New blanca guitar from Spain!

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stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

New blanca guitar from Spain!

Hello to all.
I recently got married (4-7-09) and my honeymoon was spent in Spain!
Wonderful experience, that was made even better by the fact that I bought from Sevilla my first flamenco guitar, after years of trying to play flamenco on classical guitars.
I am excited with this guitar, and i would like to share with you the story behind it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 7:21:30

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005

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Post has been moved to the Recycle Bin at Sep. 27 2009 7:25:49

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 7:25:27

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005

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Post has been moved to the Recycle Bin at Sep. 27 2009 7:43:24

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 7:26:51

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

this is a picture

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 7:44:56

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

The guitar is handmade, from a luthier named Antonio L. Garcia.
I bought it very good price from compas-sur, a flamenco specialized store in Sevilla, that mainly sells CDs, books and DVDs for flamenco.
The guitar is very loud, but with a sweet sound at the trebles that resembles a reyes, and has an amazingly flamenco tone at the basses.
In one day i visited all stores and played all guitars i could find in Sevilla and at any price given (even 7-8000 models), and this guitar was simply no match for any other.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 8:02:17

gj Michelob

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

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

quote:

my honeymoon was spent in Spain!
Wonderful experience, that was made even better by the fact that I bought from Sevilla my first flamenco guitar

You were supposed to "buy" a baby during your honeymoon, not a guitar

!!!

Congratulations nonetheless, buying a blanca is a momentous event. Thank you for sharing it here.

A few cynics will ask how intimately familiar you are with the sound of a Reyes (to dare drawing such resemblance between your bargain and the Amigo’s magic flute). My take: if it sounds like a Reyes to you, enjoy it and let it inspire you. Probably when Vicente Amigo played his first Reyes, he thought it sounded like Paco de Lucia’s Conde…

_____________________________

gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 8:15:19

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to gj Michelob)

I totaly agree with you on everything you said.
There are many "strange" things regarding this guitar, that i would like to clarify in my mind, through the knowledge of more experianced people in the foro.

1 How is it possible that a guitar sold for 1400 euros is a handmade guitar?
(It is more than clear to me that it is a handmade guitar, but with a very bad finish- glue here and there, while all the other guitars i played were clearly industrial models with perfect finish and very dull sound)

2 The guitar seemed not to want to sell itself. The strings were very old (yet the sound was amazing). The bridge had a bone that was very high - yet the guitar is easy to play. There are some mistakes in the finishing.

3 I had to buy a guitar in one day. So i saw many things that are really interesting in the guitar market of Sevilla. There was an imposter who tried to fool me with his guitars (i don't know if it is correct to mention his name, but i am very pissed off with him)

4 Does anyone know this Antonio Garcia or his work?

5 I have not played a reyes, but i have played a Gerundino, an Arcangel Fernandez, a Ramirez and others and did not like these guitars as much as this one.

The headstock design in the following picture

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 8:57:18

gj Michelob

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

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

I “googled” the name as Antonia J[ose] Garcia and found a couple of references to this guitar maker, regrettably with no further information.

I am sure Tom Nunez who imports guitars from Spain may have something more to say.

The first link is to a page listing the luthier, but “in construction”. Keep an eye on it, it might eventually provide some insightful material about your “find”.

Query, did your new blanca come with the Fustero I see on your pic, or did your replace the machines?

http://www.casaluthier.com/guitarras/guitarras.php?ref=400215
http://guitarreria.eu/es_index.html

_____________________________

gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 9:56:08

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to gj Michelob)

The first link is to a page listing the luthier, but “in construction”. Keep an eye on it, it might eventually provide some insightful material about your “find”.

What do you mean? I am going to check this site now.

Also I did not know they were fustero. Or are they just a cheap reproduction.
I have not made a change to the guitar so far.
But i am going to lower the bridge.
See how high it is now.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 10:05:49

gj Michelob

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

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

quote:

did not know they were fustero. Or are they just a cheap reproduction.

They look like Fustero, But compare with the link below. At 1,400 euros or $2,000 a guitar is not supposed to be that cheap, after all. It would be a good sign if mounting the traditional yet expensive Fustero.

