# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  Electric Tenor Guitar Build

## spoombung

Hi everyone, my name is Kev and I'm new to this forum. I'm primarily a bass player but I also play tenor at home and thought it was about time I had an electric one to play with my band, Prescott.

I have asked a very talented builder, Alan Cringean of ACG guitars, from Scotland, if he can make me one. Alan is better known for making high-end bass guitars (he made me a bass a couple of years ago and we have become friends since) and wasn't at all familiar with tenor guitars but has agreed to make one out of some spare parts (a body and pickups) that he had hanging around.

Here is the maple-topped body:



And here is one of the humbucker pickups:

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Ed Goist

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## spoombung

Here is the body with the neck:



The nut width will be identical to the acoustic tenor guitar I play at present; 30mm and the scale will be 23" with 14mm string spacing. I tune it A, E, B, F♯. 

Here is the fingerboard glued on:

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Ed Goist

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## rowbear

That looks like pretty damned nice. Will you update us as the build progresses? Tell me, what's with tuning one and a half tones lower than "standard" (CGDA)? Just curious. Not butting heads. Maybe _I'll_ try it!

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## spoombung

> That looks like pretty damned nice. Will you update us as the build progresses? Tell me, what's with tuning one and a half tones lower than "standard" (CGDA)? Just curious. Not butting heads. Maybe _I'll_ try it!


Ah yeah, I expected a question about this  :Smile:  as I had a packet of regular guitar strings I just thought I'd start by using the A string and go from there for similar tension - so I'm in a 'guitary' range. I got the impression the strings would snap if I tuned it up from a C with regular guitar strings.

I'll send more photos when I have them!

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## spoombung

The neck is taking shape and now has frets:

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## spoombung

More progress. The neck is now fitted in the body but apparently Alan is having a torrid time with the fiddly mono bridge pieces and has sworn _never_ to use them again! Oh dear. Never mind, you can do it, Al.

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clobflute, 

Soundfarmer Pete

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## clobflute

Very nice!

I just bought a tenor 4 string too. Got p★ssed off trying to learn 6 string guitar without a dummies guide. My oh my! I love the four string guitar  :Smile: 

I got a pack of string guages ranging from 12 - 32. It is tuned to CGDA although you can do quite a range of tunings on the stock standards.  BEF#B is easy but you may not be familiar with this tuning.  I don't know if this advisable to go half an octave up to GDAE due to string tension. I did but found it very taut and hard to finger. 

Yours is gorgeous by the way. I don't like the cosmetic scratch plate of mine, and will probably change it to something less ghastly.

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## Markus

Looks like a beauty. Love the wood.

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## spoombung

Thanks guys - yes it's starting to take shape.

Incidentally, I'm not planning to play folksy tunes on this (like I do on my acoustic). Instead I'll be doing a sort of Steve Reich, Minimalist, repetitive arpeggiating thing with my band. I think tenor guitars and instruments tuned in fifths really suit that kind of thing.

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## spoombung

Routing is now finished:

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## spoombung

and neck and body are shaped

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## spoombung

It's finished! I should be in receipt of it later this week so I'll post some more pics then. Excited!

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Soundfarmer Pete

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## clobflute

Is that your phone camera setting making it look orangey?

I liked the clean maple white tones in the making.   The finished image makes it look like a quilted cover up?!

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## Rob Norton

Totally cool, and I think it looks terrific.   Would love to hear how it sounds.

Congrats!

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## spoombung

> Is that your phone camera setting making it look orangey?
> 
> I liked the clean maple white tones in the making.   The finished image makes it look like a quilted cover up?!


Well, quilted maple deepens in tone when it has a finish on it.. but I didn't take the picture so we'll see later in the week when it arrives  :Smile:

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## spoombung

Some more photos. This really is a beautiful little guitar. I'm very pleased with it.

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Brandon Flynn

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## spoombung

Some details of the lovely little headstock:



Notice the birdseye maple here:

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## spoombung

The body;



Finally a pic of my son playing it (he's a lot prettier than me)

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## spoombung

Incidentally, Alan's prices are very reasonable and I'm sure he'd be open to other requests for tenor guitars if anybody's interested. 

His (bass guitar dominated) website is here: http://www.acguitars.co.uk/acg_admin/wordpress/

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## clobflute

It looks really gorgeous (finally!)  I do like the quilted maple look although it is a bit more catchy than I'm used to. 
If I upload a pic of my ugly buy superb Eastwood tenor guitar it will make yours look even more gorgeous even if mine plays beautifully (shame about my playing though)

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## spoombung

A track made with the guitar:

https://soundcloud.com/spoombung/make-it-so

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## Lord of the Badgers

lol now that's a bit different to the stuff you normally hear on the forum!! Appeals to my more obscure music taste *applause* what's the influences mate? (love the bit crushed sounds)

guitar looks awesome. nice one.

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## spoombung

> lol now that's a bit different to the stuff you normally hear on the forum!! Appeals to my more obscure music taste *applause* what's the influences mate? (love the bit crushed sounds)
> 
> guitar looks awesome. nice one.


Thanks for the warm response, Badger.  I have been aware of a rather obvious, deafening silence since I posted that link here...!

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## rowbear

> Thanks for the warm response, Badger.  I have been aware of a rather obvious, deafening silence since I posted that link here...!


Naah. Everybody's just busy trying to figure out those licks on their mandocellos and boozouki ukes. 😁
You're a hit!

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## spoombung

> Naah. Everybody's just busy trying to figure out those licks on their mandocellos and boozouki ukes. 
> You're a hit!


I was going to do a bit of country pickin' fingerstyle but got distracted on the way, somehow...

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## clobflute

> I was going to do a bit of country pickin' fingerstyle but got distracted on the way, somehow...


Sorry- soundcloud just doesnt seem to work on my android tablet. 

Do people tend to fingerpick tenor guitars btw. I still haven't memorised a single chord fingering for any guitar.

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## ambrosepottie

Nice. Ring Modulator or Max or ?

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## spoombung

> Nice. Ring Modulator or Max or ?


Yes, a little touch of Ring Modulation and some electronic sounds created with the Reaktor program.

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## Brandon Flynn

Very cool, always wondered if anyone has done electric tenors.

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