Gold Tone AC-1: 5-String Beginnner Banjo, Full Size with Gig-Bag, Bluegrass or Clawhammer

I bought this to be a cheap travel Banjo. Something light that I could stash in an overhead bin and wouldn't be brokenhearted if it ended up being busted by turbulence or stolen during the trip. I totally wasn't expecting it to sound SO GREAT! This thing really twangs and cracks like a proper bluegrass Banjo, has perfect intonation all the way up the neck...and it weighs less than my cat! I highly recommend this for travel/camping/couch Banjo. Would be a great starter Banjo too. The only downside to the thing is that the "gig-bag" that comes with it is totally inadequate and has no padding, so get a proper bag or case and toss the one that came with it. I give this 5 stars for totally succeeding at what it was designed for...to be cheap, light and sound great.

An excellent instrument for a beginner. Great quality. Lovely sound.

Bought this as a gift for my husband and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality. It’s a good beginner banjo and it was nice that it came with a gig/travel bag. Good for the price and easy to figure out for beginners!

Another customer was spot on…comes in a box the size of a coffin and the instrument was just flopping around to the point where it came out of the instrument box altogether! If Gold Tone does, indeed, do a miner setup on these Chinese instruments in Florida before they are shipped out, TAPE THE DAMN BOX CLOSED!! I was very surprised it was still in one piece! As for the banjo itself, the “factory setup” has the action nice but it has sharp fret ends that need to be addressed as well as other sharp points snagging on clothing, I’m a guitar player and have been setting up my own instruments for quite a while and sharp fret ends, etc. are to be expected on an instrument at this price point so I was expecting that and other customers should too!

I am extremely happy with this banjo. Just received it in a totally smashed outer box. The inside box and banjo were fine. The tone, volume, set up and play ability are amazing. I added a Gold Tone armrest which looks great and is comfortable. Buy one, you'll love it. Michael

If I could give this banjo 10 stars I would. Who would think that a composite banjo could sound so good I have one that’s twice the price and this sounds much better so good. I’m thinking about buying the 12 inch pot from gold tone. You’ll find me in the mountains playing.

This is a great banjo for the money. I have heard not so great things about imported cheap banjos, but this AC-1 was always talked highly of. Maybe because the company checks it out here in America and makes sure everything is good to go prior to shipping. It arrived ready to go, and includes a few tools and a letter explaining adjusting your banjo when needed. I liked it so much, I decided to upgrade to a few Deering banjos, but this Gold Tone is nice because composite plastic is not changed as mush as wood for traveling etc. It holds tune very well, unlike other cheap instruments. The only thing I can mention that might not be great, is the sound is slightly different than a wooden rim banjo. But it's just a little different, a beginner would not even know. There is not another in this price range better from what I can tell. If you can afford to pay double the price, the Deering Goodtime banjo is a steal for the money, and would be even better. When holding them both, you can tell this AC-1 is more cheaply built (rim/j hooks etc). But to get your feet wet, this one is excellent. Once you upgrade, this one can be used as a truck/camping banjo, and the wood one can stay home nice and dry. Also, this one looks great too. I included a pic of it sitting in my speakeasy.

Broke into upon delivery

Exactly what I expected

Nothing to compare it to but sounds/feels great, I've played this for a lot of hours now and have had so much fun learning

El banjo es de muy buena calidad y de buen sonido, siendo Gold Tone un fabricante con reputación. Sin embargo, el tailpiece llegó con un defecto de fábrica donde el tornillo entró a un ángulo de 45° en vez de estar paralelo al mástil. Como esa es una pieza que eventualmente cambiaré y que no afecta, de momento, la funcionalidad ni el sonido del instrumento, no creo que valga la pena el proceso de devolución y de volver a comprar el artículo. Como llegó en caja cerrada, asumo es un defecto de fábrica y por eso le pongo 4 estrellas.

Although I own several other stringed instruments this is my first banjo. It sounds fantastic, appears to be well made. The action and intonation are spot on. I would definitely recommend this Gold Tone.

I'm very happy with the banjo, although I am no expert banjo player this one does the job nicely and sounds great. It arrived well packaged and was set up ready to play. Now I'm just driving the family nuts practising picking styles!