Requinto guitars from Spain and Mexico
When applied to musical instruments, the term requinto is used in Spanish to mean a smaller, higher-pitched version of another instrument.
The requinto guitar is a six-string nylon guitar with a scale length of 530 to 555mm, this is about 18% smaller than a standard guitar scale (650 to 655mm). Many requintos have cutaways. Requintos made in Mexico typically have a deeper body (115mm to 120mm) than a standard guitar (100mm to 105mm), while requintos made in Spain tend to be of the same depth as the standard classical. In Mexico, the requinto is typically used in a "trio romantico", which includes the use of two other guitars along with the requinto.
There are small, medium, and large bodied requintos. The small and medium are usually tuned: A,D,G, c, e, a. (like a guitar fretted at the 5th fret). Occasionally, one comes across a long-scale requinto--with a scale of 570 to 585mm. Such instruments should be tuned G,C,F,b flat, d, g (like the 3rd fret on a standard guitar) in order not to put too much stress on the soundboard.
At this time we have a some interesting requintos in stock from Spain, Occasionally we get a professional grade requinto from Mexico.
Esteve 6.04C requinto cutaway with spruce soundboard
Solid cedar soundboard, rosewood fingerboard, laminated mongoy back and solid mongoy sides. 535mm scale, 21 frets with fingerboard extension over soundhole, cutaway. This is a great sounding requinto. Made in Spain. $1195 case included.
Back of Esteve 6.04C requinto
Esteve 6.CUT Cedar soundboard, Ebony Fingerboard, $2295 with case Esteve 6.CUT Spruce Soundboard, Ebony Fingerboard, $2295 with case Esteve 6.CUT Solid Rosewood back with ebony insert in the neck Esteve Deluxe Requinto case
Esteve Requinto ESPECIAL Goma Laca Cutaway (Custom made, French Polished, Requinto with Fishman Prefix Pro) This is a unique concert quality requinto made in the Esteve custom shop in Spain. It has a 580mm scale, 115mm deep body, spruce soundboard, Brazilian pau ferro back and sides, ebony fingerboard, ebony insert in the neck, Fishman Prefix Pro Blend (internal microphone + under the saddle transducer), French Polished finish, Premium Gotoh tuners, clear plastic tap plates. This is a very fine requinto. This is one of 2 custom instruments we made at the workshop a few years ago. We sold one to a professional from Puetro Rico and I put the other into my special reserve collection so I could study its unqiue sound. I like to tune this requinto to the 3rd fret of the Spanish Guitar (G, C, F, Bb, D, G--6th to 1st string). This requinto sounds great and is fun to play--it is very vibrant. This is the instrument for a professional who want a unique peforming guitar. $4995 with case. Esteve Requintos Esteve 6.04C (cutway) laminated MONGOY sides solid sides, rosewood fingerboard, solid cedar face, extended fingerboard with 21 frets, $1195 case included. Esteve 6.CUT, Solid Indian Rosewood, ebony fingerboard & neck insert, cutaway, $2295 case included Esteve Requinto ESPECIAL Goma Laca, with Fishman Prefix Pro Amplification system, solid spruce Sounboard, ebony fingerboard, Pau Ferro from Brazil back and sides, deluxe French Polish Finish, clear flamenco tap plates, deluxe Gotoh Tuners, 580mm scale, 52mm nut. Price $4995 with case.
Contact us by email to check the availability of
these requintos: mailto:ron@fernandezmusic.com
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