Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Electric OM or electric tenor Guitar

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Bethel, Alaska
    Posts
    183

    Default Electric OM or electric tenor Guitar

    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.
    Hubert

  2. #2
    Registered User steve V. johnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Bloomington, Indiana
    Posts
    3,863

    Default

    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

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Ardagh, Co. Limerick, Ireland
    Posts
    178

    Default

    Quote 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




  4. #4
    Registered User steve V. johnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Bloomington, Indiana
    Posts
    3,863

    Default

    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!
    steve V. johnson

    Culchies
    http://cdbaby.com/Culchies
    The Lopers
    Ghosts Like Me
    http://cdbaby.com/Lopers1
    There Was A Time
    http://cdbaby.com/Lopers2

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    281

    Default

    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.

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Bethel, Alaska
    Posts
    183

    Default

    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.
    Hubert

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Oakland, California
    Posts
    1,251

    Default

    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.



    Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    281

    Default

    Quote 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.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Boston MA
    Posts
    2,036

    Default

    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.
    John McGann, Associate Professor, Berklee College of Music
    johnmcgann.com
    myspace page
    Youtube live mando

  10. #10
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,123

    Default

    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.
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  11. #11
    Registered User jmkatcher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Puget Sound, Washington
    Posts
    676

    Default

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

  12. #12

    Default Re: Electric OM or  electric tenor Guitar

    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!

Similar Threads

  1. 5 string electric tenor?
    By Cliff D in forum Tenor Guitars
    Replies: 10
    Last: Apr-30-2009, 12:22pm
  2. 1954 gibson etg-150 electric tenor
    By Martin Jonas in forum eBay, Craig's List, etc.
    Replies: 0
    Last: Jul-22-2008, 4:40am
  3. Electric guitar as electric irish tenor?
    By Roger Kunkel in forum Tenor Guitars
    Replies: 3
    Last: May-27-2008, 10:00am
  4. electric mandola (short scale tenor guitar?)
    By arbarnhart in forum Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics
    Replies: 1
    Last: Feb-13-2006, 5:27pm
  5. 5 string electric - guitar or mandolin like?
    By Kekule in forum Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics
    Replies: 6
    Last: Jul-27-2004, 7:05pm

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •