Bajo quintos and their ten string counterparts are an integral component of Mexican and Tex-Mex music styles, often tuned one octave below standard twelve string guitars with six double courses each.
Tejano and Norteno musicians frequently utilise bass guitars as both rhythmic and bass instruments, often in concert with an accordion. As an exploration of musical tradition across generations, they serve as testaments of musicians’ ingenuity.
Choosing the Right Strings
Selecting the appropriate strings for your bajo quinto guitar is of utmost importance. Your string gauge choice will affect both its tone and ability to be tuned differently, providing an enjoyable playing experience with maximum sound output and the best sound possible. When searching for 10 or 12 strings specifically tailored for this guitar type, make sure that they feature high-grade materials to guarantee long lasting use with great tone quality.
GHS Bajo Quinto strings are an ideal choice for any bajo quinto player, designed to provide long-term use with bright sounds and exceptional articulation. Each string features a Loop End with Lock Twist for optimal tuning and tension, plus heavy core wire that increases strength and volume for strength and volume. In addition, professional gauging ensures they deliver superior tone qualities.
The bajo quinto is an extremely easy instrument to learn and highly versatile, offering players both easy access and immense creativity with its sound possibilities. Similar to guitar playing, players adjust pitch of strings on fretboard by left hand while right hand plucks or strums them for sound creation; making this perfect for accompaniment accordion or fiddle players in traditional Mexican music.
Though originally constructed with 11 strings (five double courses), many musicians no longer utilize its additional lower pair due to bass players’ arrival on stage. Nowadays, bajo quinto typically only contains 10 (five double courses) with its tuning arranged as A-D-G-C-F for ease of playing.
The 657ce Bajo Quinto draws its visual inspiration from traditional Mexican styles and features a sharp Florentine cutaway for easy access to its upper register, white pearloid double pickguard and matching truss rod cover, single-ring green abalone rosette with black and white purfling, gold Taylor mini tuners featuring green abalone dots on its bridge pins, as well as D’Addario Bajo Quinto 10-string strings from D’Addario with Fishman Rare Earth magnetic soundhole pickup for optimal soundhole pickup performance.
Tuning the Bajo Quinto
Experienced bajo quinto players often consult a skilled luthier and commission instruments tailored specifically to their playing styles and preferences. In particular, bajo quinto players often seek to add impactful music by eliminating one string from their ensemble altogether; bassists have long sought ways to do just this with their bass rigs.
Jacob and Soroya Salinas of San Marcos, Texas created this 657ce Bajo Quinto guitar in 2023 to honor these traditions. Crafted with Hounduran mahogany for its back and sides and an exceptional piece of redwood from a house built in San Francisco during 1870 as its top, this exquisite instrument boasts unique details including an ebony bridge featuring green abalone dots as well as gold Taylor mini tuners; white pearloid double pickguard outlined with grain ivoroid; mother-of-pearl Mission inlays that frame them; mother-of-pearl Mission inlays that are further embellished with wood purfling and binding for its distinctive appearance.
Taylor master builder Andy Powers applied the same fundamental design principles that have become hallmarks of our acoustic guitars: easy-playing necks, clear sound balance, consistent quality and reliable performance. By marrying this unique tone with Grand Pacific round shoulder dreadnought body style and tone-boosting V-Class bracing technology he created an instrument unlike any other Taylor ever produced.
The 657ce Bajo Quinto is a 10-string Latin-style nylon string guitar tuned in fifths from A-D-G-C-F. This tuning resembles that found on classical guitars but is better suited to its smaller form with only 10 strings instead of 12. Additionally, our innovative String Ramp Nut and Saddle design provides superior touch responsiveness and sustain without interfering with its unique tuning system. For more on this captivating instrument, please see our listing details or contact your nearest Taylor dealer.
Getting Started on the Bajo Quinto
The bajo quinto is more than just an instrument; it is the gateway to Mexico’s rich musical legacy. Learn to play this resonant 12-string marvel and you will open up an entirely new world of music for yourself.
The 6-string bajo sexto is an instrument with six double courses of strings tuned an octave lower than a traditional 12-string guitar: E-A-D-G-C-F. This instrument plays an integral part of Norteno, Tejano, and other Mexican folk music styles, and can accompany bass guitars or accordions in traditional musical genres such as Norteno or Tejano music.
Bajo quintos are typically handcrafted from woods like maple, cedar and mahogany and feature large bodies with shallower depth than an acoustic guitar; their unique sound comes from its combination of strings’ timbre tuning construction plus special fretboard and bridge features. Their tones produce deep yet robust tones with strong harmonics for bright sound production.
Traditional bajo sexto was played by hand, often alongside an accordion or bass guitar, but in modern music more frequently used with synthesizer or electric guitar accompaniments. Within bands, however, bajo quinto provides a warm yet punchy bass part that balances out group sound.
As conjunto became more popular in Texas, musicians began using the bajo sexto to play other forms of Mexican music like norteno and tejano, taking over from accordions as accompaniment instruments in these genres. Over time, this style eventually evolved into bajo quinto’s longer neck tuned an octave higher than regular 12-string guitars.
Taylor master builder Andy Powers has designed a premium-performance bajo quinto for our Somos Collection, employing his well-known principles of easy playing necks and balanced sound in order to produce something special and inspiring: an instrument with “Taylor-grade” playing experience. Furthermore, his design takes advantage of our Grand Pacific body style with V-Class internal bracing to produce its signature tone among bajo quintos.
Practicing on the Bajo Quinto
No matter your musical experience level or expertise, learning the bajo quinto can be both rewarding and fulfilling. With consistent practice, complex chords will become second nature while you develop dexterity essential to playing it at its full potential.
As a bass and rhythm instrument, the bajo quinto is an integral component of various Mexican musical traditions. As both rhythmic and harmonic instrument it complements other melodic instruments like accordions in genres such as Norteno and Conjunto music genres. From rural Mexico to international stages it stands as an inspiring testament of how folk instruments can adapt while maintaining their cultural identities and maintaining cultural identity.
The bajo quinto is composed of five pairs of strings tuned to match those found on a standard 5-string bass guitar, while its upper strings are tuned an octave higher to create its characteristic sound.
Though initially designed as an accompaniment instrument, its versatility and rich musical legacy have made it increasingly popular as a solo performance instrument. A member of the bass guitar family, its distinctive sound will certainly impress listeners and fellow musicians alike.
Bajo quintos are handcrafted from various tonewoods such as maple and mahogany, often featuring decorative marquetry wood inlay designs for added style and comfort. Furthermore, these guitars come equipped with high-quality pickups covered by limited lifetime warranties.
Taylor master builder Andy Powers combined traditional bajo quinto design with modern Taylor touches to craft the Somos Collection’s premium-performance instrument. Constructed of solid Big Leaf maple back and sides and Sitka spruce for its top, this instrument delivers full, rich tones characteristically Taylor. A solid truss rod and V-Class internal bracing provide exceptional stability and tone enhancement features which help this bajo quinto achieve its signature Norteno sound.