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Old 02-02-2023, 05:48 PM
mrjop1975 mrjop1975 is offline
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Default Blueridge BR-40T tenor guitar?

Does anyone here play a Blueridge BR-40 tenor guitar? And if you did, did you keep in standard tenor guitar tuning? I am thinking of one, but in DGBE Chicago tuning as opposed to the CGDA tuning. Any thoughts opinions about this tenor would be highly welcomed.
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Old 02-03-2023, 01:34 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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There's a local player who has the rosewood BR-60 and BR-70 (both of which she keeps in CGDA tuning) and they're good-sounding instruments, so I see no reason the mahogany BR-40 shouldn't be on the same level...

FWIW I don't know how you intend to use yours, but if you're thinking in terms of Chicago DGBE to lessen the learning curve you might want to try drop-G tenor uke tuning (GCEA low-to-high, with the G and E identical to standard guitar tuning); this overlaps the mandolin/fiddle/Nashville-guitar range and, since it's better-suited to the small tenor body, it can either serve as an alternate lead instrument or provide sparkle to an arrangement. While not popular for guitar, it was adopted by uke players making the transition to tenor banjo, in an effort to cash in on the demand for jazz bands in the 1920's; although it fell out of favor when the archtop guitar came into prominence in the 1930's - TMK Chuck Romanoff of Schooner Fare (from whom I first learned about it) is the sole active proponent - I have a Deering Boston tenor banjo set up this way, and I've used it for just about every imaginable style of acoustic music...
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Old 02-03-2023, 05:26 PM
mrjop1975 mrjop1975 is offline
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Steve I had never heard of that tuning before at all. I've heard of people using low G octave ukulele tuning on the tenor, but never that. I do know how to play ukulele so that would be something to consider.
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Old 02-03-2023, 06:17 PM
benjamin1884 benjamin1884 is offline
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Default Tenor guitar Chicago tuning

My wife owns a Blueridge BR40 T and we do keep in DGBE tuning. She has Parkinson’s and has difficulty processing 6 strings. 4 are much easier. The only difference is we do use Martin Retro nickel strings for a warmer tone and it sounds great with my guitars. We since have had a custom made by a local luthier and it turned out great. The best thing is it keeps her playing and singing.
Good luck
Rick
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Old 02-03-2023, 08:28 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrjop1975 View Post
Steve, I had never heard of that tuning before at all. I've heard of people using low G octave ukulele tuning on the tenor, but never that. I do know how to play ukulele so that would be something to consider.
Well worth considering - here's Chuck and his mates, showing his uke-tuned tenor banjo to good advantage on some of my Schooner Fare favorites:

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