A few points have come up which I'd like to address:
First off, if one's scale length on the tenor is less than 23", the A should already work. However, if the scale length is longer, moving in the direction of 25", then a normal strings would snap at around G#4, regardless of gauge. For that, the strings from
Octave4Plus would definitely work.
Octave4Plus makes strings for both A4 and B4 at the 25.5" scale length.
I commented on this in either the NST thread or in the NST group. I had gone to the local incarnation of the Guitar Craft circle. For all the talk about improvisation and breaking rules, there was extremely subtle discouragement regarding playing anything which wasn't... Frippian. I even asked, with all the music available for full fifths instruments, and all the variety therein, why did all the Guitar Craft material only draw on Frippian devices and ideas? Why wasn't there any exploration of... oh, what's his name... ah, Bach? If a mandolin orchestra can play amazing music of so many different styles, why do all Guitar Craft groups have such an indelible Fripp stamp on their accenting? I'm... not so popular for asking such things. *laugh*
But, being serious, Mike, I don't think that fifths tuning is what makes Fripp so monotonous, any more than fifths makes the Bach sonatas and partitas so amazing. I think it has to do with real genius... or lack thereof. *laugh*
I did calculations to keep my string tension the same for full fifths as for my normal strings in standard tuning. I bought most of the string set in the form of bulk phosphor bronze strings, with only the high B4 coming from
Octave4Plus.
With that being said, I have two projects ahead of me now.
I just acquired an Ibanez 7-string acoustic, with a jumbo body. The action and relief are HORRIBLE on it (I can stack 4 quarters under the lowest string at the 12th fret), so I'll be having the bridge shaved down so the saddle can come down to a reasonable height. I'm planning on going for full fifths, at least initially, so the tuning will be FCGDAEB from low to high.
I also just acquired a THIRD Rainsong A-WS1000NT. The A-WS1000 is the only composite guitar with both a bolt-on neck and a truss rod, and my other two are set up, one each, for standard and for full fifths with a B4. This third one might get set up for low full fifths (FCGDAE low to high).
Oddly, though, there are players of octave mandolin, bouzouki, cittern and mandocello who don't use a subset of standard guitar tuning, and who instead embrace full fifths.
I'm not arguing that everyone should tune the same; if that were true, I'd never have switched to full fifths on guitar. I know that you stated your opinion as your opinion, but I'm just pointing out that there are plenty of long-scale instruments in full fifths, and the players of those instruments find the tunings well suited.
I'm assuming that you mean tabulature was new to you in the '80s. I have facsimiles of lute and guitar tabulature, the originals of which are much older than that.
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Since there's been discussion of strings for this, here are my strings for full fifths, with tension equivalent to my favorite string set in terms of tension, D'addario EJ15 phosphor bronze extra light strings.
B4 - .006 from Octave 4 Plus
E4 - .010
A3 - .018 PB wound
D3 - .030 PB wound
G2 - .042 PB wound
C2 - .054 PB wound
Using the .018 for the A3 gives the same plain/wound stringing as for a mandolin or mandola when capoing at the fifth fret....
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