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.
Hi guys, I've read a lot of positive reviews about this guitar on the internet. However, it is a classical guitar with 'flamenco-style' and so far these reviews have been praising the classical guitar.
Now, does anyone have an opinion about this guitar regarding Flamenco? I'm looking for a flamenco guitar and I came across this guitar. Can you play Flamenco on this guitar and how does it sound?
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Cordoba Gypsy Kings flamenco-sty... (in reply to cla11)
I use such a guitar regular. As it turns out, it is not so good a guitar to play flamenco or even proper rumba on. The skinny neck makes it very uncomfortable. I have played newer versions of the same design by Cordoba where the neck was more comfortable to play. Wish I had the model numbers for comparison. In anycase, the guitars' electronics work great for loud live playing. Very good balanced piezo as well. Acoustically these guitars sound surprisingly good for being so skinny.
Posts: 42
Joined: Mar. 23 2010
From: Dunstable, England
RE: Cordoba Gypsy Kings flamenco-sty... (in reply to cla11)
Hi cla11,
I have the 55-FCE model - I believe this has now been obsoleted and replaced with a cheaper, deeper (and bigger?) bodied Gypsy Kings model. As Ricardo says, the neck is a little thinner - by this I'm referring to the width at the nut being only 50mm rather than the more customary 52mm or even 53mm - I am assuming that Ricardo wasn't referring to the thickness of the neck - the 55-FCE has a fairly slim, but IMO quite comfortable neck.
Ricardo is right in that it doesn't sound very flamenco, but it's definitely not a classical guitar sound either. I bought it for its slim body (less feedback issues) and the built in electronics/pickups and use it for playing rhythm to latin style tunes with a jazz group I play with, and as I have to switch between a jazz archtop guitar (45mm at the nut) and the 55-FCE between numbers, I'm quite happy that it has a 50mm neck width.
I haven't tried the new version of the Gypsy Kings guitar, so you'll have to hope that someone else can give you more info on that.
Good luck - remember half the fun in buying a guitar is in the looking and trying!
RE: Cordoba Gypsy Kings flamenco-sty... (in reply to cla11)
Could I ask the specific model you are inquiring about? I have had experience with the Gypsy King models, GK Studio (blanca and negra) and GK Pro (blanca and negra).
If you are considering any of these guitars, I strongly urge you to consider investing your money towards a luthier vs a largely-produced brand name guitar. The cost will be similar, but a larger proportion of your money spent is going directly to the guitar rather than the advertising and other promotional aspects required for keeping a brand name guitar business afloat.
Printable Version
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