Diy tenor guitar?

[zeontestpilot]

Would it be possible to take one of those diy electric bass guitar kits and just change the machine heads in order to use guitar strings, and use it as a tenor guitar? Or are there other aspects to these kits that would make that not work?

[HHP]

The scale will likely be very different. Tenor strings are quite light so something built for bass strings will be too robust.

You can get low cost tenor guitars and even the vintage ones sell for way less than a comparable 6 string.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by zeontestpilot

Would it be possible to take one of those diy electric bass guitar kits and just change the machine heads in order to use guitar strings, and use it as a tenor guitar? Or are there other aspects to these kits that would make that not work?

First off, you'd be going the wrong direction with the scale length. A longer scale length puts you closer to a baritone guitar, not a tenor. You can buy an import tenor guitar for less than $200.

If you need some background on specifications here's the "main" tenor guitar website:

http://www.tenorguitar.com/index.html

[Steve DeRosa]

Actually that's called a piccolo bass, tuned EADG like the lowest four strings of a guitar but built on a (usually short-scale) bass platform; strings, while not common, are available in both flatwound and roundwound configurations from many of the major makers...

[zeontestpilot]

I should clarify that I was referring to an electric bass/tenor guitar, as I've looked around and haven't seen any of those for less than $4-500. Cheap acoustic tenors, yes.
But, thanks for the feedback, it doesn't seem like that idea would work out, so at least now I know.

[ericmeyer4]

Originally Posted by zeontestpilot

I should clarify that I was referring to an electric bass/tenor guitar, as I've looked around and haven't seen any of those for less than $4-500. Cheap acoustic tenors, yes.
But, thanks for the feedback, it doesn't seem like that idea would work out, so at least now I know.

Eastwood is probably your best bet if you want an electric tenor. They pop up from time to time on the second hand market.

The scale length for a tenor is around 22-23" at the most. Your thickest string is going to be about a .030-.032. Adding a different machine heads to a bass will not get you what you want. At the 23" scale it is a bit of a stretch to get some chords and scales on the tenor with its fifth tuning. A longer scale is going to make that impossible.

Unless you want to tune it like the highest 4 strings of a guitar. That would keep you from having to stretch so much, but even then it may be challenge with a long bass scale length.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by zeontestpilot

I should clarify that I was referring to an electric bass/tenor guitar, as I've looked around and haven't seen any of those for less than $4-500. Cheap acoustic tenors, yes.
But, thanks for the feedback, it doesn't seem like that idea would work out, so at least now I know.

Yeah but it could make a cool mandocello, octave lower than standard tenor tuning C-G-D-A.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Yeah but it could make a cool mandocello, octave lower than standard tenor tuning C-G-D-A.

Unless you have hands like Shaq, good luck making the reaches on a 34" scale...

[ericmeyer4]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Yeah but it could make a cool mandocello, octave lower than standard tenor tuning C-G-D-A.

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Unless you have hands like Shaq, good luck making the reaches on a 34" scale...

For sure. Mandocello scale is 24-25". There are some wide stretches when playing those.

Here are my MC and tenor for size comparisons.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by ericmeyer4

For sure. Mandocello scale is 24-25". There are some wide stretches when playing those.

Here are my MC and tenor for size comparisons.

I've had an Eastman MDC805 mandocello for the past 7 years, 25" scale. Just got a custom 26" 10 stringer 3 years back. Of all the instruments I play, MC is my favorite. That 36" scale will be just as hard as a tenor or MC - traditionally they're both tuned in 5ths.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

That 36" scale will be just as hard as a tenor or MC - traditionally they're both tuned in 5ths.

A few uber-high-end 5- and-6-string basses boast a 36" scale; I've tried one of the former and they're a bear to handle - and they're tuned in fourths...

[ericmeyer4]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I've had an Eastman MDC805 mandocello for the past 7 years, 25" scale. Just got a custom 26" 10 stringer 3 years back. Of all the instruments I play, MC is my favorite. That 36" scale will be just as hard as a tenor or MC - traditionally they're both tuned in 5ths.

I disagree with just as hard. Adding 10"+ to the scale and keeping the 5th tuning seems like you would be extremely limited in what you could play. Especially when it comes to chords.

Tenors are 23" and a MC is 25" and they can have a couple of wide, but doable, stretches. Compared to a guitar, single note runs not much more difficulty once you learn the 5th tuning. Chord shapes are a different matter.

For example, there is about a 10-12" difference in scale between a mandolin and a mandocello and many of the chord shapes that can be played on a mandolin cannot be played on the longer scaled instruments. Adding another 10" to a MC I would think would limit playability even further.

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

A few uber-high-end 5- and-6-string basses boast a 36" scale; I've tried one of the former and they're a bear to handle - and they're tuned in fourths...

+1. If you had a short scale bass converting it to an electric cello may be doable. There would be some wider stretches and leaps when playing single notes. Short scale basses are about 30" to the cello's 27". Again though, some additional limitations when playing chords.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by ericmeyer4

I disagree with just as hard. Adding 10"+ to the scale and keeping the 5th tuning seems like you would be extremely limited in what you could play. Especially when it comes to chords.

Tenors are 23" and a MC is 25" and they can have a couple of wide, but doable, stretches. Compared to a guitar, single note runs not much more difficulty once you learn the 5th tuning. Chord shapes are a different matter.

For example, there is about a 10-12" difference in scale between a mandolin and a mandocello and many of the chord shapes that can be played on a mandolin cannot be played on the longer scaled instruments. Adding another 10" to a MC I would think would limit playability even further.

I think I'm not being understood. A 4-string 36" scale instrument tuned in fifths will be more difficult to play than the same instrument tuned in fourths. You can tune it like a tenor guitar (typically C3 G3 D4 A4) or as a mandocello (typically one octave lower). Either way the intervals and thus finger stretches will be just as hard. You will use lighter strings to go tenor vs MC.

I've been playing mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin and mandocello for nearly 10 years now - I know a little about the scale on each. There are differences of course due to the scale length - I don't know anyone that can play a bluegrass G chop on an OM or bigger. But, there are several moveable barre forms that will work across the family from mandolin up to my 26" MC. Jumping up another 10" would definitely be a challenge. However, you can get a lot of mileage use three-string chords spread out over 2-3 frets.