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Tuning+Machines&NameProdHeader=Fustero%99+Classical+Tuners

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gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 10:47:32

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to gj Michelob)

They look a lot like fustero. That's for sure.
But they cost something like 250 euros. So the guitar is left to cost only 1150.
Anyway...
I had just gone to this store ( compas sur) in order to ask where i could find good guitars. But then i saw that they had some for sale, so i tried one or two. Then i asked the guy who run the store, if he had any better guitars.
He told me that he only had one very good guitar (he said it is a maravilla), that is the best i could find for the price (relacion calidad - precio).
Then he went inside and came back with the guitar we are discussing now (at the beginning he sold it for 1500).
When i told him that i could pay more (like 3000-4000), he told me that perhaps i could find a better guitar at Valeriano Bernal. I thought he was very honest and went to see the guitar shop he mentioned. I did not find anything better than this guitar (although very good guitars indeed). Also i visited many other shops, including an imposter who tried to sell me guitars for 3000euros, that had their fretboards curled (very unprofesional on his part). The guitars were made in 2004 and were awful.
So i got back to compas sur and bought the guitar, and he also gave me a discount of 100euros.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 11:14:41

Escribano

Posts: 6416
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Found a 1A blanca for sale (2800 €):

http://guitarreria.eu/g_fr_antonio_garcia_2.html

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Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 11:43:09

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Escribano)

Great find!
My guitar should not be a 1a if this is the case.
But then check this out.
Perhaps the guitar i have was scheduled for a primera but due to these mistakes ended up not being one?
The sound of the guitar is amazing! And it weights somewhere between 1.1 and 1.5 kg.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 12:07:18

at_leo_87

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

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

congratulations on both your marriage and your new guitar!

i too played flamenco on a classical guitar for a long time before getting a proper flamenco. isn't it a nice feeling?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 17:26:43

gj Michelob

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

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

quote:

Perhaps the guitar i have was scheduled for a primera but due to these mistakes ended up not being one?
The sound of the guitar is amazing!

One interesting detail Startos13, the flamenco 1a in the Guitarreria link mounts visibly cheaper set of tuning machines than those on your guitar. Typically guitars in that price range do not have Fustero tuners. A caring musician might have purchased it and switched to better tuners. Is it perhaps a used instrument, even though a 2009 built, with some dings rather than manufacturing defects?

In any event, it seems that you have a very nice instrument.

_____________________________

gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 17:58:21

Sbu_01

Posts: 28
Joined: Jan. 28 2009

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Congrats on the marriage and the guitar... dont see how you found the time to get away from the misses or convince her to join you in this adventure... she sounds like a keeper either way.

I am waiting for a blanca from Shelton-Farreta, and boy am I excited I have used a classical for a few years. I wouldn't mind though going to an actual taller and looking and trying guitars, like I did in Paracho

But alas I was young and foolish and bought a guitar from a guy on a burro, as you may imagine the outcome was not so good. Never seen a burro run so fast.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 20:17:07

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to at_leo_87)

Thank you all so much for your kind words. I wish the best for you also.
The guitar is the wedding gift from my father in law, so it also holds a special place for me.
In any case, there is no comparison to the guitars i have played so far...
And it feels as though this guitar is superior to my playing. I need to improve to give justice to the sound of it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 23:39:09

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to gj Michelob)

One interesting detail Startos13, the flamenco 1a in the Guitarreria link mounts visibly cheaper set of tuning machines than those on your guitar. Typically guitars in that price range do not have Fustero tuners. A caring musician might have purchased it and switched to better tuners. Is it perhaps a used instrument, even though a 2009 built, with some dings rather than manufacturing defects?

Perhaps this is the case. I have many times thought that also.
In any case this makes me like it more...If a good guitarist has played a guitar, it seems that the guitar has opened a bit.

