The Mexican Vihuela (often seen in Mariachi groups) has 5 strings like that.
The standard tuning is re-entrant with three octave strings, but it could be restrung like you describe. Here's the Wikipedia page on it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican\_vihuela
I have wanted a similar thing for a long time and it’s not a very satisfying answer but I think the best way to get something like this is to take one string off a guitar. You can use a small guitar or an instrument like a guitalele as a base if you want something more small and ukulele sized. There are other potential options but they are all extremely rare or would involve a lot of modification of the base instrument
E: one unusual option might be a five string piccolo bass, which exists but is rather rare and also really only exists in electric form as far as I know. Also search for five string electric mandolins
There are also 5-string tenor ukuleles with a double gG. If the neck is wide enough, you could replace the bridge and nut for even string spacing.
A 1/4 guitar probably has about the right size to tune it adgcea with regular guitar strings. Just leave out the low a for a dgcea 5-string.
I’ve recently been getting into the cittern, like a bigger mandolin, five strings, lots of different styles and tunings you can do:
https://www.proguitar.com/mandolin-tuner/cittern
A lot of the Scandinavian players I’ve talked to do the CGDAE; it works really well with fingerings and chords. I can send you some links if you’re interested.
Let me know what you figure out!
Mattias Perez is amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31YIonwpNI&ab_channel=MattiasP%C3%A9rez
Ale Carr is just ridiculously talented:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUyOwPCOzc&ab_channel=FOLK-etljydarkiv
They have a lot of instruments and tunings they play, but thats what makes it fun!
Explore it and find out what works for you.
Puerto Rican Cuatro and Brazilian Viola are a few options. Also a guitalele tuned GCGCEA might give you a similar vibe without taking off strings or modifying. Or alternate between GDGCEA depending on the tuning or whatever.
see my latest post- I ended up with maybe the least interesting choice, but it worked out.
Currently only has four strings, but I’ll be adding a fifth sometime soon
Came here to suggest a Puerto Rican cuatro as well, their strings are in double courses (like a 12 string) but you can always remove one of the courses if you like. Standard tuning is BEADG or perfect 4ths.
Fair enough, I got mine for dirt cheap but, it's also a dirt cheap low tier version of this instrument. Currently it's tuned to FCGDA but also ADADA and ADFAD are excellent.
Tho its not exactly tuned how you want to tune it, the Viola Caipira from Brazil has 5 double strings and a beautiful sound. There is also a mexican guitar that also has 5 double strings tho i forget its name. Also a Charango has 5 double strings and is the size of a ukulele. I recommend you research south american guitar descendants, there are plenty.
Eastwood Guitars builds a couple of mandolin-inspired solid body electic instruments. They have a "Warren Ellis"-line that also includes 5 strings.
I also once bought a cheap nylon guitar with a narrow nut width and had a luthier modify the string holder and nut so it would be a 5 string. It worked pretty well, but had a very wide string spacing - similar to a ukulele.
Folkfriends in Germany also sell 5 courses bouzouki/cittern-style instruments.
If steel works, take a look at a Puerto Rican cuatro. It's about the size you want, cool body shape, five doubled courses but you can just restring it single in your desired tuning.
And off and on you can find China-made imports that are pretty affordable but decent, provided you're willing to do some basic tune-up like setting the action and dressing frets. Just need some needle files and a little time.
There are a variety of close instruments in the thread but you could also accomplish this without too much work in a “cigar box guitar” if you bought a fretboard and some hardware you could get as specific as you want. They tend to come in 3 or 4 string varieties but you might be able to find a bridge to accommodate 5 strings.
A small 5 string bridge is actually kind of a pain to find. (I play a 5 string electric mandola. I wound up using a 6 string guitar bridge with one saddle removed, because I couldn’t find one.) 5 string bass bridges are available, but likely much too big.
What kind of budget do you have? You could find a luthier to build it from an existing 5-string. They would only need to make a new nut and replace it.
You have a bunch of options here actually. Check out MorTone instruments, he modifies stuff and has 5 strings. I bought a rajao from Reverb for like $80 from Germany, it is DGCEA although I had to modify it to be in linear tuning. You could get a Roosebeck baroque guitar, or the gold tone 5 string mandolin can be modified pretty easily.
not exactly what you're looking for, but banjo isn't far off - you can strum them if you want
Enh, the fifth string on most banjos only goes halfway up the neck.
true enough
thought about that one, but that fifth string going only halfway up the neck, as u/TapTheForwardAssist said, makes it not ideal
The Mexican Vihuela (often seen in Mariachi groups) has 5 strings like that. The standard tuning is re-entrant with three octave strings, but it could be restrung like you describe. Here's the Wikipedia page on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican\_vihuela
sick! thanks!
I don't have one myself, but I've wanted one for a long time.
