2010s H. Jimenez LBQ1 Bajo Quinto

In a strange twist, I've actually had the pleasure of adjusting and setting-up maybe a dozen bajo quintos and bajo sextos in my time. There seems to be no lack of Yankee taste-testers in this region of the world who are looking for an interesting instrument to double on.

For bassists into rootsy music, these Mexican-origin, 4ths-tuned, 12-string-like, baritone-range entities are a perfect match. The instrument is most commonly seen picking backing, 3-note-chord-meets-bassline runs all over the neck alongside 2 and 3-row button accordions. When I picture norteno music in my head, this is the duo I see first. It's an addicting, pulsing sound.

Anyhow, my friend Hugh owns this instrument and is now relinquishing it back to the world. I'm not sure if I put the tailpiece on but I'm certain I made the last saddle and set it up for him some time back. The tailpiece string load is a great idea, though, as the traditional wrap-around-the-tieblock string load is more-or-less terrible as a design and the tailpiece also alleviates some of the "tenseness" one feels on a bajo quinto as the extra string afterlength gives the strings a springier feel.

I haven't mentioned the tuning, though -- this is tuned ADGCF low to high, as per normal for one of these. Usually the ADG courses are strung with octave stringing like a 12-string while the CF courses are unison. I've made every course octave-strung and compensated it for that at the saddle as well as I could. This gives a uniform sound to the instrument and, for me as a bassist, makes it a lot more enjoyable to use as a melody, counterpoint, or lead-and-fills instrument. It could, of course, be swapped back around to "normal" stringing.

Repairs included: setup and compensated bone saddle.

Weight: 4 lbs 15 oz

Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 15/16"

Neck shape: medium-bigger C/V

Board radius: flat

Body width: 15 3/8"

Body depth: 4 1/4"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: ply mahogany

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 36w/60w, 26w/52w, 17/42w, 13/28w, 10/22w

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-bigger

Condition notes: the finish is basically newish throughout with maybe the most minor of usewear or scratches. Clearly, though, it's been modified a bit -- there's a resonator-style tailpiece added and the original saddle has been replaced with a fully-compensated bone one.

It comes with: its original gigbag.