The Steel Guitar Forum

Wow, 18 years later... I never thought I’d see this thread resurface. Anyway, I originally posted this thread about Gold Tone lap steels, not the resonator guitars.

Doug, how would you compare the Gold Tone Oahu copy to your black Gibson Century-6?

The Gold Tone has a longer scale length and a modern tone (a cleaner tone) than the Gibson Century 6. I prefer the Gibson because it has more growl and I like the shorter scale length.

Doug Beaumier wrote:I prefer the Gibson because it has more growl and I like the shorter scale length.

I agree. I have a modest collection of postwar Gibsons, and my favorites are a black Century and a white Ultratone with the wide oval (racetrack) pickup. Both are beaters but remain perfectly stock aside from the knobs and tuners on the Century, and the jackplates on both. Both have the "growl" akin to a Bakelite or an Emmons.