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Thread: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

  1. #26
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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
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  2. #27
    Registered User David Hansen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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.
    David
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  3. #28
    jsmandolin
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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)

  4. #29

    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Huge thank you to Mandolin Cafe members on this thread (thank you from my heart, if not my wallet ) 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?

  5. #30
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    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!
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  6. #31
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

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

  7. #32
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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.

  8. #33
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Jamie you make an awesome instrument.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  9. #34
    jsmandolin
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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

  10. #35
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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.

  11. #36
    Registered User David Hansen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    I use GHS Phosphor Bronze strings 46 36 24 15 on mine. Sounds great and no issues.
    David
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  12. #37
    Registered User Ptarmi's Avatar
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    Question Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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

  13. #38
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




    my Youtube channel

  14. #39
    Registered User Ptarmi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    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 I'm just curious to know why the heavier gauge works so well on a Tenor Guitar .... &/or is needed.

    Cheers
    Dick

  15. #40
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




    my Youtube channel

  16. #41
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    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.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  17. #42
    Registered User David Hansen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    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.
    David
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  18. #43
    Registered User Ptarmi's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Re: Fletcher Tenortone tenor guitar info?

    Quote Originally Posted by David Hansen View Post
    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!

    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!

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

    Cheers
    Dick

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