Altamira N300MT Microtonal Classical Guitar Altamira

The Altamira N300MT (microtonal) guitar is designed with a fret layout of additional frets halfway on standard frets 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, and is ideal for playing non-Western music or modern microtonal music.

A microtonal guitar turns the concept of traditional fretting based on half-step intervals on its head. This results in the ability to achieve notes smaller (or slightly bigger) than just half and full steps much like a fretless guitar does, only with far greater precision.

This concept in itself isn’t so mind-blowing given the spectrum nature of sound (and theoretically there are infinite intervals between half-steps), and such lesser intervals have found extensive historical use in Oriental music, as well as blues in the guise of “blue notes” – it’s just that the current shape of the guitar has evolved from the tradition of Western music and its division of the chromatic scale.

Microtonal guitars aren’t that new a thing too, with a great number of modern classical composers making great pieces intended for them, such as Ivor Darreg, Harry Partch, and Claude Ballif. Recently, bands such as King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard have taken microtonal music to exciting new heights.

The N300MT model features a solid cedar top and laminated Indian rosewood back and sides, and has a beautiful Spanish tone.

Specs

Solid Cedar Top
African Mahogany Neck
Laminated Indian Rosewood Back and Sides
Gloss Finish
Indian Rosewood Fingerboard
Microtonal frets – additional frets half way on frets 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17
650 mm (standard) Scale Length