It's a small World!

[Ptarmi]

Well folks, fingers crossed my Fletcher Tenortone should be starting it's Atlantic crossing, sometime tomorrow! :grin:

Jamie actually finished two at the same time recently & I found out just the other day that an old friend from my Aberdeen days, Ged Palmer, actually bought the other one!
Is this a small World .. or what!
He is out in Abu Dhabi & I haven't seen him in nearly 20 years, but lucky for him, he already has his & of course says he's absolutely delighted with it.

Anyway, I thought you might like to see them side by side!
Both have a Spruce Top.
Ged's is of Quilted Mahogany.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/Ptarmi/Causeway%20Sessions/ged.jpg

Just for the record, my JD2 has Maple Binding & X Bracing.

Jamie only used ladder bracing until about a year ago, but now you get the option of going for either Ladder or X Bracing.
My one is a Rosewood Tenor with a Spruce Top.

Hopefully, one day we'll get a chance to actually play them side by side, which I'm sure will be fascinating, actually getting a chance to hear how the different woods used, effect the sound.

As for the body size, I have looked at as many different Tenors as I can & I have no doubt that those big bodied jobs are louder than the Fletcher ones, but for me the proportions look kind of wonky somehow, whereas the Tenortones just look right somehow.

Also, like most folks here, for years I've been tuning the top 4 strings of my 6 stringed Guitar & playing it like a Tenor, with a Capo on, but as well as the neck being far too long, I find the huge body just gets in the way for real comfort.

Anyway, it will hopefully be in the post & starting its journey across the Atlantic sometime tomorrow, so I can assure you, you will not have to wait too long now, to see & hear my Tenortone in action on YouTube. :)

Let's hope Ged will also get around to posting a couple of YouTubes! ;)

Cheers,
Dick

[Jill McAuley]

How exciting! Can't wait to see some youtube clips of you playing it! Just wondering what made you opt for the X-bracing vs. ladder bracing?

Cheers,
Jill

[Ptarmi]

Jill, after reading comments like these ones below, I thought I'd go for the X Bracing.


Ladder braced guitar design was abandoned after many tops failed and or developed the "roller coaster" affect that John Arnold described above. Due to the string pull and rotational torque on the bridge the top is trying to fold itself into the sound hole. Hence the X brace design provided the longitudinal support to resist those physical forces on the top.

Acoustic Guitar Forum (http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186587)


Ladder Bracing - These are top braces which run parallel to themselves like the rungs of a ladder. They run from treble to bass side. This pattern does not yield the strength that the X pattern does and instruments with ladder bracing are normally strung with light or extra light gauge strings to avoid overstressing the top.

&


X-Brace - By far the most popular top bracing pattern on flattop guitars. This X pattern was invented/accredited to C.F. Martin in the mid 1800's. The two primary top braces intersect to form the shape of an X. The point of intersection and it's degree vary amongst instruments.

Guitar Braces (http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/braces.htm)

I hope some of that helps Jill. :)

Cheers
Dick

[Kyle Baker]

Looks really nice! I can't wait to hear you play it :)

[JeffD]

You re going to love it.

[Jill McAuley]

Jill, after reading comments like these ones below, I thought I'd go for the X Bracing.



Acoustic Guitar Forum (http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186587)



&



Guitar Braces (http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/braces.htm)

I hope some of that helps Jill. :)

Cheers
Dick

Ah, that's a great help - thanks for the explanation! I'll be going down the x-bracing road meself then when I eventually get around to ordering a Tenortone!

Cheers,
Jill

[Ptarmi]

Just learned that my Cheque cleared today! :grin:

So who knows, with any luck, my Tenortone may even be getting itself strapped to the back of one of those UPS Transatlantic Homing Pigeons as you read this! :))

By the way, does anyone here know, how long it takes a Guitar to fly the Atlantic? ;)

Cheers
Dick

[Ptarmi]

Well, I have my Tenortone's UPS Tracking Number now, so it's only a matter of time! :grin:

[Michael Wolf]

Hi Ptarmi,

concratiolations to your Fletcher. I really like their appearance and construction. Very beautiful and promising.


Jill, after reading comments like these ones below, I thought I'd go for the X Bracing.

