The handy and musically versatile 5-course baroque guitar, the guitarra española – which evolved from the 4-course Spanish Renaissance guitar through enlargement and the addition of another course – owed its breakthrough around 1600 to the emerging changes in music (with a more chord-oriented, general bass monodic style). Over its long period of use, a large number of remarkable compositions were written for it. Thanks to Francesco Corbetta, the guitar gained great appreciation at the court of Louis XIV in France around 1656 and became a fashionable instrument.
For baroque guitars, I recommend the easily playable string length of around 69 cm. This allows for a smaller string diameter, which enhances the tonal qualities.
Original spruce soundboards were usually made without a binding or with a parchment-bound edge. For practical reasons (edge protection, interior repairs), I recommend a discreet edge insert.
