# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  Why did you begin playing a tenor guitar?

## DanielWS

I'm thinking about getting a tenor guitar but ... not sure why I should get one.  I guess I'm mainly just curious about tenor guitars.  I've had 6 string guitars for decades and a tenor guitar might be fun.

Anyway, was a tenor guitar your first instrument?  Did you have a 6 string before you got a tenor?  Why did you get a tenor guitar?

Thanks!

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Siriuso36

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## Bertram Henze

Coming from the very other end of the universe, I never did anything with 6-string guitar, nothing serious anyway. But I needed a portable and quiet practising travel instrument in lieu of my OM. The best approximation was an Ultralight Traveller Guitar, tweaked to four strings GDAE (and thus by definition being an electric tenor guitar). And yes, it is fun: 3:20 into this video.

It may, however, not suffice to provide a question for your answer  :Grin:

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## Chip Stewart

I'm primarily a bass player (since the 1980s).  In 2006 I purchased a six string acoustic guitar (25.5 inch scale) to perform solo at open mics.  I took guitar lessons for 2 years and practiced on my own for 3 years after that.  After 5 years of practicing I decided that I was a good guitar player but that I would never be a great guitar player.  The strings were too close together and the frets were too far apart for me to get comfortable with the instrument.

Somewhere along the way I read about Neko Case and how she played a tenor guitar.  I found this forum and started learning more about the instrument.  With a wider nut (relatively) and shorter scale, the tenor guitar seemed to address what I didn't like about the six string.  I purchased a Blueridge BR-60T about a year ago and use Chicago tuning (DGBE).  After 1 year of practicing, I already feel more comfortable with the tenor guitar than I did after 5 years with the six string guitar.  I'm very happy with my decision.

Using Chicago tuning, most of the chords are the same as a six string guitar.  There are a few chords that are different like the Gm chord, so if you use this tuning make sure you do a little studying to get things correct.  I love the sound of the BR-60T, and hope to start performing with it at open mics by this Summer.

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## acousticphd

Several reasons for me.
First was the idea of having an octave mandolin-like instrument that I could use for either accompaniment or melody playing in 5ths tunings.  One archtop I converted to an 8-string GDAE OM, and another flattop I used in CGDA.

Second, at least 10-12 yrs ago when I first acquired a couple Harmony tenors, it was not hard to find vintage Harmony/Regal and similar tenors guitars for under $100, so it was a minimal investment.

I have only used tenors in a limited way, at least in part because these old cheapos, while cool in their way, also have a lot of limitations in sound and playability.

A more recent interest is learning and playing tenor guitar and baritone uke more in a jazz/swing chordal fashion, using normal/Chicago DGAE tuning.  This is something I never studied or picked up on 6-string, but seems more approachable on a 4-string, and it's a new hobby learning 4-tone chord voicings (6ths, 9ths, 7b5, etc) used in pop standards, jazz, bossa, etc.

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## Mark Wilson

> A more recent *interest is learning and playing tenor guitar* and baritone uke more* in a jazz/swing chordal fashion*,...  This is something I never studied or picked up on 6-string, but seems more approachable on a 4-string,...


Same here - once I had put in the time on mandolin, finding my way around a tenor guitar tuned in fifths seemed a good idea. I like everything but the scale of it.  Capo on about 3rd helps

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## DanielWS

Interesting.  I had been thinking about getting either a tenor guitar or a baritone ukulele and tuning it the same as the higher pitched strings on my guitar.  It would definitely reduce the learning curve.

I would feel more like toting it to a park than my good guitar.

I'm leaning toward the tenor guitar instead of a baritone ukulele because I prefer to flat pick than to finger pick.

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## hammer40

I have always loved the sound of guitars, especially acoustic steel strings. I had been learning to play the ukulele, so I thought it seemed like a logical progression to try and move up in size and scale. Eventually, I will again try and add to the repertoire by moving to a six string acoustic guitar as well.

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## DanielWS

How did all of you choose your first tenor guitar?

I can't find them at the local music stores so I'm not able to plink around to help me decide.

On youtube I've looked at Ibanez, Gold Tone, and Blueridge among some others.  I've also seen a used one online.

Any recommendations for a first tenor guitar?

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## Chip Stewart

> How did all of you choose your first tenor guitar?
> 
> I can't find them at the local music stores so I'm not able to plink around to help me decide.
> 
> On youtube I've looked at Ibanez, Gold Tone, and Blueridge among some others.  I've also seen a used one online.
> 
> Any recommendations for a first tenor guitar?


I always had a thing for the Martin O-18T tenor guitar, so I had to buy a Blueridge since the Blueridge tenor guitars are copies of the Martin O-18T.  Ibanez and Gold Tone tenor guitars are also good instruments.

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## Pete Martin

Hearing Jerry Thomasson accompany his father Benny on those wonderful Texas fiddle tunes.  Made me learn fiddle, tenor and 6 string guitar in this style.  I've never been the same (but that is a story for another time).  :Disbelief:

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## Verne Andru

I started on 6-string guitar, then bass then mandolin.

My interest in tenor came from realizing the lower strings on my 5-string mandolin are tenor/mandola tuning. I felt it would help to learn CGDA as it's own thing as well as an extension to GDAE, and I'm finding that's panning out well so far.

There are not many tenors in my area either. And it doesn't help that Ibanez Artcore line is only available to a select group of Ibanez dealers.

I was fortunate to find a minty 60's Harmony Montery archtop tenor on local Craigslist, but that was a sheer stroke of dumb luck.

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## Jess L.

> ... was a tenor guitar your *first instrument*? ...


No. I already played a bunch of other instruments (too many to list).  




> ...  Did you have a *6 string* before you got a tenor? ...


No. But I played a *12*-string guitar that I'd *retuned into fifths*, prior to getting into tenor guitar. 




> ... *Why* did you get a tenor guitar? ...


As a *substitute* for *tenor banjo*. I was already playing tenor banjo (Celtic stuff) tuned GDAE, and the tenor guitar was just something else to plink around on without having to learn a new tuning, so the notes were all in the same places as what I was already accustomed to. 

I found that I liked the tenor guitar's less-strident sound, compared to the unremarkable tenor banjo that I had at the time (I'd cobbled together the tenor banjo from stuff I found in a box of old mix-n-match banjo parts that was laying around the house). 

However, I quickly discovered that a regular tenor guitar is inaudible  :Crying:  (can't hear it) in a large noisy session, but that problem was solved by switching to an old National *resonator*  :Mandosmiley:  tenor guitar, sufficiently loud if necessary but (when played right) it could be made to sound sweet enough to blend in well with the other instruments. 

This was all way back in the neolithic era  :Wink:  when I was in my serious-about-music phase which lasted for a number of years, prior to getting distracted by work/life/etc. Nowadays, I'm fairly rusty (out of practice) at most everything.

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## dburtnett

I started out as a late learner on 6 string in my mid 40's, in order to play music with my wife who was learning irish tunes on fiddle. I then fell in with a bad crowd who gathered weekly to drink beer and torture old-time and bluegrass/newgrass tunes, and there were already too many guitars. My learning was by ear, and I gravitated to melody, so thought... Mandolin!

After a short while trying to cram my mitts into the required mando shapes I heard John McGann playing octave at a David Surrette concert. Loved the sound. I had gained some sense of fifths and basic mando chord shapes, and then remembered hearing Corey DiMario (of Crooked Still) backing Lissa Schneckenburger's fiddle with a sweet little tenor.

I bought a 60's model Regal off the eBay and showed up at David Surrette's adult folk ensemble class in Concord, nh... and I was hooked. Tenor guitar is the "goldilocks" instrument for me... all I've played for the past 10 years. I never even strung it in "chicago" tuning... fifths is just too beautiful.

I now have too many tenors... most in GDAE and a couple in CGDA.

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## JakeSnider

Injury brought me to tenor guitar. 

About 7 or 8 years ago, I broke my left ring finger in two places. Word to the wise: Don't wear wedding bands at work! Jumped down from the side of a dump truck and my ring snagged on a bolt. Two surgeries (and bone grafted from my wrist) later, the last knuckle on my ring finger does not willingly bend. 
I had been a bass player for a dozen years, give or take, at this point, but I was able to adjust my playing style fairly easily. My finger is still usable, though not as quick and nimble. 
It did ruin what little proficiency I had developed on 6 strings, so I was looking for an upper register stringed instrument. 
Being into all types of music, but mostly off-kilter or obscure rock, I had been a fan of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since my teens, and had admired Warren Ellis' work on electric mandos as well as violin. Shortly after seeing them live, I heard about his signature Eastwood, and started seriously considering TGs. 
Bought a GoldTone and loved it. Played it for about a year, but really wanted something electric, so I bought an Eastwood WE 2p. 

Electric Tenor in GDAE (or sometimes AEBF#) is exactly what I was looking for. 
Easier for me to handle 4 strings than six. 
The register complements 6 strings and bass beautifully. 
Playing in fifths has broken me out of routines/ruts, and made me revisit music theory with fresh eyes. 

In the future, I'm looking to buy another electric tenor and possibly (probably) convert my Eastwood to five strings.

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## Verne Andru

> Injury brought me to tenor guitar.


I like a story with a happy ending.

It's amazing what can be done in the face of adversity. Look no further than players like Django Reinhardt and Tony Iommi to see that serious hand injuries don't necessarily have to be an obstacle.

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## PiousDevil

Coming from playing 6 strings (not very well), i wanted to learn violin.  I was practicing violin, but pulling it out and setting up was always an ordeal, and it was difficult to play without disturbing others.  I got a tenor so that I could pluck around quietly, but still work within the scale structures of the violin.  I don't think I've touched the violin since getting the tenor, and now own 3 tenors (with another on the way.)

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## Beanzy

> Anyway, was a tenor guitar your first instrument?  Did you have a 6 string before you got a tenor?  Why did you get a tenor guitar?


Not my first instrument. Cello was my main instrument for many years until the mandolin came along. I never felt any draw towards the six string guitar, but played bass in university bands. I saw a mandolin teacher playing one at a really noisy jam and was impressed how it still had it's own space in the mix despite there being two fiddles, three dreadnoughts, about three mandolins two banjos and a bass. I just thought that was an indication of something special about the wee instrument that had such a distinctive voice. I spoke to him about his use of it in  jazz manouche , old time and general folk playing. So when my little Martin came up at a discounted price I just bought it there and then. Never regretted it to this day, just wish I could afford to get a load more.

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## arturo7

My path to the tenor involved a couple twists of fate.

I'm an upright player. I've always had a 6-string laying around, but never made any headway with it. A few years back I went to buy another set of gut strings for the bass. Can't remember why, but there was a huge price increase since the previous set. List price was over $300. The owner of the shop said there wasn't much he could do. He grabbed a ukulele off the wall and said he'd throw it in on the deal. What hell, I took it.

Much to my amazement, I was able to play it. After a couple hours I was far better on it than after years of trying 6-string guitar. Guess the 2 extra strings just confused me. 

Fast forward a could years, on a whim I typed "tenor guitar" into the search bar on eBay.  I barely knew such an instrument existed. One of the listings was a buy-it-now Harmony archtop for $150 bucks not too far away. I picked it up the following day. Now I'm using it on gigs. Crazy.

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## RedLion

I play Irish tuned tenor banjo (Sully Session King, and OME Tenor) and wanted something more mellow and soft to play to add some variety.  Playing the same tune on the tenor banjo, tenor guitar, and mandolin is very enjoyable.

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## bruce.b

I saw a video of Jody Platt playing one and as soon as I went to the Fletcher Tenortone site I knew I wanted one. For a while I played mandolin and tenor banjo too, but I've been almost exclusively playing tenor guitar. As soon as I bought my Herb Taylor archtop I lost interest in all my other instruments. It suits what I want to do exceptionally well. Tuned GDAE. I believe it was a Jill McAuley post that spurred my initial interest.

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## MdJ

I picked up a vega archtop tenor in local store out of curiosity - carved, lightly built from the '30s - hit the strings - the whole instrument vibrated against my ribs like a living animal.... Never had expeienced that before with a 6 string. I bought it and never looked back.

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## crisscross

I also play ukulele and started my ukulele "career" on a tenor ukulele, but soon moved on to concert and soprano size.
For the tenor ukulele, I bought a set of Aquila strings to tune it CGDA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QRyAelQpaU
Then I tuned an old Telecaster GDAE and can move it with a a capo to any fifth tuning desired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMMozHn4O2A
Next step was a Kala steel string tenor guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ecITLasmg
Then I got a Dupont tenor ukulele that I tuned CGDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOZcU_hmA9o
Now, all I need is a nice archtop tenor...

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fox

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## Dolamon

Mandola has been my primary instrument for the past ten or fifteen years. I kept a few mandolins around generally to aid in some primary transcription / translation issues of new music. But a mandola was what I was focused on. Some years ago, a local pawn shop had a few old tenors in it and I was tempted enough to buy an old Harmony. Then I bought an old Regal (Trying to get something which had better intonation and tone). 

A few instrument trades later I ended up with a very good Jack Spira guitar, then a restrung and retuned Kala tenor ukulele and finally a really spectacular sunburst tenor by Aria. It is no where as good as the Spira but at the price I got it I feel better about taking it out of the house. My long term interests have been in playing rock solid rhythm and it seems that the Mandolas are just too resonant and bright for that purpose if sitting in a session. They're fine for a chorus or two but just too much sustain. 