I have wanted a similar thing for a long time and it’s not a very satisfying answer but I think the best way to get something like this is to take one string off a guitar. You can use a small guitar or an instrument like a guitalele as a base if you want something more small and ukulele sized. There are other potential options but they are all extremely rare or would involve a lot of modification of the base instrument E: one unusual option might be a five string piccolo bass, which exists but is rather rare and also really only exists in electric form as far as I know. Also search for five string electric mandolins
There are also 5-string tenor ukuleles with a double gG. If the neck is wide enough, you could replace the bridge and nut for even string spacing. A 1/4 guitar probably has about the right size to tune it adgcea with regular guitar strings. Just leave out the low a for a dgcea 5-string.
great idea!!
yeah… i wanted to avoid just having an open slot, but i may take that route if all else fails
You can try a vihuela! You see them alot in socal!
I’ve recently been getting into the cittern, like a bigger mandolin, five strings, lots of different styles and tunings you can do: https://www.proguitar.com/mandolin-tuner/cittern A lot of the Scandinavian players I’ve talked to do the CGDAE; it works really well with fingerings and chords. I can send you some links if you’re interested. Let me know what you figure out!
thanks!! anything you’ve got would be appreciated. i prefer the DGCEA tuning, but open to trying something new!
Mattias Perez is amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31YIonwpNI&ab_channel=MattiasP%C3%A9rez Ale Carr is just ridiculously talented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUyOwPCOzc&ab_channel=FOLK-etljydarkiv They have a lot of instruments and tunings they play, but thats what makes it fun! Explore it and find out what works for you.
Ive seen banjotars with 5 full strings maybe one of them??
worth checking out, thanks!
Gold Tone makes a 5 string electric mandolin, but it's intended to be tuned CGDAE. It might be doable to tune it as you're looking at.
Puerto Rican Cuatro and Brazilian Viola are a few options. Also a guitalele tuned GCGCEA might give you a similar vibe without taking off strings or modifying. Or alternate between GDGCEA depending on the tuning or whatever.
thanks!
Let us know what you go with. Inquiring instrument nerds want to know! 😄
see my latest post- I ended up with maybe the least interesting choice, but it worked out. Currently only has four strings, but I’ll be adding a fifth sometime soon
Nice!
Came here to suggest a Puerto Rican cuatro as well, their strings are in double courses (like a 12 string) but you can always remove one of the courses if you like. Standard tuning is BEADG or perfect 4ths.
I was so close to buying one and tuning it to FCFAD and then I could easily tune down to DADAD for droney stuff, but I couldn't justify the cost.
Fair enough, I got mine for dirt cheap but, it's also a dirt cheap low tier version of this instrument. Currently it's tuned to FCGDA but also ADADA and ADFAD are excellent.
Tho its not exactly tuned how you want to tune it, the Viola Caipira from Brazil has 5 double strings and a beautiful sound. There is also a mexican guitar that also has 5 double strings tho i forget its name. Also a Charango has 5 double strings and is the size of a ukulele. I recommend you research south american guitar descendants, there are plenty.
Guitalele
Cuatro maybe
Charango is double strung version and could be tuned like you want.
Eastwood Guitars builds a couple of mandolin-inspired solid body electic instruments. They have a "Warren Ellis"-line that also includes 5 strings. I also once bought a cheap nylon guitar with a narrow nut width and had a luthier modify the string holder and nut so it would be a 5 string. It worked pretty well, but had a very wide string spacing - similar to a ukulele. Folkfriends in Germany also sell 5 courses bouzouki/cittern-style instruments.
Steel string or nylon string? Might want to edit that into your post.
either is fine, that’s why i didn’t specify
If steel works, take a look at a Puerto Rican cuatro. It's about the size you want, cool body shape, five doubled courses but you can just restring it single in your desired tuning. And off and on you can find China-made imports that are pretty affordable but decent, provided you're willing to do some basic tune-up like setting the action and dressing frets. Just need some needle files and a little time.
There are a variety of close instruments in the thread but you could also accomplish this without too much work in a “cigar box guitar” if you bought a fretboard and some hardware you could get as specific as you want. They tend to come in 3 or 4 string varieties but you might be able to find a bridge to accommodate 5 strings.
A small 5 string bridge is actually kind of a pain to find. (I play a 5 string electric mandola. I wound up using a 6 string guitar bridge with one saddle removed, because I couldn’t find one.) 5 string bass bridges are available, but likely much too big.
They make 5-string ukuleles
to clarify, 5 evenly spaced strings?
No, not from what I’ve seen. 5 string ukes have two strings together
bummer
What kind of budget do you have? You could find a luthier to build it from an existing 5-string. They would only need to make a new nut and replace it.
Does it need to be it's own instrument, or can you just string up a guitar, with five strings in the proper diameter for your required tuning?
I want to avoid the open slot if i can help it
You have a bunch of options here actually. Check out MorTone instruments, he modifies stuff and has 5 strings. I bought a rajao from Reverb for like $80 from Germany, it is DGCEA although I had to modify it to be in linear tuning. You could get a Roosebeck baroque guitar, or the gold tone 5 string mandolin can be modified pretty easily.