Cathedral Guitar 10-String Classical Harp Guitar

All-Solid Wood w/Cedar Top, Mahogany Back/Sides

Cathedral
Guitar 15

10-String Guitar

Up for consideration is a 2010 Cathedral Guitar 10-String classical guitar with hardshell case. This guitar is the Model 15, which features a solid Cedar top, and solid Mahogany back & sides. This guitar is currently the top model in the 3 model lineup of Cathedral Guitars, made by Bartolex. Our goal was to keep the quality of the tonewoods as high as possible, but with simpler details, inlays, purfling, binding, rosette, etc., to keep the price-point down to the level where it will be more affordable. This guitar comes with a Satisfaction Guaranteed, 3-day return policy, and a full 1-year warranty. This is a wonderful 10-string guitar, and one of the few that you can get today without having to pay several thousands of dollars and go on a lengthy waiting list!!!

Click HERE for 1270 Hi-resolution photos of the actual guitar for sale (#005). Click here for previously sold Cathedral Guitar Model 15s [ #003 | #004 ].

“This guitar is a complete steal at this price. I would buy another one of these in a heart beat. This one's a keeper.”
-- Lee De Falla
Watertown, WI

“Best Christmas ever! I must say it's a beautiful guitar -- Very rich and lush-sounding -- it is a quality instrument.”
-- Hal Hagen
Oslo, Norway

“When it comes to impeccable craftsmanship, sonic/tonal quality, and outstanding value, the Cathedral Model 15 integrates all three factors into one beautiful instrument. You won't be disappointed.”
-- Donn LeVie, Jr.
Austin, TX

“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! OMG! Clearly it arrived . . . . It is even better than anticipated.”
-- Eric Hartshorn
Oakland, CA

Click here for several additional Model 15 review.

Bartolex is a guitar company founded by Argentinian luthier and guitarist Neris Gonzales, with production based in a high-quality, Western-trained Artisian Workshop in China. The result is a not only a great guitar design with high-quality woods and excellent workmanship at a very affordable price -- but also has become the leading seller of 10-string guitars in the entire world with over 300 multi-string guitars sold. (Click here for my Cathedral Guitar interview with Neris).

The sound, both acoustically and recorded, is really superb. I personally am endorsing Cathedral Guitars, Bartolex and Milagro 10-string guitars and am selling them on eBay, at the Guitar Foundation of America Guitar Conventions, and through Bartolex USA. I have already well played over 100 gigs on my own Cathedral Guitar 10-String guitar, and I'm constantly astounded at how good these guitars are, and for the price / performance value they are simply unbeatable. This guitar is the answer to my personal dream of having a quality 10-string guitar in standard production, at an affordable price -- and maybe it will be for you as well.

I have played and owned dozens of multi-string classical guitars, and this instrument rivals, equals or surpasses many luthier built guitars in the $3k - $6k range. This guitar has a AAA-grade solid cedar top, solid mahogany back & sides, and rosewood fretboard, and creates a beautifully-balanced Spanish sound with nice trebles, deep basses, and excellent resonance and sympathetic sustain. The solid mahogany gives the sound deeper lows and brighter trebles than the more usual Indian Rosewood. The low bass response is particularly nice on this guitar due to the all-solid wood construction, which increases the guitar's bass response as well as the overall depth of tone and projection.

STRINGS
I have the guitar tuned with Savaerz Strings in Romantic tuning, a standard 10-string tuning where 1-6 is tuned normally in E, and 7-10 descend step-wise: 7=D, 8=C, 9=B, 10 =A. Strings By Mail has a great selection of 10-string sets and can put together custom sets for you at a discount over individual strings. Several excellent string manufacturers offer 10-string sets, including D'Addario, Hannabach, and Savarez.

GUITAR SPECS:
* Model: 15
* Serial # 005
* Top: Solid Cedar
* Saddle/Nut: Bone
* Fretboard: Rosewood
* Finish: Lacquer
* Scale: 650 mm
* Nut Width: 85 mm
* saddle width: 117 mm
* STRING SPACING
@ Nut = 77 mm o.c.
@ fret 12 = 89 mm o.c.
@ bridge = 101mm o.c.
* NECK DEPTH
@ fret 1: 19 mm
@ fret 7: 20 mm
* ACTION
@ String 1 = 3 mm
@ String 10 = 4 mm
* Dot marker @ fret 7
* Hardshell case
* Made in China

SOUND FILES
Here are 16 quick, 1-take MP3 sound files of me playing this actual guitar (#005), to give you an idea of what to expect. The guitar has excellent sympathetic resonance, as well as good power and projection, nice bass responce, a very even response across the registers. These MP3 files have no compression, EQ or reverb -- just straight signal, recorded with a Neumann U87 mic, into a TAB-Funkenwerk V78M preamp into a Sony PCM D1 flash recorder.

