waystation - Posted - 05/01/2026:  20:06:33

Update: I've received comments about the sound quality of the banjo clips being affected by YouTube compression. The original clips, in 320k mp3, are now posted here.

Hi all, I've just posted a YouTube video with sound clips of four banjos: a new Gold Tone Grandee, 1988 Gibson Greg Rich era Granada, a 1929 Gibson Style 6 original flathead 5-string conversion and one mystery banjo. The sound clips are audio-only, and there's a form for you to leave your opinions of the sound.



All of the Grandee reviews I've seen, including the comparison videos, show you the banjos as they're played. This is a chance to judge the banjos by sound alone. After enough responses, I will post another video identifying the banjos in the clips.



I proposed this video to Gold Tone a couple of months ago, and they were intrigued enough to send me a Grandee on loan. We've had no other conversation since, and they have not seen or had input on the video. To me, that shows tremendous confidence in their product, and as I've set it up and played it over the past few weeks I'd say that confidence is justified.



This video is purely about the sound. After the comparison test is over, I plan to post another video reviewing the Grandee itself, showing details of the banjo construction and pointing out some of the design differences between the Grandee and the original Granada design. I may also do a comparison (with video) of the Grandee and an OB-3 Twanger that I have owned for several years.



The link to the voting form is in the description of the video. Check out the sounds, and leave your opinion on the Google form. Let's see how today's banjo stacks up against some of the best of yesteryear. Enjoy!

Edited by - waystation on 05/02/2026 11:15:31

LouieChee - Posted - 05/01/2026:  20:31:43

To my ears they sound remarkably similar, but I think that happens a lot when an individual player demos different instruments. For example, when Geoff Hohwald demos banjos they all sound to me like Geoff Hohwald.

I think the fact that the grandee compares well with these more expensive/sought after instruments isn't a testament to the grandee, but rather evidence that there isn't a lot of "magic" to good banjo tone. I think that decent parts fit together and setup well is all you need, and then the rest comes from the player.

Old Hickory - Posted - 05/01/2026:  21:26:48

To my ear, none of the four audio-only examples sound like the Grandee you play on camera in the opening of the video. It's brighter sounding even down the neck and seems to have very little low end punch.

All four sound pretty good. It's hard for me to choose, so I didn't vote yet.

Did you record the audio samples with different equipment than the video's audio?

Will Frady - Posted - 05/01/2026:  22:18:08

The tapping of the picks on the head was a little distracting but all in very good . It was hard for me to choose they were all really good . I did vote and am interested in the outcome. God bless

Brian Murphy - Posted - 05/02/2026:  07:48:02

quote:

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Originally posted by LouieChee

To my ears they sound remarkably similar, but I think that happens a lot when an individual player demos different instruments. For example, when Geoff Hohwald demos banjos they all sound to me like Geoff Hohwald.



I think the fact that the grandee compares well with these more expensive/sought after instruments isn't a testament to the grandee, but rather evidence that there isn't a lot of "magic" to good banjo tone. I think that decent parts fit together and setup well is all you need, and then the rest comes from the player.

---

I hear more of a difference when the banjo is played acoustically in person.  What we hear these days is our phone or computer's speaker processing of an electronic signal created digitally by a device that typically was not designed for recording banjos.  These devices are limited and do not capture all the nuance, timbre, and tone of a banjo, which is very complex in its overtones.  (An exception would be the videos that Elderly produces, which obviously are using really good equipment).  The differences show when you are sitting in front of the banjo in person.  It's the weakest-link-in-the-chain theory.   But the bigger point that it's the Indian and not the arrow is true.  I've heard far better players play my banjos and they can tease out nuanced tones  that I don't hear when I play.

pinenut - Posted - 05/02/2026:  08:15:40

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian Murphy

quote:

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Originally posted by LouieChee

To my ears they sound remarkably similar, but I think that happens a lot when an individual player demos different instruments. For example, when Geoff Hohwald demos banjos they all sound to me like Geoff Hohwald.



