# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  What is Today the best Tenor guitar between 500$ => under 1000$

## Irénée

Hello All !

Hard question...  :Mad:  :Confused:   :Coffee: 
Firstable accoustic please  :Mandosmiley:  
(without pickup)

Thank you very much by advance for all your advices and pictures...

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## fox

There may be others I am not family with but it will be hard to beat the  Blueridge BRT range as a 23” scale steel string tenor guitar.

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Irénée

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## Irénée

... Are-they so good ?

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## fox

I have never been able to find much information about the Blueridge factory but I would assume it operates very high tech machinery to be able to produce such superb guitars.

All thier range has jumped up in price in recent years, some of the six string guitars are now very expensive.

I have worked on many Blueridge guitars and I have never seen a bad one although I have read that some people have had problems!

The tenor guitars are very well made but have quite heavy bracing that the importers say is suitable for up to 100lbs of tension but there a few around that have been converted to 8 strings and operate with 150lb of string tension and still stay together!

So yes they are very good tenor guitars but if anything they are overbuilt.

If you want a light, smaller, shorter scale tenor guitar then there are others available.

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Irénée

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## Irénée

Thank you for answer Fox  :Smile: 

What I want and need today -because mandolinist - is a big projection and loud Tenor guitar (in CGDa and/or GDAe) which cut over among other 6 string guitar in session... 

Is-it the case with this one ?

Regards,

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## Irénée

That also means that it is better to tune it in GDAe and string it with bigger gauges ?

What gauges (for more projection and louder sound) do you advice Fox on this T.guitar ? 
Regards,

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## fox

I don’t think you would be disappointed with the sound or volume.

Similar size tenor guitars that I have built are generally speaking slightly louder  and have a different tone but not a by a huge amount!

Apart from looks my guitars perform best with slightly lower tension stings than I would recommend for a Blueridge but for the price they are fantastic value.

There is potential to improve the overall performance of a standard Blueridge by having a pro set up and good quality strings or even going further and adjusting the bracing.
There is not much, if anything, out there than can compete at that sort of price ... only my opinion of course.
They work well in any tuning as long as you use the right tension string but CGDA will stand out amongst a crowd.

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## Irénée

Thank you Fox,

What brands or Luthier's they are from ?
Do you have pictures about ?

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## Irénée

> ... improve the overall performance of a standard Blueridge by having a pro set up and good quality strings or even going further and adjusting the bracing...


What do you mean by "adjusting the bracing" please ?... How is-it possible to "even... adjusting the bracing..."... on a finished guitar you have purchased and received at home ?

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## fox

Well the bracing under the soundboard is accessible through the sound hole and can be altered to allow more movement but any such work would immediately remove any guarantee the guitar might have.
You would have to discuss this with a luthier and listen to his (her) opinion and also decide for yourself if you think the relatively small gains are worth it.
Having said that I have done that sort of work to many different instruments, mainly six string but also on two Blueridge tenor guitars.

String gauges can be changed around to discover what suits your own playing style , there are certain limits you can work within.
On this Forum there are thousands of words written about the Blueridge tenor guitar and the best gauges people prefer.

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Irénée

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## Irénée

I am not afraid to do that myself... 
I have some experience in this job...
I would be (when I will have my instrument used or new) interested to follow your idea... 
with what kind of tools you do that ?
... send me please picture of the tools used by yourself to do that operation, to complete my toolbox... 
Thank you by advance  :Grin:

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fox

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## fox

Ha ha nothing special, craft knife blades and course sand paper glued to different shaped wood blocks then with smooth sand paper.
I put in the biggest mirror i can fit and a bright light and work a lot by feel but keep checking in the mirror.
I cant remember exactly but I think i scalloped the Blueridge bracing.
You can practice on a cheap six string .....

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## Irénée

OK!.... Understood...
Light, miror, and the hand in the hole  :Whistling:   :Wink:  ... I know, very easy  :Laughing: 
Thank You  :Coffee:

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## Irénée

:Cool:  What brands and Luthier please ?
Put here some pictures about instruments please  :Grin:

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## EJMUSIC

Blueridge unless you can find a used Collings. I played a Collings Tenor once and it was a very loud guitar (in a good way) with an exceptional tone.

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Irénée

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## Irénée

Thank you very very much for your suggestion  :Grin: 
... what is its current price for a good used model  :Cool:  ?

Is-it this one which seems playing great (but the micro looks working well too) ?



... This one looks sounding good too !

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## fox

I don’t know why you are so interested in volume but the second tenor guitar in the video is the loudest one I have ever built but the first guitar is still louder than a standard Blueridge I know this because I had them together on that same day but did not film the Blueridge

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Irénée

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## pheffernan

> Thank you very very much for your suggestion 
> ... what is its current price for a good used model  ?


Well, theyre now running $4300 new:

https://reverb.com/item/33569852-collings-tenor-1

They rarely come up used, but when they do, the cheapest Ive seen was $2500:

https://reverb.com/item/3595302-coll...-mahogany#full

Most have been north of $3K.

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Irénée

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## Irénée

Hi pheffernan !

Thank you for your remark  :Grin: ...

... But... Which one comparing with these 2 Collings above with https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...g-Tenor-guitar could be the best one please ?

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## pheffernan

> Which one comparing with these 2 Collings above with https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...g-Tenor-guitar could be the best one please ?


Respectfully, you are asking for an objective answer to a subjective question.

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## Irénée

> I dont know why you are so interested in volume but the second tenor guitar in the video is the loudest one I have ever built but the first guitar is still louder ]


Because I like to be heard when I play accoustic with Piano, Violin or Banjo, amplified mandolin or big Jumbo 12 string heavy amplified  :Mandosmiley:  

What do you think about this last one comparing wit the 2 precedent ?

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## fox

There will always be a limit as to what can be achieved with a small body and four strings, I don’t think tenor guitars are about huge volume.
The   session king tenor guitars offers  a large body and a 24” scale, if you are comfortable playing that sort of size and scale I would say that will be about as Loud  as you can expect .
You could just plug in any tenor guitar fitted with a pick up  and go as loud as you want?

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## Irénée

... I do not like piezo pick up (sound resonning like in bathroom)... It's why I prefer (well constructed instrument with) natural loud accoustic sound with big projection... Comparing with an italian  bowl back mandolin (or greek bouzouk 8 string) which has a smaller body (exemple: Embergher 5 bis, Cristofaro 1906, Egildo Emmanuele or the Kerman's) wich is impossible to cover even by a Steinway (concert piano elonged)...

 

! The probleme is not the body size, but the architecture with (correct geométry & proportions, and) the minimum thinest soundboard with the lighter bracing organisation... and correct back and side...

Thank you to have mentioned the Gollings (very good and well constructed) I thing good choice for CGDa !... NK Forster also for GDAe could be a great option  :Coffee:   :Confused: 

Must find (in Paris... it will be hard...) one good Martin 0-18T... and test, compare with Blueridge BR-70T (hard to find)  :Redface:   :Cool: 
... And after at the end to go upstair and test Collings  vs NK Forster... Hard Job factually...  :Whistling:

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## Lord of the Badgers

> ... I do not like piezo pick up (sound resonning like in bathroom)... It's why I prefer (well constructed instrument with) natural loud accoustic sound with big projection...


Some of us have a drummer to fight with onstage  :Smile:

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## Lord of the Badgers

> I don’t know why you are so interested in volume


Good point. We all have to be careful not to equate loudness with quality. Unfortunately i do see that a lot in the four string/four course world - probably not helped by some builders pushing the idea that loudness = best selling point. 

Helpful in a session, yes, to have volume. For me, TONE is everything when I’m sat at home. 

What does “best” mean too? I think you mean best value  :Smile:  
Best value for me is a more expensive instrument that is second hand and you love it from the get go - money saved and desires satisfied  :Smile:  

Best = Most expensive? Buy that d’angelico that was on eBay i think... sure, that’s a beautiful thing... but...

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## pheffernan

> It's why I prefer (well constructed instrument with) natural loud accoustic sound with big projection... Comparing with an italian  bowl back mandolin (or greek bouzouk 8 string) which has a smaller body (exemple: Embergher 5 bis, Cristofaro 1906, Egildo Emmanuele or the Kerman's) wich is impossible to cover even by a Steinway (concert piano elonged)...! The probleme is not the body size, but the architecture with (correct geométry & proportions, and) the minimum thinest soundboard with the lighter bracing organisation... and correct back and side...


If a thin soundboard and lighter bracing are your preference, then you can probably safely eliminate the Blueridge from consideration. Its reputation is to be overbuilt if anything. 




> Thank you to have mentioned the Gollings (very good and well constructed) I thing good choice for CGDa !... NK Forster also for GDAe could be a great option


Do you have a realistic budget? Im confused that in a thread whose title references the best tenor guitar between $500 and under $1000, you seem to be spending a lot of time talking about the best tenor guitars between $4000 and under $5000. 




> Must find (in Paris... it will be hard...) one good Martin 0-18T... and test, compare with Blueridge BR-70T (hard to find)  
> ... And after at the end to go upstair and test Collings  vs NK Forster... Hard Job factually...


Its not a Martin 0-18T in Paris, but how about a Gibson TG-00 in Cars?

https://reverb.com/item/32800864-gib...-1935-sunburst

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## Charles E.

That, right there, would be worth a look at. Lots of "mojo".   :Wink: 

If you are looking for volume, you might look for an old National tenor. I have a 1932 National Triolian that is killer.

I am not sure if any of the Pac Rim countries are producing a resophonic tenor these days or not.

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pheffernan

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## Lord of the Badgers

finding a good reasonably priced resonator outside the US/Canada is extremely heard. there's a 1930 triolian for sale in London for £2000.... that's pretty much normal... they rarely appear though. as for a dobro (my favoured type) - i've yet to see one. 
Archtops fare a bit better - but there's none at the moment offered publicly for sale bar a beat up looking kalamazoo in the UK. 

but in the states - you've choice!

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## fox

Rob, You dont like the Ozark then?
https://www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/...nor-guitar.htm

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Charles E.

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## ajh

> Rob, You dont like the Ozark then?
> https://www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/...nor-guitar.htm


Dang....I REALLY did not need to see that.  I had asked Mule if they would consider it a couple years ago.  They said no so I let it go.  Until now.   Jeeeez.

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fox

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## EJMUSIC

Coming from bluegrass circles, it's nice to have a comparably louder instrument when everyone else is whacking away at their instruments, and you don't want to sacrifice your tone or hell even the strings just to be at the same decibel level. That's not to say all circles are that way, but some can get there if everyone's had a bit to drink, or there are some relatively newer / beginner players. Can also be particularly useful for solo's in said circles or jamming with friends. I mean it's nice when everyone can allow for "sonic space" for soloers, but that doesn't always happen.

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## Aaron Bohnen

The Circle Strings tenor guitars are also quite excellent. A quick search on Youtube will get you a few sound samples. Like most high-quality instruments they may be outside the price range though.

Enjoy!

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## tymbrewolf

I am hoping my eastwood delta 4 will be in this category to accompany  my blueridge. For what i am paying, it just occurred to me that i could have purchased one good old one

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