Pitched in between its two parent instruments, the F-6 has a range intriguingly close to that of a tenor banjo. 1 week ago 0 Comments. This is my first mandolin so I don't have much to compare it to, but I can tell you why I went for this one as a customer. This very small bowl-backed instrument featured double courses of strings like a contemporary mandolin, but had six sets of double courses (12 strings) and was tuned as a standard guitar is today. Played a Gold Tone mandolin at a dealer's a few months ago -- don't know if it was the GM-50, but it was a solid-top, and it seemed decent for the price. Coming from a standard guitar, the F-6 presented some initial challenges in terms of getting accustomed to its compact dimensions. That said, a little mandolin technique goes a long way here, particularly if one is looking to use it as a substitute or alternative for that smaller instrument, either in a recording setting or jam session. Gold Tone F-6 Mando-Guitar - Sound Demo (no talking) - YouTube Oh, one thing....buy one! The bone nut isn’t quite as wide as is specified on the website—at least not on the review model—and with a scale length of just 15 inches, every bit of real estate counts. It’s intriguing, if not fun, how the sound and feel of a different-sized and pitched instrument can have a direct impact on one’s approach. BODY Solid spruce top; maple back and sides; walnut bridge; satin finish, NECK Maple neck; 15″ scale length; 1-3/4″ bone nut; select wood fretboard; open-gear Gotoh style tuners; satin finish, OTHER Chrome hardware; adjustable truss rod; piezo pickup; hard case included; available in a 12-string model; right-handed only. 5.0 out of 5 stars See review for OM800+ on Gold Tone GM70 mandolin site. For players who want this timbre, the tone is fine. Well-intonated and with a comfortable setup, all I had to do was bring the strings to pitch and start playing. Out of the box, the F-6 was remarkably ready for music making. Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018 Though I purchased an octave mandolin which is no longer offered on Amazon, I feel obligated to review it as a Gold Tone … Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gold Tone GM-35 F-Style Mandolin at Amazon.com. One apparently unique feature of this instrument (compared to others in this price range) is that the jack for the cord is on lower edge rather than the front of the instrument where the plug can interfere with playing and mar the intrument's appearance. This page works best with JavaScript. Video lessons week by week, Chord by Chord. The 21-fret, short-scale acoustic instrument utilizes standard guitar tuning but is pitched up a full octave, which produces the timbre and character of a mandolin. Surprisingly, when the early 20th century mandolin craze swept across the United States, this particular mandolin variant was not revived. From the January/February 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Nick Rossi. Gear Review: Washburn Bella Tono Elegante S24S, Gear Review: Recording King Limited Edition Dirty 30s Deluxe Single 0 Offers Lots of Vintage Vibe for the Price, Gear Review: DPA 4099 CORE Instrument Microphone, Guitar Wall Mounts, Floor Stands, & More—How to Keep Your Instrument Safe at Home, Acoustic Guitar Review: Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey Is a Secret Tone Weapon, 5 Ways to Play C Augmented | Chord by Chord, How to Play E Diminished Voicings | Chord by Chord. The neck is a bit narrower than a typical acoustic mandolin, but it's not drastically different, and it plays well. Really great instrument! This mandolin has a slim neck with a scale length of 14-7/8 inches. It is a joy to play and has better tonal balance among the strings than my other two electrics (which were also inexpensive). Although regionally popular in Italy through the 19th century, the instrument eventually fell into obscurity. With normal playing the G string does not slip off the frets, however. It features a solid spruce top with maple back and sides, all with a satin finish. With a mandola-sized body inspired by Lloyd Loar’s famous American flat-back with f-hole design, the F-6 offers the player an alternate history that shares the aesthetics and sonic characteristics of the mandolin family of instruments that were produced in Kalamazoo during the early 1920s. Both full-size folk chords and three-to-four-note jazz voicings seem to be at home on this diminutive box, hinting at its versatility. And of course, pop material works quite well on the mando-guitar, echoing the novelty of ukulele but offering up more familiar musical terrain. Not revived (.008–.042 ) things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought item. Compact dimensions playing the G string does not slip off the frets, however voicings to. Distant ancestor of the body ’ s specifications and is set up in Florida. 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