I think the fact that the grandee compares well with these more expensive/sought after instruments isn't a testament to the grandee, but rather evidence that there isn't a lot of "magic" to good banjo tone. I think that decent parts fit together and setup well is all you need, and then the rest comes from the player.

---

I hear more of a difference when the banjo is played acoustically in person.  What we hear these days is our phone or computer's speaker processing of an electronic signal created digitally by a device that typically was not designed for recording banjos.  These devices are limited and do not capture all the nuance, timbre, and tone of a banjo, which is very complex in its overtones.  (An exception would be the videos that Elderly produces, which obviously are using really good equipment).  The differences show when you are sitting in front of the banjo in person.  It's the weakest-link-in-the-chain theory.   But the bigger point that it's the Indian and not the arrow is true.  I've heard far better players play my banjos and they can tease out nuanced tones  that I don't hear when I play.

---

+1

Audio recordings rarely capture the full color of an instrument that is readily apparent in person; if the full color is apparent, it was applied in/with processing.

Nice job on the recordings, they sound true and differences are present.  It needs to be live to generate a reasonable opinion.

Edited by - pinenut on 05/02/2026 08:21:27

The Old Timer - Posted - 05/02/2026:  10:31:24

The first three banjos do sound quite a bit alike. Hard to choose. But what the hey, I'm game to try.

waystation - Posted - 05/02/2026:  11:19:52

quote:

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

Did you record the audio samples with different equipment than the video's audio?

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The audio was all recorded on a Zoom H6 at 320k mp3, using the onboard stereo microphones. I did normalize the banjo clips independently, so there is a volume difference between the introduction and the clips. That may be what you're hearing. 

There is also an issue of YouTube compressing all the audio. I've put up a web page with the original sound files here so you can hear them without YouTube's interference.

Old Hickory - Posted - 05/02/2026:  13:55:58

I can decide. 

I'm leaning towards: 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

But I bet if you mixed them and changed the labels I'd come up with something else. Except I think 1 would still come in last. Watch it be the pre-war! 4, 3 and 2 are a crapshoot.

Alex Z - Posted - 05/02/2026:  14:36:25

"This video is purely about the sound."

Yep. It's a controlled experiment for sound preference. Mr. waystation is not asking us to identify the banjos or come up with a "right" answer. 

 

My sound preference is #2. 

lightgauge - Posted - 05/02/2026:  17:12:47

I listened through them on my tablet. I usually pick up on preferences pretty quickly, but all I heard here was #4 was the loudest. Disappointly, I heard nothing that stood out to my ear in tone in any of them.

BG427FSG433 - Posted - 05/03/2026:  09:47:32

#4 seems to balance the tone more than the first three which all were exceptional, tuff choice.

Brian Murphy - Posted - 05/03/2026:  11:13:35

My impression with 4 is that there is better note definition/separation. Is anyone else hearing that?

banjoez - Posted - 05/07/2026:  10:08:27

2,3,4,1

Realbluegrassfan - Posted - 05/07/2026:  10:42:50

Given the banjos as set up, played, and reproduced here; 3, 4, 2, 1. Tough choice between #3 and #4. Disclaimer is that I cannot hear worth a flip anymore.

waystation - Posted - 05/09/2026:  08:59:57

Thanks for the responses and votes on the Grandee comparison test! The test will be winding down early this week, and I’ll post again on YouTube with the same audio combined with the video for these sound clips, identifying which banjo is which, and the vote tallies in the comments.



I’ll post the new video late Wednesday (Eastern Daylight Time), so if you are still interested in registering your vote, listen to the hi-res clips at https://waystation.net/BanjoComparo/ and vote before Wednesday 5PM EDT. I hope you all enjoy the results!

Edited by - waystation on 05/09/2026 09:02:13

Banjour - Posted - 05/09/2026:  21:44:49

I voted, but I'd want to hear them all in person if there was money on the line!

