Electric OM or electric tenor Guitar

**Hubert Angaiak** · Apr-04-2005, 5:09pm

You can drum me out of this tread, but... our fiddle player/lead guitarist is getting to be a no show guy. Has anyone tried using an OM or tenor guitar strung GDAE and doing some country leads or old country leads on these. I saw a tele style tenor guitar and would somthing like this fill the void when the guys off someplace?? Any good tenor guitar or OM pckups that will hold its own.

**steve V. johnson** · Apr-04-2005, 8:02pm

Sorry to hear about the disappearing fiddler...! #That's too bad,

Tenor guitars used to play melody lines back in the 20's and 30's. # Hey why not? #I have never heard anyone do it, but I keep running across music store guys with tales of folks playing bluegrass on OMs... #Certainly the Morgan Monroe and Michael Kelly companies think that some people want to do that stuff.

I think an OM would have a lot more 'wow factor' with audiences in that context than an electric mando or a solid-body tenor guitar... but then I don't know your audiences.

As for pickups ... whew, there are lots! # I am a fan of the Pick-up the World ones that go inside on the bridge plate, but I know of lots of others. #They're out there...

stv

**Adare_Steve** · Apr-05-2005, 8:48am

Originally Posted by (sliabhstv @ April 04 2005, 21:02)

Tenor guitars used to play melody lines back in the 20's and 30's...I have never heard anyone do it, but I keep running across music store guys with tales of folks playing bluegrass on OMs... #

John Carty, the Traditonal Irish fiddle and banjo player (Irish musician of the Year in 2003) always brings his acoustic four-string tenor guitar to his gigs and plays jigs and reels on it. I've heard him on three occasions and it sounds wonderful. Obviously, it's not 'solid' and he mikes it up, but the principle is the same.

Steve

**steve V. johnson** · Apr-05-2005, 9:59am

Yes! That's right! He plays a set on it on one of his CDs, tho I can't remember just now which one...

Perhaps the one called "Yeh, That's All It Is" ...? I believe that's the latest one.

Thanks, ASteve!

**Unseen122** · Apr-05-2005, 9:00pm

It depends on the sound you want if you want it to sound more mando like then go for the OM but if you want Guitar go for the TG. If you are following the guitar likes you might want to go for the TG.

**Hubert Angaiak** · Apr-06-2005, 2:15pm

Thank you for all you suggestions. I'll try them when I get a chance and go from there. Is the scale length of the tenor close enough to tune it GDAE without intonation problems so I won't have to learn new chords. Use OM strings on a tenor guitar?? Thank you.

**mad dawg** · Apr-06-2005, 2:25pm

It sounds like you are thinking about an acoustic instrument with a pick-up, but in case a solid-body Tenor Guitar or CBOM instrument meets your needs, check out this eBay auction.

**Unseen122** · Apr-06-2005, 9:57pm

Originally Posted by (mad dawg @ April 06 2005, 15:25)

It sounds like you are thinking about an acoustic instrument with a pick-up, but in case a solid-body Tenor Guitar or CBOM instrument meets your needs, check out this eBay auction.

That looks like just what you need. I ant one.

**jmcgann** · Apr-07-2005, 9:09am

Joel Eckhouse makes amazingly great tenor Teles and more:

http://www.earnestinstruments.com/tenorcaster.html

and the price is right! I will get me one of these at some point for sure.

**mandroid** · Apr-07-2005, 12:08pm

tenor strings as for the tenor banjo are quite a bit lighter than those for ,essentially Irish Tenor banjo strings,which is also in the GDAE you need
so bridge adjustability will help there.

**jmkatcher** · Apr-07-2005, 1:01pm

Has anyone played a Tenorcaster? What's it actually sound like?

**irishlad** · Aug-20-2011, 9:11pm

I have been playing a blueridge tenor guitar for about three months now Tuned GDAD like my Irish Bouzouki. Wonderful instrument. I had K&K acoustic guitar pickup put in. I'm very pleased with it. I have a eastwood Warren Ellis electric tenor guitar coming next week, so I'll let you know how it plays. Cheers!