Hello,

I am new on this board.

I have been playing professionally for 11 years now. I used to play guitar for Emilio(BMG).

Here is a tip that helps a friend of mine and you…

a friend of mine ,Don Macias Rippy makes what are called Bajo Sexto s and Bajo Quinto s—these are Mexican 12 and 10 string baritone guitars.

He also makes acoustic guitars. These are HAND-MADE guitars–not too many of us have seen a truly hand-made guitar—companies like Taylor, martin, etc who make hand-made guitars only use the hands to move the guitars parts from 1 machine to another–and it shows–their work is beautiful.

Don’s work is just as beautiful, but he makes these gutars on his kitchen table!! BY HAND!!

The sound is INCREDIBLE!! My guitar is a high grade Spruce top, with Rosewood sides and back–mahogany binding on the front of the body—–mahogany neck—–Wenge bridge and fretboard. The sound is so open and clear and full, and crisp.

I bought this because it was made for sound–the sound hole has no rosette decoration( the decoration kills the vibration and tone of the top)-it is just plain—and the finish minimal in order to allow the top to ring freely—all that heavy clear laqueur on a gutars KILLS the tone.

Anyway, Don is always willing to take an order to make a guitar or bajo and he has 2 in the works right now for the Dixie Chicks—and 1 that will appear in the Jan 2001 issue of PlayBoy as a background prop for Rebeccas Ramos, 3 more local Tecas customers, 1 more for me–this will be my 3rd instrument, second guitar from him.

This is the best sounding acoustic guitar I have heard and I have tried a few…

anyway for anybody interested, the prices are more than reasonable–I keep telling him to go up on his price , but he lives in South Texas–nobody charges well in Texas–I paid 500 for the bajo quinto and only 400 for the acoustic—both should be 500 a piece for the quality of the sound.

If anyone wants to see pics, please let me know.

Give him a call at 210-922-0245. I thought I would pass on this Bargain of a price a hand made acoustic — just don’t freak out–his name is Don Macias RIPPY–he is in his 30’s –he has Blonde hair and blue eyes–yet he has a thick Mexican accent–go figure–it is south texas!!

Thanks,

carl