#2 spoke to my soul though. Whatever that is, it's a good banjo! My ranking would have to be 2,4,3,1. Whatever #1 is, it needs some help.

rvrose - Posted - 05/10/2026:  07:43:21

2,4,1,3 are my preference.

rvrose - Posted - 05/10/2026:  12:34:34

Thanks for doing this BTW, I was wondering how a GT Grandee would compare.

Rick

Gwen Taunton - Posted - 05/10/2026:  13:31:32

I just posted a Grandee for sale if you are interested. I'm gradually switching over to resonator guitar.

waystation - Posted - 05/13/2026:  17:42:14

The results of the Gold Tone Grandee test are public! Thanks to the 33 people who filled out the form, and to the fifteen who left text comments, as well as to everyone who has commented here. Here’s my summary of how things turned out.

First of all, the results were extremely close. On a five point scale, the spread between the three main banjos in the test was just over a fifth of a point. If you look at the distribution of votes for each banjo, you’ll see a bell curve shape for banjos 2 and 3, centered around 4 stars. Banjo 4 looks like the winner, with the plurality of votes at the 5 star level, with 4 and 3 stars getting progressively fewer votes.

So far, I haven’t mentioned banjo 1, and there’s a reason: it’s not really a competitor. In order to test the validity of the voting, I took one of the other three banjo recordings (no points for figuring out which one, although the flaws in my playing should give it away) and reduced the overall volume by 1db. The three other banjo tracks were normalized to the full available volume range. The goal was to intentionally make a recording that was just slightly inferior to the other three, and see if people’s ears picked up the difference.

They did. Banjo 1 ranked a full star below the lowest-ranked of the other three – remember, only a fifth of a point separated best from worst in that group. Banjo 1 got more 2-star votes than any other ranking. So people did pick up on the difference, which says to me that the perceived differences between the actual banjos being compared were legitimate.

The results speak well for the Grandee, which held up extremely well against the classic Gibsons and actually received a goodly number of favorable comments and (as far as I can tell from the comments) first place votes.

So, hop over to the Google form, where the banjos are named and the votes have been revealed, or to YouTube to see the videos that were recorded along with the sound samples. Let me know if seeing the banjos being played affects your perception of how they sound.

The survey results are available at

docs.google.com/forms/d/1J1gLZ...analytics

The reveal video can be seen at youtu.be/dc2HneTOnYs

I hope you enjoyed this experiment, and thanks for playing along.

banjoez - Posted - 05/16/2026:  11:15:41

In person which of these banjos had the most volume? My Granada reissues sounded decent tonally but my Grandee runs rings around them volume-wise with more "sparkle" and clarity overall. 

Edited by - banjoez on 05/16/2026 11:24:34

Ron in NC - Posted - 06/03/2026:  16:33:10

Former banjo brand snob here.. I owned a pre-war Master Tone in the 80s. It was stolen. I’m guessing someone reading this right now probably has it. In the shape it was in when I lost it, it would be five figures today. I wish I’d written the serial number down.. I then bought a 1970s one for way too much money, then sold it to support my ongoing classic and reissue Les Paul habit.. Anyway, not long ago I bought a Gold Tone RB 250+ JLS #12 with the (actual) Tony Pass birch block rim. If you haven’t played one then I’ll simply say that there’s very little daylight between it and both of my former Gibsons. Friend of mine has an old Mastertone and a very nice Deering. He was reluctantly impressed after playing it. And, at $2700, it’s not exactly “entry level” either. I’ve since added a nice maple arm rest and a full set of Kieth Tuners. It’s a pro rig. Hope this helps.

The Old Timer - Posted - 06/03/2026:  18:50:01

So Richie, please clarify.

The Greg Rich Granada came in first followed closely by the pre war Style 6?

Thanks.

