Anyone ever play a Martin archtop tenor guitar?

[Mandocarver]

Hi tenor fans,

I got very excited looking at the classifieds yesterday when I saw "Martin archtop tenor guitar..." only to see that the next word was "tailpiece", not that I could ever have afforded such an instrument.

Anyway it got me wondering if anyone on this forum had ever played or even better owned one, and if so, what were the impressions?

Only this summer I came across an ad on a French auction site for a Martin archtop tenor
body that had been tragically married to a 6-string neck. It went for around €700 euros. I'd have bought it in a heart beat, steamed off the neck and made a tenor neck for it but it had sold by the time I learned about it

Pure idle curiosity here, but I'd be glad for any input.
Cheers,

Dean

[Spruce]

There's an overpriced one on E%$y right now...
Very pretty instrument--Brazilian Rosewood, and the cool CF Martin inlay in the peghead...

[fox]

I found this.... http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-tenor-on-ebay

[Spruce]

Here's that Martin C2 tenor...

[Mandocarver]

Many thanks, Spruce. Gorgeous, but what a price, and there looks to be a big gob of filler at the top of the neck. It makes the C1 body with a 6-string neck I saw that sold for €700 an even better deal. Love to hear how it sounds.

[Scot63]

Jake Wildwood has had a drool-worthy one for sale on his website (no financial interest, but I have bought from him before). Guaranteed to be set up right, and he's great to do business with. Not sure what the shipping would be like across the pond. http://antebelluminstruments.blogspo...or-guitar.html

[nmiller]

I have a 1931 C-1T that's just fantastic. I think the combination of an arched top and round soundhole is perfect for tenors; it has punchy treble to cut through a band but retains enough bass to sound great on its own. (Martin's later f-hole archtops are a lot less interesting to my ears).

[Mandocarver]

Oh my... you are one lucky man. I'll never be in the market to buy but these are so rare I was just wondering if anyone had actually played one. I figured the round-hole, arch top combination would be something special. Hope you keep enjoying it and thanks for posting. That photo's going in my collection, if you don't mind!

[Spruce]

....but these are so rare....

How rare?
Gawd, I've got TAS bad...

[Mandocarver]

How rare?
Gawd, I've got TAS bad...

I don't know how many were made but N. Miller's excellent website Oldfrets (see his signature line above says they were only made for 10 years and in small numbers I'm betting. Amazing collection of instruments on Old Frets, enough to get anyone's TAS, GAS, MAS and BAS flaring up...

[JLMyers]

I have a 1931 C-1T that's just fantastic. I think the combination of an arched top and round soundhole is perfect for tenors; it has punchy treble to cut through a band but retains enough bass to sound great on its own. (Martin's later f-hole archtops are a lot less interesting to my ears).

A beautiful instrument! I'm a plectrum [formerly tenor] banjoist and have always loved tenor guitars. I own a very rare bird: a ca. 1939 Vega archtop PLECTRUM guitar. It's an Advanced C-66 model, and has fret inlays like a Tu-ba-phone banjo. With a big 17" bout. it has better tone--especially bass--than any 4-svtring I've ever heard. I've owned tenors by Harmony & Gibson, and plectrum guitars by Epiphone, Hofner, and Rickenbacker...all wonderful in their own way, but the Vega is a keeper. I'll try to get a pic posted this week. J.L. Myers, Nashville