But a CGda Tenor ... different animal entirely. Picking up some of Jerry Thomason western swing ideas or even le Pompe of a good manouche jazz tune, the tenors just shine in the mix. They don't step on any of the other pieces of the jazz puzzle. Regarding that, Pete Martin's teaching methods has really helped in the understanding and application of chord rhythm playing. Eddy Davis amazes me for his understanding of all the Jazz genre's which are out there. But is there one tenor instrument which does it all - maybe but I don't know about it - yet.

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## SincereCorgi

Honestly, if you're already a good 6-string player I would think the tenor would have limited appeal, as the timbre isn't all that different from a regular guitar and you're giving up a lot of nice low notes. I came to tenor guitar from mandolin, thinking the skills would transfer – they don't really – and I stuck with it just because I just like it, despite its problems. I like that it's a weird survivor of an earlier era and I like the way it sounds in a swing context, as its limitations lead to play stuff that's a little different from what a 6-string might play.

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## AZmando

I retired last year, and have always told myself I must learn to play the blues.  Have had mandos around the place for years, and they are great for fiddle tunes and Celtic.  But, they're too thin and high pitched for blues, even with a guitar backup.  Got a Fletcher tenor, GDAE, and it's got enough depth that I much prefer it for this journey into a new genre.  And, I know where notes are!

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## Verne Andru

> Honestly, if you're already a good 6-string player I would think the tenor would have limited appeal, 
> 
> ...
> 
> its limitations lead to play stuff that's a little different from what a 6-string might play.


Point, counter-point.

It's the 5th tuning that makes it special, not the range.

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dburtnett

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## Lord of the Badgers

I can fingerpick better and it's in fifths. Any other reason?  :Smile: 
I would love one where i can drop the high string down a stop without retuning. Maybe the same with the low.

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## PiousDevil

> Point, counter-point.
> 
> It's the 5th tuning that makes it special, not the range.


I would agree with this (the tuning is what grabbed me), except that there are people who play in chicago tuning, which doesn't make much sense to me.

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## fox

I did not even know that a tenor guitar existed until about 3 years ago!
A friend of mine showed me his old flat top harmony &  as I played tenor banjo, it was an fairly direct move over!
I hardy play the banjos anymore much preferring the sweet mellow guitar sound.
I started off playing the guitar like a banjo but, now I enjoy playing without a flat pick, learning different finger styles & mixing in strum patterns.

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## Eddie Sheehy

Since I already played guitar and Tenor banjo it was a natural progression...

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## Verne Andru

> I would agree with this (the tuning is what grabbed me), except that there are people who play in chicago tuning, which doesn't make much sense to me.


I agree, but it seems pretty prevalent. I have a book on Tenor guitar and everything is in CGDA and DGBE. Guess it's for those guitar players that just don't want to learn 5ths.

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## bbalsley

ANSWER > the hard way! my continuing saga:
START > garage-band > lounge-lizard > folk-singer >
THEN > friend gave me a 5-string banjo > played 8-yrs bluegrass >
THEN > different friend played dixieland at our community college and wanted to start a band > removed 5 th string > played 15-yrs dixie with DGBD tuning >
THEN > bought a yard-sale Harmony baritone uke for $5 (tuned it DGBD too) > played the softer dixie-jazz numbers
THEN > at Gruhn, resisted buying a Dobro tenor, returned home, called Nashville to buy it (same tuning)
NOW > 2 tenors, 2 plectrum banjos, 3 baritone ukes, 1 uBass, too many 6-strings, cant let the wife know how many!

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## Nicholas B

I have been gigging with a cajon for a number of years now in a couple different set ups, but it is not entirely satisfying to sit at home alone with just a box to keep you company musically.  About a year ago, I picked up a baritone uke and learned to pick and strum a bit.  A recent medical issue has my vision in tumult and left me limited on the amount of time I could read or spend in front of a tv, so my time in the studio has increased drastically!  Six strings, it turns out, are a couple too many for a percussionist, so I picked up a tenor banjo.  Fun to play but not fitting so well with the music I tend to gravitate towards, a tenor tuned Chicago seemed a logical next step.  Who knows, if I have enough time between banging twos and fours to learn more chord shapes, I may even learn to tune in fifths!  We'll see how it goes.

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## acousticphd

> I agree, but it seems pretty prevalent. I have a book on Tenor guitar and everything is in CGDA and DGBE. Guess it's for those guitar players that just don't want to learn 5ths.


