DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device.
Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher.
Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more.
Premier Sponsors
The banjo reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
7235 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Gold Tone
Year Purchased: 2024
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
I play Scruggs style and the "Twanger" is perfect for that style. I can't believe how loud the instrument is. I also own an RK-75 and the Twanger is compared to the RK by some, but the Gold Tone is far above the RK in just about every respect. The clarity of each note is amazing not sure if that is due to the Dotson bridge that came on it or the no hole tone ring or a bit of both. But it notes clear every place on the neck.
Sound Rating: 10
After reading some reviews, I was concerned about the set up. I talked with a representative from Gold Tone and expressed my concerns about their set up's and he assured me the set up would be good. When I received the banjo, it was set up perfectly (for me). I did not have to change anything or tighten anything up at all.
Setup Rating: 10
The leaves and bows inlays are okay, personally I like more flash but it looks good to me. I have gone over the instrument a few times looking for finish flaws but can not find any.
Appearance Rating: 9
It appears the banjo was built to last, there does not appear to be any "short cuts" taken in materials or construction. I would use this banjo in any situation, on stage or jam.
Reliability Rating: 10
This is my first time dealing with Gold Tone. I made the purchase on Dec 24, and did not expect to hear anything back from them until the holiday was over. When I purchased the banjo, within 15 minutes I got an email from a Gold Tone representative telling me that they would process the purchase on Jan 2, 2025. I contacted him back (through email) and he replied soon afterward. A nice personal touch I thought.
Customer Service: 9
I have found nothing cheap about the parts nor nothing that I would replace. The Gotoh tuners they used are great. I give it a 9 rating because I guess there are always something better on the market.
Components Rating: 9
This is a great sounding banjo. The no hole tone ring really pushes the sound out and it is very loud. It only takes a touch to fret the strings, again the set up was done really well. The designers really went above and beyond with this one trying to match the RB-3 of J.D. Crowe. The looks are out standing nothing shabby about it at all. I can recommend the banjo to anyone who is looking for a professional banjo that you don't have to take a mortgage out on your house to buy. Easy to play, and defiantly easy to hear. This is the best sounding and play banjo I have played to date. I give it a overall rating of 10 because it is the best banjo I have played to date, not that I have played every other banjo.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Private sale
Year Purchased: 2023
Price Paid: 1250 ($US) (bought USED)
My favorite banjo I ever played was a stelling staghorn. My second favorite was my Gibson RB Deluxe. The Twanger fits right in between. I dont think the Twanger sounds better than the Gibson, it sounds about the same, but the twanger has the perfect sized neck for my hands and thus Im able to play faster and more articulate with the Twanger. I would also say the Twanger sounds as good as any of the dozen or so prewar Gibsons I played. They did a great job copying the prewar sound.
Sound Rating: 8
The snuffy smith bridge came broken. I replaced it. I didnt have to change anything else. Doesnt stay in tune for weeks like my Gibson but does stay tuned for days.
Setup Rating: 8
Finish on the outside liiks great but the rim looks sloppy. Almost like the whole rim was dipped in laquer. Lots of uneven running and dripping.
Appearance Rating: 5
The instrument is built like a tank. It should last 100 years. Certainly outlive me. Tuners are very tight and accurate...just how I like them. All very high quality woods. Clearcoat seems easily scratched.
Reliability Rating: 9
N\A
Customer Service: 10
The snuffy bridge doesnt seem any better or worse than the cheap grovers. The resonator is definitely the cheapo part of the banjo. Less wood and seems much more cheaply made than a Gibson...of course. I cant seem to get the resonator screws tight enough so i had to add washers to stop the rattling.
Components Rating: 7
This is my go to banjo for practicing and gigs. It is mainly because the neck is soo perfect to play. There honestly is very little difference in sound with most bluegrass banjos that are high quality and set up and played right. The exception is a Stelling Staghorn I played at gruhns which was almost too loud. Not sure 8f all stellings are superior in brightness as Ive only played two. But this twanger is as good as any. Better than most. But didnt blow my mind or anything existintial.
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: Ceres Banjo Works
Year Purchased: 2023
Price Paid: 1900 ($US)
I play some 3-finger and bluegrass, but I’m really enjoying melodic style. I went for this mahogany Twanger with a radiused fretboard with the intent to modify a little to compliment that. Details below in set-up.
Sound Rating: 10
The set-up from Ceres was great: drum set perfectly at 90, which I appreciated. The Twanger came new with GT hardware (obviously). I switched out the tuners for Rickard with brass knobs, and changed the tailpiece to a Prucha clamshell to add mass to the banjo. That worked great. Added a Nechville heavy bridge after trying several others. Also replaced the armrest with a Nechville woodie, just personal preference over nickel rests. Changed the strings to lights, came with mediums.
The banjo has an incredibly full and sweet sound.
Setup Rating: 9
The Twanger looks nice, nothing too fancy. Simple cream binding and concentric ring purfling on the resonator. I like the lacquer finish. The thin profile neck is easy to get around on. As mentioned above, I changed much of the hardware. But the pot, resonator and neck are good quality.
Appearance Rating: 9
I will definitely be using this banjo for jamming. I am not at the level of performing, yet.
*Edit* the 5th geared Gotoh tuner started to get a little wonky and slippy, so had to fix that.
Reliability Rating: 8
Ceres was very communicative, and sent the banjo promptly. Well protected and in perfect shape on arrival.
Customer Service: 10
While the radius neck is nice, the gradient seems very slight. I don’t have a way to measure, but it feels like 14” to 16” compound (if it IS compound). I prefer a more pronounced radius: 7” to 12”. I mean, if you’re gonna hop on a radiused neck, go full or go flat! But that said, it is a very comfortable neck to play on. There is no information on the Gold Tone site, and an email to them did not yield an answer.
*Edit* After playing the Twanger for a couple of weeks, I decided to upgrade to the GT Bela neck. The deeper compound radius is something I would like to add to this banjo. Will update after I get the banjo back from GT.
Components Rating: 7
Overall, with the changes I made to it, the Twanger radiused neck is a great banjo. *Will update after receiving new compound Bela neck* The tone and timbre are excellent. This is a fine mahogany 'jo. I'd read other reviews that the Twanger is great value for the price, and I agree wholeheartedly. My modifications notwithstanding, it is a fine banjo. The Twanger has been elevated to a special level with my modifications. I have a couple of Stellings (Staghorn and Red Fox), a couple of Deerings (GDL and Eagle II), and this unit is not out of place among them. That truly surprises me! I was sceptical of Gold Tone's quality, but this is a great base for putting your stamp on to get what you want out of a banjo. Recommend highly!
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Banjoteacher.com
Year Purchased: 2022
Price Paid: 1800 - ish ($US)
This banjo has remarkably good sound. It is extremely responsive, notes clear and true all over the neck, and now that I have the right setup, it is, no exaggeration, the best playing-and-sounding banjo I have ever played. Really surprising from what I had always considered a lower-end manufacturer. You don't have to play hard, but when you do, the Twanger will roar.
The no-hole tone ring is an unusual choice, but it gives a very crisp, crunchy note, with plenty of depth, character, and volume. Action is right about average. Capoing up the neck doesn't reduce the oomph either, and the sound is good all the way to fret 22.
Sound Rating: 10
Setup from Banjoteacher was OK. It came with very heavy strings, and a pretty good Snuffy bridge. I'd say it didn't come into its own until I put light strings on, and found a Sullivan FF bridge that was the perfect height and gave it the sound I was looking for. But that's all I've changed -- tailpiece is good (has that little bit of felt that cuts overtones just a hair), and I have not had to mess with the head tension or the neck at all.
Setup Rating: 8
It looks fine. Like a banjo. Clearly a factory nitro finish, which is ok. Resonator doesn't sit perfectly, typical for a cheaper instrument.
