# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

## Jill McAuley

I just saw a Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar on the Elderly website - handmade by James Dougan out of Ithaca, New York. Looks to be a nice instrument, and a wee bit cheaper than the Breedlove Revival tenors I've been drooling over - does anyone know anything about the Fletcher tenor? Anyone played one before?

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## mandolooter

I've never played one but it sure looks similar to my Regal which is a excellent sounding tenor guitar. Not as deep voiced as the larger bodied instruments but very sweet sounding and it cuts through well in a crowd. That's kinda spendy to me but Elderly's is a respectable place to shop...I've burned a lot of moola there for sure!

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...tar#post531085

----------


## Jill McAuley

Yeah Jeff, I agree it is a bit spendy, but I had been thinking of setting aside that amount for an acoustic guitar anyway (I sold mine when I moved to the states - first time I've been without a guitar since I was 11 years old!) but am so completely obsessed with all things "G D A E" that I think I'm going to go for a nice tenor guitar instead. Elderly's had a used Breedlove Revival tenor going for about the same price as the Fletcher but it's on hold for someone already (not surprising!).  I definitely like the "old school" stylings of the Fletcher, especially the banjo style peg head. I'll post photos if and when I take the plunge for it!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## mandolooter

Cool...its definitely a sweet looking box! Nice thing about the vintage vibe is it doesn't have any of the problems some of the older instruments have.

BTW your "scenic Oakland" had me rolling on the floor! No offense meant, I just have spent some time there.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Yes, scenic Oakland indeed - quite the 180 degree change from my rural home back in Ireland! No offense taken of course!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JeffD

I played one a while back and loved it.

http://fletcherinstruments.com/instruments.html

----------


## Jill McAuley

Ah ha! I just checked out the Fletcher website and when I looked under the media link there was a link to Angelina Carberry playing the Princess Royal on tenor guitar - I used to take tenor banjo lessons from Angelina back in Ireland and I distinctly remember her talking about wanting a particular make of tenor guitar - she'd come across them when herself and her husband were on tour in the States the summer before, I'll betcha the Fletcher Tenortone was the one she was talking about! Now I want one even more!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Eddie Sheehy

Check out the Tenor Guitar forum .  They may have more info there...

Tenor Registry

----------


## Jill McAuley

Thanks for that link Eddie!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Troy Harris

I highly recommend his work  Jamie is a smart guy, building some fantastic tenor guitars.

----------


## David Hansen

I have a Fletcher Tenortone and it's wonderful to play. The short scale length makes it easy to play. It has remarkable tone that you wouldn't expect from an all mahogany instrument. I rarely play my mandolin anymore and I sold my octave mandolin 2 months after I bought the Tenortone. Highly recommended.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Wow, that's a glowing review of the Tenortone, huwbritt - I'm going to have to scheme a way to get the cash together for one of them! So many instruments, so little money!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## jsmandolin

I've been working with the owner of Fletcher Instruments, and have worked up an agreement with her to make payments for the TenorTone tenor guitar. I should have it in hand by the end of June! I'll let you all know how well it plays.
- jsmandolin

----------


## jsmandolin

I've been in contact with Jody Platt, the owner of Fletcher Instruments and have worked out a lay-a-way plan to get a Tenortone tenor guitar. I should have it in hand by the end of June. Can't wait! I'll let y'all know how it plays!
-jsmandolin

----------


## Jill McAuley

Ooh, jsmandolin, I am envious of you! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Tenortone once it arrives. Congratulations!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## jsmandolin

Jill,
You might want to contact Fletcher Instruments soon...The company owner may be in your neck of the woods soon! - with instruments!
-jsmandolin

----------


## Jill McAuley

Thanks for the heads up, I have been in contact with Jody and will hopefully be meeting up with her to try out one of the Tenortones she'll have with her - I can't wait!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JeffD

> - I can't wait!


You are going to love it. Really love it.

----------


## Jill McAuley

So I finally got to play a Fletcher Tenortone, not once but twice last week! As luck would have it, Jody, the owner of Fletcher Instruments was in Oakland for the week, staying only a few blocks away from where I live. She was traveling with a mahogany model (her own personal guitar) and one of the spruce topped ones as well, so it was great to be able to A/B the pair of them.

First I have to say that these are just beautifully made and I'm a huge fan of the small body shape, it's just so comfortable to hold and play. The first day I got to play them was last Saturday and I'd gone into it reckoning that the mahogany model was the one that was top of my list. Yet on that day, the more I played, it was the Spruce I was gravitating more towards. It had a snappier tone and response vs. the mahogany's warmer sound. Both guitars sound great across all strings, lovely projection, and though I had to get used to the stretch on the neck, it's width was very comfortable and the more I played it the easier it was to get around on it. The sustain just rings out from them as well.

Jody graciously offered to let me stop by again for another go on them and boy am I glad I took her up on that offer. I stopped by last night for Round 2 and now it's the mahogany model that's turning my head. The biggest reason for this I think is that during the week I'd been reflecting on how I'd played them both last week as if they were tenor banjos, which really wasn't taking advantage of all they have to offer. So I listened to alot of John Carty's tenor guitar playing last week and then approached playing the guitars from a slightly different standpoint last night, letting things ring out more, incorporating more chords where possible, and choosing tunes to play that seemed really suited to that approach. For me the mahogany's warmth just kept reeling me back in. I also messed around a bit with some strumming and fingerpicking of my own lo-fi/indie/folkie stuff that I sometimes play when not totally obsessed with irish trad tunes and they sounded great too. 

The spruced topped one is awesome as well, but having had the opportunity to play them both it'll definitely be the mahogany model that I end up placing an order for. Have to mention that the gig bag they come with is really nice as well - has wee velcro straps for securing the neck and quite substantial padding inside.

Final verdict? These are beautiful, really well made guitars - small and perfectly formed! Jody is so helpful and great to deal with and I can't wait to add a Tenortone to the family!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JeffD

I have played both, not as thoroughly or thoughtfully as you have, but I did like the tone of the mahogany a little better.

And Jody is great.

----------


## Thomaston

Jill, how did volume compare between the two? Do you think they would hold up well in an Irish session with flutes, fiddles, etc?

----------


## Jill McAuley

I found that the spruce had that bit more "snap" to it, reminiscent of the response you get with a tenor banjo, so I'm sure it would hold up splendidly at a session. The mahogany had a warmer tone to it, probably best suited to a small session - I liked it because it offers a different voice compared to mandolin or tenor banjo. Tone wise I would say the mahogany one reminded me of the sound John Carty gets out of his tenor guitar on his excellent "I Will If I Can" CD.

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Thomaston

Thanks for the info. I'm seriously considering saving up the spare cash to place an order. I already play tenor banjo in a session, and I'm looking at using this to switch between melody tuned DGAE and accompaniment using GDAD. I just need to figure out whether I'd rather have spruce or mahogany!

----------


## jsmandolin

Thanks Jill, for the thoughtful comparison between the spruce and mahogany topped Tenortone tenor guitars! I bet that was a nice treat to be able to spend quality time with the instruments. I too will be placing an order this week and should have it in hand in a couple weeks. It's so hard to patiently wait!
-jsmandolin

----------


## jsmandolin

Jill & Everyone who has contributed to this forum.
Well, I just got my new Tenortone tenor guitar from Fletcher Instruments! And it is truly a lovely instrument. The owner, Jody, did some extra care in set up before she sent it.  Do you know how slowly time goes by when you are waiting for the arrival of something you really want? The week after it was sent seemed forever. 
So, the instrument is the JD1, all mahogany with black binding. The back has a swirly grain that has a glimmer, sort of like tiger-eye agates. One thing I really like is how long the ressonnaince lasts when you play a note or chord.

After a long, hard week with several late nights preparing for, organizing and presenting an all county 2nd grade environmental education day, I sat in our recliner chair and played for a long time, and then proptly fell asleep! What I'm saying is the instrument is comfortable to play and hold, and its tone is soothing - soothing enough to put me to sleep!

The reach on the chords is comfortable, and I can play the 4-stop chords fairly well. The instrument lends itself well to playing solo/melody lines too with little effort. (Other instruments with 23-25 inch scale lengths are too difficult for me to play more than 2-3 finger chords. And moving through solo lines would be a challenge too.)

The instrument is worth the price, and Fletcher Instruments still puts that price in an affordable range.

Another thing, one can play up around the sound hole to create a richer mellow tone, and then can play more towards the bridge for the tenor banjo sound that I believe Jill mentioned above. The heavier guage strings are interesting. the high E string has a wonderful ring to it, especially when you play a chord or note higher up the neck. Never do the strings sound twangy or tinny.

You can tell that the instrument will last a long time, as the luthier has taken extra care in the instrument's construction.

I'm so glad that I decided to buy from Jody at Fletcher Instruments. I feel very good supporting this company. It's a small company, but one who makes sure that the instrument you get is worth you buying it.

Right now I'm trying out a piece by F. Kreisler (1875-1962) titled, Liebesleid. It's for violin solo with piano accompaniment, and I'm trying to learn it on mandolin and the tenor guitar as well. I hope to play it for special music at Church here soon. I just have to decide which instrument to solo on!

If you do some performing with your instruments, but need a source of music, check out VirtualSheetMusic.com.  There is a cost to the music, but you can get a membership and download any number of pieces for no additional cost. You can search without paying, but downloading will cost per piece or membership. The violin solo pieces have worked well for mandolin. I'm thinking now that I have the Tenortone tenor guitar in hand, I'll search for performance pieces for it.

This forum has been fun. I've learned a lot and have been inspired.
Musically yours,
jsmandolin

----------


## Jill McAuley

Hey congratulations! I'm hoping to place an order for one in the late summer/early fall. They are such lovely, well made instruments. I got a chance to play Jody's own personal JD1 when she was here in town and it had a lovely worn in/played in look and feel to it, a sign to me of an instrument that's just going to get better with age. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## David Hansen

Congratulations jsmandolin, I hope you enjoy your new Tenortone as much as I do mine. I've had mine for about a year now and it really does improve dramatically with time, it just gets better and better. I am continually amazed at the tone that comes every time I play it.

----------


## jsmandolin

Thanks, Jill an David!
You know what would be fun some time? If we could get as many Tenortone guitar owners together and have a musical weekend! Maybe it could be in association with a bluegrass festival or other gathering. And if we Jody Platt and James Dougan could come too...

It looks like we are all spread out across the country; California, Colorado, New York. Colorado has Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass, and lots more.
Just an idea for the future. Maybe next year - 2010?

Musically yours,
jsmandolin
(John Simmons, simmonsjm1@msn.com)

----------


## Tourmaline

Huge thank you to Mandolin Cafe members on this thread (thank you from my heart, if not my wallet  :Smile:  ) for letting me know of these instruments. After months looking at it, on Saturday I finally caved and placed an order at Elderly, and after some excellent customer service, it may be that the first Fletcher Tenortone in Canada is now in my apartment. 

It was a huge risk I took --- I have never before bought an instrument of this value unplayed, and although I am lucky enough that my budget could work this in, it was not by any means a frivolous purchase --- but the spruce-topped model sounds beautiful now, looking elegant and new and well-made from top to tailpiece, and probably in a few years will open up to sound that knocks 'em dead at twenty paces. 

God and genetics gave me small hands, and from childhood I've wanted to play the guitar. I played the violin for years (my hands were judged too small even for viola when I wanted to switch) and finally last year dared to take up the six-string guitar. I do not regret a minute I have spent with the guitar, but I learned very quickly there are chord positions I absolutely cannot do. I took up mandolin about two months ago, and got on pretty quickly if I dare say so, realizing that from violin, my mind still thinks and sightreads music easily on four strings with fifths --- but I like the lower range of the guitar too. So...learning of GDAE tenor guitars was a dream come true, and I have already tried some Bach on this  lovely of mine.

Why am I typing when I could be playing?

----------


## Charles E.

> I just saw a Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar on the Elderly website - handmade by James Dougan out of Ithaca, New York. Looks to be a nice instrument, and a wee bit cheaper than the Breedlove Revival tenors I've been drooling over - does anyone know anything about the Fletcher tenor? Anyone played one before?
> 
> Cheers,
> Jill


While I have not played the Breedlove tenor, I have played the Tenor Tone. Great instrument, great value. The biggest differance between the two is the string length, the Breedlove's is over 24", the Tenor Tone is around 21". Huge differance!

----------


## Mace

Check out the one in the recent arrivals at Bernunzio's. Its a beauty.

----------


## Jamie Dougan

Hello everybody,
Thanks to all of you for your interest in my Tenors.  
I'm so happy you like them.

I wanted to let you all know we are now on facebook. So please post, chat and play to your hearts content.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=...d=194831656161

And I have put some new audio clips and a video on the site. 
http://fletcherinstruments.com/mediagallery.html

Also I have just finished 5 new tenors so keep your eyes open for picts of those coming soon.

----------


## JeffD

Jamie you make an awesome instrument.

----------


## jsmandolin

If anyone is in the area and going to Rockygrass festival in Lyons, CO July 23-25, I'll be bringing my Tenortone Tenor Guitar, and mandolin, of course. I'm wondering if anyone else with a Tenortone is going to the festival. Or if anyone is curious about the tenor guitar, I'll be there. It would be great to meet other owners of this fine instrument and jam a bit.

Doesn't that sound fun? And isn't that one of the reasons we wanted the Tenortone?1

Any takers? Tickets are still available on planetbluegrass.com 


Send me a note.

It would be fun to meet, play, and take some pictures to send back to Jamie and Jody for their Web site!

Musically yours,
John

----------


## Jim Bender

I recently purchased a JD2 tenor from Jamie, and it is a beautiful instrument. If anyone is still following this thread, I would be curious to know what kind of strings people have been using on their Tenor Tones.I am planning to use Jamie's recommended gauges for GDAE tuning.

----------


## David Hansen

I use GHS Phosphor Bronze strings 46 36 24 15 on mine. Sounds great and no issues.

----------


## Ptarmi

Hi *David*, 

I couldn't help noticing that those gauges are a fair bit heavier than those usually used on a *GDAE Tenor Banjo*. 

On the Tenor Banjo *38, 28, 18 & 12* are more normal.

So I'm curious, given that the dimensions are similar, why does the Guitar require such heavy Strings?

Also *David*, what exactly are Jamie's *"recommended gauges for GDAE tuning?"*

Cheers
Dick

----------


## Jill McAuley

Dick,
On the FAQ's page of the Fletcher Instruments website they list the following gauges: .046, .036, .024, .015 

http://www.fletcherinstruments.com/faq.html

I too am curious as to the difference in gauges between tenor guitar and tenor banjo - heaviest I've used on my short scale banjo would be .040, .030, .020, .013....

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Ptarmi

> On the FAQ's page of the Fletcher Instruments website they list the following gauges: .046, .036, .024, .015 
> 
> I too am curious as to the difference in gauges between tenor guitar and tenor banjo - heaviest I've used on my short scale banjo would be .040, .030, .020, .013....
> 
> Cheers,
> Jill


Thanks Jill, I missed that.

Aye, the short necked Tenors do need a heavier gauge, but I would have thought the long necked Tenor Banjos were closer in actual string length to a Tenor Guitar, so I would have thought the gauge might have been a bit lighter than is recommended. 

I'm not saying it's wrong of course  :Redface:  I'm just curious to know why the heavier gauge works so well on a Tenor Guitar .... &/or is needed.  :Wink: 

Cheers
Dick

----------


## Jill McAuley

Thinking on it now, those recommended gauges for tenor guitar are more in line with the weight of strings you'd find on an acoustic guitar, where your wound E might be .052. Another thing I'm remembering is that when I got a chance to play two Tenor Tones last year the biggest epiphany I had was that initially I was approaching playing it as I would my tenor banjo, and somehow felt something was missing from my playing. Went home, listened to some of John Carty's excellent tenor guitar playing and went back a few days later to have a second go on the Tenor Tones, this time trying to consciously NOT treat them like guitar shaped banjos and instead take advantage of having more sustain, using more chords and double stops etc and wow, what a difference it made - I was well and truly smitten! 

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JeffD

> this time trying to consciously NOT treat them like guitar shaped banjos and instead take advantage of having more sustain, using more chords and double stops etc and wow, what a difference it made - I was well and truly smitten!


I love it. Its a great feeling.

Its similar to those who play the mandolin as if it were a small guitar, or alternatively a picked fiddle, and evenetually discover its a mandolin and does mandolinny things, and they fall in love all over again.

----------


## David Hansen

Dick

I use the gauges that came on guitar when I got it, they are also the one's Jody recommends. Although heavier than tenor banjo strings the recommended gauges do you make it any more difficult to play. The heavier gauges do make for some very rich tone. They don't call TenorTone for nothing. Do try and remember it's not a tenor banjo and should be treated as such.

----------


## Ptarmi

> Dick
> 
> I use the gauges that came on guitar when I got it, they are also the one's Jody recommends. Although heavier than tenor banjo strings the recommended gauges do you make it any more difficult to play. The heavier gauges do make for some very rich tone. They don't call TenorTone for nothing. Do try and remember it's not a tenor banjo and should be treated as such.


Hi David, 
I assume you meant to write - _do not make it any more difficult to play_ .... which is good to know!  :Wink: 

As for the *"rich tone"* I can't wait to hear that for myself, in the flesh, so to speak! 

I'm also looking forward to some lovely sustain, instead of that *near-dead cluck* I get from my olde Banjo!  :Grin: 

Don't worry, I already have a Banjo, which I treat *as a Banjo!* & my Tenortone *will* be treated like a Guitar!  :Wink: 

Cheers
Dick

----------