Gwen Taunton - Posted - 06/04/2026:  07:30:49

Given that Greg Rich is now affiliated with Gold Tone, at what banjo manufacture date or serial numbers can we safely say we have a "Greg Rich" Mastertone by Gold Tone?

waystation - Posted - 06/04/2026:  08:11:38

quote:

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

So Richie, please clarify.



The Greg Rich Granada came in first followed closely by the pre war Style 6?



Thanks.

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That's the result, although I think the difference between 4 stars and 4.03 has to be considered statistical noise. You could say that the result favors the Style 6 since it got more 5 star votes than the Granada, offset by a 1-star and 2-star vote which pulled its average down. The Granada got more 4-star votes than any other level, while the 6 got more 5-stars. The absolute number favors the Granada, but the distribution curve makes the 6 look better. There are lots of ways to read statistics.

The Gold Tone came in impressively close to the pair of old Gibsons, especially considering how big the gap is between those three and the slightly tweaked control. The vote distribution was also centered around the 4-star levels, much like the Granada. 

I would honestly call this a three way statistical tie, especially based on hearing the three banjos side by side in real life. I think the vote differences were based more on tonal preferences than quality - people just liked the sound of one better than another.

waystation - Posted - 06/04/2026:  08:15:22

quote:

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Originally posted by Gwen Taunton

Given that Greg Rich is now affiliated with Gold Tone, at what banjo manufacture date or serial numbers can we safely say we have a "Greg Rich" Mastertone by Gold Tone?

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I think that mostly depends on Gold Tone's marketing department. Greg seems to be bringing it with new designs, and he's always been a master acoustical engineer so I'm sure he's been tweaking the instruments themselves. So far I haven't seen a great deal of publicity about his presence there. To me that's a sign that Gold Tone is letting their banjos (and now, mandolins) speak for themselves.

Brian Murphy - Posted - 06/04/2026:  09:34:22

quote:

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Originally posted by Gwen Taunton

Given that Greg Rich is now affiliated with Gold Tone, at what banjo manufacture date or serial numbers can we safely say we have a "Greg Rich" Mastertone by Gold Tone?

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What he has said repeatedly is that he does not have the same role and responsibility at GoldTone that he had at Gibson, R&K, or Music Link.  He gives credit to the staff for product development and says he is consulting on designs.  (He talks about this on his FB page where he previews stuff in the pipeline).  So I don't know that there will be a "Rich Era" GoldTone like there was at Gibson.  The way I read it is that he is working on designs, but not as responsible for sourcing components, etc. as he was at his other stops.  But I might be wrong.  I was once before.  

Realbluegrassfan - Posted - 06/04/2026:  09:54:18

Maybe my hearing is not as bad as I thought.

I had them listed in the correct order (by me) as the Style 6, the Rich era Gibson, the Gold Tone, then whatever the adjusted sound bite was. I had the Style 6 and the Greg Rich Gibson as pretty close.

Ron in NC - Posted - 06/19/2026:  17:12:27

Maybe Gibson should start making banjos again. Of course, they might have to buy the Mastertone label back from Gold Tone. I’ve had the OGs, and I have the Gold Tone. I’ve also had a Washburn (first one) that had an all aluminum pot. Eek. Once I played a Gibson, I knew. I’ve also played a Deering. Very different from the rest. But, I think the classic Grenada tone ring (the JLS) on a birch block rim, and on a maple banjo, is a winning combination. Side by side with 3-ply rims, it’s just louder and more defined. 4th string bass also seems lower, to me. It growls.

waystation - Posted - 07/17/2026:  07:49:08

quote:

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Originally posted by banjoez

In person which of these banjos had the most volume? My Granada reissues sounded decent tonally but my Grandee runs rings around them volume-wise with more "sparkle" and clarity overall. 

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My impression when I did the test was that the Grandee had more volume than the Gibsons. I feel the same way about my Twanger - it is truly a loud banjo, good sounding and very assertive.

That said, volume is secondary to tone to my ear. On stage, the difference in volume can easily be made up with sound system tweaks or different mic technique. In a jam session or band practice, I find myself holding back when playing the Twanger because the additional volume overpowers much of the rest of the band. In a jam session, especially an outdoor session where people can be further apart and the playing can be a bit more... competitive, the extra volume is often an advantage.

In any of these situations, it's important to be aware of the amount of sound you're putting out, and be able to control it. Treat the extra volume as headroom and you'll find yourself doing a lot less work and bringing out the best in the banjo at the same time.

Regarding tone, which you describe as "sparkle" and clarity, I have to say that in person the Gold Tone's notes have more punch and front end, but the tone of the Gibsons - and the prewar -6 especially - has more "body" and is much easier to shape. Thanks to the style of the band I'm in, I do a fair amount of mellow playing when performing, and find I can get more of a range of tones out of the -6 than I can out of the Twanger.

I wasn't able to experiment much with the Grandee on stage, since it didn't have fifth string nails when I had it. I did bring it to a couple of shows and played it on tunes that didn't require retuning the fifth, and to my ear it responded more like the Gibsons than the Twanger does. Part of that, at least, is the different sound and response of maple vs. mahogany. The Grandee was auctioned off in May at Banjo Camp North so I no longer have it for experimenting, but it's easy to remember the side-by-side sounds.

In any case, all four of the banjos perform well. They're different, which is to be expected, but if you spend a reasonable amount of time with any of them you find and adapt to their strengths.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 07/17/2026:  08:22:20

from what i have heard and read wayne is the one who designed the grandee any how..... don't think greg had anything to do with it so far.

to my ears # 3 and #4 were heads and tails above the rest...
hard to say unless you are picking them or sitting right in front of them.

banjoez - Posted - 07/28/2026:  09:33:47

I realize the Gibson mystique still holds an important place in the banjo world and at one time I was there too (owned a prewar flathead, several archtops and many flathead reissues) but to be honest, there are lots of great sounding banjos out there today. I've been very impressed with what Gold Tone has accomplished tonally with their Mastertone line. If they were manufactured here everyone would be excited about them but then again, they would probably be out of reach cost wise for many if they were. To me, they have filled the void that Gibson abandoned of affordable, well made, great sounding Mastertone style banjos for the every day picker.

Edited by - banjoez on 07/28/2026 09:37:40

Ron in NC - Posted - 07/31/2026:  17:42:03

quote:

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Originally posted by banjoez

I realize the Gibson mystique still holds an important place in the banjo world and at one time I was there too (owned a prewar flathead, several archtops and many flathead reissues) but to be honest, there are lots of great sounding banjos out there today. I've been very impressed with what Gold Tone has accomplished tonally with their Mastertone line. If they were manufactured here everyone would be excited about them but then again, they would probably be out of reach cost wise for many if they were. To me, they have filled the void that Gibson abandoned of affordable, well made, great sounding Mastertone style banjos for the every day picker.

---

Ron in NC - Posted - 07/31/2026:  17:56:08

Exactly right. I had a Mastertone. Old one. Stolen in the 80s. My Gold Tone, top of their line, reminds me a lot of it. It's a Florida-based company, but I get it. Honestly, I've had friends who own Deerings and old Gibsons play it, and they always hand it back with a sneer, after playing it for at least 30 minutes... Yeah. So, it has a JLS tone ring, which was copied from a pre-war Granada, and made in Texas. It also has a Joe Pass birch block rim, also made in USA. It's crazy loud, and deep. Know what it doesn't have? Plastic binding. It's all curly maple. Also has an ebony fretboard and a very low action. It's crisp, deep, and actually almost too loud. My Gibson needed to be mic'd to be that loud. I've also put Keith tuners on it, all four, and a nice maple arm rest to match the headstock. So, it's not entry level at all. It's still quite expensive, especially with the addition of the tuners, but I really think that for about $3400, all-in, it really cannot be beat.

Edited by - Ron in NC on 07/31/2026 18:00:33