Gold Star GF-100JD

Description

It's been years since we've carried Gold Star's banjos here at the Denver Folklore Center - but the GF-100JD makes for quite a reintroduction as to what makes these overseas-built instruments so special. Faithfully designed after the Gibson RB-3 that J.D. Crowe played on 1981 newgrass classic The Bluegrass Album, this absolutely ripping five-string has a bright and powerful sound that costs only a fraction as much as vintage Gibson resonators do. The GF-100JD combines a mahogany neck and resonator with a three-ply maple pot for the best of both worlds, lending a snappy, percussive attack and weight to the instrument's voice but without sacrificing warmth or midrange. Gold Star outfit the instrument with a no-hole cast tone ring to imitate the pre-Mastertone option in Crowe's RB-3, for a bite that will feel instantly familiar to experienced pickers but stands apace from the Masterclones currently cluttering the entry-level resonator market. It even features the period-authentic Leaves and Bows inlay pattern on the headstock with a Gold Star script inlay. While it may take its name from one of the most respected bluegrass records ever cut, the GF-100JD seems poised to make modern classics all its own. Included in the price is a Superior hard-shell case.