BartolexUSA -- USA Dealer for Bartolex 10-String, 8-String, and 7-String Classical Harp Guitars, Cathedral Guitar,Bartolex USA

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CURRENT eBay Auctions. EMAIL

HOW TO ORDER
Please call or email to check on availability. I update the website regularly, but ongoing sales are often pending, and it is best to email or call to check on a specific guitar. Hit Refresh/Reload to see the most current availability.

PAYMENT CHOICES
I accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, as well as Paypal, Personal Check, Cashier's Check, Money Order, and Bank Wire Transfer. If you pay via Paypal, let me send you a Paypal invoice for the guitar which will include the guitar's description and terms.

SHIPPING
Free Insured FedEx Ground shipping is included, and 2nd-Day Air is $25. Signature is required, and I will need a contact phone number for the FedEx delivery label.

NO OBLIGATION 3-DAY RETURN
All guitars come with a 3-day return policy. If you don't like the guitar for any reason, simply return it for a full refund, minus the shipping cost ($40 for Ground and $65 for 2nd-Day Air). I have sold dozens of 10-strings, and nobody as of yet has returned a single guitar -- but you always have that option if the guitar does not meet your requirements.

Thanks for looking, and please feel free to call or email with any questions.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR

Come See Our Video at GFA 2011, June 28-July 3 in Columbus, GA, from the Cathedral Guitars Booth. GFA 2010 / Austin Highlights: 1 | 2 | 3. Please visit us on Facebook Cathedral Guitars and Bartolex.

Milagro / Bartolex / Cathedral

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Customer Comments About Our Guitars & Cases

“I received my Bartolex SPC10 yesterday, and the sound is fantastic and the action is perfect. Everything that you described regarding the sound and resonance has been 100% true. The finish and woods are fantastic as well. This is truly going to greatly enhance my ability to accomplish what I am after for resonance, as applied to Therapeutic Music. Your guitar has made it possible for me to acquire an instrument that has the sound quality that I need, and also one that I can afford. If I had to have one custom built, I wouldn't be able to have one today. Thank you for all of your help and input in helping me make my decision.”

Dennis Dominick
Queensbury, New York

Bartolex SPC10 Cedar / Indian Rosewood, Sound Port ($1,949)

“I received my Milagro MRC10 guitar last night in fine condition. The instrument plays beautifully -- and sounds out of this world. The low basses project much more tone out of the the body than I was expecting. Brilliant build and craftsmanship, a real joy to play, and a prize to look at. Thank you, for the safe delivery and professionalism in handling this instrument.”

Robert Moose
Miami, Florida

Milagro MRC10 Cedar / Indian Rosewood ($2,559)

“I recently purchased a fan-fretted Bartolex SRC8FEL 8-string guitar from BartolexUSA -- this guitar is amazing!!! The craftsmanship is of high quality, and the sound is warm and beautiful. This guitar also sounds great amplified, thanks to the onboard Fishman electronics, which also has a built-in tuner – no more worrying about carrying a tuner with me. It's great!

Transitioning from a regular 6-string classical guitar to an 8-string fan-fretted guitar can be intimidating, but my Bartolex is making this it as much fun as one could ask for. It's amazing how I have nice, low action without any buzzing. Having a low B on the 7th string and a low F# on the 8th string is bringing my chord harmony to a new level. Although one could tune it differently, this is the configuration I am sticking with.
Just about everyday I come up with a new chord using my new lower notes. It's awesome!

When I was inquiring about this guitar, Stephen Bright was great! Kudos for BartolexUSA for making these guitars available for a reasonable price. If you want to dive into the world of multi-string guitars, I highly recommend consulting with Stephen, as he will address all your concerns. Thanks so much!!!”

Nicolau Santos
Chicago, Illinois

Bartolex SRC8FEL Cedar / Indian Rosewood, Fan Frets ($1,995)
“I just wanted to let you know that I have received the Bartolex Alto 11c guitar a coupled of days ago and I am very pleased with it. The guitar is is very well built and is simply beautiful -- I love how it looks and how it feels. The basses are loud and the Sound Port actually DOES help in increasing the volume. The thickness of the neck is perfect and feels very comfortable. The low basses don't buzz, mainly because of the longer strings and the higher action, and the guitar is loud and resonant. The alto tuning makes the sound more lute-like. Overall, I am very pleased with the guitar.

And I must say I feel VERY thankful for people like you for making the dream of owning a multi-stringed guitar a reality. I never have thought I'd own two 10-string guitars and an 11-string alto guitar that sound and play great, without having to take out a second mortgage!!! Thank you again and it was a pleasure dealing with you.”