Appearance Rating: 7
I've gigged with this banjo constantly since February, and it sounds the same every time I pick it up. That's huge -- banjos are very fussy, they go out of whack with the weather, parts shift or come loose. This is my main gigging banjo now, and I have no reservations.
Reliability Rating: 9
I asked for the banjo, they sent it. That's been the extent of my dealings with the company.
Customer Service: 10
Swap out strings and bridge (you'd do that with almost any new banjo). Everything else is fine out of the box.
One minor issue - the neck is just a hair narrow at the nut. 1st string pulloffs at the second fret bring the string off the edge and give you a pfft note if you're not careful. It might be fixable with a recut nut; so far it only bothers me during "Fireball Mail" and "Dill Pickle Rag."
Components Rating: 8
I can't recommend this banjo enough, IF you go just a little beyond the out-of-the-box setup and find the strings and bridge that work for you. Every bridge I tried sounded pretty good, and then I found one that was perfect.
Now the Twanger plays and sounds better than some of my friends' Hubers and Gibsons. It really sounds surprisingly good. Every note comes loud and even, and it has let me ratchet up my banjo game.
The neck is not as good as my Hatfield (hard to compete with the hand-carved) but it's comfortable, smooth, not the least bit clubby. While we're comparing, the Hatfield is also a great sound, but is much more finicky, and the Twanger makes my RK-80 sound like rubber bands.
For your main gigging workhorse banjo, you can't do better, and it's more than good enough to be your studio axe.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Thoman.de
Year Purchased: 2020
Price Paid: UK £ (Pounds sterling )
historic exchange rates / currency converter
This is a mahogany banjo with a mastertone set up and design based fairly accurately on JDs Banger. It has a no hole tone ring, OPF and a flattish rim. Remo frosted head. GT master planet tuners have nice function with a small plastic washer topped off with a leather washer for smooth functioning and they hold tune very well. My only criticism of the tuners is tgat you can't replace the knobs with others that fit gotoh or stew mac etc. The neck and reso have a nice, smooth cm varnished finish which may be nitro or ploy, I don't know which. The metalwork is good with nice plating. The tailpiece is a presto copy with small screws holding the tailpiece cover. It's OK but not great as the screws easily loosen and it can rattle so I fitted a Prucha presto. The strings were medium j think so I replaced with pf 135s. The bridge is OK, 5/8 Crowe. I may try others. The neck plays great and with a 1.25 nut it's wider than my pre war necks and easier to play with great string separation. I set it up at 90 on the drum dial. The intonation is very good and it rings well alll the way up the neck.
Sound Rating: 9
The setup from factory was poor in that the lugs were not wound in and the resonator does not sit quite round but OK. I didn't expect too luch from the factory.
Setup Rating: 6
Looks great. Lovely concentric rings and finish. One or two finish checks and a finish problem on the rim and reso but not to bad. I would expect near perfect however for 1.5k
Appearance Rating: 7
I will definitely gig it, sounds killer and powerful with great tone and notes out very well.
Reliability Rating: 8
The company advertised it with headstock pictures of an OB150. Wayne at Goldtone was very responsive and helpful. Thoman are yet to respond to the issues re fit n finish.
Customer Service: 7
Great tone ring, pot and neck. The tailpiece I would replace with a Prucha and probably the bridge but the factory Bridge is good enough.
Components Rating: 8
It's really a great sounding banjo, as good and probably a stronger tone than my previous Stelling, ESS, Gold star gf200. Its a newer sound than my 2 prewar, a tone hoop tb1 29 and a 27 pyramid which are both great, neither are full flat heads so it's not like gor like. They both have older tone but the Twanger will get played a lot too. I really like it, a lot. The flt and finish is OK for the price with only minor faults but overall a fantastic banjo at the price & as said just so much more volume and tone. In my view it sounds a fair bit stronger than rk 36/36 and modern gold stars. It plays easily and rings loud and clear all the way up the neck. Exciting!!
Overall Rating: 8
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent (EU/GDPR Only)
Copyright 2026 Banjo Hangout. All Rights Reserved.