Maple Flamencos

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Maple Flamencos

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GailP

Posts: 29
Joined: Nov. 8 2005

Maple Flamencos

Anyone have any experience/opinion/comments regarding flamenco guitars made with maple back and sides?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 20:27:40

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

You should look into a Jose Oribe cedar top with birdseye maple

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 20:39:16

GailP

Posts: 29
Joined: Nov. 8 2005

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

What do you know about Oribe's maple/cedar guitars? I would appreciate any information you might have. Thanks.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 0:40:28

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

GailP, are you the same person who posted this question on the flamenco-teacher forum? I'm assuming you are and that's why I posted about Jose Oribe because I knew you were looking at this guitar. Just me being stupid.

Anyway, I don't know about Jose's maple cedar top flamencos but I can tell you that Jose is well respected and makes very fine guitars. Is the one in question a student model or one of his 1a's?

Is he the one selling it or someone else. If it's someone else, the best person to ask about it is Jose himself. Send him an email: joribe@cox.net

www.oribeguitars.com

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 0:48:27

GailP

Posts: 29
Joined: Nov. 8 2005

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

Yes, that's me. I wanted to find out if anyone else has ever played a maple guitar and wanted their opinion. Thanks.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 2:45:42

Armando

Posts: 302
Joined: May 27 2005
From: Zürich, Switzerland

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

Hi

I've played some rather cheap maple flamenca blancas. I don't remember the brands but i still remember that i didn't liked the tone.

My first classical guitar was a cheap guitar made of flamed maple. It was not all solid but laminated. I've brought that guitar with me to Spain to take some guitar classes in Sevilla, but nobody liked the sound of that guitar. They all said "suene como una caja de carton" and "no es hecho de una madera noble".
I had to buy first another guitar, before i could start to take classes.

I know that Torres have built guitars with mable backs and sides. I don't know though, how good they sounded.

Personallly i think that birds eye maple is not very good as tonewood due to the fact, that the grain is too curly. Birds eye maple is also not that stable and not that flexible as the regular one.

Mable produces usually a rather sharp tone with plenty of trebles but it depends on the type of maple used and the construction of the guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 7:10:43

Per Hallgren

Posts: 241
Joined: Jul. 1 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

I have no experience of flamencoguitars from maple, but there is a fantastic combination of spruce and maple in a very lightly built classical guitar that I am fond of. I think Torres used maple very conciously, not only for the looks but for the sound, and I am currently working for a renaissance of this guitar in Sweden (or for anyone else that is interested).

However, if I am aloud to speculate I think that maple is less suitable for flamenco guitars since it has quite a big inner damping. In flamenco guitars we want wood that reacts fast and bright, no?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 9:47:57

nhills

Posts: 230
Joined: Jul. 13 2003
From: West Des Moines, IA USA

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to Per Hallgren)

Here's a link to an Esteso maple flamenco:

http://www.flamencoguitar.net/domingo1924.htm

I've seen pictures of a Santos Hernandez maple flamenco, but I can't find the link at the moment.

So it's possible, but finding a new one may not be easy.
Norman

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 13:16:41

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

GailP, like I said on my post to you on the f-t foro. It really depends on the maker and the kind of maple he uses. They are nice though and more and more makers are using it in their flamencos.

The best advise I can give you is to play this Oribe first and see if you like it. That's all that matters right?

A great alternative is the Sanchis Lopez 1FArce.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 13:38:05

GailP

Posts: 29
Joined: Nov. 8 2005

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to TANúñez)

That's great advice, Tom. I have tried an Oribe and really thought what he has made is unsurpassed. So, thanks, and I'll show some pics when I get it!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 16 2006 15:09:29

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

Just be sure that whom ever you purchase it from, or any guitar for that matter, has a trial period and return policy.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 16 2006 15:37:39

Per Hallgren

Posts: 241
Joined: Jul. 1 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to TANúñez)

Return policy is a difficult matter. My experience from showing guitars on festivals is that too many guitarists don't handle the new guitar with enough respect. "Accidents" happens all the time and the new guitar looks second hand and used in a minute. Even if scratches really isn't important for a guitar as soon as it is sold and the owner use it to make music I think that my customers have the right to expect that my guitars are unscratched when sold as new.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 16 2006 16:25:07

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to Per Hallgren)

I'm not talking about the cosmetics. Scratches and dings are common. Especially in used instruments. I mean sound and playability. If the guitar your looking at doesn not have the sounds your looking for, or if it's playability is not to your liking then you should be able to return it. A trial period or return policy is a must. Especially if your buying the guitar unseen through the internet.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 16 2006 19:50:40

Per Hallgren

Posts: 241
Joined: Jul. 1 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to TANúñez)

Well, I did'nt say there should not be a trial period. I just feel that the mutual respect between builders/dealers and guitarists for each others needs could be better sometimes and want to point out the fragility in the situation. I have had new instruments scratched and "ruined" in a way that they had to be sold as used only because of lack of reasonable attention and care from the persons trying the guitars. I am sure most people are careful during the trial period but if even more people pay attention to not causing damage we get a better situation, right? It's not an unreasonable wish from a guitarmaker.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 17 2006 7:30:40

Guest

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

Per

I understand your worries. I have the same, and I think it´s important that we are very strict with this issue.
IMO the buyer who returns a guitar will have to pay the costs of the trial period. If this means a refinishing of the guitar, well the client pays, if it means that the guitar has to be sold as used, the client pays...
It may sound very strict, but it´s the only way we can survive.
A lot of peole tend to compare us with a large car manufactor like Toyota etc, but if you have a yearly output of 10 - 12 guitars it can be difficult or to be honest impossible to have a return policy like a car company or a guitar factory.

But... the best way to avoid problems is to make the client happy.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 17 2006 8:17:32

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to Per Hallgren)

Yes I agree Per. If I send out a guitar on a trial period, and it's not what the customer likes, it' must be returned in the exact condition it was sent out or a deduction will be made. I agree that more care should be taken when testing an instrument.

That is why I make sure my Doberman is watching the client play. He is trained to attack when the finger misses the golpeador

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 17 2006 12:45:40

Per Hallgren

Posts: 241
Joined: Jul. 1 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to TANúñez)

This explains why I sometimes have problems. My dog is only 10 kg

(but he has a heavy name : Santos

)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 17 2006 16:12:38

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to Per Hallgren)

That is ok per. Small dogs can be trained to nibble on the customers ankles.

When this happens, the customer often yells out Aye! or Ole!...sounds very flamenco.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 17 2006 16:29:35

fivealive

Posts: 10
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: brooklyn

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to GailP)

Better late than never (I just joined the forum).
I have a guitar from sweden, called a Bjarton and rumored to be made in the 1960s, with a spruce top and maple sides. It's not a flamenco guitar, but that's what I play on it anyway. The sound is really warm and it looks fantastic:

link to more photos

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2007 4:06:05

Guest

RE: Maple Flamencos (in reply to fivealive)

Ricardo has a sanchis-lopez with maple back and sides, and he swears by it (not at it).its the 1F Arce, heres a link to a great website that has them (Toms site of course)
http://www.lafalseta.com/SanchisLopez_flamencos.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2007 5:04:27