What is a Terz Guitar?

A few weeks ago, we had a guitarist in the studio playing a Terz guitar. We knew the model, but this was our first time seeing one in person. The Terz guitar remains a relatively obscure instrument. Smaller than a standard guitar and tuned a minor third higher, it offers a unique sound and distinct projection. Once popular in some European countries during the 19th century, it largely disappeared before re-emerging in the hands of modern musicians.

What is a Terz Guitar?

Terz Guitar Tuning

The Terz guitar is a smaller guitar, tuned a minor third higher than a standard guitar. Its tuning is: G, C, F, A#, D, G. The name “Terz” comes from the German word for “third.”

A capo placed on the third fret can replicate the timbre of a Terz guitar. However, the structural form of a Terz guitar also imparts unique acoustic properties.

Terz Guitar Body

The Terz guitar body is smaller and narrower. Its size falls between a requinto guitar and a ukulele. “Requinto” is a term from Spanish and Portuguese. Used primarily in Latin American countries, it describes a smaller version of a larger instrument. Its smaller size might suggest a children’s guitar.

The smaller body also comes with a shorter neck and scale length. A standard guitar typically has a scale length of approximately 650mm (25 inches). A Terz guitar has a scale length of approximately 533mm (21 inches). Naturally, all other instrument parts are scaled proportionally. The image below illustrates the size differences between a standard guitar, a Terz guitar (Martin 5-18 model), and a Jumbo guitar (Klein M-43 model, from left to right).

Origins of the Terz Guitar

The origins of the Terz guitar are closely linked to Europe, specifically Austria and Italy. It was very popular in Vienna, Austria, during the 19th century. Numerous Terz and standard guitar duo compositions were prevalent. Many scores contain specific “Terz” notations, an indication that the piece should be played with a Terz guitar. Many classical guitarists interpreted “Terz” as a note to place a capo on the third fret, ignoring that it referenced a guitar model.

The Terz guitar was traditionally utilized in duos or orchestral settings. Its higher pitch, compared to a standard guitar, allows for effective and powerful projection alongside other orchestral instruments. Concertos exist featuring the Terz guitar, for example, Mauro Giuliani’s Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 70 (composed for Terz guitar and full orchestra). Numerous other compositions are found for the Terz guitar.

Early Terz guitars were Austrian and Italian, with minor variations between models. Italian Terz guitars were typically smaller. Today, very few 19th-century models remain. Surviving examples are extremely rare, sometimes mistaken for child-sized guitars with little value. Many have been lost or discarded by families! Only a few models seem to have survived.

The Austrian company Stauffer produced Terz guitars. It’s rumored that Charles Frederick Martin, founder of C.F. Martin, had contact with this Viennese company. It’s believed C.F. Martin drew inspiration from Stauffer models for his own Terz guitars. These Martin models are remarkably similar! Martin’s designs later evolved alongside their folk guitar line, incorporating metal strings.

C.F. Martin produced three Terz guitar models: the Terz 5-18, the Terz 5-28, and the Terz 5-15. The Terz Martin 5-18 was the first commercially produced model by C.F. Martin in 1918. It featured gut strings until 1922 and was switched to metal strings in 1923. These models are no longer actively manufactured by Martin. Occasionally, high-quality examples can be found on dedicated online forums and marketplaces. Decades later, Martin released limited edition versions of their Terz guitars. If you don’t know the story of C.F. Martin, please read our article.

The Terz Guitar Today

The history of the Terz guitar remains somewhat complex. Renowned musicians are often associated with Terz guitars. Speculations are prevalent, among others, about Johnny Cash’s regular use of a Martin 5-18 Terz guitar; however, no visual evidence exists thus far.

Marty Robbins

One prominent Terz guitar user is Marty Robbins, an American country music singer, actor, songwriter, and NASCAR race car driver. The following video shows him playing a Terz guitar.

Michael Hedges

Michael Hedges is another name frequently associated with Terz guitars. Though no supporting images or videos exist to confirm this, an article by Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records and a guitarist, mentions owning a Terz from Michael Hedges. Hedges reportedly gifted the guitar to Ackerman. The article reads:

“I was in his studio in Mendocino [California] and saw this thing in the corner,” Ackerman recalls. “I picked it up and started playing it, and he noticed that. The next time he came here, he brought it. But typical of Michael, he didn’t say anything. He just left it on the front doorstep.”

Unfortunately, no readily available video of Hedges playing his Terz guitar is publicly acknowledged! However, here’s a sample from Hedges’ performance Aerial Boundaries recorded live in 1996 in Los Angeles, to highlight his quality of performance.

Sting

Sting is also known to play a customized Martin Terz guitar. Multiple photos are available where Sting is seen playing a Terz guitar. He was apparently a significant force behind the revival of a Mini-Martin model based on the 1999 special edition Terz 5-28. After working with Martin, he is said to have commissioned a signature Terz guitar: the Mini Terz Sting Signature Model. Only 100 copies were ever produced.

Billy Corgan

In 2023, Reverend Guitars released a signature Terz electric guitar line designed by Billy Corgan, the lead singer and guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins. This was the first electric Terz guitar. Corgan reportedly preferred use of a capo on the third fret, potentially inspiring the decision to create an electric Terz guitar for his use.

Having lain largely dormant, the Terz guitar is enjoying renewed enthusiasm from dedicated muscians rediscovering its unique elements. Its bright tone and distinctive tuning position it as a rare gem that transcends classical repertoire and can also be incorporated into modern styles. Renowned artists such as Sting and Billy Corgan have demonstrated their appreciation, creating their signature models. While still uncommon, the Terz deserves rediscovery by a wider range of guitarists.

Sources: Wikipedia, Acoustic Guitar, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, Guitar Center, Reverb