| At first glance, a tenor guitar does not appear to | | | | became the common instrument of choice for |
| differ greatly from a standard classical acoustic or | | | | most guitarists, the tenor guitar has maintained a |
| electric guitar. The tenor's shape is (usually) similar | | | | place in jazz and blues and can sometimes be |
| to the more standard models, and so is its size. | | | | heard in country, western swing and even pop |
| Upon closer inspection, however, a careful | | | | music. |
| observer will note that this instrument has only | | | | Tenor guitars can be either acoustic or electric. |
| four strings, as opposed to the six usually sported | | | | They are, as mentioned, are generally shaped like |
| by guitars. Such an observer will also notice that | | | | a standard guitar. However, the bodies of some |
| the tenor guitar is slightly smaller than its relatives. | | | | instruments are pear-shaped, like a lute, or round, |
| However, it is usually the musical genre that | | | | like a banjo. Both body types are probably |
| makes a tenor guitar easy to identify. These | | | | throwbacks to the instrument's roots. A tenor |
| instruments are most commonly used as rhythm | | | | guitar is about 23 inches in length, approximately 3 |
| instruments in jazz and blues music | | | | inches shorter than the average six-string guitar. |
| Although it is now quite hard to pinpoint when the | | | | As for other guitar characteristics, the variety is |
| very first tenor guitar was built, they appear to | | | | broad: these instruments can be flat top, arch top, |
| have been used by musicians for at least 100 | | | | wooden, metal, hollow body or solid body. A true |
| years. Certainly tenor guitars have been around | | | | tenor guitar, however, always has four strings. |
| since first decade of the twentieth century, | | | | Today, the six-string guitar is still the most popular |
| because published and dated instructional books | | | | version of the instrument. However, tenor guitars |
| for the tenor guitar from that era that still exist | | | | have experienced a slight revival in recent years. |
| today. The roots of the tenor guitar may be | | | | Today, of course, they rather rare and can be |
| traced to the tenor banjo, an instrument popular | | | | difficult to acquire. Some companies still |
| in the early 20th century for its suitability to the | | | | manufacture tenor guitars, such as Amistar in the |
| new style of music we now know as jazz. | | | | Czech Republic, but private luthiers actually create |
| Accordingly, some of the earliest tenor guitars | | | | many of the new tenor guitars. Such specialized |
| seem to have been produced by banjo | | | | guitars are made-to-order to the musician's |
| manufacturers. | | | | specifications. The other option, of course, is to |
| Companies began to produce tenor guitars in | | | | hunt down a vintage tenor guitar. Up until the |
| earnest toward the end of the 1920s, a trend | | | | recent revival, such instruments were regarded |
| that compliments popularity timeline of jazz music. | | | | as having little value. This situation, however, has |
| Some such companies, such as National, Martin | | | | now changed. Vintage tenor guitars, especially |
| and Gibson, still exist today, but many have gone | | | | those in good condition, are now considered very |
| out of business or discontinued their tenor guitar | | | | valuable to both artists and collectors. |
| lines. Although the six-string guitar eventually | | | | |