So, first things first – what is a requinto? It's a smaller type of guitar with six nylon strings. Think of it like a standard guitar's little sibling. It was actually invented by Alfredo Gil, a member of the famous Mexican trio, Los Panchos. He wanted a higher-pitched sound to complement their music, and boom – the requinto was born.

Growing up, I always heard my dad and his friends playing the requinto. The sound is so sweet and powerful. I started wondering, "What if I played jazz on this thing?" But there was a challenge. The lowest note on a requinto is an A. For jazz solos, I needed some deeper bass notes to really fill out the sound.

That's when the lightbulb went off. Why not add a seventh string? By tuning that extra string to a D or E, I could get the same range as a guitar but in a smaller, more comfortable package. Plus, I could hit those high notes that cut through a band and make a solo shine.

I teamed up with a local luthier who specializes in making cuatros (another cool instrument). He helped me create the first prototype of my seven-string requinto – the SieteQuinto. It was a bit rough around the edges, but it proved the concept worked. Then, I reached out to Bartolex Guitars. They helped me design and manufacture a small batch of high-quality SieteQuintos. We used top-notch woods, hardware, and electronics. These instruments are the real deal.