Questions: Requinto Plans

by William Cumpiano and Luis Alberto Paredes Rodríguez

Originally published in American Lutherie #87, 2006

Chip H. from the Internet asks:

I’ve been looking everywhere for a set of plans for a requinto. Any thoughts on where I might find one, or some generous soul that might send me the dimensions and scale length?

William Cumpiano of Northampton, MA responds:

I doubt anyone has ever produced plans for a requinto, or at least offered one for commercial distribution. For most Hispanic luthiers I know, sharing information with strangers is a low priority. I’m an exception.

Requintos are made just like a Spanish guitar, with a smaller template but full guitar-depth sides. They are tuned like a guitar capoed at the 5th fret, A to A, with the same intervals between the strings as a guitar. Scales vary from 21 5/8" to 22 1/8". Cutaways are very popular. Thicknesses of all the top, back and side plates are the same as the ones chosen for the larger Spanish guitar. Five fan braces with two cutoff bars on the bottom are most common. Strings chosen are the same as for full-size guitars, but understandably the gauges on the lightest-tension sets are preferred. All other full-size guitar dimensions and construction details apply.

Luis Alberto Paredes Rodríguez from Bogotá, Colombia responds:

Here are the basic dimensions of the requintos we make in our shop. The body measurements are similar to those of the Colombian tiple: upper bout = 25CM; waist = 21.4CM; lower bout = 32.5CM; body length = 42CM; body depth = 9CM–9.5CM. The scale length varies from 540MM to 560MM. But we find the ideal scale to be 550MM. The other neck dimensions are the same as the guitar and the neck joins the body at the 12th fret. Some have a body cutaway. The instruments invariably have a pickguard. (Editor’s note: GAL Instrument Plan #51, the Colombian Tiple, was drawn by Sr. Paredes. It may be ordered from the GAL website.) ◆

(See also our Instrument Plan #54, Mexican Requinto)