New in, from London UK

[Veerstryngh Thynner]

Greetings all,

Just registered on Mandolin Café - but I have regularly been exploring the MC Tenor Guitar forum, in weeks gone by.

A little bit about myself then, by way of introduction.

A long time ago, I started exploring tenor banjo (coming from classical piano and banjolele, respectively). That first ever "real" one I still have. And to my amazement, I even found a picture of the very same, only a couple of days ago, in a very old MC thread (or was that in Banjo Hangout?).

Two things happened, anyway: one of the initiators of a local dixieland band lived only two streets away from my parental home and asked me to join; and the other one was that, subsequently, I found myself surfing on the crests of the 'Trad' wave washing over most of Europe, over the course of the 1980s. And a better musical education I couldn't have wished for, since I met many musicians of my then age group (as well as generous seniors) to jam and gig with and learn from. Some of the former have even become internationally acclaimed stars since, incidentally!

Hence, my background is in Dixieland, Swing and Mainstream Jazz in general (with some early Bop and Latin thrown in for good measure). And rhythm guitar and bass guitar (functionally, rather, than truly virtuoso) were added, eventually, to ukulele and serviceable drums being already in my instrumental arsenal. Four-string CGDA, however, remains my specialty.

Cue to a couple of years ago and a second-hand 3/4 electric flat-top (for kids, essentially) bought for peanuts. It took a while, though, before it dawned on me that this, with a few adaptations, could well make an excellent tenor guitar (then still thought of as electric "banjo" in a somewhat different shape). So I asked a string instrument builder of slight acquaintance - and some three weeks later my new acquisition was ready for collection.

I really love how light and compact it is, compared with my Morris tenor banjo. The latter won't ever be sold or given away, of course, considering the highs and lows of personal history we went through together. But I find myself notably much more versatile on the electric - and because of this, playing it (for at least half an hour almost every day) is pure joy.

Next stage on is trying to get a jazz trio together: electric jazz guitar, electric tenor guitar and tenor banjo the line-up I'm considering. Or, instead of tenor banjo, another electric tenor digitally altered to "banjo" (for which resources are present). Trouble is, however, that tenor guitarists (electric or otherwise) do not seem to exist in London: I'm living in a metropolis of seven million (and counting) - but another tenor guitarist has yet to materialize. Even after months of asking around! Hence, I really could do with some help of you guys.

Other than that, I still have a few questions. And, perhaps, some novel ideas to contribute as well. But I'll save these for future threads.

Veerstryngh Thynner

[fox]

Welcome to the thread, any pictures?

[Veerstryngh Thynner]

Hi Fox,

Yes, I should have. Only I can't remember where they are.

I'll have a look and probably be back with some soon.

Veerstryngh Thynner