The Mariachi Humpback

by C.F. Casey

Originally published in American Lutherie #116, 2013



MariachI humpback? A sombrero-wearing whale that plays trumpet through his blowhole? A deformed bell-ringer who plays “Cielito Lindo” on his carillon? Nah. Those images would probably be too bizarre even for Disney.

“Mariachi Humpback” is a name I use to describe the shape of two related instruments which form the rhythmic foundation of the mariachi band: the vihuela and the guitarrón (Photo 1). The vihuela is a small 5-string guitar with a re-entrant tuning; the pitch names are the same as the first five strings of the regular guitar (ADGBE), but strings 3, 4, and 5 are an octave high. The guitarrón is a bass guitar with the tuning ADGCEA. Though these two instruments are at opposite ends of the sonic scale, they share a number of characteristics. In both, the bridge is a simple bar with string holes and no saddle (like a heavy lute bridge). The guitarrón is fretless, and while the vihuela has frets, often they are tied on (again, like a lute), and frequently there are only three. Traditionally, the binding of both is rope-patterned, and is glued to the surface of the sides rather than inlaid.