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A Ronroco is similar to a Churango, having 10 strings in 5 pairs.  I am interested because I play slack key guitar.  Ukes in our group typically are tuned to GCEA.  A Ronroco is similarly tuned with extra octaves.  It must have serious bracing to handle all the strings.  I have not found info on plans or specs for this instrument. Your help is appreciated.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I've never heard of it but I'm sure someone around here knows something. Hopefully they can chime in. Welcome to the OLF!
Christian

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

I collect musical instruments and am familiar with the Ronroco. Because it was created by a single luthier, I doubt that you will find plans for it anywhere, if they even exist. Just as a mandola is considered and sometimes called an octave mandolin, I would describe a ronroco as an octave chirango in that it uses chirango strings for the octave strings and guitar strings for the lower octave strings.

You would do better to look for plans for a Laud (larger Spanish cousin to the bandurria) as it will have similar dimensions and string tension although a different shape.

Approx.Size:
Lenght: 75 cm. (29.53")
Widht: 25 cm. (9.84").

The ronroco is a larger relative of the charango, in Bolivia, a ronroco is an octave down from a charango, with its distinctive shape and sound is a traditional Andean stringed instrument of the lute family. Developed in Bolivia by Gonzalo Hermosa a member of the famous Group Kjarkas is well known within the musicians and string Instruments lovers.

FWIW, the MIMF has a link to plans for a Charango Ronorco, I guess from what it says, it is larger, but apparently there are plans that could be scaled down, material lists, etc.  It is in Spanish, but they say it is easy to understand the plans anyway. Here is the link to the page: http://www.mimf.com/link.htm

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Waddy

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Actually, this is a very nice site.  Here is the link to the actual site: http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/Construccion_de_un_ronroco.h tm

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Waddy

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Hey Shawn,

Isn't a mandola a 5th lower than a mandolin and an octave mandola an octave lower?.....Maybe I am just befuddled, happens often!

Thanks
Shane

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Canada

[QUOTE=WaddyT]

Actually, this is a very nice site. Here is the link to the actual site: http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/Construccion_de_un_ronroco.h tm

[/QUOTE]

Wow, couldn't have gotten much closer to the original question than that! That is indeed a really interesting and thorough page. Really puts flesh on the bones of the dictum "take a piece of wood and carve away everything that doesn't look like a guitar"

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I take no credit for memory, but Google Rules!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars