Gold Tone OB-3CJ Carl Jackson Ruby Pearl Signature Mastertone Banjo - Pre-Order

Carl Jackson named this banjo after his mother.

When he introduced the model, he said she was precious and sweet, and that this banjo is pretty sweet too. He said he could not be more proud of the name. That is what the single red stone in the peghead is, set into the pearl inlay below the flower and above his signature. It is called the Ruby Pearl.

Gold Tone committed the first six instruments off the production line to Banjo Warehouse in writing. Every one of those six ships with a banjo head autographed by Carl Jackson. Later production runs will not have one.

This is a pre-order. The OB-3CJ is not yet in production. Estimated delivery is January through March 2027, and that window comes from Gold Tone. Your payment is fully refundable at any time before your banjo ships, for any reason and with no restocking fee.

Specifications

Mahogany neck and resonator. Three ply maple rim. Flathead tone ring, with an archtop tone ring available at the same price. Pot metal one piece flange. Gold plated hardware. An inlay pattern drawn specifically for this model, with the MASTERTONE block on the fingerboard and the Gold Tone script on the peghead above Carl's signature.

Flathead or archtop?

Gold Tone offers either ring at the same price, so this is a tone decision rather than a budget one. The flathead gives you more low end and the fuller bottom that Scruggs style playing is built on. The archtop is brighter and drier, with a focused note that speaks quickly and sits above a band. If you are not sure, pick the flathead.

Message me here to specify your tone ring, or call and we will sort it out.

About Carl Jackson

Carl Jackson joined Jim and Jesse McReynolds' Virginia Boys at fourteen and was on the Grand Ole Opry stage as a teenager. He spent twelve years in Glen Campbell's band, where Campbell introduced him as the greatest banjo player in the world. He won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 1992 and produced Glen Campbell's final studio album in 2017.

Setup

Every banjo that leaves our shop in Yellow Springs, Ohio is set up first. Our banjo tech Tara is Huber factory trained and will go through this instrument before it goes in the case: head tension, bridge placement and fit, action at the nut and the twelfth fret, truss rod, tailpiece angle, and fresh strings.

Questions before you order? Call me at (404) 218-8580. I would rather talk it through with you than have you guess. I have been playing and selling banjos since 1963.

Geoff Hohwald, Banjo Warehouse, Yellow Springs, Ohio