Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

This is a tenor guitar I have just finished. A friend of mine from Brisbane asked me to make a tenor with 21 inch scale length, and this is it. The body is based on the tenor guitar plan that LMI sell, but the rest of it is modified to suit the shorter scale length, and my own ideas of how to build a tenor. So, the neck joins at the 12th fret but the bridge is roughly in the same position as the 23 inch plan. Also has heavier strings than the 23 inch mahogany tenor I made some months ago.

Woods are Adirondack Spruce top, figured Myrtle back and sides, Queensland Maple neck, Indian rosewood bindings, ebony fingerboard, huon pine rosette, blackwood bridge. Sound - wow sounds great already, even though Adi Spruce is supposed to take ages to "open up". I love it, can't put it down. With the shorter scale length I can actually play a few tunes on it. Adi Spruce and Myrtle works well in mandolins, so I thought it was worth a try in a tenor. Certainly does work well.

That's one little great looking guitar Peter!
Glad to read it sounds great as well. To leave the bridge in its original place while altering maybe the whole rest of measurements would have been my choice too.

I think "opening up" has more to do with the natural release of built-in tensions than wood species or anything else. Of course, a higher modulus of elasticity may lead to higher built-in tensions if not taken into account by the builder in some way in the design and construction process.

That looks really sweet Peter. It reminds me of a tenor that I made last year in Bubinga rather than your Myrtle - but very similar overall look and style. It sounds like you made a good choice on the dimensions and bracing for that scale length. What tuning?

When I made mine I put a fretboard marker at the 10th fret instead of the 9th, because a lot of tenors (but not all) seem to be done that way - similar to a mandolin or banjo. Being a mandolin man I thought you might have gone that way also, but you chose the 9th. I am interested to know the history of this difference - and what the "rules" are. Probably the dominant rule for a commissioned instrument is what the customer wants?

Mark

No idea what the rules are for a tenor, I just followed the plan. Tuning is GDAE, i.e. like an octave mandolin. That is why I can play a few tunes on it. Well only sort of, the 21" scale length is a bit longer than what I am used to, but the 23" is way too much stretch for me.

Peter

Beautiful work Peter ,
The myrtle is an inspiration to me . I've got some huge quarters off a massive old Myrtle that I really couldn't be bothered with . Your guitar has reminded me how lovely it can be .
It can be such a bitch to mill though .... Ive done some that are creamy and even to cut and others that are like tough old leather . This big fella was one of the most awful things I've encountered , full of fight the whole way . That and the fact that most makers just want the Tiger .
Pete

Pete
If you ever get around to milling it, and if it is anywhere near as nice as the stuff Peter C used for this tenor, I would definitely buy a couple of sets from you.
Mark

I've got a length of OM width Figured Tassie Myrtle from Monaro Timbers that looks identical to that.
Was that your source too?
Did an OM with it a while back and am in the process of putting a concert uke together with some of it for my son.
And am also using Indian rosewood bindings.
I love the look of the figured (non-Tiger) Mytle and love working with it.

Love the Tenor Guitar! As always, you've done an awesome job Peter.