1 | Intonation Test (Harmonic /
fretted note @ the 12th fret)

2 | Resonance Test (Stopped scales / chords showing sympathetic resonance)

3 | Packington's Pound (English
Renaissance, before 1596)

4 | Kelly's Song
(original composition)

5 | Joy To the Person (Anon.
English Renaissance)

6 | Corn Yards (Scottish
Renaissance, 1596-1657)

7 | From the Beginning
(Emerson, Lake and Palmer)

8 | The Third Tune
(Thomas Tallis w/flamenco improv)

9 | Love Song
(Machaut, 14th C.)

10 | Brian Boru's March
(Anon.,
Irish, Ca. 1200)

11 | Pavan #1 (Luis Milan,
Spanish Renaissance)

12 | Timur's Song
(original composition)

13 | Se A Mi Acorgo
(Italian Renaissance)

14 | Bianca Fiore
(Italian Renaissance)

15 | Bouree in Em
(Bach, Baroque)

16 | Fantasia #10
(Spanish Renaissance)

Here is a link to a free 200+ page PDF book of Multi-String transcriptions (click first item).

In short, this guitar is a great concert and/or recording guitar for any intermediate to advanced-level player, and it would make a great guitar for classical concerts, recitals, local gigs, as well as recording studio projects. It is also the ideal guitar for first getting into the world of Multi-String guitars, as it is an affordable, easy-to-play, and a great-sounding instrument.

OPTIONS
This guitar can be outfitted with a BBand A2.2 pickup system for an additional $375 (Click here for my GFA demo). Also, an upgrade the custom 6-Ply Ameritage 10-String guitar case is an additional $250 ($339 purchased separetely)

RESOURCES
My website Cathedral Guitar has a lot of info on multi-string guitars; I also run an internet radio station on multi-string guitars and lutes 10-String Radio; and also I moderate a 265-member 10-String Yahoo Group on the subject, and am working on an instructional website, 10-string.com. Perf De Castro has a YouTube Multi-String Guitar channel on the instrument. James R. Smith has an excellent intoductory article to the world of multi-strings, here.

TEACHERS
If you need a teacher to help you adapt to the 10-string guitar, you can check this list here. Also, if you will be playing mostly lute music on the 10-string, I strongly recommend taking lessons from a lute player, if you can find one. If you want online lessons, I highly recommend the 10-String guitarist Perf De Castro, who is both an excellent musician and a wonderful teacher, and he offers private 10-string guitar lessons via the internet. Click Here for more details.

CLASSICAL HARP GUITAR
This guitar type is also a relative of the Harp Guitar family known as the Fretted Harp Guitar. It has a big advantage over the other harp guitar types in that the frets extend across the entire neck, and the guitar can easily be played with a capo, and be quickly transposed into a variety of keys, which is especially helpful when accompanying singers. This is, of course, impossible on a regular harp guitar. Custom capos are made by Shubb (ask for the Pinnochio model), and also by Phill Elliott.

SHIPPING & TERMS
Insured USA FedEx Ground is $40. I do accept PayPal. Thanks for looking. Please ask questions before bidding. Satisfaction Guaranteed!!! This auction is for one Cathedral Guitar Model 15 10-string classical harp guitar guitar and hardshell case. No other accessories are included, but the optional BBand A2.2 pickup is $375 installed, and the option for the Ameritage Custom case is $250.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
If you are not happy with the guitar for any reason, simply return it within 3 days (buyer pays shipping). So far, after several dozen of eBay and direct internet sales, not a single customer has returned a guitar. In fact, many people write in to say how thrilled they are with their new Bartolex. These comments are often reprinted with permission on the BartolexUSA website.

PLEASE CHECK OUT my other Ramirez, Sakurai / Kohno, Milagro & Bartolex 10-string guitars in my Current eBay Auctions, and also see and hear some 10-string guitars that have Recently Sold on eBay.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR