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Traditional wood cejillas, if made correctly, should not damage a guitar. However, they are not idiot proof. I have seen some cejillas without a leather strap and in that configuration the nylon cord could do some damage to the back of the neck.
A well made cejilla will look good and work well on your guitar. They are also much lighter than the commercially available steel version you mentioned. For capos, IMHO, only the Jim Dunlop capo does a good job.
if designed correctly a cejilla will do absolutely no damage to a guitar. the key is to have a leather strap protect the neck from the string that makes the cejilla function. it applied correctly the leather rests against the neck with the string on the outside of the leather strap. rubber or vinyl tubing may do some superficial damage due to the material and how it interacts with lacquer or french polish. polyurethane should hold up to a nuclear bomb. ngiorgio makes good cejillas and you would do well to get one from him.
i have sold approximately 350 cejillas in the past 5 years and have yet to hear of anyone complaining about any damage to the neck.
nick, the wood and woodworking is nice but they still are constructed using two major faults (at least in my book). first, a single piece of leather used as the pad against the strings as well as the protection is not the best way to go for two reasons. first, leather indents quite a bit and eventually will wear requiring a completely new piece. a piece of firm rubber, the kind i have always used, gives a better grip and does not alter the tuning the way leather does. second, nylon string stretches too much and will eventually break. a synthetic material such as kevlar composite does not stretch and will last for years before breaking.
just my take on them and other cejillas. i got the idea of using a composite string from r.e.brune when i was in his place a few years ago--he was the originator.
nick--keep up the good work. invest in some composite string, aka, 17 guage tennis racket string. it is pretty inexpensive from amazon.
Yeah, [edited by Admin] stuff is pretty but pricey. I am tempted to try a few in the traditional style with the single leather strap. I have one from Spain which was made in the seventies and it still works great. As a user, I do prefer the grip from the rubber pad on bottom, though.
I am currently using a lot black nylon cord, as my biggest sellers are Ebony with black leather and black cord. All blacked out, so to speak. The all black look is popular, anyway the nylon cord which I am using is a bit stronger than typical nylon guitar strings. I also use a stronger nylon in clear for other models. For the last year and a half, I have included a lifetime warranty for my customers on breakage of the nylon cord. If it breaks, all they have to do is return the cejilla and I will fix it, free of charge. Haven't received one back yet.
I think that another key ingredient in a cejilla is how well the peg fits. If it fits properly and turns smoothly when tightening, they are a pleasure to use.
Does a Cejilla always stay on the guitar, or can it be released without having to undo the string completely from the peg?
A cejilla is very simply removed by loosening the peg and taking it out of the cejilla body. The string stays attached to both the cejilla body as well as the peg.
jeff, the string remains attached to body and peg via melted end which forms a "ball". cejillas are very easy to use and are pretty much hassle free. and you cannot beat having wood rather than metal holding your strings down onto a wooden fretboard.
ngiorgio's capos are beautiful. But I had the same concerns raised by kieth. Do you guys know anyone who makes a cejilla with the rubber on the string side and a nylon chord with a leather strap?
This and the extra hard tension threads have my eyebrow (he he) raising guys....
I mean of all the horrible things that can really hurt your guitar.....cejilla and putting strings on it??? What's next, golpe's? Should we really be doing THAT to our flamenco guitars?
i have sold approximately 350 cejillas in the past 5 years and have yet to hear of anyone complaining about any damage to the neck.
True, I have a few of Keith's made and they are perfect. Sole but simply cosmetic improvement, and absolutely subjective, I would prefer a less intrusive, soft clear rubber tube to tie around the neck instead of a leather strap.
Yet, since they are perfect, why indulging change, a dangerous whim?
gj: thanks. by the way, the leather i used for your cejillas came from the bull that was killed in the ring while sabicas and paco were in attendance. this was the only time the two sat together watching a bull fight. unfortunately i was unable to get "royal" cypress from the last cypress tree cut down at the alhambra or spruce cut from the secret grove stradivari used to make his violins.....
akatune--you will be ok using a cejilla...not to worry. i would be more concerned with a person's sanity sitting through 90 minutes listening to those damn vuvuzela droning at the world cup. go to e-bay to get one of nick's cejilla or stringsbymail to get one of mine. i am sure if you e-mail nick (ngiorgio) you two could come up with a cejilla designed just for you. it is worth the shot.
ngiorgio's capos are beautiful. But I had the same concerns raised by kieth. Do you guys know anyone who makes a cejilla with the rubber on the string side and a nylon chord with a leather strap?
Akatune, thanks for the kind words. My cejillas are made with a piece of black rubber on the bottom (which contacts the strings) and a leather strap which protects the back of the neck from the nylon cord. Keith also makes his in that manner.
Akatune: Nick's cejilla would be a good choice and I bet you can get him to make a wood combo to your liking. I am temporarily on hiatus as I as of this moment back in Boston with an interview this afternoon and relocation looks to be a definite in my future. My ability to make a custom cejilla will be limited for a while. I convinced Nick to go with the rubber pad a long time ago which he did.
gj: I do have that pink lady ready for you and can use a vinyl tube if you so desire.
gj: do you remember the e-mail i sent a few weeks ago about making a cejilla out of pink ivory--the pink lady? you were enroute somewhere when you received it. it is a pink body with ebony peg (with a gold top).
gj: do you remember the e-mail i sent a few weeks ago about making a cejilla out of pink ivory--the pink lady? you were enroute somewhere when you received it. it is a pink body with ebony peg (with a gold top).
oooh.. yes you had mentioned it. Of course, I belive I am officially the custodian of a vast collection of your work and will not miss this splendid addition. Brilliant. send me an email when you are back home and we will make proper arrangements.
Thank you, Keith. I am excited.
Hey ... Perhaps we could have a Cejilla competition on the forum?
My cejillas are made with a piece of black rubber on the bottom (which contacts the strings) and a leather strap which protects the back of the neck from the nylon cord. Keith also makes his in that manner.
On your website, I noticed standard and delux models. It appears the difference is the detail of the pattern and wood used?
I use a very soft poly/cotton blend cord that is too thick and soft to mar even the softest cedar neck. I've used my carved ebony (and other design) capos for 30 years and sold too many to remember. Never had a complaint. To move it, just loosen the peg (without removing it) and slide it along the neck, then retighten. When I'm not using it, I slip it above the nut and tighten it just enough to keep it from slipping.
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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."
Recieved ngiorgio's cejilla this week in the mail. It's really nice. The color of the walnut looks nice with the guitar and fits well. Both ngiorgio and a_arnold's cejilla are beautiful. I'm really excited to use them this week in practice and performance.
I use a very soft poly/cotton blend cord that is too thick and soft to mar even the softest cedar neck. I've used my carved ebony (and other design) capos for 30 years and sold too many to remember. Never had a complaint. To move it, just loosen the peg (without removing it) and slide it along the neck, then retighten. When I'm not using it, I slip it above the nut and tighten it just enough to keep it from slipping.
I would like to try the cord that you use. Would you reveal a brand or a suggestion as to where I might be able to purchase some of it?
I get it at a local fabric store that sells supplies to dressmakers. I think it is used as piping on the edge of pillows or something. It took a lot of experimentation to find something the right size: it needs to be fat and soft (so it wouldn't mar a guitar) and yet it has to be compressed enough to go through a small hole in a peg -- the hole has to be small enough that it doesn't weaken the peg. They sell it off spools. I will have to ask them who their supplier is.
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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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