Adam Ghoneim
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Bartolex Alto 11c Cedar / Indian Rosewood, Sound Port ($2,199)
“I'm just writing to confirm that I received the guitar yesterday, September 15th, 2011. Thank you! It is beautifully crafted and has a lovely resonance. It is a joy to own a beautiful instrument. It's hard to put it back into its case after practising. My main focus now is to learn how to play so as to do the guitar justice. I'd also like to thank you for your informative website. I am new to the 10-string guitar and I have found your website to be the most enlightening and helpful.”

Jan Andrews
Victoria, Australia

Cathedral Guitar Model 125 Cedar / Mahogany ($1,249)
“I just want to tell you how happy I am with the Kohno 15 10-String conversion. The pictures and recordings did not do it justice. It is simply amazing. I own two wonderful custom double tops that I have not played for three weeks. I can not put this guitar down. The workmanship is next to perfect. I have never owned a Brazilian Rosewood guitar before but I now understand the attraction. The bases are so very dark, full and yet clear and separated. All notes are almost piano-like, yet warm and sweet. Thanks for all the emails, recordings and advise. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.”

Herman Raley
Cashmere, WA

1972 KOHNO 15 10-STRING CONVERSION Spruce / Brazilian ($4,495)

“The Ameritage Custom 10-String Case is just stunning in quality. I´m very happy I decided to go for it.”

Torbjørn Weien
Oslo, Norway

AMERITAGE 10-STRING CASE 6-Ply Hardshell Custom Case ($339)

“I am VERY impressed with the Cathedral 125 guitar. It has shockingly good tone quality, playability, volume, and aesthetic beauty for the price. I am pleased to see such a quality, affordable instrument -- I think you will certainly help increase the number of extended-range guitarists in the world by selling these guitars. I think this will help unlock further creative potential within myself.”

Matt Hollier
Masters of Music, Classical Guitar Performance
University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA

CATHEDRAL Model 125 : Solid Cedar top / Mahogany Back & Sides ($1,249)

“No question, I love this guitar! The Ramirez 1a 10-string conversion is one of the finest-playing guitars I own. The tone is pure Ramirez -- she sings; the sustain is Viagra. I could not be more pleased with this guitar. Thanks, Stephen, I am so glad I purchased this instrument.”

Peter A. Couturer
Greensboro, NC

1975 RAMIREZ 1a 10-STRING CONVERSION: Cedar top / Rosewood Back & Sides ($3,495)

“The Cathedral Model 15 is my first venture into the world of multi-string guitars. In many ways, I bought it as an experiment to see if I could supplement my 6 string repertoire with some more authentically voiced arrangements of Baroque and Renaissance music. What I hadn't expected was for the guitar to make such an impression on me so quickly. I have barely put it down since it arrived and I'm now rearranging my entire nylon string repertoire to be played on the Cathedral Guitar.

This guitar represents exceptional value. The build quality is superb and the under-stated appearance only enhances the beauty of the instrument. The cedar/mahogany combination gives the guitar a bright, but sumptuously warm tone with excellent separation across the strings. The low basses are clear and powerful and perfectly complement the clarity of the trebles.

The setup was very comfortable straight from the case and the BBand A2.2 system fitted to my guitar works very well, and is far superior to previous systems I have used. Nothing will ever beat the sound of a good condenser mic, but in a gigging situation, this system is perfect. Despite the very reasonable price tag, this guitar has exceeded all my expectations.

As well as fulfilling my gigging needs, I am very much looking forward to recording with it. Purchasing a guitar without playing it first is always a daunting prospect, particularly an unusual instrument, but Stephen Bright was able to put all my fears to rest with his excellent, knowledgeable and friendly advice. Without reservation, I would recommend Cathedral Guitars and the Model 15 to anyone wishing to broaden their musical palette.”

Jim Kelleher
www.jimkelleher.co.uk
Surrey, United Kingdom

CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)

“First of all the craftsmanship on this Cathedral Model 15 is outstanding. It is a beautiful guitar, parallel in quality with the most expensive guitars found on the market today. The sound has matured in the couple of weeks I have been playing it, to very clear and sweet sounding trebles and powerful and deep basses.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone considering entering the 10-string classical guitar field, as it is a very good instrument, at a very good price and value. Thank you very much Stephen for this beautiful instrument!!”

Lautaro Alvarez
New York , NY

CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)

“I've had my Bartolex SPS10EL 10-String guitar for about 2 months now, and I have to say that it's just a beatiful instrument. When I feel like playing, it's usually the first of my guitars I reach for.