An interesting fact. After hearing all the good words and reviews for the yamaha flamenco guitar, i went to a shop in Athens (where i live) and found one.
After having got used to my new guitar the yamaha sounded really struggling to make a sound

(absolutely no comparison).
I think that any guitar bought in Spain has a great chance of being far superior to guitars bought outside Spain.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 23:48:35

Morao

Posts: 81
Joined: Jan. 8 2009

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Congratulations to your guitar!
Last month I´ve spoken with Mr Imhoffen who is the leader of a Flamenco guitar shop in Freiburg, Germany. It´s one of the best shops for flamenco guitars. He told me that he had found a new luthier from Sevilla named Antonio Garcia. He is a very young luthier who builds very light guitars in the style of Barba. Mundo-Flamenco (www.mundo-flamenco.com) sells them for 3500 Euros.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 5:49:18

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Morao)

Thank you.

It is nice to have good feedback for the guy who built the guitar because he has done a good job!
When i was in Madrid i asked at a store where i could find good guitars. They called the owner who knew everybody who was anybody in flamenco (or so they told me). And the guy gave his honest opinion on the guitar makers of Spain. He said that he knew specifically the guitar i bought and said very good words for this Antonio Garcia.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 6:11:15

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

quote:

Hello to all.
I recently got married (4-7-09) and my honeymoon was spent in Spain!
Wonderful experience, that was made even better by the fact that I bought from Sevilla my first flamenco guitar, after years of trying to play flamenco on classical guitars.
I am excited with this guitar, and i would like to share with you the story behind it.

Yeah buddy ... be honest! That sounds like stag night in spain and you woke up with this expensive guitar in your hands that you bought somewhere completely drunk!
Youre welcome!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 9:06:25

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Doitsujin)

I have to admit it was organised crime

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 11:23:28

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Notice some bad finishing with the glue next to the fretboard
and also how the golpeador is almost not visible

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 11:29:12

Morao

Posts: 81
Joined: Jan. 8 2009

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Is there a E-Mail adresse on the label? Please post it!
I wan´t to ask Antonio Garcia himself for his prices and options because I´m looking for a new Blanca.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 28 2009 23:31:41

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Morao)

Yes.
On the label of the guitar it says:

guitarraartesana@gmail.com

But i haven't used, so i don't know if it functions!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2009 8:01:08

Morao

Posts: 81
Joined: Jan. 8 2009

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Thank you stratos!
Yesterday I wrote him. He´s a gently person and will sent me some phots and infos. Maybe I order a guitar next year. He is a very young luthier and makes very attractive prices like many other young luhiers in Spain do. Unfortunately the results are very different between there guitars.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 2:31:53

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Morao)

Wow!
You got an answer from him personaly?
I think i have to write to him also...

What do you meen by different results in their guitars?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 2:41:56

Morao

Posts: 81
Joined: Jan. 8 2009

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Every wood is difference etc.
I think a luthier needs experience. Maybe that´s the fact why one guitar from the same builder kicks ass and an other not.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 4:06:19

stratos13

Posts: 222
Joined: Apr. 11 2005
From: Αθήνα

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to Morao)

You think that, if i played a negra guitar from the same luthier it is possible i don't like, or that i may even not like another blanca?

I never had the experience of playing many guitars from a luthier.
(except one and all guitars from him were awful, but he was trying to sell me one of his failures).
But i think that this is the case with "industrial" guitars. That is why I have heard and played an Alhambra 1c that is better than any other Alhambra i have played (at any price). And also the reason why i think that in order to buy a guitar you have to play many guitars before, and choose from a wide choise (not mattering price, luthier or industrial guitars), so that you end up liking the guitar you bought.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 4:35:33

orsonw

Posts: 1941
Joined: Jul. 4 2009
From: London

RE: New blanca guitar from Spain! (in reply to stratos13)

Those aren't Fustero tuners. They maybe these 25 euro Gotohs ?

http://www.madinter.com/b2c/index.php?page=pp_producto.php&md=0&ref=ACG35G6202MB

As is often said a great guitar doesn't need to be expensive and many expensive guitars are not good. My favourite guitar is worth four times less than my most expensive (£1000 as opposed to £4000). One guitar may be great for one player and no use for another.
I think it's better to spend time playing music but of course I too find it seductive to obsess over guitars and imagine that some magical, holy grail instrument exists! Ultimately I feel a good sounding guitar has more to do with the hands and soul of who is playing it. A good guitar enhances that expression but it doesn't create it.
Good luck with your new guitar.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 14:44:48