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Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions?   You are logged in as Guest
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polishcomedy

 

Posts: 66
Joined: Feb. 7 2009
From: Orlando

Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions? 
There's a pretty good deal for one used on eBay, but as with most flamenco guitars, I cannot find any audio or video clips of it. Does anyone have experience with this instrument? Also, I noticed music123 carries this model. Should I stay away from instruments being sold by more mainstream outlets? Its seems flamenco purists don't buy their stuff from anywhere but unknown luthiers in small villages of Spain. However, I don't have the $15,000 for an instrument like that.

I've been playing flamenco on an Alvarez AC60S Classical up until now and I would like to step it up to the real deal. I don't want a beginner's model, but I don't need anything highly boutique, either. I want a crisp bright sound with low action.

http://www.music123.com/Rodriguez-FF-Flamenco-Sabicas-Classical-Guitar-514333-i1373653.Music123

Let me know...thanks!!
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 8:56:31
 
kovachian

Posts: 506
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: Americanistan

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
Do you require that the guitar have a 'Made In Spain' pedigree? If not, you can pick up a Darren Hippner blanca for $1265 out the door. Both his guitars and the Manuel Rodriguez are hand-made, but with the Hippner you can least attach the name and face of who personally built your guitar.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 9:10:52
 
GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to kovachian) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: kovachian
If not, you can pick up a Darren Hippner blanca for $1265 out the door.


No mas. His first batch sold out over the weekend. At least one foro member got these so we may hear a review in June. He might do another batch in a few months so save-up, keep watching the boards, and don't be tempted to spend too early .

I doubt that the FF is as "handmade" as the Hippners.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 9:37:34
 
at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
i haven't tried one, so i cant really say.

but i've read somewhere that it plays just like the lower cost c3f. the only difference is the fancy purfling, rosette, etc. so you're basically paying the extra dinero for looks.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 12:35:05
 
GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to at_leo_87) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: at_leo_87
but i've read somewhere that it plays just like the lower cost c3f.


If that's true, then I would avoid both. Less than half of the C3F's that I've played were decent and none of those won my heart.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 12:54:24
 
at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to GuitarVlog) 
quote:

If that's true, then I would avoid both. Less than half of the C3F's that I've played were decent and none of those won my heart.


how many have you tried? based on several accounts, i think it's safe to assume that they're highly inconsistent with their quality.

the c3f i tried just completely blew away the competing yamaha and a cordoba that was much more expensive. the cordoba was the worst. actually, every cordoba i've tried was horrible.

i guess this is why it's better to try guitars out in stores rather than buy blindly (deafly?) online.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 13:35:38
 
GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to at_leo_87) 
Played six. Liked two, but didn't like them enough to spend that much more when compared to the Yamahas. So I bought a Yamaha.

None of the shops in my area carry the C3F anymore. Some of the ones I had played were around for a long time.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 14:32:02
 
polishcomedy

 

Posts: 66
Joined: Feb. 7 2009
From: Orlando

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
So is Manuel Rodriguez not a well respected luthier? I can get this guitar for 800 after shipping, and new it's about 1200. It has all the standard woods, cypress/cedar, ebony fingerboard, a case, etc. Are you guys saying a no go? I'm trying to keep the purchase under a grand. I've played the Yamaha $300 model at a Guitar Center and it was terrible, so no on that.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 19:47:08
 
gj Michelob

Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
quote:

So is Manuel Rodriguez not a well respected luthier? I can get this guitar for 800 after shipping, and new it's about 1200. It has all the standard woods, cypress/cedar, ebony fingerboard, a case, etc. Are you guys saying a no go? I'm trying to keep the purchase under a grand. I've played the Yamaha $300 model at a Guitar Center and it was terrible, so no on that.


I had a Manuel Rodriguez FF. It was a nice instrument. Construction has changed over the years and more recent samples I tried did not seem equally good. Some malicious rumors see them made in the far east (very far…)

After I bought the Navarro student model from La Falseta, I would not buy anything else in that price range.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 19:59:33
 
kovachian

Posts: 506
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: Americanistan

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
Guitar Center? LOL they can turn any guitar into complete utter shyte.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 30 2009 20:07:36
 
Güiro

Posts: 158
Joined: Aug. 22 2008
From: Colorado

RE: Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
I used to own one of these. I ended up selling it because I didn't really like it. I was one of the heaviest guitars I have ever played. There are better guitars out there for less money. I recently purchased a Lucida picado for about $600 US and this guitar is much lighter and has better sound than the FF.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 31 2009 10:46:28
 
polishcomedy

 

Posts: 66
Joined: Feb. 7 2009
From: Orlando

RE: Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to Güiro) 
I'm actually leaning towards the Lucida Picado right now. They've gone up in price a lot I've noticed. If you read reviews on Harmony Central as the dates go up the price paid goes up. Right now for $825 I can get the Picado shipped with a case. Wish I was into flamenco a few years ago when it was half that!
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 1 2009 7:56:01
 
affect

 

Posts: 39
Joined: Mar. 17 2009
 

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to at_leo_87) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: at_leo_87
<snip>
but i've read somewhere that it plays just like the lower cost c3f. the only difference is the fancy purfling, rosette, etc. so you're basically paying the extra dinero for looks.


