Commission on a Tenor guitar

[Herman]

If everything goes as aspected I have to make a tenor guitar for a former collegue. He plays banjo and finds himself to old to learn the guitar.
Now I'm diving into the matter, but as far as I can see, considering the dimension aspects and the 4 strings, it should be straight forward as a guitarconstruction.

Anyone built such an instrument? Tips on issues that needs special attention?

Thanks, Herman

[Herman]

Ok guess not. I'll figure it out.

My old collegue told me he is not interested in looks and woods, but in a specific sound. He showed me several clips and my conclusion seems to be that he likes a cheapo 50's Stella sound.
Like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmycwcqM30

I showed him some Martin, Gibson and Breedlove examples. But he thinks they are too guitarlike. He want to go a sound that leans towards a banjo. No depth, no sustain.
Now I have to make it loud, middy and pinchy. How do I do that? A sweet singing guitar I know how to make, but this? I'm getting confused.

[Dave Bagwill]

I didn't answer earlier because I know nothing about the tenor instruments, but loud and punchy with little sustain could be produced with ladder braces and a more domed top with a gypsy-style bridge. After all, the gypsy instruments are designed to be very dry.

[ken cierp]

Stella's are Harmony's here you go:

http://harmony.demont.net/guitars/H929TG/240.htm#

[Dave Bagwill]

That Stella is a good idea too. They used mainly pinned bridges, I think, and for the driest of sounds you need a pretty steep break angle over the saddle/bridge; that's why the gypsy fellas use the floating bridge. Though your friend might very well be happy with the pin type bridge on a higher dome.

[Herman]

Thanks Ken and Dave, I'll take this in consideration while I discover the Tenorguitar-path.
(We know at the end lies the holy tenor-grail)

[Dave Bagwill]

Now we're getting into the Matter of Britain?



Wiki: The Arthurian literary cycle is the best known part of the Matter of Britain. It has succeeded largely because it tells two interlocking stories that have intrigued many later authors. One concerns Camelot, usually envisioned as a doomed utopia of chivalric virtue, undone by the fatal flaws of Arthur and Sir Lancelot. The other concerns the quests of the various knights to achieve the Holy Grail; some succeed (Galahad, Percival), and others fail (Lancelot).


Okay that was way out there...