Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
|
|
|
Is there a new Yamaha flamenco model out?
|
You are logged in as Guest
|
|
Users viewing this topic: none
|
|
Login  | |
|
   
vuduchyld
Posts: 170
Joined: Feb. 20 2011
|
 RE: Is there a new Yamaha flamenco m... (in reply to vuduchyld)
|
|
|
Hey, GV, thank you for doing some research...you are more knowledgeable than I am about how to find info!
I'd kinda rather NOT get the inexpensive Yamaha, but I've been studying for almost a year now on a SUPER nasty Eterna EC-15 classical guitar. I've been playing guitar in general for 20+ years, though, so I've learned enough that my guitar is really, truly holding me back right now. Whenever I pick up even a low-end Cordoba in Guitar Center, I can tell a huge difference in action, string tension, and other feedback.
Been considering the Francisco Navarro student blanca, but my dilemma is that my wife is a dancer (she has been dancing for more than a decade and she is very good). I will almost certainly be playing gigs with her, so if a cheap Yamaha has a pickup, I could easily see fit to start cheaper and keep saving for a nicer guitar.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Mar. 8 2011 14:05:03
 |
|
vuduchyld
Posts: 170
Joined: Feb. 20 2011
|
|
RE: Is there a new Yamaha flamenco m... (in reply to GuitarVlog)
|
|
|
quote:
You don't have any perfect choices out there among tight-budget guitars but these are what you can consider:
* The old Yamaha CGX171SFC (as mentioned by Ramzi) which has both an internal goose-neck mic and undersaddle pickup (LR Baggs, I think). I haven't played one but my gigging friends like its amplified tone. Its drawback is that the nut width is narrower and I've been told that its un-amped tone is not as good as the CG171SF. It has a cutaway.
* The Cordoba GK Studio uses a Fishman Presys blend pickup (Presys is Fishman's budget line. I think they bought-out a small company that made these.). I've played a couple and the un-amped tone is good. The amped tone through a budget acoustic amp was okay but a better amp might improve it. Nut width is also narrower and it has a cutaway. Back and sides are laminated cypress.
* The upcoming Yamaha NCX700 (mentioned in that photo above and available at some retailers already). This is technically a classical guitar so the tone should be evaluated carefully (I haven't played it). It uses Yamaha's new A.R.T. pickup system and I've read good reviews about it. The nut width is wide like a typical flamenco guitar and it has a cutaway. It has no golpeador installed. Back and sides are laminated mahogany.
Maybe you can just buy a Navarro and have a pickup installed. I think that'd be better than spending slightly less money on a still-less-than-suitable solution.
Great stuff, GV. Really appreciate the info. I like the idea of having a pickup installed on the Navarro, too, now that you mention it. I don't love the thought of narrower at the nut. Also, I far prefer a blanca to a mahogany classical.
I have played two of the GK models...both, sadly, at Guitar Center. In Overland Park, KS, the thing was such a complete piece of junk that one of the employees literally apologized and said they could order a new one if I was interested in playing one...the one I played had action at probably 6mm at the 12th fret. The strings were corroded. Any time one tapped the soundboard, it buzzed and rattled because a brace was loose. Terrible setup and maintenance. In Tulsa, OK, the one I played was actually very nice, but I had such a bad taste in my mouth, I wasn't tempted.
I didn't realize that the CG171SFC was so different...thought it was just an added pickup and maybe an optional cutaway. Bah humbug.
I called my local Yamaha dealer and asked them to call their Yamaha rep. If I can get something that isn't narrower at the nut that does have a pickup and I can do it for $300-350, I probably will. Otherwise...probably the Navarro or something else.
As for Ramzi, yeah, he seems to be making progress! Not that I would try to make excuses at all and I think the player is 100x more important than the guitar, but the one I have is really mushy...sounds awful and I really worry that I'm picking up bad habits that won't serve me well later. And...my wife (the dancer!) is demanding that I get a new guitar! How often does that happen?!? I need to do it...for HER!!!!
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Mar. 8 2011 21:48:54
|
|
GuitarVlog
Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area
|
|
RE: Is there a new Yamaha flamenco m... (in reply to vuduchyld)
|
|
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: vuduchyld
In Tulsa, OK, the one I played was actually very nice, but I had such a bad taste in my mouth, I wasn't tempted.
That's the main reason I'm reluctant to recommend any of the Chinese-made Cordobas. In general, they have the potential to have better tone than Yamaha. However, Cordoba's quality control can be very disappointing. Yamahas may be relatively unexciting but they're reliable, well-built, and great value for the money.
I've played a lot of Cordobas thinking they might make for a nice albeit very modest upgrade from my Yamaha CG171SF. In the end, I decided otherwise.
But keep checking the Cordobas out whenever you run into them. You might find a gem. The Cordoba F7 is $500 and the all-solid F10 is $900. You can find also them discounted 15-20% during holidays. The F7 was selling for $400 (with a $100-off promo coupon) just last week.
quote:
ORIGINAL: vuduchyld
I called my local Yamaha dealer and asked them to call their Yamaha rep. If I can get something that isn't narrower at the nut that does have a pickup and I can do it for $300-350, I probably will.
If you go that route, then you'll probably wind-up buying the CG182SF (whenever it becomes available) for $300-350, or a used CG171SF for $250-$275 and installing a pickup. Good pickups can cost a bit too!
My contacts at Yamaha haven't yet emailed me back about the CG182SF.
quote:
ORIGINAL: vuduchyld
Otherwise...probably the Navarro or something else.
... And...my wife (the dancer!) is demanding that I get a new guitar! How often does that happen?!? I need to do it...for HER!!!!
You realize that this is like you've got written permission if not a direct order. As my last teacher taught me, "You never do anything to piss-off your dancers!!"
If you wind-up with a Navarro Estudio, you'll at least want to swap-out the tuning machines. They work fine but they're cheap and look cheap. I guess Sr. Navarro had to cut costs somewhere. Of course, I've seen fugly cheap tuners even on $1k+ Spanish-made guitars. You can find lyra-shaped gold tuning machines (with molded hardware and high-quality plastic pearloid buttons) from Ping or from Gotoh for $50-$70 shipped. I installed a set of Gotohs on my Yamaha.
_____________________________
Upgraded Yamaha CG171SF
The Guitar Student Journal
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Mar. 8 2011 22:38:30
|
|
vuduchyld
Posts: 170
Joined: Feb. 20 2011
|
|
RE: Is there a new Yamaha flamenco m... (in reply to vuduchyld)
|
|
|
One of the two GK models I played was actually quite nice. I enjoyed playing it. Eventually when I have the time, money, and inclination to have a few more guitars in my nylon-string arsenal, I could imagine that there could be a place in the lineup for a GK or something similar.
Since I'm basically shopping for my first flamenco guitar, though, I think I would like to stick with something more traditional. I could imagine something with a pickup, but I think I'd really prefer standard size.
If anybody is following that is curious about the Yamha, I called my local guitar store that carries Yamaha. It's a locally-owned store, but they are huge around the country in the bluegrass community and they move a lot of Taylor guitars through there. I've ordered a Taylor through them and had a great experience.
Anyway, they called me back today and said that, yes, they could order a CG172SF from Yamaha for $329.99. The guitar is available.
I asked about a model with a pickup, delivery time, and whether or not any models with pickup had a different width at the nut. They will get back to me tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Mar. 11 2011 0:41:32
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts
|
|
|
Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET |
0.078125 secs.
|
Printable Version
