niftyprose - Posted - 06/28/2022:  05:52:07

Hello guys, first-ever post here. The subject line kinda covers it.

I'm looking to buy a tenor resonator. I'd buy a Republic Highway 49 but for its 23" scale length. I'll be tuning CGDA and need a shorter scale. I'd go as short as 17", as long as 21.5".

Likely contender will be either a short-scale tenor guitar or a baritone uke with real steel strings, not those low-tension ones that you can use on nylon-strung instruments. I'd prefer a guitar-shaped body.

TIA for any help.

Best, NP.

Wildeman - Posted - 06/28/2022:  18:02:18

I just noticed a bunch of cool tenors on SF Bay area CL, are you anywhere around there? Prices range from 160.00 for a Regal to a 2000.00 Gibson.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 06/28/2022:  22:54:34

Wildeman, he's kinda far from the Bay Area...as in the United Kingdom. 

I went to the Bay Area Craigslist and the only thing I saw that would remotely qualify with a really short scale  was a 17" scale cigar box guitar with a cat bowl for a resonator for $150. I would have a hard time getting excited about that one.   

Will, I think you're looking for a needle in a haystack. I don't think you'll have any luck with the importers who have their instruments constructed in countries like China. There was a thread here recently where a guy was looking for a baritone reso but wanted to keep the cost down so he was checking out Republic and others. He came up empty.

Those companies that import instruments that are considerably less expensive than the likes of National have to sell in volume for a model to earn its keep. Baritones and really short scale resonators? It doesn't seem like there is any money in it. 

One American company I would try is Mya-Moe Ukelele in Illinois. They build custom instruments along with their production models. They even built a lap style squareneck uke for Jerry Douglas a number of years ago. I have never seen or heard him play it, I've only come across a couple of photos of him posing with it.

Maybe they can do a steel string reso  uke for you - no idea, but it's worth a shot. Or if not perhaps than can direct you to someone who can. 

But  you will have to pay - I believe I read that their reso  ukes start at around $1700. Then you have all the flaming hoops to jump through to get it to the UK. 

Here is the link:

myamoeukuleles.com/company.html

 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 06/28/2022 23:16:49

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 06/28/2022:  23:23:23

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkinSonoma

Wildeman, he's kinda far from the Bay Area...as in the United Kingdom. 

I went to the Bay Area Craigslist and the only thing I saw that would remotely qualify with a really short scale  was a 17" scale cigar box guitar with a cat bowl for a resonator for $150. I would have a hard time getting excited about that one.   

Will, You might be looking for a needle in a haystack. I was checking ukes, and there are shorter scale concert ukes like 15" but I didn't see any tenors with resonators in the 17" or longer scale length.  I don't think you'll have any luck with the importers who have their instruments constructed in countries like China. There was a thread here recently where a guy was looking for a baritone reso but wanted to keep the cost down so he was checking out Republic and others. He came up empty.

Those companies that import instruments that are considerably less expensive than the likes of National have to sell in volume for a model to earn its keep. Baritones and really short scale resonators? It doesn't seem like there is any money in it. 

One American company I would try is Mya-Moe Ukelele in Illinois. They build custom instruments along with their production models. They even built a lap style squareneck uke for Jerry Douglas a number of years ago. I have never seen or heard him play it, I've only come across a couple of photos of him posing with it.

Maybe they can do a steel string tenor reso  uke for you - no idea, but it's worth a shot. Or if not perhaps than can direct you to someone who can. 

But  you will have to pay - I believe I read that their reso  ukes start at around $1700. Then you have all the flaming hoops to jump through to get it to the UK. 

Here is the link:

myamoeukuleles.com/company.html

 

 

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Wildeman - Posted - 06/29/2022:  08:03:56

sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/d...4657.html

Strange, here's one out of the four, won't do much good though unless he ships.

Edited by - Wildeman on 06/29/2022 08:04:16

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 06/29/2022:  09:23:35

Will left the word "resonator" out of the thread title, but included it in the second paragraph ("I'm looking to buy a tenor resonator."). 

If he were looking for advice on a tenor flattop he'd be better off on the Acoustic  Guitar Forum or the Unifficial Martin Guitar Forum.  

 

A tenor flattop isn't a rare bird, but a tenor resonator is. Especially in a really short scale like 17 to 21 inches. 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 06/29/2022 09:28:12

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 06/29/2022:  09:53:52

To backtrack for a minute, a question for Will which I probably should have asked in my first post - why do you need such a short scale to tune to CGDA?  I don't know a whole lot about tenor guitars, I can recall only playing a handful of them - but isn't that a fairly common tuning for tenors and often used on 23" scale guitars?

Wildeman - Posted - 06/29/2022:  13:12:24

Jeez, okay, you win..... I'll let you have YOUR forum.

Edited by - Wildeman on 06/29/2022 13:15:26

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 06/29/2022:  13:40:41

Nobody's trying to "win" - I'm just trying to help the new guy.