New Tenor Guitar

[sunburst]

I haven't completed any mandolins lately, but I have finished a few guitars. This one is a tenor guitar, and since this forum has a tenor guitar section I figured it would be OK to post a few snap shots of it here.
The new owner took it out the door right after the pick guard was attached, so I didn't have a chance to get any proper pictures, but these snap shots show basically what it looks like.
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[sunburst]

The back, sides and neck are mahogany, the top is European spruce. Ebony fingerboard, peghead overlay, pins and tuner buttons. Scale length is 23". Evo gold frets, bone nut and saddle. (I think that covers everything.)
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Thanks for looking!

[Pete Jenner]

Thanks for looking!
Thanks for posting.

[tree]

Nice, John. Wish I could hear it.

I've only recently learned about tenor guitars, but apparently they are rapidly gaining in popularity.

[GKWilson]

What a beautiful guitar John.
Maybe if the owner hangs out around here he'll let us hear it.
Did you build it to a particular tuning or is it flexible?
Gary

[sunburst]

It's tuned CGDA. I suppose it could be tuned otherwise, but the owner plays it this way.
He uses it to back up fiddle tunes. He's a world class fiddler, has lots of fiddle/violin students, and sometimes uses the tenor guitar for back up when the students go to contests.

[billhay4]

Nice looking instrument. I, too, would like to hear it.
What kind of tuners are those?
Bill

[Steve Zawacki]

Have gone back (CGDA) and forth (GDAE) on my TG, and can't make up my mind whch I like the most.

The photos look fabulous. Thanks for sharing them.

[sunburst]

What kind of tuners are those?
Bill

They're Waverly guitar tuners with ebony buttons.
Now I need to make two more tenor guitars to come out even on tuners! (I could only find sets of six.) I couldn't talk the owner into banjo tuners, which I think would have been cool.

[billhay4]

Now I need to make two more tenor guitars to come out even on tuners!
Or talk someone into an 8 string something.
Bill

[tburcham]

Beautiful work Mr. Hamlett!

[Charles E.]

Beautiful looking tenor John!

[Verne Andru]

Very sweet. Thanks for sharing.

[F-2 Dave]

Great looking tenor. I really like the look of the ebony buttons.

[amowry]

Sweet! Looks beautiful. I really like your logo, John. Had logos on the brain lately...

[j. condino]

John:

What about buying the Waverlies in a four pack badged for ukes?

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Ukulele/Waverly_Ukulele_Tuners.html

Wanna sell me your two extra? I need a couple with ebony buttons next week to round them up to 8 for a mandocello!

j.
www.condino.com

[SincereCorgi]

That thing looks absolutely classic, John, totally elegant.

[sunburst]

John:

What about buying the Waverlies in a four pack badged for ukes?

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Ukulele/Waverly_Ukulele_Tuners.html

Wanna sell me your two extra? I need a couple with ebony buttons next week to round them up to 8 for a mandocello!

I got these tuners from Stewmac. They said they only had sets of 6, the Uke sets must be something new (I bought these a while back).
PM sent.

[Verne Andru]

FWIW Allparts will put together sets in whatever quantity you want, as long as they stock the stuff. As a builder, getting a dealer account should be for the asking.

[Verne Andru]

BTW sunburst - I have a meerschaum pipe I bought in Athens in the 70's with a head carving almost identical to your avatar. Where's yours from?

[Jake Wildwood]

Classy!

[sunburst]

...a head carving almost identical to your avatar. Where's yours from?

I was just "funning" around at Galax a couple of years ago and that was a fiddle Jack Cowardin had/has. I thought it would be funny to make him look cool with the cap and sunglasses (in Photoshop, obviously). I don't know who made the fiddle or how long ago.

[Jeff Hildreth]

Beautiful instrument that needs banjo tuners.

Considering that the amount of labor for a tenor is only marginally les than a six string, this has to be a labor of love.

Fine looking instrument.

John,

What is the nut width and bridge string spacing, could it be fingerpicked ?

Thanks

Jeff

[sunburst]

The nut width is 1 1/4", string spacing at the nut, IIRC, is in 3/32" from the edge of the fingerboard for the A, in 1/8" for the C, so that would make the center to center string spacing at the nut about 1 1/32".
I spaced the strings at the bridge the same as the center 4 strings of a 6 string guitar, so yes, it could be finger picked.

[Ron McMillan]

It's beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a tenor guitar up close. Can you give me an idea of its size, compared to a mandolin or a 'regular' six-string guitar?

ron

[sunburst]

It is the size and shape of a Martin 0. Roughly, it corresponds to a Martin 0-18T, so it is the same size as a 'regular' 6-string Martin 0-18, but with 4 strings and shorter scale length.