Official Luthiers Forum!

Anyone have specs for a tenor guitar like the Martin LXM

I am looking for width of upper & lower bout & waist, and the depth of body at neck and at end

Thanks

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John Ressler

Not sure about Martin Spec but am almost complete with one based on Flyde (Roger Bucknell) spec - all details on his website, but approx:

Scale length 596mm
Body length 450 mm 14 fret to body
Upper bout 256mm
Lower bout 341mm
Max body depth 91mm

Nut width 32mm


Hope it helps -

I actually amde a few odd changes due to the materials I had available so it has a slightly shorter scalelength and is 13 frets to the body.. interested to hear how it will sound.

Martin used the 0 size for tenors. There's one listed in on the martin site with specs

Martin doesn't show the body specs that I can see

Frank - what is the width at the waist? Thanks for the info

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John Ressler

I have been researching this topic a bit, thinking about building a tenor for a friend of mine, and there's more to it than you might think.

For example, the Martin 0-18T and other tenor guitars use the "0" designation and the body is approximately the 0 size of a 6-string, but it is a different shape--more like a modified 000 shape. Once this is pointed out you can easily see it.

Paralleling their approaches to 6-string scales, Martin uses 23" and Gibson uses 23 3/4. Across the spectrum of tenor guitars, scale lengths vary from about 21 to 25 inches. The most common tuning is CGDA, like a viola, but a variety of tunings are used. A custom builder might want to consider optimizing the scale for the tuning(s) the owner of the new instrument will use.

For information and pictures, visit tenorguitar.com and vintagetenorguitars.com. Unfortunately, neither has the detailed spec's that builders need. There's a little info on the Unofficial Marting Guitar Forum, but no builder's details.

If anyone has detailed measurements and/or drawings of a Martin tenor guitar or any of the other well-regarded tenors, it would be great to have them on this site. I

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

Hi

Can you hang on until next week? Reason is I am away at the moment and wont get back to my mentor's shop where I am building this wee beastie until Tuesday night and I can then give you all the measurements. The Fylde is quite different from the Martin, and my body shape is unique... almost looks like a mini SJ... I will post some pics next week as well as give full dimensions. I went for 13 Fret to body as this allowed for the slightly altered shape, (that and this was using a reclaimed top and back from a build that went horridly wrong in the binding stage... ) also the body is quite deep relative to the the overall size to try and get that bass into the 'celtic drone' tone I am after.

Alsocheck out http://www.fyldeguitars.com/guitars.html for a visual on the Roger Bucknells Tenor

"Can you hang on until next week? "

Frank-
Sure I can wait - no rush. Thanks for sharing your dim's

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John Ressler

Correcting typo re scale length of Gibson tenor: 22 3/4", a little shorter than Martin at 23".

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

Hi

Was at the workshop of my friend and tutor last night - did not work on the tenor as at the stage of needing a few bits and bobs from the suppliers, so did a little on the neck of a BRW/German Spruce Classical he has 'persuded' me to make ... but waist is 204mm at the narrowest - sorry forgot the camera, will make sure I have it next week. Shape is like a mini SJ but with slightly more rounded upper bout corners - works well for the size.

Body depth is actially 105mm on mine at max - I want some bass!
Using Euro Walnut and Euro Spruce (most likely Carpathian)

Will post some pics next week