OT: interesting tenor guitars

[glauber]

I don't know anything about this maker, but he's a Cafe member. I noticed he has a few interesting tenors for good prices, and since there has been a lot of discussion about tenors here recently, check it out:
Earnest Instruments (http://www.earnestinstruments.com/guitars.html)

[steve V. johnson]

Some very cool stuff there! Tenors of all sortsa flavors including solid-body electrics, mandolins (in the Old World style!), and an acoustic cello-guitar! Nice stuff, thanks, glauber!

stv

[Pete Martin]

Good stuff. Tenor is SO fun to play, give one a try.

[glauber]

One of the coolest things there is an ukulele-sized electric bass guitar (http://www.earnestinstruments.com/stretch.html) (i'm not making this up) which uses some kind of rubber strings to make sound in the bass range with really short strings. Some pretty cool mandolins too, acoustic and electric.

[Ken Sager]

I've not played the Earnest version of this bass, but the original Ashbory that he copied sounded like c.r.a.p. The strings are a major reason for that. They're cute, and portable, but play one, listen to it, and let OTHERS hear it before you buy it (especially if you're in a band and want to use this with the band - trust me, they'll thank you for letting them give an opinion).

From my experience the only people who like the sound of the Ashbory are those who bought them...

YMMV,
Ken

[glauber]

I started looking around and found http://www.largesound.com/. Some interesting stuff there. The solo MP3 sounded ok to me, but the MP3 with it in a jazz band playing "Ain't Misbehavin'" sounded thin and unconvincing to me, compared to a real bass.

They're cheap, though: $247 new in that site; probably cheaper if you shop around.

[arbarnhart]

I want the tenor resonator. Santa, are you listening?

I thought about getting a resonator conversion kit on eBay for my tenor, but everything I read about converting was pretty negative. For starters, the resonator will not completely cover the existing hole.

Another interesting alternative to the upright bass is the banjo bass. Gold tone makes one. All the comments I read about it said it sounded decent but is real uncomfortable to play.

[bones12]

About five years ago, Joel made me one of his Tenorcasters, a blonde beautiful tenor version of a Telecaster, that has a wonderful sound and action. It is really fun to play through a small cheesy amp. His workmanship is very great. From some of his other instruments I have seen and played, that good workmanship is a constant. Doug

[Jim Garber]

Joel is a good friend of mine and I have tried many of his instruments. In fact I have one of the prototype Selmas (http://www.earnestinstruments.com/selma.html) you see there. Mine is the koa back and sides with its back to the camera. Great sounding.

I also played years ago one of the prototype cello guitars and they are incredible sounding.

Joel's specialty is uncommon instruments. if you notice, he does not make 6 string guitars or at the moment, carved mandolins.

His workmanship is impeccable on everything I have seen and bear in mind that he is also a monster musician on many of these instruments.

Jim

[mandolooter]

what petimar said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[earnest]

I have to disagree with Ken's comments about the Ashbory bass, from which my instrument is made. From my experience and watching/listening to other bass players play STRETCH, the electric bass uke, it is a great sounding instrument...big, fat, warm sound. I play it through the active input of a Behringer 30 watt bass amp and it sounds very good. I've also heard it through other amps with equally good results. Most bass players seem to fall in love with the size and the sound of my instrument. Joel

[earnest]

Please don't quote the last sentence in my previous entry out of context! Thanks, Eck

[glauber]

Specially since we're talking about how small it is.

[steve V. johnson]

LOL!!! #Good stuff...

Further afield...

I've had two guys, both real veteran bass players, bring Ashbory basses into the studio, and I was just amazed at what they could #do with them. #These guys were quite accustomed to the low-tension, big-slack rubber strings. #Each of them had a different setup (I won't go into detail), but neither used an amp.

So, fwiw, they -do- work, but both guys said that it had taken some time and effort to figure out how to use them.

Closer to the nominal topic, Joels fine pieces are out of my reach, but they have got me poking about in odd corners of the world for and at tenor guitars again. # I was given a very bunged-up old Harmony tenor body for a rehab project, but I've not gotten inspired by it. #(It was painted with something that looks like cowdung-colored spar varnish...)

Joel's fit and finish are tremendous.

I am eager to have a tenor guitar to play ... It may be the key to my transition from chordal accompaniment to Irish music to actual melodizing. <GG>

Thanks!

stv

[RolandTumble]

That's kind of funny--I'm looking at my still-fairly-new-to-me, OM-tuned tenor guitar as a bridge from Irish melody playing to chordal accompaniment....

[Ken Sager]

I have to disagree with Ken's comments about the Ashbory bass, from which my instrument is made. From my experience and watching/listening to other bass players play STRETCH, the electric bass uke, it is a great sounding instrument...big, fat, warm sound. I play it through the active input of a Behringer 30 watt bass amp and it sounds very good. I've also heard it through other amps with equally good results. Most bass players seem to fall in love with the size and the sound of my instrument. Joel
Joel,

I appreciate your comments, but the Ashbory bass almost broke up a terrific band. The only person who liked it was the bass player who insisted on playing it.

I can only hope that your STRETCH is an improvement on the Ashbory, and I wish you nothing but terrific success. If you say the STRETCH is a good instrument I will take you at your word as it is obvious you know a thing or two about quality instruments.

I meant no disrespect at all.

Best,
Ken

[arbarnhart]

And on my my still-fairly-new-to-me, OM-tuned tenor guitar I have been doing mostly double stops and I am trying my hands at fingerstyle, so I am trying to transition to doing both at the same time. But for now, when playing with others, I have mostly been doing double stop rhythm. As much as I love my mando and try to play everything on it, I have to admit I can lay down a better sounding blues rhythm for someone else to solo over on the TG. "Better" is subjective, of course. I might be more correct to say "standard" or "expected" sounding.