Are there any 5-string tenors exist? Are there any vintage ones?

hi

Recently I'm fascinated by the idea of the 5-string tenor guitar, I like sweetness of the CGDA tuning, but sometimes I'd like to have this low string as well.

Of course I can tune it GDAE and capo to get CGDA, but it will not be the same, and
it also could be great for fingerstyle to have this additional string.

so, are there any 5-string tenor guitars exist? Are there any vintage ones?

I have got one but I find it quite difficult to play, its the big fat .70w C string that I find the problem.
I am sure there are other possible tunings but 5ths tuning is not that easy to span 5 strings.

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/u...ge.jpg2_11.jpg

Fox,

thanks, I've just realized there's a nice way to put 5 banjo style tuners on a guitar head :)

In the guitar world, New Standard Tuning is in fifths. If you google some of their forums you will find a lot of discussions on the merits of five string guitars. Robert Fripp was the first big promoter of NST.

Paul Lestock of Arrow Guitars & Mandolins makes 5-string tenor guitars...in fact, I have two of them! Tuned FCGDA, they can be strung with a pack of "normal" guitar strings. I like that tuning so much, that I tune my 4 string tenors as FCGD.


https://photos.google.com/search/Arr...Zx8ca5-_320nYo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JH Murray

In the guitar world, New Standard Tuning is in fifths. If you google some of their forums you will find a lot of discussions on the merits of five string guitars. Robert Fripp was the first big promoter of NST.

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Yes, Robert Fripp's creation:

CGDAEG or sometimes

CGDAEA

Crafty guitar

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roman Pekar

so, are there any 5-string tenor guitars exist? Are there any vintage ones?

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F.A. Thorp of Houston made the first one I know about, in the late 1950s:
Attachment 140847

There is a recent thread by Roger Landes showing his Herb Taylor five string tenor guitar (that Roger designed) if you look for it. Very interesting stuff, I might add.

Mike Keyes

Dear Roman,
I own three 5 string tenors and a 5 string tenor baritone - two are short scale 6 string conversions - tuned FCGDA

A Gibson ES125 3/4t converted by Joel Eckhaus of Earnest Instruments

Attachment 140863


And a '60s japanese made Lindell cowboy guitar converted by Jim Ellsberry of Ellsberry Guitars

Attachment 140864


And a Paracho built Guitarra de Golpe (a 5 string mariachi instrument) which was modded for FCGDA tuning by Patrick McGrath of McGrath Music

Attachment 140865


I also own a related instrment, a Schecter Celloblaster, which has a 26.5" scale and i have tuned BbFCGD - a baritone tenor would probably best describe it. It is the only non conversion/ non modified instrument in the group - this is a pic of the same model as the one i own, but mine is black.

Attachment 140866


The guy to talk to about the 5 string thing is Lowell (Banana) Levinger and his custom Giaocomel 5 string is an incredible instrument, probably a benchmark by which other instruments can be judged. I have never heard tell of a vintage 5 string but if anyone could speak with real knowledge on the matter it would be Banana. You probably know this already but his website

http://www.vintageinstruments.com

Is a great resource.

All the best,

MdJ

There's a 5 string balkan instrument much like a tenor guitar, but I'm drawing a blank on useful details like name, nation, & how its strung. If I recall correctly, it has 3 single and one double course of strings, and comes in a suite of sizes, from approximately mando sized to guitar or even bass sized. I'd think that with a new nut & bridge, you could easily convert one to make a 5 string TG.

Ah, found it. Here's a pic

Attachment 141167

http://www.worldfrets.com/tamburitza.html

It appears not all tamburitzas are 5 string, but at least a couple of examples on the above page qualify.

Speaking of Robert Fripp, I just saw him with King Crimson in concert last night with Tony Levin on bass. Absolutely killer band and show. 3 drummers on full drum kits. Sadly he played his Les Paul in what appeared to be normal standard tuning for the whole show - I was watching for some NST magic, but the set-list stayed close to their mainstay catalog.

Anyway, I've recently been experimenting with what I'm calling "double extended range tenor" on short-scale 6-strings - the Les Paul PeeWee, to be exact.

They are tiny Les Pauls at 19" scale [19.5 on some]. That means the neck is a Les Paul neck, just shorter, and there are a ton of options for Les Paul upgrades.

I've mine tuned EbBbFCGD with string gauges from .56 on the bottom to .008 on the top. I was going for FCGDAE but the high string kept breaking past D#, so I settled on everything a full step down.

If I need FCGDAE, I simply capo at the second fret.

But I'm quite enjoying EbBbFCGD. It gives me more range than a guitar in standard tuning and more range than my Fender electric mandolin. It's actually got the widest range of any 6-string guitar I know of.

Attachment 141222

I found both these on Craigslist very cheap. They come from the factory setup very poorly, and are sold primarily as kids instruments, so the prices are reflective. But a few dollars in off-the-shelf upgrades and a bit of time spent doing the necessary adjustments and they truly shine as super-cool 6-stringers tuned completely in 5ths without any reentrants. In fact, the strings and tuning I'm using are perfectly matched to the scale.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roman Pekar

hi

Recently I'm fascinated by the idea of the 5-string tenor guitar, I like sweetness of the CGDA tuning, but sometimes I'd like to have this low string as well.

Of course I can tune it GDAE and capo to get CGDA, but it will not be the same, and
it also could be great for fingerstyle to have this additional string.

so, are there any 5-string tenor guitars exist? Are there any vintage ones?

