Bajo Sexto/ Bajo Quinto

[Turser1988]

Does Anybody Here Play The Bajo Sexto Or Quinto

Salutations!

[Wade Hampton]

I owned a bajo sexto for a while, and could get music from it, but I'd never consider myself a bajo sexto player like the guys who specialize in it.


whm

[blue]

I had a Fender electric one Which wasn't one at all...

A Bajo is just a 12 string tuned a little differently. A sturdy 12 will handle the high strings. As to playing them all the players I've seen are basically playing a honkey tonk style rhythm, to the classic Mexican "Oompah" beat. Of course I've only seen full on Norteno players playing traditional popular songs. Which is kind of hypnotic to me. I don't really like it like it. But it's very relaxing... You just fall into that Oompah groove and before you know it, you're walking along with your head bobbing.


I figure some homesick Laborers back in the day saw the blues boys playing stellas, and since they couldn't get their hands on a Quinto, said what the hey! I can play this thing!

The only surprise is they didn't tune the Low E to D. Which probably argues against my theory, since many of the 12 strings they would have tried from bluesguys probably were in D or G... Oh well.

[Turser1988]

Thats Cool
Glad To Know That Some Folks Here Play It Too
Thats What I Pay But
I just Wanted to Get ON & REad Bout The Woods & The Tones I Just Ordered A Bajo Sexto Made Out Of Bear Claw Spruce & Palo Santo De Brazil
Which I think is Brazilian Rosewood

But Ill Post A Few Pics Of My 3 Bajo Sextos

So Yawl CAn See These Beauties

[blue]

Excellent! I look forward to the pictures. I play a little Folk music from Mexico in Open G, but I've never chased after any traditional instruments.

[Turser1988]

Here Are Some Pics Of My Bajo Quintos
All Handmade In Mexico
Two Of Them Were Made By The Same Luthier
The Orange/yellow Looking One w/ The Cut Away Was Made By A Different One
The Brands Are Pasaye & Rubens












That First One Is Made Out Of
Bear Claw Spruce Top, Special Walnut Back & Sides W/ Inlays Of Encino Australiano , Mahogany Neck, Palo Escrito Fret Board & Bridge , & the Rope Binding Is Out Of Rosewood & Encino Australiano
& That is A Binicio Ruben Barriga Bajo Quinto









This Is The Pasaye Made Out Of Spruce Top, Maple Back & Sides, Ebony Bridge & Fret Board, Mahogany Neck , Rope Binding Ebony & Maple

[Turser1988]

This Third One Is A Binicio Ruben Barriga Bajo Quinto But More Of A
50's Traditional Bajo W/ A Big Body & Traditional Old Color Scheme As Well W/ one Pick Guard Made Almost Entirely of Mahogany Except For The top Being Spruce & the Fretboard Being Walnut.. & there They Are .. My Bajo Quintos

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by blue

A Bajo is just a 12 string tuned a little differently. A sturdy 12 will handle the high strings.

Blue, the bajo sextos I've encountered have had octave strings an octave BELOW the standard tuned strings, not an octave above. All the people I've seen playing them have pulled the E and low E off of the instruments and played them as 10 strings, with a low A (the same note as the open A string on a bass guitar) as the lowest string.


whm

[blue]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Blue, the bajo sextos I've encountered have had octave strings an octave BELOW the standard tuned strings, not an octave above. All the people I've seen playing them have pulled the E and low E off of the instruments and played them as 10 strings, with a low A (the same note as the open A string on a bass guitar) as the lowest string.


whm

I've seen both but primarily the other way around. Again, necessity being the mother of invention up here in the Northwest. The last time I saw the heavy setup was at a wedding. Not seen the 10 string trick.

[blue]

Wow. Those are some pretty instruments... Love the binding!

