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Ten-string extended-range classical guitar

String instrument
Classification	string
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	321.322-5 (Composite chordophone sounded by the bare fingers)
Developed	1963 by Narciso Yepes in collaboration with José Ramírez III from the classical guitar
Related instruments
Ten-string guitar
Musicians
Narciso Yepes Perfecto de Castro
Builders
Ramírez Guitars Paulino Bernabe Senior

Ten-string classical guitar redirects here. For the romantic ten-string harp guitar or decacorde see Ten-string guitar#Ten-string harp guitars.

The modern ten-string guitar was invented in 1963 by Narciso Yepes, in collaboration with the luthier José Ramírez III who completed its construction c. March 1964. It is sometimes referred to as the "modern" 10-string guitar. (or the "Yepes guitar") to differentiate it from ten-stringed harp guitars of the 19th century. These are "ot exactly the same, because the tuning that is also for the resonance"

It has since been adopted by a number of classical guitarists, using both Yepes' tuning and others.

Invention

In the early 1960s, luthier José Ramírez III considered adding sympathetic strings to the classical guitar. He sought advice from the leading classical guitarists of the time, notably Andrés Segovia and Narciso Yepes, both of them players of Ramírez six-string guitars. Eventually they came up with a ten string guitar.

Today, ten-string instruments to Ramírez' original design remain available from the Ramírez Company, and similar instruments in a variety of designs are available both from the Ramírez Company and other luthiers, notably from Paulino Bernabe Senior.

See also

• Ten-string guitar for all guitars with ten strings.
• Extended-range classical guitar for all classical guitars with more than six strings.

References

1. The first compositions for this instrument date from 1963: Ohana, Maurice. 1963. Si le jour paraît..., nos. 1-7. Gérard Billaudot: Paris.
2. Kozinn, Allan. 1981. "Narciso Yepes and His 10-String Guitar". The New York Times, Nov. 22: p. D21
3. There is no record of Yepes himself using this term, though it is used by the LaBella Company to differentiate string sets intended for Yepes' standard tuning and another string set that the company produces, called "Romantic" and based on the tuning of certain 10-stringed harp guitars of the Romantic period
4. Sensier, Peter. 1975. "Narciso Yepes and the ten-string guitar". Guitar iii(9): p. 27. ISSN: 03017214
5. Narciso Yepes, quoted in: Schneider, John. 1983. "Conversation with Narciso Yepes". Soundboard, Spring: p. 67.
6. Ramírez, José. 1994. "The Ten-String Guitar". In: Things About the Guitar. Bold Strummer. pp. 137-140. ISBN 9788487969409
7. See Professional guitars in the current Ramírez Guitars catalog. The Traditional Classic ten string is as designed by José Ramírez III, while the Special Classic ten string is a later design by his son José Ramírez IV.

Further reading

• Ramírez, José. 1994. The Ten-String Guitar in Things About the Guitar. Bold Strummer. pp. 137-140. ISBN 9788487969409
• Yepes, Narciso. 1978. The 10-String Guitar: Overcoming the Limitations of Six Strings. Interview by Larry Snitzler. Guitar Player 12(3): pp. 26, 42, 46, 48, 52.
• Yepes, Narciso. 1981. Narciso Yepes and His 10-String Guitar. Interview-Article by Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, November 22, 1981, Section 2, Page 21, Column 6.

• Classical guitar
• Reentrant tunings