than what you've listed above. Am I seeing Keith tuners on all four strings on his banjo? And also, it looks like he's added some sort of additional benders between the tuners on the headstock (cheat-a-keys? or whatever they're called) so he can bend the G and B strings twice, essentially?



Am I seeing all that right? Anyway just more interesting nerdy stuff that I noticed so I thought I'd ask since you're the man :)



(And I thought I'd add that those tuner buttons have a beautiful look to them and I really like the idea of added metal mass there, may as well make it look nice too! Nice touch).

Edited by - banjoy on 10/09/2021 08:35:07

commodoremac - Posted - 10/09/2021:  11:13:26

Wayne, as crucial as the hooks and peghead mass,
"Between the three of us".
Between= 2
Among= 3 or more.

Clawhamr - Posted - 10/11/2021:  08:47:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoy

Mr. Horowitz, I was wondering if you might be so kind as to confirm what I'm seeing in that "Strider" YouTube video where Bela is playing this banjo.



Since you're talking specifications I noticed on his banjo he seems to have tweaked the prototype even more than what you've listed above. Am I seeing Keith tuners on all four strings on his banjo? And also, it looks like he's added some sort of additional benders between the tuners on the headstock (cheat-a-keys? or whatever they're called) so he can bend the G and B strings twice, essentially?



Am I seeing all that right? Anyway just more interesting nerdy stuff that I noticed so I thought I'd ask since you're the man :)



(And I thought I'd add that those tuner buttons have a beautiful look to them and I really like the idea of added metal mass there, may as well make it look nice too! Nice touch).

---

Yes, you're correct. Béla set up his prototype with SIX D-tuners to compose and play "Strider". Thanks for the comment about the tuner buttons. We really tried to get the details right on this banjo and the result is wonderful. And call me "Marc"...

schwimbo - Posted - 10/16/2021:  09:56:22

Hi Marc,

I'm sure the OB-Bela is a great banjo. I agree that the mass of the tuning machines does affect the sound, though there might be different opinions as to whether more mass is better than less mass. I had Keith tuners on my Prucha for a while, and the functionality of the pegs was great of course. Though I was a good friend of Bill (as you were), I mentioned to him that the sound with the Keith tuners was perhaps less "warm sounding" than with the lighter weight standard tuners (Prucha used pancake type tuners on my banjo). Sustain might have been more with the Keith tuners, but the tone was different in a way that I didn't like as much. I changed back to the standard tuners and have a "set" of Cheat-a-Keys installed. The weight of the Cheat-a-Keys is probably more than the difference in weight between the Keith tuners and the standard tuners, so it is possible that the weight and material of the tuning pegs was having an effect on the sound that was greater than simply the added weight of the headstock area. Of course it would be easy for someone to experiment and put some lighter weight tuners on the OB-Bela instead of the stock Keith tuners to see if the change in sound was to their individual liking, though the great functionality of the Keith tuners would be lost.

schwimbo - Posted - 10/16/2021:  11:53:01

Related to my last post, it could be that heavier tuning pegs like Keith tuners work well with banjos that are already "warm sounding", while if a banjo is on the bright side tone-wise, then maybe lighter weight tuners might compensate for the brightness in a good way.

Brian Murphy - Posted - 11/16/2021:  17:19:23

I wanna be a "banjo influencer." Send me one of the first four! New article on Bela Fleck model

jsteele64289 - Posted - 12/29/2021:  10:39:40

youtube.com/watch?v=qmzMATkjuRo

There's a video up on YouTube where Wes Corbett demonstrates this new banjo. Looks very exciting!

JMalmsteen - Posted - 01/02/2022:  06:35:06

Hi Marc,
Is the banjo assembled in China or in the US (with Chinese parts), as had been asked previously? Thanks.

By the way, I went to the Gold Tone factory (?) in Florida years ago and purchased one of the floor models (an OB-250). Everyone was kind and helpful.

Is the neck as thick as the neck on the OB-250? I don't play that banjo because of that.

Emiel - Posted - 01/02/2022:  07:39:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoy

what I'm seeing in that "Strider" YouTube video where Bela is playing this banjo.

 

---

I also noticed in this video that Béla is using a metal thumb pick. This surely must also be part of the Béla-sound. The metal thumb pick does sound different from the plastic one.

bill t - Posted - 01/02/2022:  07:58:44

Is it a metal thumb pick or is at a Blue Chip?

Clawhamr - Posted - 01/03/2022:  06:16:34

It's a Blue Chip.

jsteele64289 - Posted - 01/03/2022:  12:00:37

Marc, do you know if these will be ready this month?

I was also curious if the black suede head will come standard on this, or if that’s just Béla experimenting. The difference in tone between the two videos is not huge, but it’s noticeable.

Regardless where it’s assembled and all that, this is pretty exciting and I'm really looking forward to getting mine :)

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 01/03/2022:  12:13:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emiel

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoy

what I'm seeing in that "Strider" YouTube video where Bela is playing this banjo.