[Turser1988]

Yup These Are My Babies Im About To Sell The Big Jumbo Looking One
I Ordere One Of Brazilian RoseWood W/ Bear Claw Spruce Top!
& Maple Neck & Just A Few Details Here & There
So HOpefully in About 3-4 Months I Can post Some Pics

[blue]

Originally Posted by Turser1988

Yup These Are My Babies Im About To Sell The Big Jumbo Looking One
I Ordere One Of Brazilian RoseWood W/ Bear Claw Spruce Top!
& Maple Neck & Just A Few Details Here & There
So HOpefully in About 3-4 Months I Can post Some Pics

So I know some very nice Lap slide guitars come out of Mexico for a very reasonable price. What's the price range on your Babies if it's not rude to ask?

[Turser1988]

Well They Range From Luthier ..
The Orange W/ Ebony W/ The Cut Out
Is All Hand Made.. Well All Of Them Are
& Is Spruce & Maple
Made In Mexico
That Was $1400 Plus Case, Shipping, & The Pick Up
Cause They Are Acoustic
PASAYE is the brand
Pasaye is one of the cheaper brands in price but in quality really good
and his warranty is also really good so his stuff is cheap in price awesome in quality Good All The way Around
it took around 6 months to get built

The Other Two Are made By The SAme Luthier
He Is A Bit More Pricy But Really Worth it
For The Walnut & Bear Claw I Paid $2300
Of course Also Hand Made in mexico
it was built already

The Big Jumbo Full Body A Traditional Replica of an older Luthier very very well known
mahogany and spruce that was $2000

but just depends on the woods and details of the Bajo Quintos that they very
the most expensive one that i seen is like $3500 they are Hernandez Brand and hernandez family has been aound since the 40's making these
& The ones that are 3500 or the Master Grade

So They Very From $1000 to $4000

and at $4000 im talking it has to be something out of this world quality and wood and finish and everythhing.. but they are AWESOME!

[blue]

Originally Posted by Turser1988

Well They Range From Luthier ..
The Orange W/ Ebony W/ The Cut Out
Is All Hand Made.. Well All Of Them Are
& Is Spruce & Maple
Made In Mexico
That Was $1400 Plus Case, Shipping, & The Pick Up
Cause They Are Acoustic
PASAYE is the brand
Pasaye is one of the cheaper brands in price but in quality really good
and his warranty is also really good so his stuff is cheap in price awesome in quality Good All The way Around
it took around 6 months to get built

The Other Two Are made By The SAme Luthier
He Is A Bit More Pricy But Really Worth it
For The Walnut & Bear Claw I Paid $2300
Of course Also Hand Made in mexico
it was built already

The Big Jumbo Full Body A Traditional Replica of an older Luthier very very well known
mahogany and spruce that was $2000

but just depends on the woods and details of the Bajo Quintos that they very
the most expensive one that i seen is like $3500 they are Hernandez Brand and hernandez family has been aound since the 40's making these
& The ones that are 3500 or the Master Grade

So They Very From $1000 to $4000

and at $4000 im talking it has to be something out of this world quality and wood and finish and everythhing.. but they are AWESOME!

Those seem like very fair prices.

So about the different way to set up the octaves. Is a twelve string tuned like Sexto but arranged like a standard 12 string, and accompanying a Harp player called something else? That's the majority of what I see up here in NothWestern Washington.

[Turser1988]

Being Played W/ A Harp?

I Have Never Seen It Played W/ a Harp
Usually its W/ an Acordeon
Are You Sure Its A Bajo Sexto?

And Um


Check This



The Bajo Sexto and Bajo Quinto are twelve and ten string steel-stringed acoustic bass guitars of Mexico, with six and five double courses respectively.



Apart from the extra bass course of the Bajo Sexto, the two instruments are practically identical, and the name Bajo Sexto is applied to both instruments; Bajo Quinto string sets may be labelled Bajo Sexto ten string for example.



The Bajo Sexto is tuned approximately an octave lower than the twelve string guitar, but in strict fourths so the upper two courses are a semitone higher, and with a unison G course (a less common tuning of a twelve string).



The Bajo Quinto is a more recent development, originally produced by merely removing the lowest course (E) of the Bajo Sexto to obtain a clearer sound, particularly when an electric bass (Bajo Eléctrico) is added to the ensemble, in Tex-Mex music for example. Some players have continued this trend by removing the A course as well.



E E' - A A' - d D - G G - c c - f f
A A' - d D - G G - c c - f f