Guitarron: instrument design, difference from acoustic guitar, use

The guitarrón is a Mexican plucked musical instrument. Alternative name – big guitar. The Spanish instrument “bajo de una” served as a prototype. The low system allows it to be attributed to the class of bass guitars.

The design is similar to a classical acoustic guitar. The main difference is in size. The guitar has a large body, which is reflected in the deep sound and high volume. The instrument is not connected to electric amplifiers, the original volume is sufficient.

The back of the body is made from two pieces of wood placed at an angle. Together they form a V-shaped depression. This design adds extra depth to the sound. The sides are made from Mexican cedar. The top deck is made of takota wood.

The guitarron is a six-string bass. The strings are double. Production material – nylon, metal. The first versions of the strings were made from the intestines of cattle.

The main area of ​​use is the Mexican mariachi band. Mariachi is an old genre of Latin American music that appeared in the XNUMXth century. The guitarron began to be used in the second half of the XNUMXth century. One mariachi orchestra may consist of several dozen people, but more than one guitar player is rare in them.

Guitarron players need to have a strong left hand to muffle heavy strings. From the right hand, not weak efforts are also required in order to extract sound from thick strings for a long time.

The instrument has also become widespread in rock music. It was used by the rock band The Eagles on their album Hotel California. Simon Edwards played the part on the Spirit of Eden album by Talk Talk. The booklet lists the instrument as “Mexican bass”.