Acoustic Guitar Forum (http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186587)
&
Guitar Braces (http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/braces.htm)

I hope some of that helps Jill. :)

Cheers
Dick

These comments above sound to me like they´re referring to instruments with glued on bridges, whereas tops with floating bridges do behave differently because the string tension causes no torque on the top. There are many instruments with ladder bracing that work very well, like Selmer guitars, bowlback mandolins and lutes of all kinds.
Imho the different bracing systems would sound differently. My impression so far is that ladder braced instruments seem to have a somewhat more punchy and aggressive, maybe rawer sound, whereas x-braced ones tend to sound more refined and rounded.

[Ptarmi]

Interesting Michael.

Sounds like my Fletcher, with it's X Bracing, is going to be just right for me then, given that I'm a rounded & refined sot of a guy! :grin:

Cheers
Dick

[Ptarmi]

Yeeee Haaaaw! .... It's here! :)

Yes folks, Xmas has arrived early this year! :grin:

My Tenortone arrived late afternoon, yesterday!

It sounds amazing & looks absolutely gorgeous too! :cool:

It's surprising just how loud it actually sounds too, when you lean forward while playing.

Sure, it's never going to drown out a Banjo, but hey, if you want noise ... go buy a Drum! :-)

I've listened to the Breedlove Tenor on YouTube & they sound just like a Guitar alright, but to be honest, I can get that sound already .... by just retuning my Guitar.

What I really like about the Fletcher though, is that it has a sound all of its own, so it's going to bring a bright new voice to our sessions here.

Compared to a Tenor Banjo you could say it's the John Wayne of the Tenor World .... a Quiet Man who packs a Quality Punch! :-)

Can't wait to Test Drive it at tonight's Session. ;)

Cheers
Dick

[Ptarmi]

Because this Fletcher Tenortone Tenor Guitar only arrived yesterday evening, of course I just had to post a tune to show Jamie Dougan, it's maker, that it did indeed cross the Atlantic safely! :-)

Incidentally, if the Shaskeen is an Irish River, then this version of the Shaskeen Reel is what you might call ... polluted! :-)

The Shaskeen Reel @ The Session:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/displ...

N.B. I have mine tuned GDAE.
Cheers
Dick

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[Michael Wolf]

Thanks for the tune. Great.
This is really a beautiful instrument with a unique sound and seems to be quite loud, too. What scale length does it have?
If it´s not to intrusive, would you mind to record some chord-playing, please? I´m curious how some accompaniment would sound on this tenor.

[Jill McAuley]

Dick, that was only mighty! Hearty congratulations to you - what a gorgeous instrument. Now yourself and David can not only have side by side wide bodied vs. standard bodied Sobell comparison clips, but also mahogany vs spruce/rosewood Tenortone comparison clips! I am so determined to find a way to get one of me own - more so after this past weekend when I had a chance to play an old Martin tenor. It was great fun going thru my repertoire of tunes and finding the ones that sit well with the tenor. Enjoy sir!

Cheers,
Jill

[Ptarmi]

Here's our first stab at a Tenor Guitar / Harp duet.
I think they sound quite nice together.

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Michael, you'll get all the spec. Here (http://fletcherinstruments.com/specifications.html)

Sorry, but I'm not a Guitar player, just a Tenor Banjo/Mandolin playing imposter! :redface:
So I'm afraid I couldn't even begin to throw any shapes on it.
However, next time our son comes home, I'll get him to put it through its paces.
This is him on Guitar, playing the 4 Minute break at 1 Min 50 Secs a recent Jazz Gig:
Kevin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9YvDN3pmx4)

Anyway, perhaps the duet above will give you more ideas on how well this little Guitar performs.

Jill, glad you enjoyed it. I really envy you though, being able to try out all those different Tenor options before making your decision, which is always the best way. Having said that I am of course delighted with my wee Tenortone.

Cheers
Dick

[Jill McAuley]

Ah Dick, I'm the one who envies you! Having had the opportunity to play other tenors, the Tenortone is still at the top of my list - everything about it is just pure class as far as I'm concerned!
And that harp/tenor guitar duet was just lovely!

Cheers,
Jill

[ptritz]

Sounds lovely, Dick - both the instrument and the playing. I'll be really interested to hear how it does in a session - let us know!

Pete