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I think I have burned out the search engine these past few weeks, so I apologize to everyone for hogging it.
As I mentioned in another post, I am wanting in a bad way to begin studying flamenco guitar. I'd like to find a good quality, nice sounding guitar for not too much money to begin this journey.
I keep finding forum positivity about Castillo's work, so this is high on my list at the moment. I see forum prices quoted that are a bit less than he shows on his website - is there a better way to purchase one, or has there been an increase in his prices recently?
Any and all commentary about his guitars are appreciated. I'm thinking a blanca would turn me on...or a negra....I'm in trouble.
Thanks again.
I'll try not to bug all of you *too* much, but I know that once I get started I'll have loads of beginner questions and public idiocy to display. I have read here for a few years now, and one thing I have noticed is how considerate people are toward those looking for help. This place has a very family feel to it, and I hope to fit in eventually. :)
If you have some other recommendations in the sub-$3K range, I'm all ears. It appears to me that there are many good guitars available without spending too extravagantly - that makes me happy.
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
Salvador's email is below. He does not speak any english. If you contact him directly the guitars will be at least $500.00 less that what is on the website. That website is actually run by someone in the U.S. If you deal with him direct you will have to wire him the total cost of the guitar and wait 6 weeks for him to send it. I have bought 8 guitars this way without any problems.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
I was in Paracho about three years ago. There was a guy from Chicago there picking up a guitar Castillo had made for him. He played it a bit, and so did I. I thought it was a great guitar for the money.
Francisco Navarro and Arturo Huipe are two other Paracho makers I thought were good value for the money. I bought a Huipe cedar/cocobolo classical, and ordered an Abel Garcia spruce/Brazilian classical. I have been playing the Garcia a little for the last month, since returning to the USA to live. It is world class.
For calibration, I have a '67 Ramirez 1a cedar/cypress blanca an '82 Arcangel Fernandez spruce/cypress blanca and a '73 Romanillos spruce/Indian--among others.
Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
Hi everyone, How would you describe his guitars? Are they more towards the Conde-Madrid style or the Andalucian guitars? Im looking for a good Conde-like negra for the buck and I am seriously considering getting something from him. Any advise? Gracias. Saludos
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
Okay. So I was able to play again a Salvador Castillo. It sounds like a monster! Damn! Its a red blanca and It is the loudest freakin guitar I have ever played. 660 scale but very comfortable. It's a bit strange because I always thought those large condes are hard to play but this one is big too but comfy. Maybe the neck thickness and shape. Anyway after consistent experiences with it I have decided my next instrument will be his.
Any opinions on his negras though? I have yet to try one and I wonder how it plays and what It sounds like.
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to RTC)
quote:
IMO he is one of the top Mexican Guitar Maestros.
In Paco de Lucia's opinion, he is THE top Mexican guitar maker.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Alonte)
quote:
Any opinions on his negras though?
I own a spruce/Brazilian 660 and have ordered a spruce/palo escrito 650 (being made now). I also own a Castillo blanca. The fact that I own 2 and am buying a 3rd says something, I guess. The negra I have in hand now is a fantastic guitar, but has a somewhat classical sound. It's a cannon, but has very rich tonality, well suited to Sabicas' more lyrical style. Classical guitarists have offered to buy it from me, because they can get a very nice classical sound out of it and yet it has the easy action of a flamenco, which is a hard combination to find. So I can't say anything bad about the negra, but the more classical sound (more sustain, and less dry sounding) may not be a positive for some.
ALL Castillo's guitars are incredibly responsive. Which means loud, I guess. I feel like I'm driving a race car when I play them.
But I really love the blanca. I've honestly never played a better flamenco guitar, and I've tried Conde, Devoe, Bellido, Reyes, Ramirez, and a host of others side-by-side with the Castillo blanca. I've owned Ramirez and Manuel de la Chica and a few other top-end guitars. But I haven't touched any of them since I got my first Castillo.
It is possible I could have just "lucked out" buying this Castillo blanca sight unseen, but I am told that he is a very consistent builder, so I don't think I was lucky. I think he's just a fantastic luthier.
Think about it. Unless he's a member of a dynasty like Ramirez or Conde and can benefit from his family's reputation, all great luthiers have to go through a time when they are making great guitars but have not yet been discovered. The clients who can recognize that greatness BEFORE the maker becomes famous . . . those are the ones that get the real bargains AND the great guitars, because the luthier is still trying his best to build his reputation, yet can't command the prices of a Conde.
Castillo is one such luthier. His guitars are going up in price though. He is being discovered. About 3 years ago a Castillo blanca could be had for $800. A friend of mine just bought a Spanish cypres/spruce blanca for $2200. Even if you don't have the confidence to buy without relying on the label, you CAN buy based on the accelerating price.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to a_arnold)
I agree a lot with Tony, and I think his negras are very good, but I have 3 blancas here that are absolutely great beyond outstanding in my opinion, and I personally think his blancas have a littel something extra to them than his negras that I have played. Although great guitars they have not been quite as outstanding as his blancas for my taste.
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to chapman_g)
quote:
I personally think his blancas have a littel something extra to them than his negras that I have played.
Yeah. That's exactly right Michael. I can't say anything negative about his negras bcz they are absolutely outstanding guitars, but the blancas have something special beyond that.
I met a guy the other day who had spent a fortune on a very very good Conde -- one of those anniversary ones. He was very proud of it, and I was very complimentary of his guitar, I didn't say anything negative about it. It really was a fine guitar. But I left him to make his own comparison with my Castillo. When he played it the look of dismay on his face said it all. I didn't have the heart to tell him it had cost almost exactly one tenth of what he had spent.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
Posts: 37
Joined: Apr. 19 2010
From: San Antonio, TX
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
a_arnold:
How long till your Palo Escrito negra is finished? Do you have any Youtube vids of any of your Castillo guitars?