---

I forgot to mention in my previous post that Herb Taylor builds 5 string tenors ... He has one up on the website right now.

I was very impressed with the instruments he brought to Astoria a few years back. NFI on my part, but (in my opinion) his prices are very fair for the build quality he provides.

http://www.herbtaylor.com/instruments/tenorguitar/

And of course Joel Eckhaus at Earnest Instruments offers a 5 string version of his Radiator model. And i can vouch from personal experience on my Gibson conversion that his work is impeccable.

Best

MdJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by djweiss

Paul Lestock of Arrow Guitars & Mandolins makes 5-string tenor guitars...in fact, I have two of them! Tuned FCGDA, they can be strung with a pack of "normal" guitar strings. I like that tuning so much, that I tune my 4 string tenors as FCGD.


https://photos.google.com/search/Arr...Zx8ca5-_320nYo

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Dear DJ,

I've seen photos of Paul's work and it always looks great .... Is he still he building tenors? Is it possible to contact him?

Many thanks

MdJ

He's still building. PM me and I'll send you his contact info. I just saw him last week.

Now my question is... Where do I find me a five string tenor banjo?

Rogue makes a 23" scale - 6 string banjitar .... Chinese built .... But Solid. It would be a pretty easy conversion candidate...

Best

MdJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Verne Andru

Speaking of Robert Fripp, I just saw him with King Crimson in concert last night with Tony Levin on bass. Absolutely killer band and show. 3 drummers on full drum kits. Sadly he played his Les Paul in what appeared to be normal standard tuning for the whole show - I was watching for some NST magic, but the set-list stayed close to their mainstay catalog.

Anyway, I've recently been experimenting with what I'm calling "double extended range tenor" on short-scale 6-strings - the Les Paul PeeWee, to be exact.

They are tiny Les Pauls at 19" scale [19.5 on some]. That means the neck is a Les Paul neck, just shorter, and there are a ton of options for Les Paul upgrades.

I've mine tuned EbBbFCGD with string gauges from .56 on the bottom to .008 on the top. I was going for FCGDAE but the high string kept breaking past D#, so I settled on everything a full step down.

If I need FCGDAE, I simply capo at the second fret.

But I'm quite enjoying EbBbFCGD. It gives me more range than a guitar in standard tuning and more range than my Fender electric mandolin. It's actually got the widest range of any 6-string guitar I know of.

Attachment 141222

I found both these on Craigslist very cheap. They come from the factory setup very poorly, and are sold primarily as kids instruments, so the prices are reflective. But a few dollars in off-the-shelf upgrades and a bit of time spent doing the necessary adjustments and they truly shine as super-cool 6-stringers tuned completely in 5ths without any reentrants. In fact, the strings and tuning I'm using are perfectly matched to the scale.

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Octave4Plus makes 5ths Tuning Strings that tune CGDAEB (the Gauges are 50, 44, 26, 11, 8, 6) & they'll avoid the breakage problem since they're under super low tension, & if you lubricate the bridge & nut they'll slide more smoothly & last even longer.

- - - Updated - - -

Octave4Plus makes a .006 that tunes up to a High B4.

Hello all. I realize I am a little late coming to this thread, but maybe I can revive it. I first became interested a 5 string instrument tuned in fifths so I could play my transcription of Bach's Cello Suite VI, which was written for a baroque cello tuned CGDAE. I opted to get a tenor guitalele and fashion a nut for five strings spaced approximately 9 mm apart. I find that that spacing with the 17" scale length of the guitalele is quite comfortable for me. I use D'addario EJ45 strings along with 30 lb monofilament nylon fishing line for the GDAEB tuning. Here is a table for the strings to use:

Fifths EJ45
G2 E2
D3 D3
A3 G3
E4 E4
G4 30 lb fishing line

All of the tensions turn out to be about 8 lbs plus or minus .5 lb. If you line higher tensions, you can go up a full step to give tensions around lbs.

The five-string version of the cello da spalla may have been what Bach had in mind for performing his Cello Suite No. 6 (which presents many technical problems on a four-string cello).

https://youtu.be/wbH3JYfRjOQ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidKOS

Yes, Robert Fripp's creation:

CGDAEG or sometimes

CGDAEA

Crafty guitar

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I tune my Classical Guitar CGDAEB w/ Magma GCT-Cello Strings (Fifths Tuned Classical Strings).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rdelyser

Hello all. I realize I am a little late coming to this thread, but maybe I can revive it. I first became interested a 5 string instrument tuned in fifths so I could play my transcription of Bach's Cello Suite VI, which was written for a baroque cello tuned CGDAE. I opted to get a tenor guitalele and fashion a nut for five strings spaced approximately 9 mm apart. I find that that spacing with the 17" scale length of the guitalele is quite comfortable for me. I use D'addario EJ45 strings along with 30 lb monofilament nylon fishing line for the GDAEB tuning. Here is a table for the strings to use:

Fifths EJ45
G2 E2
D3 D3
A3 G3
E4 E4
G4 30 lb fishing line

All of the tensions turn out to be about 8 lbs plus or minus .5 lb. If you line higher tensions, you can go up a full step to give tensions around lbs.

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Actually Magma makes a GCT-Cello String set that you can tune C, G, D, A, E, B (maybe up a Fourth to F, C, G, D, A, E)