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Thread: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

  1. #1
    Notable Red Man Levi's Avatar
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    Question Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    I love my tenor guitar, tuned (CGDA), but find it a little too high for my tastes. It's only a fifth lower than my mandolin, and that's just not right. I'm not really interested in Octave Mando tuning, because that seems too low. Could I just take some CGDA tenor strings, remove the A, move them all down one, and add a guitar string and tune it to F? If so, what gauge string would be best suited for this?
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    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    That FCGD tuning would be a whole step lower than octave mando tuning, GDAE.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    How about 2 steps lower than tenor: AEBF#? You just would have to figure out the gauges... and the chords... oh, my head hurts already.
    Jim

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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Bb F C G is nice and doesn't require different string guages.

  5. #5
    Notable Red Man Levi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob View Post
    That FCGD tuning would be a whole step lower than octave mando tuning, GDAE.
    Wouldn't it actually be a Minor Seventh higher?
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by Levi View Post
    Wouldn't it actually be a Minor Seventh higher?
    No.
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    I use FCGD on my Earnest Tenor Caster (solid body electric) with 46/36/26/17. On my Arrow 5 String tenor (acoustic/electric archtop) tuned FCGDA, I use 49/39/24/16/11. I love that tuning, as transferring mandolin knowledge is just a 2 fret shift...

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  8. #8
    Notable Red Man Levi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    No.
    Yes. I now see the problem. I wasn't thinking. Octave Mando Tuning isn't as low as I thought.
    There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power.
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  9. #9

    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Try a step higher - DAEB - or just put a capo on 2.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    I have a FCGD strung archtop guitar

  11. #11

    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by ambrosepottie View Post
    Bb F C G is nice and doesn't require different string guages.
    I found this tuning to very nice on my goldtone

  12. #12
    Notable Red Man Levi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    I moved all the strings over one and used a guitar string for the F. It's great.
    There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power.
    -Honoré de Balzac

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    ... but, its a 4th lower, .. the F up to C is a 5th
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    Notable Red Man Levi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    ... but, its a 4th lower, .. the F up to C is a 5th
    Man.

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    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Post Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by Levi View Post
    Yes. I now see the problem. I wasn't thinking. Octave Mando Tuning isn't as low as I thought.
    Yeah Octave Mandolin Tuning (G, D, A, E) is just right, & all you need is a set of John Pearse Tenor Guitar Strings:https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/joh...ght-gauge.html & they're designed to tune your Tenor Guitar like a Violin (or Mandolin) down an Octave. With this tuning you can play lots of songs like Longest time by Billy Joel.

  17. #16
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    I figured out why the EJ63i Irish Tenor Banjo set says 26.25 Scale Length for the String Tension (same as a Plectrum Banjo) because they're designed to tune a Plectrum Banjo in Fifths which broadens the range. The Longer Scale Length of the plectrum Banjo allows you to get away w/ thinner strings and a brighter sound.

  18. #17
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    This thread was started 9 years ago, now we have access to several online “string tension calculators” that can offer very accurate details to help anyone work out what works best on their instrument.
    You obviously like the JP set, they are pretty good choice for a 23” scale although I prefer 12 20 30 45 for my 23” scale tenors.
    Last edited by fox; Feb-04-2022 at 2:30pm.

  19. #18
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by s11141827 View Post
    I figured out why the EJ63i Irish Tenor Banjo set says 26.25 Scale Length for the String Tension (same as a Plectrum Banjo) because they're designed to tune a Plectrum Banjo in Fifths which broadens the range. The Longer Scale Length of the plectrum Banjo allows you to get away w/ thinner strings and a brighter sound.
    Actually those strings were meant for a standard scale tenor banjo and the reason they are lighter is because a banjo has a skin head and requires much less tension to drive the top vs. a wood topped tenor guitar.
    Jim

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  20. #19
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by ambrosepottie View Post
    Bb F C G is nice and doesn't require different string gauges.
    Wait a minute that's the John Lawlor Tuning. John tunes his Tenor Guitar that way cause it's actually a Converted 6 Stringer w/ a 25 in scale so the highest he could tune to on the 1st string was a High G (the same top string on a 12 string Guitar & it's a step below the High A on a Tenor Guitar).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Actually those strings were meant for a standard scale tenor banjo and the reason they are lighter is because a banjo has a skin head and requires much less tension to drive the top vs. a wood topped tenor guitar.
    Yeah Banjo heads like low tension cause they'll vibrate more freely.

  21. #20
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    Quote Originally Posted by Rvl View Post
    I have a FCGD strung archtop guitar
    I have a D Scale 5 String Tenor Guitar tuned GDAEB (basically FCGDA but up a Step) cause the strings are Special Gauged. They're designed like Violin Strings.

  22. #21
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuned Fifth Lower (FCGD)

    FCGD would be what we call "Octave Mando Cajun Tuning" & it's great for Cajun Music.

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