The Mexican folk instrument known as bajo quinto is an oversized acoustic guitar with five doubled courses of strings resembling an electric bass guitar. As an integral component of Tejano and border music, its bassy sounds play an integral role in these musical genres.
The LBQ1EGT is a full-bodied non-cutaway bajo quinto featuring a Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pickup powered by cutting-edge neodymium magnets for optimal sound reproduction, accurate tone reproduction and greater musicality.
Body and Neck
Traditionaly used for bass and chordal accompaniment in conjunto groups, the bajo quinto’s low tuning produces a rich, resonant sound. Crafted with solid Sitka spruce top, Taylor’s Grand Pacific round-shoulder dreadnought body shape, and our Tone-Boosting V-Class bracing, our 657ce Bajo Quinto gives players its own musical character all its own.
Florentine cutaway offers easy access to the upper register and is crafted from premium mahogany. A smooth mahogany fingerboard topped by 18 fret rosewood fingerboard is finished off with Jimenez laser logo for optimal string intonation and performance. A special rosewood bajo quinto Thunderwing adjustable saddle-style bridge provides optimal string intonation and performance.
The LBQ3E Bajo Quinto features our sleek and natural-sounding passive Seymour Duncan SA-1 pickup with onboard volume control wired directly to a strap button/end pin jack for optimal sound production. Plus, this model includes an all-rigid hardshell case.
With its distinctive tone profile and variety of creative possibilities, the bajo quinto offers limitless musical expression possibilities. Once used alongside accordion and bass guitar in Tex-Mex, Conjunto, and Norteno music styles; today the bajo quinto often functions solo. Our V-Class bracing delivers powerful tones with an authentic, distinct voice – perfect for spontaneous musical improvisation!
Thin-line two-mica bajo quinto guitars from Taylor combine traditional design elements with innovative Taylor innovations, featuring a solid spruce top, easy-playing mahogany neck with rosewood reinforcement stripes, and custom designed rosewood Thunderwing adjustable saddle-style bridge – offering exceptional playability and performance. Other highlights include Western floral hardshell case storage space, gold Taylor mini tuners and Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pickup.
This bajo quinto exudes classic Mexican style and tradition. Featuring white pearloid double pickguard and matching truss rod cover with matching white pearloid double pickguard, its fingerboard boasts single-ring green abalone Mission inlays outlined with grained ivoroid, as well as ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots for decoration, as well as other original Taylor enhancements like an offset bridge pin/string ramp configuration that allows each set of strings to sing without interference; plus D’Addario bajo quinto-length 10 strings set by D’Addario for additional tones of its Mexican style and tradition.
Tuning
The bajo quinto is an oversized acoustic guitar-esque instrument played with a pick, placing particular emphasis on its bass strings. A staple in various Mexican musical genres, this instrument often serves both bass guitarists and accordionists in accompaniment roles; initially taking over that function on the lefthand side of an accordion button accordion button accordion button accordion button accordion button accordion’s lefthand side as accompaniment role originally. Originating as 12 stringed bajo sextto 12 stringed instrument featuring 12 strings in six double courses but with bass players emerging many musicians began asking for instruments with no lower pair of strings: thus giving birth to bajo quinto.
Luengas is dedicated to preserving the tradition of handcrafted bajo quintos and has formed several groups dedicated to them. Additionally, he takes pride in training apprentices in building them; first step being understanding its mysticism when working with natural materials such as trees.
He cites how learning the bajo quinto can broaden one’s horizons as a musician. Tuned to fourths–A, D, G, C & F–with A and D strings doubled an octave lower to create chords; its doubled A&D strings add punch and can push volume in bands.
This Fishman Rare Earth bajo quinto pickup features an active Fishman Rare Earth bajo quinto pickup that’s designed to produce full and natural sounding acoustic tone with increased harmonics. With stacked coils and an easy volume control wheel for adjustments, its output jack can fit soundholes up to 3 5/8 inches (92mm). Plus it comes with an elegant western floral hardshell case!
Strings
Bajo quintos look similar to small guitars, yet have 10 strings (five doubled courses) and have their own distinct musical character. Originally intended to accompany accordion players and offer a range of tones with just two musicians at play – these instruments continue their legacy today in regional Mexican styles.
The 657ce Bajo Quinto honors this legacy while featuring modern Taylor innovations to deliver an inspiring, authentic playing experience. Back and sides made of solid Big Leaf maple are combined with a solid Sitka spruce soundboard to produce its unique tone profile – accommodating traditional to contemporary music styles alike. Our patented soundhole pickup’s powerful neodymium magnets create a rich yet balanced voice, further amplifying this charming bajo quinto’s character.
Andy Powers took advantage of our design standards to craft a premium-performance bajo quinto that’s fun and effortless to play. He employed several signature Taylor innovations – like our Grand Pacific round-shoulder dreadnought body shape and V-Class bracing system – to achieve outstanding balance and clarity for acoustic performance.
He added a Florentine cutaway to maximize fingerboard accessibility, as well as a special sound hole design to ensure optimal string balance. When it came to selecting strings for his instrument, he selected professional gauging with high strength ball end strings for superior tuning stability.
Mexican guitarists of today are rediscovering and appreciating this centuries-old instrument and its rich heritage. One such guitarist, Ruben Luengas, has spearheaded its revival, playing it as part of his group Pasatono Orquesta which emulates traditional Mixtec orchestras from Coicoyan, Oaxaca. His goal is to pass along knowledge of this exquisite instrument to younger generations.
Strings that can withstand the extreme string tension required of a bajo quinto are essential, and these high-strength phosphor bronze wound strings from D’Addario are an ideal choice. Their bright tone and magnetic response is compatible with electromagnetic pickups found on guitars, basses and other stringed instruments; furthermore they feature Ball End with Lock Twist to keep unwound strings from coming undone during performance and are built with durable core wire to increase strength. Packaged in eco-friendly corrosion-resistant packaging they are proudly made in America!
Sound
The bajo quinto (sometimes known as the fifth bass ) is a Mexican folk instrument with five doubled strings and an overall total of ten strings that is traditionally played to accompany accordion players but now plays an integral part in many traditional Mexican musical genres, including Tex-Mex music.
As soon as a musician begins learning the bajo quinto, they may opt for a custom-made instrument tailored specifically to their playing style and preferences. This tradition of personalized craftsmanship in Mexican music speaks volumes.
One of the most frequently requested modifications for bajo quintos is adding or subtracting their lowest pair of strings, making this modification possible with bass players joining traditional Mexican music and giving this instrument its unique sound.
Other musicians choose light string gauges or capos in order to produce an open sound; this acoustic customization makes the bajo quinto an exceptionally flexible musical instrument, creating sounds with warm, natural tones rich with harmonic character.
This non-cutaway bajo quinto from LBQ1EGT features an active Fishman Rare Earth pickup featuring cutting-edge neodymium magnets to deliver warmer and more natural tones with increased musicality. Constructed of mahogany for added strength and comfort, its neck features an 18 fret fingerboard.
The LBQ1EGT was designed to reflect the distinctive sound of Mexican music traditions and provide a versatile live performance and studio experience for guitarists of any experience level. Signature Taylor innovations combine with its distinctive tone profile for an exciting playing experience for adventurous guitarists. Our Grand Pacific round-shoulder dreadnought body shape pairs with a solid Sitka spruce top for an unparalleled full, balanced tone unlike anything we’ve ever produced before.