Nonsense.  I know both and use both; there are different applications for both tunings, as for any/all tunings.

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## Verne Andru

> Nonsense.  I know both and use both; there are different applications for both tunings, as for any/all tunings.


IIRC, tenor guitar started to transition CGDA banjo players to guitar. DGBE tuning are the high 4 strings on a standard strung guitar and from what I remember when guitar players faced with having to play tenor back in the day, there were often few instruments to go around and people had to accommodate what was available, they would retune a tenor so they could play without having to learn 5th's.

That's they way I remember it. It's no more "nonesense" than your post, just another point of view that's as valid as any other.

I play guitar and tenor and don't see the point of DGBE on a 4-string when 6-strings are far more available and cheaper. But that's just another point of view.

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fox, 

whatitis

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## Geralf117

I started on bass guitar in middle school, and like it. Eventually I decided I wanted to play some folk music and got a mandolin, but the string spacing was way too small for my hands (which were accustomed to bass scale). Eventually I discovered tenor guitars and fell in love, bought an Ibanez AVT1. I love it because it has a parlour body but has width enough for tone. My mandolin skills transferred well and it just made sense to me.

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## Granger

In my early 50's I spent three years on 6 string playing almost daily on a nice Martin 000-16. Realized I would probably never be able to get good on the thing. Discouraged I picked up dulcimer and played for a few years and started building a few as well as a bowed dulcimer for my daughter. A friend recommended baritone uke. I picked up one and found it to be a very user friendly instrument.  The 6 string chord shapes and scales transferred right over to the bari uke. I like the string spacing and scale of the bari, but I like steel string sound so decided to build a x-braced bari uke for steel string. It came out pretty nice and I play it daily. Coincidentally both Kala and Pono introduced tenor guitars built on the 21.5" scale shortly after I had made my own, so I bought them and enjoy them. I have put an instrument into GDAE tuning and learned basic chords and a few bluegrass pieces on it. I see why 5th tuning makes so much sense.  But I didn't stick with GDAE.  I had so much time and music in DGBe that I stayed with it.  For folks that have a degree of mastery on the 6 string, Chicago tuning probably doesn't make sense, for some of us a 6 string is 2 strings too many.  This may be particularly true if you  took up playing latter in life.

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fox, 

mguy42

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## Capt. E

> Point, counter-point.
> 
> It's the 5th tuning that makes it special, not the range.


Exactly. Transition from mandolin is pretty seamless and I love being able to drop down an octave, so it is "Irish" tuned (GDAE). It all got decided when I found a beautiful late 20's Stromberg-Voisinet "Venetian"on eBay for a very nice price. The 21" scale is perfect. I love getting it out and playing it to relax at the end of the day and works nice for old-time jams.   Here's a photo....



Someone put a "Martin" decal on the peghead, the tuners have been replaced and it has one repaired crack on the top. Otherwise it is very nice. Fits in a baritone uke gig-bag. Still looking for a proper hard case.

I found a nice book: "The Tenor Guitar Chord Bible" by Jobe A. Richards. Tab in both CGDA and GDAE.

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Verne Andru

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## DavidKOS

> Anyway, was a tenor guitar your first instrument?


No, I played 'ukulele, guitar, electric and string bass, tenor banjo, lap steel and mandolin first.





> Did you have a 6 string before you got a tenor?


Yes




> Why did you get a tenor guitar?


To play my dixieland banjo parts on a guitar sounding instrument; later, for Italian and other music.

I have used several tunings over the years, depending on the situation and what I want to play:

standard CGDA
"Chicago" tuning DGBE
octave mando tuning GDAE

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## norseman40

Kingston Trio - Nicky Reynolds.  He looked and sounded cool.  What 16 year-old didn't wanna' imitate those guys at the time!!!

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## Mando Mafia

> Kingston Trio - Nicky Reynolds.  He looked and sounded cool.  What 16 year-old didn't wanna' imitate those guys at the time!!!


As it happens my tenor guitar is a part of 1983 Martin 150th anniversary Kingston Trio commemorative set, though thats not why I got it. I wasnt in the market for a tenor guitar but it was hanging on the wall in a Music store, it sounded great, & the price was right. Tuned in 5ths made it a breeze to play, & gave me another sound in my bag of tricks. Now ive got two mandolins, a mandola, tenor guitar, tenor banjo, two octave mandolins & a cello guitar(like a tenor guitar, but tuned like a mandocello), all tuned in 5ths, the common denominator.

Pete

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