This is hardly the case! I've tried the FF and C3F many times at my local shop. There is no comparison. The FF is much nicer! It is made out of Spruce and Cedar, not Spruce and Sycamore like the C3F. It sounds more Flamenco though I found it to be a bit subdued as opposed to vibrant on occasion and it is indeed on the heavy side! It felt great in my hands and the finishing is beautiful. Its action is great and it plays with ease. It comes with golpeadores (as it should; unlike C3F) and it even smells great (any guitar sniffers here like me? ;)

I bought the C3F (because it was half the price of the FF) and finally returned it cause it was defective like the first one I checked out! I wouldn't pay $1400 for the FF, but if it sells for $1000 or so, I might. Then again, I don't have many choices here in Montreal (or at least I can't find these choices!)

Remember also that Manuel Rodriguez is owned by Fender now (guitar shop guys claim so), so I'm not sure that you can call these hand-made! The FF sells for CDN$1,769 and I can get it for a special price of $1,400. I'm still hesitant, so shop around, but it is a good guitar! I was actually tempted to buy one for the $1,175 that music123 is asking for, but that's like $7,000 Canadian anyway ;)
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 2 2009 19:12:55
 
at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to affect) 
quote:

It is made out of Spruce and Cedar,

you mean spruce and cypress?

quote:

any guitar sniffers here like me? ;)

my guitar smells old and musty so no

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 2 2009 19:21:42
 
affect

 

Posts: 39
Joined: Mar. 17 2009
 

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to at_leo_87) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: at_leo_87
quote:

It is made out of Spruce and Cedar,

you mean spruce and cypress?


Yes, you're right... Too much guitar sniffing makes my head light ;)
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 3 2009 19:35:44
 
zavaletas

 

Posts: 30
Joined: Dec. 25 2004
 

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to at_leo_87) 
Some of the misinformation in this thread is truly awful. As a dealer, I know Manuel Rodriguez Jr. personally. Manuel Sr.-- who died last year-- had a relationship with Fender for the distribution of guitars in the USA. They were never "owned" by Fender, and that relationship has ceased to exist. They have never made guitars in the "far east." Their factory is, in fact, located in Toledo, Spain. The quality of their better models is good enough in fact that I have commissioned Manuel to make a line of guitars for us based on the early Madrid school-- Manuel Ramirez, Domingo Esteso, and Santos Hernandez.

James Greenberg
Zavaleta's La Casa de Guitarras
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 4 2009 17:09:27
 
GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Maneul Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to zavaletas) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: zavaletas
The quality of their better models is good enough in fact that I have commissioned Manuel to make a line of guitars for us based on the early Madrid school-- Manuel Ramirez, Domingo Esteso, and Santos Hernandez.


I don't think anyone is talking about the better models which were signed by the Rodriguez's. These start at $5000, don't they?

The A through E series aren't in that category. Does the F series (as in FF and FC) count as their better models?

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2009 14:10:48
 
Sufimoor

 

Posts: 8
Joined: May 4 2009
 

RE: Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to polishcomedy) 
Polishcomedy, I just recently bought this FF myself after running into a guy who used to work at the factory in Madrid. I paid the equivalent of $1,000 USD + shipping. It was shipped to me looking brand new but there were obvious signs that it had been played/tinkered with, more like "rarely used." After getting some minor adjustments at the local Luthier's shoppe (as well as some Le Bella strings), the guitar is WICKED. I have had professional guitarists rip on this instrument and could not put it down they were so surprised at how "flamenco" it sounded. I can't speak for any other FF's or bad FF experiences, but for me and my playing needs and the price, the FF can't be beat!

The only problem which I will address to everyone at the forum is how did this instrument come to get the "Sabicas" name attached to it? I recently got into a minor disagreement with a fellow player when I mentioned that the guitar was the "Sabicas" model (he stated that the guitar was not). Then I heard a story about when Manuel Rodriguez was building Flamenco guitars in Los Angeles in the 60's and Sabicas came to the shop and gave him the specs for this FF model. On the Rodriguez website the guitar is officially named the Manuel Rodriguez FF Flamenco Sabicas Classical Guitar, but there's no additional information or any kind of endorsement from Sabicas himself about this instrument.

Despite all the above, I have no complaints regarding my FF. If anyone out there has some info regarding the history of the FF, it would be interesting to know....

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date May 4 2009 16:37:25
 
rombsix

Posts: 7813
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Manuel Rodriguez FF...opinions? (in reply to Sufimoor) 
Playing this acoustically as recorded through an external microphone (Shure VP88) into my audio interface with subtle processing (EQ, compression, reverb, noise reduction).

Purchase here: https://www.mrguitarras.com/en/producto/ff-sabicas-cutaway/



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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Mar. 11 2024 19:55:43
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