I just turned 67, and I regret that I didn't find the 10-String much sooner in life. Any guitarist out there thinking about the world of multi-stringed guitars, I would highly recommend that you do get into it -- and I also would recommend Bartolex.”

Wayne Riddel
Winchester, KY

BARTOLEX SPS10CEL : Solid Spruce top / Sound Port / Cutaway / BBand Pickups

“Best Christmas ever! Got my Cathedral Model 15 just in time for Christmas, and I must say its a beautiful guitar. Very rich and lush-sounding, it is a quality instrument. Being my first 10-string I was somewhat worried it would feel "laboured" playing it, but that is not the case at all. It handles really well.

The dynamics are smooth across all 10 strings, and the deep basses are just what I expected. Being classically trained, this is a great instrument to perform music composed for the 10-string, but I would just as easily recommend this to pretty much anyone as a music-making generator. With the additional strings and different tuning options, novel chords and unusual harmonics quickly follow, and new music ensues. The service and communication rendered by Cathedral Guitars were excellent from day one. Heartly recommended.”

Hal Hagen
Oslo, Norway
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)

“The Kohno/Sakurai Model 10 conversion is certainly impressive. The new 10 string adaptation certainly respects the the workmanship and style of the late Mr. Kohno and his successor, Mr. Sakurai. From the signature head pattern to the Kohno style double ebony stripes and finish, it is hardly distinguishable from the original except for the extra strings -- my other performance guitar is from the same maker, same year, and same model, so I know!

The sound, however, is the most impressive quality. It especially is suited to lute tunings and corresponding lute music for which I procured it. I do plan to experiment with Yepes' tuning sometime as well. Further, I am surprised by the fact that after only a few weeks I am almost completely adjusted to the different neck. I still am mystified how I can receive it the very next day after ordering, from half-way across the country. Thanks for providing this instrument with such speed and great condition.”

Roy Barger
Chattanooga, TN
CATHEDRAL GUITAR 10-STRING CONVERSION: Kohno/Sakurai Model 10 (Cedar / Indian, $3,500)

“Its been about seven months since I purchased my first Bartolex SLS10CEL 10-string, and I still can't put it down. The craftsmanship is breathtaking, and the tone is amazing. As I am also a recording engineer, the direct input with a built-in 3-band EQ, phase button, and tuner make recording a breeze. I strongly recommend this guitar to anyone who's considering purchasing a 10-string. Thank you so much, Stephen -- this guitar has added much enjoyment in my life!”

Heath Hartfiel
Austin, Texas
BARTOLEX SLS10CEL: Solid Top / Lattice Bracing / Spruce / 10-String / Cutaway / Electronics: BBand A6T
“When it comes to impeccable craftsmanship, sonic/tonal quality, and outstanding value, the Cathedral Model 15 10-string guitar by Bartolex integrates all three critical factors into one beautiful instrument. Many of the Baroque pieces I perform for church congregations around the country resonate more fully on the Cathedral 10-string, and lend an additional sense of authenticity to the music. I highly recommend the Cathedral 10-string guitar for any guitarist considering such an instrument. You won't be disappointed.”

Donn LeVie, Jr.
Author of Instrumental Influences: Reflections on the Classical Guitar from the Instrument's Most Influential Performers and Pedagogues, and It's All About HYMN: Essays on Reclaiming Sacred and Traditional Music for Worship
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, !!!!! OMG! Clearly it arrived . . . . It is even better than anticipated. (Quite overwhelmed at the moment). But wanted you to know the Cathedral Model 15 arrived unscathed.”

Eric Hartshorn
Oakland, CA
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)

“I now have in my hands the very first Cathedral Model 15. I am thoroughly enjoying exploring the sounds of this 10-string guitar. I am new to the world of the 10-string guitar, but have found the switch relatively easy so far. The guitar is well-balanced, sounds great, stays in tune, and is a pleasure to play. I greatly recommend one of these Cathedral Guitars for those wanting to explore a multi-string guitar, as well as for experienced players that may want another 10-string guitar to accommodate a different tuning. Both Stephen & Neris are a pleasure to deal with, personable, professional & knowledgeable. High marks for this new line of Cathedral Guitars :-)”

Eduardo Martinez
Musician, Composer, Artist
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)
“First off, I want to say, Thank You!!! This Cathedral Model 15 is a complete steal at this price. I would buy another one of these in a heart beat. This one's a keeper. Whatever it is you and Bartolex are doing. . . Keep Doing It!”