 

---

I also noticed in this video that Béla is using a metal thumb pick. This surely must also be part of the Béla-sound. The metal thumb pick does sound different from the plastic one.

---

It's a BlueChip. Metal band, plastic (delrin?) blade. 

Been around for decades.

Emiel - Posted - 01/03/2022:  13:19:35

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChunoTheDog

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emiel

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoy

what I'm seeing in that "Strider" YouTube video where Bela is playing this banjo.

 

---

I also noticed in this video that Béla is using a metal thumb pick. This surely must also be part of the Béla-sound. The metal thumb pick does sound different from the plastic one.

---

It's a BlueChip. Metal band, plastic (delrin?) blade. 

Been around for decades.

---

Thank you… Yes, I've heard/read about them, but not familiar with those picks, Never knew how they were constructed.

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 01/03/2022:  13:39:13

quote:

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Originally posted by Emiel

 

Thank you… Yes, I've heard/read about them, but not familiar with those picks, Never knew how they were constructed.

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In my opinion they are great if the band fits your thumb nicely. The plastic blade comes in various lengths too.

The thumb blade, to my ear sounds very very close to the metal finger picks on the index and middle fingers. A nice even tone. 

Emiel - Posted - 01/03/2022:  14:01:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChunoTheDog

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emiel

 

Thank you… Yes, I've heard/read about them, but not familiar with those picks, Never knew how they were constructed.

---

In my opinion they are great if the band fits your thumb nicely. The plastic blade comes in various lengths too.

The thumb blade, to my ear sounds very very close to the metal finger picks on the index and middle fingers. A nice even tone. 

---

That sounds really interesting. I'll have a look at them…

schwimbo - Posted - 01/03/2022:  18:38:52

If the metal band on a Blue Chip thumbpick doesn't fit your thumb well, or if you don't want to spend as much money, try the Dunlop Ultex thumbpicks. They are made of very hard plastic that wears well and sounds a lot like the sound you get from metal fingerpicks.

banjo1930 - Posted - 01/28/2022:  06:46:15

Figured that I would revive this thread as I just received one of the first Bluegrass Heart OB-B banjos in the mail the other day. Grad school and internship are keeping me busy, but I had a chance to play it for a couple of hours the other night and, while I haven't had a chance to "tweak it for me" yet, I gotta say, I am very impressed. First of all, the banjo sounds great out of the box. It's very responsive and the tone is big, warm, and deep sounding, and has just the right amount of sustain, but still with good note decay. Each note is round and mellow with good definition and separation. The 7/8's tall bridge, which I felt would feel extremely high, is actually very comfortable for my hand and allows my hand to be looser feeling in a lot of ways. (it will take some getting used to though! I'm getting a lot of pick noise, but that's my fault, not the banjo's fault.)

The best thing about this banjo though: The neck. I LOVE this neck. I've played a lot of Bela copies in my days playing the banjo, and while I've only had his banjo in my hands a couple of times, this is the most accurate copy of his neck that I've seen so far. It may be very slightly different, but it's very close. This neck is an absolute dream to play. It's big and wide, but is shaped in a way that doesn't make it feel cumbersome. The radiused fingerboard is executed perfectly and the wide frets make fretting this thing effortless. I'll post a video review sometime in the next week or two when I've spent more time with it, but so far I feel that this banjo is not only a triumph for Gold Tone, but is also a game changer for any player who wants a more modern and progressive sounding banjo without having one custom made. Bravo Gold Tone!

Clawhamr - Posted - 01/28/2022:  07:20:41

Thanks for the kind words, Gabe. As the instigator of this project, I'm sure that I speak for Béla, Wayne and the entire development team at Gold Tone when I say that we're all very proud of the way this banjo turned out. It took a year of hard work to produce a banjo that Béla would be proud to play at a price that anyone can afford. The design paradigm from the start was "no compromises"; whatever it took by way of materials, workmanship and parts (and even the case) to make this banjo a reality, Gold Tone did what was called for.

Leslie R - Posted - 01/28/2022:  09:05:03

Sorry if this is drifting too much but I saw something really important to me.

Gabe I saw that you pointed out the wide frets make for easy fretting.
I have never known that, but it makes sense that it would.
My main banjo is a 29 Gibson and it has small frets.
But I am getting some pain in my left thumb.
I can’t help but think maybe I am having to use too much pressure to fret the notes.

Back to topic, this must be a really fine banjo for all of the good stuff people are saying about it.

warpdrive - Posted - 01/28/2022:  15:11:44

Congratulations Gabe...
I can't wait for your first video post.

Warp!

Terrel_D - Posted - 01/29/2022:  06:20:26

Gabe has a video on the Gold Tone Enthusiasts Facebook page

jsteele64289 - Posted - 01/31/2022:  11:01:59

Can't wait to hear more. Did you pre order yours early on? Starting to get ahead of myself making plans for when mine comes in the mail