Tenor Guitars, Anyone?

[JasmineTea]

I've got a Harmony tenor, late '50s my guess. Excelent condition, paid $65 at an antique shop a few years ago.

[carguy]

Never seen or played one. If I understand it, the four strings are tuned differently than the top 4 strings on a conventional guitar. I would guess that you'd have to learn all new chords in order to play it, sorta like a banjo.

How does the body compare to a regular guitar?
Is the tone vastly different?

[knockwood]

http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/images21000-21999/ugb21303-nationaltenor/index.html

[Whalebot]

Looks like a baritone Uke!

[Queequeg]

Traditionally, tenor guitars were tuned like tenor banjos, that is, in fifths like a mandolin and the viol family. From low to high: C G D A, same as a viola or an octave above the cello.

Like many instruments, one can have all sorts of different tunings. Celtic (Irish) musicians favor G D A E tuning also in fifths, same as a mandolin or violin.
Some guys will tune it DGBE
I understand that Ani DiFranco uses all sorts of alternate tunings for tenor guitar.

[JasmineTea]

Bigger than a baritone uke. Scale is 22- 7/8, my baritone uke is 19- 3/8

Bottem row, fourth from the left is like mine, the '50s Harmony flattop with the wierd pickguard. Looks much better in person. This guitar is bound with w/b/w around the body and soundhole, the neck is bound with a single piece of white.

The neck is tiny, a lttle bigger than a broomstick. The sound is I guess what you'd expect from a very small body. Upper bout: 9-1/2, lower bout: 13- 3/8. Length: 17-1/2. Spruce, mahogany.

Tuning is in 5ths. Interesting thing about that is it spaces the notes in the chords farther apart. I think it would be impossible to play these chords on a piano.

[Michael Martin]

I saw a celtic-ish duo a few years back--one of their many odd instruments was a "mandola"--I guess, sort of a baritone mandolin--sounded very cool. Have always wanted to play one since I heard it that once. Other than the double strings, is a mandola similar to a tenor guitar? Any body ever played one?

[JasmineTea]

Originally posted by Michael Martin I saw a celtic-ish duo a few years back--one of their many odd instruments was a "mandola"--I guess, sort of a baritone mandolin--sounded very cool. Have always wanted to play one since I heard it that once. Other than the double strings, is a mandola similar to a tenor guitar? Anybody ever played one?

If it's tuned in 5ths I guess it would be.

 

Must be triple post day.

[Michael Martin]

Sorry about the triple thing! I don't know how the mandola was tuned, but I got the sense it was the same note retlationships as the mandolin so the chords and patterns would be the same. I think I'll start looking for one.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Originally posted by Queequeg Traditionally, tenor guitars were tuned like tenor banjos, that is, in fifths like a mandolin and the viol family. From low to high: C G D A, same as a viola or an octave above the cello. Like many instruments, one can have all sorts of different tunings. Celtic (Irish) musicians favor G D A E tuning also in fifths, same as a mandolin or violin. Some guys will tune it DGBE I understand that Ani DiFranco uses all sorts of alternate tunings for tenor guitar.

I tune mine, a Harmony "Monterey" arch-top, Irish (G-D-A-E, an octave below a mandolin)...great tuning for all kinds of music, I feel.

Originally posted by Michael Martin I saw a celtic-ish duo a few years back--one of their many odd instruments was a "mandola"--I guess, sort of a baritone maondolin--sounded very cool. Have always wanted to play one since I heard it that once. Other than the double strings, is a mandola similar to a ternor guitar? Any body ever played one?

Generally, a mandola is tuned C-G-D-A, like a viola.

Originally posted by jmannatl The new issue of Fretboard Journal has a cover story on Neko Case and her collection of electric tenors. Very interesting. www.fretboardjournal.com

John(?) Oates of Hall & Oates fame plays electric tenors tuned G-D-A-E...I recall that he used a SG-model one and a couple acoustic Martins at the concert I saw several years ago (btw, they don't suck nearly as much live, due to the fact they play better music than on their records...)

[jmannatl]

The new issue of Fretboard Journal has a cover story on Neko Case and her collection of electric tenors. Very interesting.

www.fretboardjournal.com

[Tony Burns]

Tenor guitars are cool -- remember the guitar on the Mickey mouse club , with the mouse head as the guitars body - that was a tenor-- ( guess im showing my age )

[Queequeg]

Originally posted by Tony Burns Tenor guitars are cool -- remember the guitar on the Mickey mouse club , with the mouse head as the guitars body - that was a tenor-- ( guess im showing my age )

[jackwr]

Originally posted by Tony Burns Tenor guitars are cool -- remember the guitar on the Mickey mouse club , with the mouse head as the guitars body - that was a tenor-- ( guess im showing my age )

Mine too

[lalatingstrings]

she uses DADA alot.it sounds really good.i like the tone of a tenor.she has a really old gibson one i think."little plastic castle"is a good record to hear her tenor on.she uses it on alot of the trax.