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Gold Tone GM-80 Acoustic-electric Mandolin - Cherry Burst Satin

F-style Acoustic-electric Mandolin with Spruce Top, Maple Back and Sides, Maple Neck, and Ebony Fingerboard - Cherry Burst Satin

Old-school Oval-hole Sound, Elevated with Modern Electronics

The Gold Tone GM-80 updates the historic oval-hole mandolin tradition with stage-ready acoustic-electric performance and a fast, modern feel. A solid Sitka spruce top kicks this 8-string off with a clear, balanced projection, while the curly maple back and sides ring with crisp focus and top-end chime. Complete with an oval-hole construction, the GM-80 sings with a slightly sweeter and smoother sound than your typical F-hole mandolin. On the opposite end, a fast-playing curly maple neck sits beneath a beautifully bound ebony fingerboard. Plus, Gold Tone’s Zero Glide nut combines a traditional bone nut with a zero fret to reduce nut binding and ensure your open strings ring with the same character as your fretted notes. Unwavering Gold Tone tuning machines, an adjustable ebony bridge, and a cast tailpiece complement this mandolin’s acoustic elegance with a dose of rock-solid reliability. Capped off with a gig-ready pickup, the Gold Tone GM-80 is a perfect fit for players seeking a mandolin to drive their Celtic, old-time country, or folk pursuits.

All-solid-wood excellence

For more than a century, the go-to tonewood combination for steel-string mandolin players has been a spruce top paired with maple back and sides. The GM-80 carries on that tonal torch, featuring an F-style frame with solid tonewoods — a premium construction method that delivers a more complex, resonant sound than laminate timbers. Combined with an oval soundhole, the GM-80 performs with a rounder, fuller, more overtone-dense voice compared to the percussive chop of an F-hole bluegrass mandolin.

Zero Glide: patented precision makes playability smooth

Gold Tone’s Zero Glide nut is a tiny piece of hardware that drastically enhances instrument performance. The patented design pairs a sustain-boosting bone nut with a hard nickel-silver “zero fret” for enhanced reliability and sound. Zero Glide nuts grace the headstocks of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, and even ukuleles. The benefits are clearly universal! Zero Glide’s precision-cut string slots further reduce string contact by a staggering 93% at the nut, meaning fewer tuning breaks and better resonance, especially when playing gets aggressive. Zero Glide also narrows the sonic differences between fretted- and open-string notes while solving common intonation issues, delivering innovative accuracy without compromising character.

Gold Tone: a legacy of music

The origins of Gold Tone go back to the folk music scene of the ’70s, when musicians Wayne and Robyn Rogers opened a small music shop. Fifteen years later, they founded Gold Tone Banjos in Titusville, Florida. The company’s first product, the TB-100 banjo, was designed by Wayne. As demand for this critically acclaimed instrument increased, the company expanded its offerings to include a selection of fretted instruments that combine modern innovation and timeless vintage design. The goal? To inspire all musicians, from beginners to professionals, to realize their musical dreams. Today, Sweetwater is pleased to offer you Gold Tone’s exciting range of 4-, 5-, and 6-string banjos, metal- and wood-bodied resonator guitars, Weissenborn Hawaiian steel guitars, and mandolins.

Gold Tone GM-80 Features:

Traditional F-style oval-hole mandolin built with all-solid tonewoods
An ideal instrument for players seeking to explore mandolin genres outside the world of bluegrass
Solid Sitka spruce top and curly maple body sing with a smoother, sweeter, and more complex tone than a standard-hole mandolin
Fast-playing curly maple neck topped with a bound ebony fingerboard
Zero Glide nut combines a standard bone nut with a zero fret, providing enhanced stability and a more cohesive tone between fretted and open notes
Bridge-mounted transducer pickup electrifies your tone with authentic acoustic accuracy
Road-ready hardware includes an adjustable ebony bridge, a cast tailpiece, and Gold Tone tuning machines

RETURN INFORMATION

We want you to be completely happy with your purchase from Sweetwater. If you are not satisfied with your product, you may return it for a refund of the purchase price within 30 days. If your purchase was eligible for Free Shipping, the shipping cost will be deducted from your credit or refund. Returns must be in the complete and original packaging with all accessories and complete documentation (Owner's Manual, warranty card, quick start guides, etc.), show no signs of wear or use, and include a Return Authorization number or be subject to a restocking fee.