Sunday 17 February 2019


 6 course Spanish Guitar based on Joseph Benedid,
 Cadiz 1787 (Met Museum 1992.1.2)






Hear it being played here by Richard MacKenzie:









This new affordable guitar is the 6 course Spanish Guitar, a transitional instrument between the Baroque and the Early Romantic single strung guitar, the instrument above can be heard here played by Richard MacKenzie. This instrument can be strung as a Vihuela, a Baroque guitar (as seen above), a 6 course Spanish guitar ( as seen above) and 6 single Early Romantic Guitar (as above), so 4 in one if you really want to explore music!
The 6 course had a short life span, circa 1780's to 1810's. Some examples can be found on You-Tube played by Thomas Schmitt or via Presto Classical of Fernando Ferandiere's, Moretti's and Guzman's music, as well as recordings of Boccherini's guitar quintets by Jose Moreno, so plenty of nice music (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=6+course+guitar)

6 course guitars are by Pages and Benedid, most in the Barcelona Music Museum. The typical 6 course has a similar body length and depth to the late baroque guitars, some still having gut frets on the fingerboard but this one was made with metal, considering some guitar players may not be familiar with replacing gut frets. The body is made of light weight English Yew, ebonised maple neck and head stock, pearwood pegs, Indian Rosewood bridge, alpine spruce top. Ebony edging like a lute would have. This instrument can be made without the sound hole rings (minus £100) Hear it being played here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJCbHRIplqI
and played much better here by it's owner.

To order, £ 950 excluding case