The late great Tommy Tedesco, at one time the first call Studio Guitarist in Hollywood, used to tune all sorts of stringed instruments to the higher pitched string bouts of the standard guitar tuning to bring whatever stringed instruments called for by the composers and arrangers into play.

Mandolin, Tenor Banjo, Bazouki, Balalaika, etc. - were all part of his arsenal.

They did not sound quite authentic, though, for that reason, and I find it to be fun to be able to identify him when viewing older movies, because the instrument parts, while sounding like the target instruments more or less, were full of dead giveaways as to the lack of authenticity. I always say, "Hi Tommy" when I detect that and my wife is still wondering who the heck I'm talking to at the time. It is much like detecting MIDI in a more modern underscore. A Bazouki layin' down rather simplified Chuck Berry lead licks in the middle of a Western...


--Mac