# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  Difference between a tenor guitar and a plectrum guitar

## nkforster

I was cleaning up me laptop today and found a video I recorded in 2017 and never published. I think the reason was the sound of the Session King distorts on the recording, but I've uploaded it 'cos I think the video might be pretty useful to some of you.

In the video I talk about the difference between the long and short scale Session King tenor guitars I make.




Enjoy,

Nigel
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/ins.../tenor-guitar/

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DavidKOS, 

Harley Marty, 

Irénée, 

kurth83, 

LarryH, 

MdJ, 

Peter Barnett

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## John Kelly

Fascinating video, Nigel.  Great insights into your thought processes, and the instrument sounds really good too!

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## Grommet

Great information and a wonderful sounding tenor Nigel. I need to try the GDAE tuning one of these days. 

Scott

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## DougC

Yes a nice sound on that instrument. 
I'm wondering why the shape of the body is straight instead of the usual curved bout, to the neck? The guitar / bouzouki's are the same shape.

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## kurth83

Any chance of a really short scale one say 18 inches, could be strung and tuned as either a mandola or an OM.  I find that melodic playing on anything longer than 18" I am starting to stretch uncomfortably.  I have small hands, and prefer light strings in the 15-18 lb range.  I know this would lose power but don`t care, it's into a mic or a pickup most of the time, and less power is easier on the neighbors too.  Its the quality of sound that matters more than quantity to me.

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## nkforster

> Yes a nice sound on that instrument. 
> I'm wondering why the shape of the body is straight instead of the usual curved bout, to the neck? The guitar / bouzouki's are the same shape.


Well, you start with a regular 14 fret to the body guitar design. In this case, my Model S.

When you join the neck at the 15th or 16th fret you have two choices - move the neck out from the 14th fret position or keep the bridge where it is and move the shoulders in. If you do the former the bridge gets very close to the soundhole. If you do the latter, you get squarer shoulders as the top bout is reduced by around 20mm. 

Nigel
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/ins.../tenor-guitar/

- - - Updated - - -




> Any chance of a really short scale one say 18 inches, could be strung and tuned as either a mandola or an OM.  I find that melodic playing on anything longer than 18" I am starting to stretch uncomfortably.  I have small hands, and prefer light strings in the 15-18 lb range.  I know this would lose power but don`t care, it's into a mic or a pickup most of the time, and less power is easier on the neighbors too.  Its the quality of sound that matters more than quantity to me.


I think you'd get more responses to this if you start a separate thread.

Nigel
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/ins.../tenor-guitar/

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DougC

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## JLMyers

A few pix of my ca, 1939 Vega Advanced C-66 plectrum guitar.

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## JLMyers

Vega plectrum and Harmony tenor comparison photo. Plectrum has 26" scale, tenor is 23"

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Irénée

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## Irénée

... And what are their specific tuning (plectrum comparing tenor) ?  :Cool:

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## DavidKOS

> ... And what are their specific tuning (plectrum comparing tenor) ?


 Originally tenor banjo and tenor guitar were tuned CGDA.  Plectrum banjo, basically a "regular banjo" without the 5th string, was tuned CGBD.  Both were steel strung and played with a pick.

"Chicago" tuning is the tuning of the baritone ukulele, DGBE, which can be used on either the shorter neck tenor or the longer neck plectrum banjo.

Finally, some Italian and Irish tenor banjo players tuned to octave mandolin tuning, GDAE.

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Irénée

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## JLMyers

> Originally tenor banjo and tenor guitar were tuned CGDA.  Plectrum banjo, basically a "regular banjo" without the 5th string, was tuned CGBD.  Both were steel strung and played with a pick.
> 
> "Chicago" tuning is the tuning of the baritone ukulele, DGBE, which can be used on either the shorter neck tenor or the longer neck plectrum banjo.
> 
> Finally, some Italian and Irish tenor banjo players tuned to octave mandolin tuning, GDAE.


David:  Succinctly stated and exactly correct. Well done!  J.L.Myers ['39 Vega Advanced C-66 plectrum guitar, '25 B&D #2 plectrum banjo]

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DavidKOS, 

Irénée

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## Charles E.

To paraphrase an old viola joke "whats the difference between a tenor guitar and a plectrum guitar? The plectrum guitar burns longer."   :Grin:

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DavidKOS, 

Jill McAuley

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## Irénée

... Therefore, it seems (reading & hearing nkforster) that the best "recommended" scale is the Plectrum (long scale) with a GDAE tuning !?  :Cool:  :Mandosmiley:

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