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Posts: 298
Joined: Jan. 19 2011
From: The Netherlands
1st blanca build
hello everyone,
let me introduce myself first, im Gimar Yestra from the netherlands. I've been building guitars for about 6 years now, mostly electrics, so this flamenco is going to be a completely new experience for me in terms of construction.
Ive been studying the building process of flamenco guitars for a while now, but I will most likely have some questions along the way.
I drew up a model based after a gerundino flamenco guitar, tweaked it a bit to my personal liking.
enough talking, pics
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Hello Gimar! the woods looks really nice my friend, also I like a lot the headstock design. Looking forward to see more pictures, good luck with your new project!
Looking good. I'm sure you will have all the technical skills needed to pull this off. Of course the thicknessing and bracing of the plates will be the main thing that's different from a steel string (and the Spanish foot). Are you going to copy the bracing from a Gerundino as well?
One minor point: when it comes to actually cutting the golpeador, make sure it goes down a little farther on the treble side.
Oh and study how Spanish makers shape the heel!! I can't stand how most steel string makers do it when they make a Spanish guitar With a big fat part at the top. Make it one graceful curve from bottom to top.
Oh and study how Spanish makers shape the heel!! I can't stand how most steel string makers do it when they make a Spanish guitar With a big fat part at the top. Make it one graceful curve from bottom to top.
thanks Rodrigo, I'll keep posting updates on the build, it might be a slow build though.
@ Deteresa1
Im just going to trust my intuition on the thickness and bracing, it has proven me right on most previous builds, and if it turns out bad I will learn from it.
I had the chance to inspect and play a '88 gerundino blanca, and compare them to a Anders Eliasson negra , and a conda A26 blanca. I liked the gerundino the most so I might brace it based on that guitar, or maybe in the style of Barbero.. I'm not completely sure yet.
Thanks for the tip on the golpeador, I have only played the guitars mentioned above, so im not too aware of those little players details.
I'm going to try to make the heel as much like flamenco guitars I've seen as possible, I feel it has to look elegant delicate since every aspect of a flamenco guitar is.
Making money as a full time guitar maker hasn't payd of yet :D so im going for a prefab rosette for this build.
Just looking at your neck that you have there. It is hard to tell so excuse me if you have done it already. It looks like the head may end up a bit on the chuncky side. Usually a head stock is about 20mm including vaneers. If you have to plane the head now to get that bit right it will move all of your neck measuements. I tend to glue the head vaneers on first then set out the measurements of the neck that way you cant go wrong easily.
I haven't glued the veneer on yet, after that I will final thickness the headstock from the back side, so all the measurement stay in the place I want them to be.
@ Anders,
I'm actually thinking of changing the headstock a bit, I made a little mold of the headstock today to see how it would work out, and I think the detail work is a bit too small to make it clearly visible after the headstock is finished.
be carefull with that pointy top. Dont bang it into lamps etc.
Ask Anders how he knows..jaja. we pointy headstock people have to be careful of a lot of things, like gouging yourself in the stomach while it's clamped in a vise. (ask me how I know)
You can plane the back of the headstock but the line at the base of the head piece will migrate up.. not that big of a deal but I like to have it directly opposite the end of the headplate veneers
I think the headstock design is good though, it looks good from a distance and you'll get the full detail close up.
I had the chance to inspect and play a '88 gerundino blanca, and compare them to a Anders Eliasson negra , and a conda A26 blanca. I liked the gerundino the most so I might brace it based on that guitar, or maybe in the style of Barbero.. I'm not completely sure yet.
I also finished thickness planing the cypress back, it's 2.2 mm now. It didn't seem like a very stiff piece, not perfectly quartered etc, so i dont feel like going any thinner at this point.
maybe someone who has some experience with cypress backs can give me some comment?
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Sean, are you refering to the cypress im using?? I have no idea what type of cypress it is actually. Curious if anyone could tell me something about it.
got the back braced today, I love the combined color of cypress, spruce and cedar together.
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Where did you get it from? it could be Mediterranean, I have seen some Med. Cypress that was that dark. Some of the quartersawn places look like Mediterranean
The unbraced pic especially really seems to show off a lot of short little lines that run east to west and the colour, looks like Monteray Cypress to me.
I got it off a dutch guitar maker who sells tonewood on the side. He got a log offered years ago from a retired harpsichord maker. He bought it, cut it and stored it.
Printable Version
With a big fat part at the top. Make it one graceful curve from bottom to top. 
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