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I'm making a tenor guitar now and I'm trying to figure out where the fret position markers should go. I'm totally making this on a whim, no plans. It's a 12-fret guitar with a 23in scale. Seems there is an argument out there on the Internets about a position at the 9th vs the 10th fret but I don't really get what would be considered standard.

Is this pic of an old Gibson considered standard?

if it's tuned in fifths (like a mandolin) then it would have the fret marker at the 10th.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

As Steve said, if tuning in fifths is the plan then the 10th fret marker works best. I also like the traditional look so I do prefer a 10th fret marker on a tenor.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Is that how they were originally designed to be tuned?

I think tuning in fifths was familiar to players back in the 1920s and 30s. Banjos and mandolins were very popular in those days and players like to stay with a tuning they are used to. I think the 9th fret marker is a nod to the popularity of the guitar today and no doubt some guitar players do prefer the mark at the 9th. It seems that a tenor guitar can be tuned in a wide variety of tunings.

_________________
http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Ok cool. I guess I need to do a bit of research. I was inspired to build one of these when I saw an Irish folk band playing at a local brewery a while back. I talked to the guy a bit after but didn't get into details. It just had a great sound and I don't have such an arrow in my personal quiver. I guess ultimately markers don't really mean a hole lot. Just like on guitar you can change tunings and or use a capo then the markers all change anyway.

"Is that how they were originally designed to be tuned?"

Yes, tenor guitars were built so tenor banjo players could double on guitar. Later, some guitar players started tuning them like the 4 high strings of the 6 string guitar. Short scale tenors can be tuned GDAd - a popular tuning with irish music players.