Gold Tone: "Pat Cloud" Banjola

Submitted by robroy103 on 11/22/2011

Where Purchased: Muscians Heaven

Year Purchased: 2011
Price Paid: GB () historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

Poor Volume

Sound Rating: 1

Setup

Setup Rating: not rated

Appearance

Appearance Rating: not rated

Reliability

Reliability Rating: not rated

Customer Service

Customer Service: not rated

Components

Components Rating: not rated

Overall Comments

After reading all available reviews of the new Pat Cloud Banjola I decided to order one. This was my first Gold Tone purchase as I have only ever played Deering banjos.
I was very disappointed with the instrument I received. The first thing I noticed was a label on the headstock stating ‘Made in China’ this was a surprise as I had imagined the instrument would be made in the US by the Gold Tone factory.
I expected a solid top as advertised but I got a laminated top. OK it is Solid Sitka Spruce but made pointless by a second skin of plywood glued to its underside making a finished top thickness of approaching 1/4 inch. this is poor construction and does nothing for the resonance of the instrument. The general finish (apart from the ‘one and a half inch’ long nut and bolts extending into the resonator to hold the pick-up on) and woods seemed fine and as I would have hoped but again somewhat spoilt by a super thick, all over layer of lacquer, common to the lower end of the market. Playing the Banjola was a challenge, unless amplified it is so quiet as to be almost useless for anything other than private playing. All in all I was so unimpressed that I returned the instrument to the supplier. Emailing Gold Tone brought a deafening silence as my email was totally ignored, there’s a lesson in that.
I am sorry this seems such a scathing review but I have to say that I have never played such a poorly conceived instrument, for me it just didn’t work and was an expensive mistake.

Overall Rating: 2