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More questions on Salvador Castillo (among others)...
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a_arnold
Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006
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RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to Alonte)
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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."
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 17 2010 17:39:58
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a_arnold
Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006
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RE: More questions on Salvador Casti... (in reply to HeavyWood)
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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."
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 21 2010 19:01:18
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