Gold Tone OB-Bela Bluegrass Heart Béla Fleck Signature Banjo with Fiberglass Flight Case

0
0/5 - 0 reviews

New product

Gold Tone OB-Bela Bluegrass Heart Béla Fleck Banjo

Includes Fiberglass Flight Case

I am excited about the new Bela Fleck Model from Gold Tone that today's top 5-string banjo player, Bela Fleck and Wayne Rogers from Gold Tone have designed. Now anyone can take advantage of Bela's expertise in tone which is extensive. Wayne explained to me all the detailed input and passion Bela was involved with designing this banjo, right down to finest details of tailpiece, bridge, armrest, and other subtle tone characteristics. The play-ability factor is also tantamount with easy to play radius fingerboard, 7/8 bridge and other features Bela specified for tone and versatility.
Ross Nickerson - BanjoTeacher.com


FEATURED BANJO IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP

Gold Tone Banjos recently raised their price on this banjo $200 on 1-4-2024. All certified dealers were mandated to raise prices too. If you see a lower price still advertised for this banjo, call and we'll match it. If you see any other dealers listing banjos as "FLOOR MODELS" to circumvent Dealer Mandated Price Rules. I'll match that price too and you'll be purchasing a brand new banjo.
Ross Nickerson
Call 866-322-6567



From Gold Tone
A few years ago, Béla Fleck asked if Wayne Rogers of Gold Tone could build a baritone banjo for him. He desired an instrument that would slot in between the standard five-string and our CEB-5 cello banjo that he’d been using in performances with partner (and mate) Abigail Washburn. The ML-1 “Missing Link Banjo Low C-tuned banjo (named by Béla) was born.

In the wake of the successful introduction of the ML-1, Gold Tone then developed and issued the wonderful Gold Tone OB-3 “Twanger” professional-grade banjo.

Gold Tone sent one of these to their friend Marc Horowitz (pro banjoist, musical instrument industry veteran, banjo tinkerer and Béla’s second banjo teacher) for him to check out. He was very taken with it and (after applying his setup mods and tweaks) began playing it in the “Andy’s Ramble” Bluegrass band, fronted by world-renowned mandolinist Andy Statman.

In late 2020, Marc suggested to Wayne that the Twanger’s pot assembly might make a fine platform on which to base a banjo modeled on Béla’s “Number 1” instrument, a 1937 Style 75 Mastertone pot that Marc (while working at Mandolin Bros. Ltd) had obtained for him in the early ‘80s. At that time, Marc asked the great luthier John Monteleone to build a neck to Béla’s specifications. This neck was to be heftier than a traditional banjo neck; a bit wider and thicker, with a radiused fretboard. Béla thought that the radius and the extra room on the fretboard would facilitate the single-string techniques he was developing, and that the additional mass would deepen the banjo’s tone and produce a voice more in line with his playing style. He was, of course, correct. The tone of Béla’s banjo has reverberated at the vanguard of acoustic music for over four decades, producing a distinctive full-spectrum and warm tone that is admired and coveted by many modern banjoists.

Wayne sent an OB-3 to Béla for him to live with and tweak in any way he liked. Before long, he told us, “I think there may be something here; let’s keep messing with it.” Over the next months, Béla, Marc and Wayne worked together to produce something that Béla had wanted for years: a banjo close enough in sound and feel to serve as a performance-grade backup for “Number 1”. Initially this was to be a one-off instrument, but as the design progressed and the prototypes produced results that got closer and closer to a banjo that could serve as a worthy stand-in for his main banjo, the possibility of a Signature Model was raised and discussed.

Ross Nickerson owner of BanjoTeacher.com demonstrating the OB-Bela at Gold Tone

The Gold Tone “Bluegrass Heart” Béla Fleck Signature Banjo is now a reality. Now YOU can play a professional-grade banjo that will provide the closest thing yet to the feel and the tone of Béla’s pre-war masterpiece. Every detail of this instrument is a result of personal, hands-on development by Béla, Marc and Wayne. The finest components available are used to optimize the sound and the playing experience. The Prucha Presto tailpiece, Rickard Cyclone 10:1 tuning machines (with custom, red-anodized brass buttons for added peghead mass), custom bridge and Rickard wood armrest all do their part to enhance tuning ease and stability, full-bodied tone and playing comfort.

Gold Tone is very proud to offer this flagship instrument and we hope that you get as much pleasure from owning and playing it as we had in creating it.




Ross Nickerson demonstrating the Gold Tone OB-Bela - playing El Cumbanchero


List of FREE Items Included with this Banjo

FREE ITEMS don't add to our normal discount price which is the lowest price we are allowed to advertise by the Manufacturer.

"Fleck Tune" Banjo Tuner
FREE Gold Tone Bela Fleck "Fleck Tune" Electronic Tuner

Choose Your Options Below

Bluegrass Heart Bela Banjo OB-Bela Options


THIS BANJO IS AVAILABLE FOR ORDER NOW.

IN STOCK

Call with questions about this banjo or our pricing anytime
1-866-322-6567

Email Ross
Contact us

More details

$3,799.00

- +

---------

Banjos on Sale

Call or email us for Best Deal
or Price Match on Banjos 1-866-322-6567


All Major Credit Cards, Paypal and AfterPay Accepted

Visa-iconMaster-card-iconAmerican-Express-icon

--------------------------------------------

Financing at BanjoTeacher.com

Pay in 4 Easy Payments with No Interest

Select "AfterPay"when checking out

--------------------------------------------

Featured Banjos

Gold Tone OB-300 Gold

Gold Tone OB-2 Bowtie

Gold Tone OB-3

Gold Tone OB-2 AT Archtop

Bela Fleck ML-1 Baritone Banjo

Bela Fleck Bluegrass Heart

Deering Blackgrass Special

Deering Artisan Banjos

--------------------------------

Zero Glide Nut Installed FREE
All Gold Tone Banjos from BanjoTeacher.com now come with the Zero Glide Nut installed FREE
The Zero Glide makes the banjo action easier to play, increases the sound clarity and is a significant improvement for any banjo. Installation by a professional is normally done at a cost of $75 or more. It's now installed FREE on all Gold Tone Banjos.
Read more about the Zero Glide

-------------------------------

Why you should choose Banjoteacher.com

-------------------------------

Sign Up for our Newsletter


Sign up and Receive Tips On Learning Banjo and a Free Banjo E-Book

-----------------------

 
More info

Bela Fleck playing the new Gold Tone Bluegrass Heart Bela Fleck Banjo in Concert

OB-Bela Specifications

Headstock

Buttons
Nut Width
Zero Glide Installed

Neck

Body

Dimensions

Scale Length

Other

Tuning

Highlights


No-Hole Tone Ring

3-Ply Canadian Maple Rim

GT Master Planetary Tuners

Pearloid Leaves and Bows Inlay

No customer reviews for the moment.


Add Review
Captcha

30 other products in the same category:

What our customers say

QR code

Menu