High Quality Acoustic Ronroco by Luthier model MB1


High quality Argentinian Ronroco model MB1. The Ronroco is a type of Charango. Gustavo Santaolalla’s favorite instrument.


Characteristics and construction details

  • Cover: Spruce
  • Handle: Oran Cedar
  • Fingerboard: Carob
  • Bridge: Guayacán
  • Tuning pegs: Van Gent brand (Netherlands)
  • Nut: Bone
  • Inlay: Alpaca
  • Finish: Nitro gloss
  • Tuning: B – E – B – G – G – D (from first to fifth)

  • Weight: approximately 850 g
  • Length, width and depth: 78, 24, 13 cm
  • String pull: 480 mm
  • Stock: Yes, one (1) available.
  • Construction time: 60 to 90 days.
  • Country of production: Argentina.

IMPORTANT: THE SHIPPING COST MUST BE ADDED TO THE PRICE OF THE INSTRUMENT. SHIPMENTS OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (ARGENTINA) ARE MADE WITH SERVICES SUCH AS DHL OR SIMILAR.

+ INFO AND PURCHASE

Description

VIDEO REFERENCE OF THE INSTRUMENT OFFERED

Video made in CactusRecording Studio (Jujuy, Argentina) @cactusestudiodegrabacion


High-quality acoustic or amplified ronrocos by Luthier


Ronroco de Alta Calidad - MEDIDAS


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ABOUT THE LUTHIER

Luthier of Latin American plucked string instruments and classical guitars since 2004. Specialized in charangos and ronrocos, his search is oriented to the design of comfortable, easy-to-play instruments, paying special attention to durability and stability, projection and precision in tuning.


Gustavo Santaolalla and the ronroco, his favorite instrument

Important: this model is not offered on this page and is not produced by our team.

Important: this model is not offered on this page and is not produced by our team.


BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RONROCO

The ronroco or charangón is a plucked string chordophone from the charango family. Keeping the same intervals, a quarter away from the “type” charango, this instrument was promoted by the Bolivian musician and luthier Mauro Nuñez (more details below). Since the 1970s, with the contribution of musicians such as Jorge Milchberg (Urubamba, Los Incas), Jaime Torres, and Gustavo Santaolalla. The ronroco has overflowed the repertoire of Andean folklore and is used in various genres and styles for its attractive timbre.

Diferentes formas del Ronroco
Traditional ronrocos, Kjarka type

The ronroco is a larger relative of the charango. Usually tuned one octave lower (MI).

Gustavo Santaolalla, in an interview conducted in 2013 by Rolling Stone magazine, says about the ronroco:

“It is a very particular instrument, like a charango, but lower. The characteristic that distinguishes it is that it is tuned in MI, unlike the charango that is tuned in LA and SOL. But they are definitely from the same family. Both are originally from northern Argentina, Bolivia and Peru”.

How was the Ronroco produced and whose idea was it?

The ronroco is a charango. And he was not born in northern Argentina, nor in Peru. The creator of the instrument was the great Bolivian teacher, Chuquisaca from Villa Serrano, Mauro Nuñez Cáceres (1902 – 1973). In the 40s of the last century, Mauro, who was a talented luthier, experimented building several charango registers, calling his work (which is also musical/compositive) charangology.

instrumento ronroco creado por el charanguista compositor mauro nuñesRonroco created by charanguista composer Mauro Nuñes

Mauro Nuñez consolidates four main registers in the charango orchestra: a chula (high), the medio (later standard), the machu (ronroco) and the requinto (bass). The latter was replaced in his public performances by another interesting invention of the great master, the k’aratiña, a kind of double bass made of sheep’s gut, with a resonance box in a Creole bass drum.

Beautiful creations, now classics, were created by Mauro with this ensemble, such as “Poncho ponchito”, “Canción y huayño”, “Preludio para charango”, “El arriero” or “Under the sky of Potosí”. And he also created for this conformation the famous chajchas, the goat’s feet that today are a consolidated universal percussion accessory.

The ronroco machu was affirmed years later by the musician and luthier Wilson Hermosa and incorporated with great success in the Kjarkas ensemble, whose folk ballads shook the music market of the 1970s.

Produced and presented by the Hermosa brothers from the group “Los Kjarkas” from Bolivia. A large charango with a total size of 80 cm. It has a 60 cm vibrating string, its tuning is natural temper but one octave lower and with orders four and five octaves. In Argentina and Chile it is known as ronroco.

Los Kjarkas, grupo boliviano que popularizó el ronroco
The Kjarkas in one of their first formations. © The Kjarkas

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most outstanding instruments, since with the incorporation of great groups such as Los Kjarkas into the gigs, it allowed them to stand out on the world stages of those years.

Differences between Argentinean and Bolivian charngo, ronroco and Bolivian ronroco

In Argentina, however, things are different: the way the instruments of this family are named differs from Bolivia. Both a Bolivian and an Argentinean refer to the charango as the same instrument, but in Argentina there is no instrument called charangón; its name is ronroco. The Bolivian ronroco, on the other hand, is known as mediana in Argentina, although it is not a widely recognized instrument. This difference creates significant challenges when trying to purchase a specific instrument in Bolivia or Argentina. Below is a table of correspondences that makes everything clearer:

Bolivia Argentina Registration Scale length (cm) Scale length (inches)
Charango Charango Alto 34 a 39 13,4 a 15,4
Charangón Ronroco Tenor 41 a 45 16.1 a 17.7
Ronroco Medium Baritone 45 a 50 17,7 a 19,7
The instrument Gustavo Santaolalla plays and recorded his most famous pieces with is therefore an Argentine Ronroco, which corresponds to the Bolivian charangón.


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    Additional information

    Weight 0,8 kg
    Dimensions 78 × 24 × 13 cm

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