Instrument / history / repertoire / practice
The Brahms Guitar extends the classical guitar in two directions at once. Its eight strings, fan-fretted fingerboard and flexible playing setups create a wider register while preserving the central tuning and technique of the six-string instrument.
The design is recognisable, but not completely standardised: dimensions and construction details vary between makers and individual instruments.
Tuning / lowest to highest
B1
E2
A2
D3
G3
B3
E4
A4
The inner six strings retain standard guitar tuning. A low B extends the bass and a high A extends the treble, allowing players to adapt familiar technique while reconsidering fingering, resonance and voice distribution. Some instruments, particularly the earlier Rubio guitars, benefit from tuning the entire instrument lower — by a semitone or, in some cases, a whole tone — in order to bring out their natural tonal qualities.
The frets spread in a fan across the fingerboard because the bass and treble strings use different effective scale lengths. The longer bass side, usually around 65 cm in string length, supports tension and definition in the low register; the shorter treble side (approximately 61.5 – 58.5 cm) helps the high A remain workable and responsive.
The first Rubio instrument established the core concept within the language of the classical guitar, while later instruments developed different structural solutions. Many Martin Woodhouse examples, for instance, use a separate tailpiece, transferring string tension differently from a conventional wooden bridge and illustrating how construction can vary between makers and individual instruments.
In Paul Galbraith’s characteristic setup, the guitar is supported vertically by an endpin, which can rest on a resonance box placed beneath the instrument. Galbraith had already developed this vertical playing approach on the six-string guitar before later applying it to the Brahms Guitar. The vertical position slightly changes the orientation of both hands and can offer greater equality of movement and freedom between them, while other performers use the Brahms Guitar in a more traditional horizontal position, with a footstool or other support.
This account synthesises guitar-maker documentation, public interviews and practice-based doctoral research. Measurements and construction specifications should be verified for the individual instrument concerned.