Talk:Bajo sexto

Untitled

Somebody should add a photo of one of these instruments.

DONE. - Jmabel | Talk 06:23, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

What is meant by "the undistinguishable Los Cadetes de Linares" (italics mine)? - Jmabel | Talk 06:23, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Tuning

I suspect the current article Bajo sextos are tuned: E,A,D,G,C,F, (from highest to lowest string) is wrong. The error, if it was one, was introduced here and never challenged. Compare to http://www.juststrings.com/dad-j86.html which clearly has the courses E-A-D-G-C-F lowest to highest. Andrewa (talk) 06:31, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

Actually, it's not just this... the article isn't consistent at all in the tuning described! Nor is it consistent with respect to history... is the bajo quinto an ancestor or a descendent of the bajo sexto? The article currently says both, in different paragraphs. This needs at least some explanation. And there are no references or sources at all. So perhaps it's not surprising if the current content contains a few guesses, perhaps not all of them accurate! Andrewa (talk) 07:06, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

The article is incorrect. The bajo quinto came from the bajo sexto, and not the other way around. The body of the bajo sexto isn't a whole lot larger than the body of a typical twelve string guitar, but the strings are tuned an octave lower. The low E string, therefore, doesn't resonate well on many instrments, and consequently many players remover the lower course from their bajo sextos and play them with five courses. Luthiers picked up on this and began making instruments that lacked the sixth course from the beginning, and the bajo quinto was born. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 (talk) 21:14, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

Regarding Tuning: on the picture the thinner (higher) string is on top of the thicker (lower) one. I do not know but if the tuning is similiar to the 12 string guitar then instead of E1-E2 A1-A2 D2-D3 G2-G2 C3-C3 F3-F3 (from lowest to highest course) I suggest ... E2-E1 A2-A1 D3-D2 G2-G2 C3-C3 F3-F3 (from lowest to highest course) ... As the string length is rather compareable with a baritone guitar (approx. 76cm instead of 65cm for a guitar), thicker strings can provide a good sound and feel even for the low E. just my 2 cents — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.220.145.178 (talk) 21:23, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Pictures

If anyone has a picture of the Bajo sexto on it's own (i.e. not being played) please add it. I'd be most grateful. Claireislovely (talk) 09:28, 28 July 2010 (UTC)

Sound

Having been to Mexico and other Latin American countries, I've heard these played. To me, they have a somewhat similar but also different sound as compared with a North American 12-string guitar. I think it's not just the tuning difference (as compared with standard guitar tuning). Probably strings?

Anyway, in the article, could someone who actually knows something about this add something and describe the difference?Joel Russ (talk) 18:17, 18 January 2014 (UTC)

They sound different mainly because they are a different instrument. The Bajo sexto is tuned an octave lower than a 12-string guitar, making it a bass, rather than a guitar. Also, the top three courses are unisons, whereas on the 12-string guitar only the top two courses are unisons. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 (talk) 20:15, 14 April 2016 (UTC)

Hi Joel,

I apologize for the very late response, but I added a few parts you might enjoy. As someone noted, traditional 12 strings are paired with strings an octave higher than the other. Bajos are paried. Interestingly enough; there actually is an in-between that's very popular. I added a new section called 12-String requinto setup that talks about how players modify traditional 12 strings to replicate the tone and growl of bajo sextos. 22quackAA (talk) 00:19, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

Update

Did a bit of work on this article; fleshed it out; added some references and a list of players. See what you think. 74.95.43.249 (talk) 22:41, 14 April 2016 (UTC)

Update

I added Eloy Bernal to the list of notable players of the bajo sexto as he was a founding member along with his brothers in the Tejano Conjunto Bernal. ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulino_Bernal Ssfletch (talk) 04:38, 1 May 2020 (UTC)

Scale length

What is the most usual scale length of these things? --BjKa (talk) 18:03, 6 June 2021 (UTC)

String material

Even though this article is supposed to be encyclopedic, no one thought to mention the string material (which is steel, unlike the gut or nylon used on most other types of guitars in Mexico)?? The fact that the bajo sexto's strings are made of steel is one of the things that makes it most distinctive among Mexican plucked string instruments. Why not add some information about this to the article? 173.88.246.138 (talk) 23:58, 26 June 2023 (UTC)

Customization

I recently did a lot of work to the article, I cited new information using new sources. I didn't know there was little information on the instrument, I tried my best to recall everything I knew and was able to find sources that clarified. If anyone has any credited luthier sources, please feel free to add them. I believe some shops make them, but I can't really find specifics. Paracho, Mexico might be a good place to look as the city is full of guitar luthiers. I'm sure someone there might have experience with bajo sextos. 22quackAA (talk) 23:42, 28 September 2023 (UTC)