Lee De Falla
Watertown, WI
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)
“Best wishes on the Cathedral line, you really do such a great service by offering this line. A few years ago, no one would have ever been able to find something this nice at such a reasonable price! I'll miss having a real concert Ramirez 10-string, but the Cathedral Model 15 sounds so nice, it doesn't feel like a tremendous step down.”

Leo Joseph
Birmingham, AL
CATHEDRAL Model 15 : Solid Cedar top / Solid Mahogany Back and Sides ($1,495)
“The instrument is absolutely beautiful, the workmanship is perfect and the 650 mm scale is very easy to play, but best of all is the sound of the guitar. I was expecting an instrument of high quality considering the price, but the sound of this guitar far exceeds my expectations! The trebles are sweet, and they sound beautiful; the midrange has excellent projection, and the basses have nice depth. Thank you for the excellent instrument!"

Vasco Passeira
Macau, China
SLC10: Solid top / Lattice Bracing / Cedar Top / 10-String
“Just got my new Bartolex SPS8FA el 8-string alto guitar. I am a guitarist -- but mostly a lutenist -- and since I really don't want to amplify lutes, I bought this guitar with the idea of tuning it in g with lute tuning, so I could use it on gigs where I need amplification. It worked better than I expected. The guitar is very resonant and sounds fantastic amplified. And the price was unbelievable for the quality of the instrument. Only took about a week to get used to the fan-fretting as well."

Scott Horton
La Folia, Austin, Texas
SPS8FAel: Solid top / Sound Port / Spruce Top / 8-String / Fan Fretted / Alto / Electronics: BBand A2.2

"I am delighted with my new Bartolex MRS7Cel seven-string. It sings under the lightest of touches, the top end is crisp and clear and the bass end is magnificent. The best guitar I've had in 35 years of playing"

Will Beavan
Whitegate, Ireland
MRS7Cel: All Solid Woods / Ramirez Fan Bracing / Spruce top / 7-String / Cutaway / Electronics: BBand A6T

"The Bartolex SLS10  is an excellent companion to guitarists entering the wonderful world of 10-string guitar."

Perfecto De Casto
www.perfdecastro.com
See Perf's Video Review of the Bartolex SLS10CEL

"I just received the Bartolex 10-String. It's incredible!! The set-up was excellent -- it played like butter. The notes were even and smooth, with good volume. The top is beautiful. The fretboard is beautiful, and the tuning keys appear to be of good quality. You are 100% first-class in your business!!!"

Leo Joseph
Birmingham, AL
SLS10CEL: Solid Top / Lattice Bracing / Spruce / 10-String / Cutaway / Electronics: BBand A6T

"My second Bartolex 10-string guitar arrived on Friday!! It's a beauty!! You are correct when you say the the quality has really stepped up on the Bartolex. The workmanship from top to bottom is excellent. The finish is beautiful. The fingerboard is very smooth and the neck is quite comfortable. The volume is very good, and quite balanced, too. I also appreciate your first-class service and knowledge!!!!"

Leo Joseph
Birmingham, AL
SLC10EL: Solid Top / Lattice Bracing / Cedar / 10-String / Electronics: BBand A6T

"I must say I'm very impressed with this guitar. I took it to work to teach today and it just filled the room with resonance! Plus, it freaked out my students when I pulled it out of the case. I will definitely put up a video soon, as soon as I get my brain re-adjusted again -- LOL! It's been awhile since I played anything with more than 7-strings other than oud. BUT I LOVE IT!!!!! I have nothing but good things to say about this guitar -- in fact, I like it so much I have just ordered a second one in All Solid Woods for acoustic recitals."

Nacio de Falla
Watertown, WI
SLS10EL: Solid Top / Lattice Bracing / Spruce / 10-String / Electronics: BBand A6T
YouTbe VIDEO

"I picked up the guitar last night. I have several Eastman instruments, so I know how good a Chinese guitar can be at this price point and I had high hopes. This guitar exceeds my expectations in every way. The tone and volume are great for a brand new spruce top guitar. It should be amazing once it's played for a while. The bass strings are strong and clear. It's just exceptional, especially for the price. Thank you!"

Randy Wimer
www.wimerguitar.com
SLS10CEL: Solid Top / Lattice Bracing / Spruce / 10-String / Cutaway / Electronics: BBand A6T

Bartolex All-Solid Wood 10-String Classical Guitar

"About a year ago I purchased the all-solid (Indian RW/cedar) Bartolex 10 string model.   The guitar has exceeded my expectations - I expected a student grade instrument, not a guitar with great playability and projection. I should add that the guitar looks very nice cosmetically and the tuners have performed very well. The fit and finish are superb. The bass is profound without being overpowering. I can make the trebles sing and have no problem keeping the outer voices of music distinct and focused. I found the set-up to be excellent. Overall, this is a very satisfying guitar to play for an advanced player.

My duo partner liked my guitar so much that he rushed out and purchased a Bartolex 10 string with a spruce top. The spruce top also proved to be a very good instrument and Len has posted a review on his Early Romantic Guitar website. I enjoyed listening as Len played a few pieces by Weiss on both the cedar and spruce version. The projection and clarity was excellent for each guitar. There is no reason that these guitars cannot be used for performance, they sound that good. Thanks to Neris for having the vision to start this enterprise, he has done us all a great service in making quality 10-string guitars that are affordable.

I should add that I just ordered a custom 11-string Alto model from Stephen Bright who is a well-known multi-bass guitarist based in Austin. Stephen is now promoting and selling these guitars in the states."

Donn Dubois
Houston, Texas

"The Bartolex Alto-11 was delivered on Monday and it arrived unscathed. Once the tuning settled in, it was a treat to play and adjusting to that one extra bass string was fairly easy. Very sweet and penetrating sound and the bass/treble balance is very nice.   Surprising projection too, I played it for my wife and she thought the sound was superb. This guitar is ideal for renaissance and baroque lute music. I like the 12-fret to the body design compared to the Bohlin guitars that are 10-frets to the body. The guitar is elegant looking and it is definitely going to get played a lot (nice case too)."

Donn DuBois
Houston, Texas

"I just got a new 7 string made by Neris in his custom shop. This is the best guitar I have ever owned and as good as the best I've played.. It's a carbon fiber reinforced lattice braced guitar with a cedar top and carved rosewood, arched back and rosewood sides, and without cutaway. It has a double action truss rod and radius fretboard. What a gem, the finish is French polish and looks stunning. As for the sound it is nothing short of exceptional! It is rich, loud and well balanced across the entire range and also has an excellent wide tonal palette and dynamic range with excellent intonation. It is neither to bright and brassy nor to dull. These qualities give it a truly expressive voice making it a great solo instrument for classical, Brazilian, jazz etc. At the same time it would be equally happy in a louder ensemble or through a P.A. The other thing is the guitar has a Fishman Prefix Premium Blend pickup so can be used amplified with great results. I've tried a lot of nylon guitars with pickups and this is the best. The combination of a guitar that sounds excellent acoustically combined with a very good and versatile sounding pick up gives excellent results. It sounds far better amplified, especially for a real acoustic tone, than modern style acoustic electrics nylons (such as Godin, Taylor etc which I have also owned) and also better than other great quality classical guitars (with pick ups) I have tried such as Simon Marty's, though I'm sure the later would sound great with a better pick up.

"Prior to ordering this guitar from Neris I'd been looking for a concert standard nylon 7 string, or even a 6 string for a while. During this time I tried many guitars including the following, in order of price, which were all 6 strings, "Admira Elena EC" (good value for money), "Esteve GR12" (very good), "Jose Ramirez SP 1" (better), Simon Marty, Greg Smallman, and some other excellent hand made Australian lattice braced guitars, student models and concert. All these guitars were good,. although only up from the Ramirez could be considered real concert quality. "

"For me Neris's custom guitar fits somewhere between the Ramirez and the Smallman, I think I prefer it over the Simon Marty. What I really mean is that this guitar is up there with the best but has a unique character of its own which is totally likeable. The other thing is this guitar is brand spanking new and sounded great from day one. If it didn't get any better it wouldn't matter, I definitely don't need to wait to be happy."

Greg Macmillan
Christmas Hills, Australia

"I think that Neris Gonzalez has created the definitive nylon 7 string classical cutaway that every major builder will someday imitate... this is the best ready-to-perform violao i have ever seen! the quality of the woods & building materials, the specs & concept of the design as well as the choice of the BBand AT5 for it's electonic pickup = it is the best non-archtop 7 string classical i have EVER played! "

Robert A. Short

Gotta tell you I'm enjoying the hell out of my Bartolex. I'm not good with it yet. But I'm loving the guitar. Which means I will get good with it.
It's funny how my brain has had no real trouble assimilating the 7th string tuned to A. But my hands are totally disoriented. If I try to play an open Am, I'll invariably grab an E with the left hand. And the right hand isn't much better. Apparently my hands and eyes have totally absorbed the guitar from the sixth string toward the floor. But I'll get it.

Sounds great. Plays great. Looks great. And you can quote me. Great value and lots of fun. And with that B-Band pickup, it's great to gig with.
Thanks!

Dan Kinter
Please see my PREVIOUS and CURRENT Bartolex eBay Auctions