Gold Tone Bass Banjo BB-400

four2oh · #1 07-25-2007, 09:50 AM

and now for something a little different...

The Gold Tone Bass Banjo!

after hearing Les Claypool's "Iowan Girl" (off his latest "Of Whales and Woes"), i just had to find a bass banjo. Apparently, the one Les plays was custom built for him, and is basically a bass neck attached to a regular banjo body.

eventually, i stumbled upon the banjo-maker Gold Tone's Bass Banjo (BB-400), which uses an oversized banjo head.

Sales Pitch info from Gold Tone:

A new sound for bass players, the BB-400 has an uncanny resemblance to the tone of an upright acoustic bass with our special sliding mag pickup. The BB-400 has extremely quick hammers, pull-offs, and slides. It is especially suited to play slap bass techniques. The BB-400 is available with frets or as a fretless model. Bass players are amazed at this new tone for the "LOW END."

A slim maple neck and a 13" maple body makes the Banjo Bass a comfortable instrument to play. Features include sliding mag pickup, a Remo PTS pre-tuned head, radiused fingerboard, stainless-steel tailpiece, thumb guide, bone nut, and high-quality tuning machines.

Pictured above is my fretted version, with optional Resonator, strung up with DR black beauties.
It is Electro-Acoustic, using a Fishman pickup. Acoustically, it sounds like a thumpy doghouse with banjo overtones. Electrically, it looses the banjo overtones, and sounds more like a standard electric bass. I prefer to blend the Fishman with an on-stage mic to bring out the them bright popping banjo overtones.

bman · #2 07-25-2007, 10:02 AM

How's the volume unplugged?
Could it stand up to an acoustic guitar?

four2oh · #3 07-25-2007, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bman

How's the volume unplugged?
Could it stand up to an acoustic guitar?

It projects well unplugged, but you get more of the banjo tone than a deep thumping bass. Pickin' with an acoustic guitar or two, it'll hold up fine.. but if you add in a whole stringband, it'll start to get buried. for acoustic full band practices, i tend to reinforce it with a little practice amp, just to thicken up the bottom end, but not over power the other acoustic instruments. it really has a unique sound unplugged, though.

iamthebassman · #4 07-25-2007, 10:46 AM

I thought about getting one of those a few years back but I didn't like/need the thumbrest so I passed.

four2oh · #5 07-25-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamthebassman

I thought about getting one of those a few years back but I didn't like/need the thumbrest so I passed.

thumbrest is just glued to the banjo head, and can be removed. personally, i like a place to put my thumb, but i did remove the chrome wrist-guard thingy from the banjo head, which made it extremely uncomfortable.

JAUQO III-X · #6 07-25-2007, 11:51 AM

I worked with Gold Tone on their bass Banjo and suggested that they use a resonator because I felt it would help capture and retain the low frequency fundamentals.

I've been playing mine for a little over 5 years.

four2oh · #7 07-25-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

I worked with Gold Tone on their bass Banjo and suggested that they use a resonator because I felt it would help capture and retain the low frequency fundamentals.

I've been playing mine for a little over 5 years.

SWEET! well then i thank you kindly for your input to Gold Tone, as the resonator really does help out quite a bit. Wow, 5 years? didn't realize these had been around that long. you never see them in stores, i had to order mine direct from Gold Tone. (though now i see that do show up on amazon.com/froogle.com)

JAUQO III-X · #8 07-25-2007, 12:07 PM

You're very welcome.How did you first come across the Gold Tone bass banjo?

The first three bass players they contacted about the bass banjo when they were getting it together was Myself,Dave Pomeroy and Victor Wooten.

four2oh · #9 07-25-2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

You're very welcome.How did you first come across the Gold Tone bass banjo?

after listening to "Iowan Girl" by Les Claypool, i NEEDED a bass banjo.. so after much hunting, i found the Gold Tone BB-400 listed on their website.

JAUQO III-X · #10 07-25-2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by four2oh

after listening to "Iowan Girl" by Les Claypool, i NEEDED a bass banjo.. so after much hunting, i found the Gold Tone BB-400 listed on their website.

Kool.

enricoemme · #11 03-06-2009, 08:00 AM

Hi,
I'm interest about this banjo, but I cannot play an intrument not fine tuned...
Since it hasn't any mobile bridge, is it "tunable"?

edwinhurwitz · #12 03-18-2009, 01:51 PM

A friend of mine has one of these and the action is really high. His is fretless. Also, he has bad problems with picking up buzz and hum as the electronics aren't shielded around the volume pot and output jack. Does anyone else with these beasts have these problems?

Thanks,
Edwin

JAUQO III-X · #13 03-18-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

A friend of mine has one of these and the action is really high. His is fretless. Also, he has bad problems with picking buzz and hum as the electronics aren't shielded around the volume pot and output jack. Does anyone else with these beasts have these problems.

Thanks,
Edwin

I've never had any problems at all the electronics in mine.

edwinhurwitz · #14 03-18-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

I've never had any problems at all the electronics in mine.

Well, that's good to hear. When I have another chance to look at it, I'll trace all the grounds with a meter. Does yours have a ground wire that attaches to one of the metal rods that attaches the neck? His does, but it goes to the rod that doesn't attach to the tailpiece, so the strings aren't grounded. Perhaps yours are?

Thanks for replying (and putting up with my hasty typing!).
Edwin

JAUQO III-X · #15 03-18-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

Well, that's good to hear. When I have another chance to look at it, I'll trace all the grounds with a meter. Does yours have a ground wire that attaches to one of the metal rods that attaches the neck? His does, but it goes to the rod that doesn't attach to the tailpiece, so the strings aren't grounded. Perhaps yours are?

Thanks for replying (and putting up with my hasty typing!).
Edwin

If I remember correctly there is a wire that attaches to the rod that's attached to the tailpiece.

Mark Perry · #16 10-08-2009, 06:21 PM

I found this video of Boogie Mosson playing Banjo bass a while ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HekXBIlmmms

Are there a few companies making these things now? Could be a lot of fun. Not to mention unique.

Pillgrimm13 · #17 02-28-2010, 04:48 PM

i inherited a goldtone banjo that im currently inquiring about turning it into a bass, i emailed goldtone and they got back to me quickly and said my pot is 11" and for it to work good ide need 13" but they have the parts if i still want to go ahead which i do. the banjo sounds and plays great but im in love with the bass. ive played a couple of goldtone banjos and they do make quality banjos but i havent seen the bass in stores yet and im dying to play one to see how it sounds and feels.