New National tenors!

**JPL** · Jul-06-2010, 2:57pm

Hope I'm not spoiling any surprises, but after reading a rumor about new National tenors (the first in, what, 70 years?), I contacted National. Yep, they are making new tenors, which run $3K and can be used to kill a man. They are beautiful and I covet one.

**Charles E.** · Jul-06-2010, 6:08pm

That looks pretty good. 3k seems a little steep though. I am hopeing that the Republic guitar co. will add a tenor to their line of instruments.

**JPL** · Jul-06-2010, 7:45pm

Originally Posted by Charles E.

That looks pretty good. 3k seems a little steep though. I am hopeing that the Republic guitar co. will add a tenor to their line of instruments.

Good idea. Everybody, start harassing Frank at Republic.

Gold Tone has a four-string resonator, but it's plectrum length. I've thought about getting one and tuning it in "Eddy Freeman" reentrant CGDA . . .

**delsbrother** · Jul-07-2010, 12:53am

Capos are cheap.

**SincereCorgi** · Jul-07-2010, 1:18am

Oh wow. That's extremely cool- thanks for bringing that to attention! Did they say anything about the scale length or proposed tuning?

**mrmando** · Jul-07-2010, 2:41am

'Tis the same as the vintage Triolian tenors in scale length and most other attributes as well.

I have beheld a prototype in the capable hands of Marcy Marxer, who brought it to the recent Tenor Guitar Gathering in Astoria, Oregon.

I wonder about the $3K price point. A vintage Triolian can usually be had for less than that. And whereas the RM1 mandolin is markedly superior in tone and playability to just about any vintage National mandolin, the new tenor seems like more of a reproduction of the old ones (which can be superb instruments) than an improvement upon them.

**SincereCorgi** · Jul-07-2010, 4:48am

I googled for a bit and couldn't find it- what was the Triolian scale length? Never had a chance to try one, myself.

**Charles E.** · Jul-07-2010, 6:15am

Trioian tenors have a normal tenor scale lenghth, 22 7/8", I'm pretty sure.

**JPL** · Jul-07-2010, 7:45am

Originally Posted by delsbrother

Capos are cheap.

True. I guess I also like that smaller tenor body.

**Jake Wildwood** · Jul-09-2010, 8:57am

I love the old ones, this looks really nice though... but yeah, yeeks at the $$$! You can pick up fixer-uppers for around $800-1000.

**JPL** · Jul-10-2010, 7:57am

Ask and thou shalt receive . . . Republic Guitars is coming out with a tenor resonator this fall, on a nice little cutaway body. $679. My thought on Republics has always been that I would get one and send it over to Resophonic Outfitters for a new cone and complete setup.