Octave or tenor guitar?

[acousticphd]

Buy two economically priced tenor guitars, one flattop and one archtop, and and convert the archtop to an OM.
Seriously.

The comment was made above that vintage Martin tenors can be had for <$1000, making them attractive compared to a full-on production or handmade OM. #But there are lots of vintage tenors out there you can get for just a couple hundred $$, for example Regals, Harmonies, etc. #Granted, most of these aren't in very good shape so you do have to shop a little. I have two Harmonies, one I kept a 4-string tenor strung CGDA and the other (an archtop) I converted to an 8-string OM, about a $300 total "investment". #I don't use them a lot, but I do play them and they're fun, decent, playable instruments. #Or you could experiment with whether you like a flattop vs. an archtop, or CGDA vs. octave tuning. #The great thing would be to come across the rarer examples like these that had spruce tops, compared to the majority of hardwood-topped versions.

[jmcgann]

Ya do if you hear me ...

You mean it's okay to do that? Just kidding, of course. Got any clips? That would be fun for us non-locals.

Cluck Old Hen solo, Arlington VA 12-20-03 w/ Wayfaring Strangers

Perhaps it ain't no part o'nothin compared to diehard trad bluegrass, but it IS an octave mando...

[groveland]

When worlds collide... A whole bunch of worlds... Thanks!

[steve V. johnson]

First String James wrote, "Quote (sliabhstv @ Nov. 02 2007, 14:33)
When I had both a TG and OM here, the one thing that struck me was that chording on the TG wasn't as full. #It was a bit more like chording on a banjo, while the OM sustained some more.

I don't think the TG has less sustain."

Yeah, I didn't want to generalize that TG's have less sustain. #That one did but that's certainly not a universal characteristic.

stv

[mandolooter]

[QUOTE]Well the TG sounds more guitarish, and the OM sounds more mandolinny.
I almost said that...but it seemed too obvious, maybe not huh?
The reason I love the tenor so much is that geetarish sound!

[QUOTE]Perhaps it ain't no part o'nothin compared to diehard trad bluegrass
Hey I like all kinds, no part'o and the ancient tones too or something or other like that...

[Mandodrummer]

I'm just learning Mandolin chords in GDAE tuning. On a Tenor Guitar tuned CGDA, are the chord shapes different or do you just play at a different position on the neck?

[danb]

You can tune a tenor GDAE (same applies to a tenor banjo). Typically this is called "irish tenor tuning". Results vary, but most sound good in GDAE

[Celtic Saguaro]

Mandodrummer, the chords are the same shape, played elsewhere on the neck. That's the beauty of tuning in 5ths. Even though the strings aren't tuned the same as on a mandolin, the shapes stay the same.

[Mandodrummer]

Thanks for the answers yall. As you can tell, I'm quite a novice about this. I've been playing drum set professionally for 20 years but am now embarking on this melodic odyssey.

[John L]

You NEED an OM and a TG, as well as a TB. Tell your significant other I said so.

[JeffD]

I'm thinking of buying either a tenor guitar or Octave Mandolin to give another voice. #Which would be more veritile?

Get both, show us the pictures!