My new Tenor

[shartom]

This is a follow up to a previous posting.

I just bought a late 1920's tenor guitar. After cleaning it up, it is in mint condition.

When I got it, the first three strings were nylon or classical, while the fourth was bronze. It was tuned D, G, B, E, low to high like the top four of a six string.

I bought a set of D'Addario J66 strings which are Bronze. These are gauged for C, G, D, A tuning, which I believe is a true tenor tuning. I will have to learn to play it if I use this tuning.

I don't want to overdo the string tension on the neck. I am curious why the owner had a combination of nylon and bronze. He is a piano player, and had it in his family since the 1940's.

Can anyone shed any light on this topic.

[The_Buffalo]

Are you sure it's a tenor guitar & not a baritone uke? My baritone has a scale length of about 19.5 inches. A tenor guitar would have a scale length of about 23 inches. My baritone has nylon strings, and is tuned D G B E like the top 4 strings of a guitar. (If you tune a tenor banjo or tenor guitar that way, it's called "Chicago tuning". Usually, tenor banjos & tenor guitars are tuned C G D A, low to high.)

[TommyK]

This is a follow up to a previous posting.

I just bought a late 1920's tenor guitar. After cleaning it up' date=' it is in mint condition.

When I got it, the first three strings were nylon or classical, while the fourth was bronze. It was tuned D, G, B, E, low to high like the top four of a six string.

I bought a set of D'Addario J66 strings which are Bronze. These are gauged for C, G, D, A tuning, which I believe is a true tenor tuning. I will have to learn to play it if I use this tuning.

I don't want to overdo the string tension on the neck. I am curious why the owner had a combination of nylon and bronze. He is a piano player, and had it in his family since the 1940's.

Can anyone shed any light on this topic.

[/quote']

 

Personal preference or a fear that the steels would over stress the neck.

 

Got any pics? that would settle the Tenor/Uke question.

[shartom]

It is definitely a Tenor. Gibson TG-0 with a 23 1/2 inch scale. In the case, I found a set of classical strings. It is tuned like a uke. Uke strings wouldn't be long enough so the went with classical. I may go that route for now. At least I can play it. I started out on the uke many, many guitars ago.

[TommyK]

It is definitely a Tenor. Gibson TG-0 with a 23 1/2 inch scale. In the case' date=' I found a set of classical strings. It is tuned like a uke. Uke strings wouldn't be long enough so the went with classical. I may go that route for now. At least I can play it. I started out on the uke many, many guitars ago.

[/quote']

 

It's not unusual to open tune a guitar like some other guit tar like instrument (or vice-versa) so that the player doesn't have to remember multiple fingerings.

 

If alternate tunings bust your buttons, then go right ahead.