I think this is what I will order. I would love to hear it before I commission a guitar, but it is hard to wait... I have a Spanish-fluent friend that is going to contact Mr. Castillo for me directly.
What is the average wait time once a commission is ordered?
Has anyone ever asked Senor Castillo if he is familiar with, or would cut a soundport?
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to HeavyWood)
quote:
How long till your Palo Escrito negra is finished?
Probably another 2 weeks or so.
quote:
Do you have any Youtube vids of any of your Castillo guitars?
Yes:
Not great sound quality -- it was a digital cam microphone.
That is me on the left. Silviu (on the right) is playing my old Rafael Morales, but he just (2 weeks ago) received his new Castillo Blanca with spruce/spanish cypress (after making this video). His new Castillo has the new bracing system which really is much louder than the Morales.
I think the video on Salvador's web site has him playing the new bracing system in a blanca and the sound quality is better. This is it:
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to HeavyWood)
quote:
What is the average wait time once a commission is ordered?
Has anyone ever asked Senor Castillo if he is familiar with, or would cut a soundport?
His stated wait time is 40 days to make one.
I'm sure he would cut one if you asked. He's pretty accommodating. On my first negra I asked for mosaic inlay on back, sides, front, peghead, and bridge, and he did that cheerfully.
I asked him to use graphite instead of steel reinforcement in the neck, and he did that even though he had never used it before.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
Posts: 37
Joined: Apr. 19 2010
From: San Antonio, TX
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Mitch)
a_arnold,
Thanks for the video, and the time you have taken to answer my questions. The duo performance was very enjoyable. It gave me a better idea of the Castillo sound, especially blended with another guitar.
What is the action height of your guitar @ 12th fret?
Would I want the 'refuerzo de grafite' instead of the 'refuerzo de acero'? Thanks for pointing this out.
Anyone care to comment on metal vs. graphite/ebony reinforcement of the neck and impact on sound and weight?
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to a_arnold)
quote:
His new Castillo has the new bracing system which really is much louder than the Morales.
Okay but how does it compare to your older Castillos? Luthiers are always trying to make their next guitar better than the previous one right, and they are always fine tuning their methods bracing etc. But do they really actually achieve that goal and improve their product, or do they sometimes change what was great to something lesser, or is it sometimes just a change, just different because we human beings all hate to stay the same, we always want something new and different both the makers and the buyers?
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to chapman_g)
quote:
Okay but how does it compare to your older Castillos?
Right now, not as crisp or as loud, IMO, but it is close, and Silviu's new one isn't played in yet and my old Castillo has been played obsessively since Oct 2006 (at least 4 hours a day, every day), so it is apples to oranges.
I have to say the one that Salvador plays on his web site and youtube (with the new system) sounds brighter than my old one -- (almost too metallic, in fact) but I am comparing a recording of unknown qualities to my live sound. Also, I have Savarez bass and laBella golden trebles on mine (Sabicas' favored combo) and Salvador uses those d'Addario with the composite G, which has a very metallic sound.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to jshelton5040)
quote:
No need for reinforcement on Spanish Cedar if the wood is properly sawn and cured and the neck is sized correctly.
I agree. This is the only guitar I have ever had with reinforcement. I tried to get Salvador to leave it out, but he resisted that, so I settled for graphite, which weighs about the same as wood.
I can't imagine that the graphite has a significant effect on sound (compared with no reinforcement), but anything is possible.
I can't tell if the neck is properly cured. Maybe time will tell if ebony fingerboard and neck shrink differentially or something. All is stable up to now (I got my first Castillo in 2006).
The neck is very comfortable; I don't know what would be too thin for stability. Maybe John can tell us.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to HeavyWood)
quote:
What is the action height of your guitar @ 12th fret?
2.65mm between the bottom of the 6th string and the top of the 12th fret. I asked for an easy action. There is a little buzz when the strings are new and I am shredding a rasgueo. Just the right buzz for my taste. When I play classical on it (occasionally during an intermission or between scenes at a Corazon Flamenco performance I will do a solo of Tarrega, Villa Lobos, Granados, etc.) there's no buzz then, but I use a lighter touch for classical, and I always use strings that are 3 days old for an important public performance.
quote:
Would I want the 'refuerzo de grafite' instead of the 'refuerzo de acero'? Thanks for pointing this out.
I wanted graphite to keep the neck light. I hold it in the old-fashioned way, lower bout on thigh -- even for classical (gasp! very bad form, I know. I also don't use a footstool. So sue me.).
Graphite or steel will keep the neck stable, but I agree with John and wish Castillo would make them without reinforcement. Graphite is just the lesser of 2 evils.
However, I think the mass of the neck (also the mass of the back/sides -- see Fleta and Smallman construction) is a big factor in forcing the vibration to concentrate in the top, which yields more sustain. I prefer less sustain because I like individual strokes in rasgueado to be distinct. Too much sustain makes them muddy because they overlap. So I prefer a light weight guitar, and that means reducing mass even to the extent of using pegs, a cedar (instead of mahogany) neck, not to mention a light cypres back.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to GuitarVlog)
quote:
Does Salvador have any dealers in the US?
Beau Bledsoe, I believe.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to GuitarVlog)
quote:
I wish I could actually play a Castillo negra. I'd like to upgrade but I really have to play an instrument before buying it.
You're welcome to try mine if you live anywhere near N. Florida.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
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