HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made in Spain

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Bluesheavy

Posts: 2
Joined: Nov. 5 2013

HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made in ...

First I'd like to say while I'm a new member I have been to this forum a ton of times and found many fascinating conversation. I decided to join as I could not find a thread that discussed whether or not it made more sense to purchase a top of the line handmade Flamenco Guitar from Mexico aka Navarro Reyes model or a factory made guitar with the name of a well recognized builder from Spain? Obviously I would love a handmade from Spain; however, my budget and my playing don't warrant such a purchase. I do feel as though I have found my passion with Flamenco guitar and that is why I'm ready to step up to something a bit better than a student model.
Thank you

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Nicho

I don't know anything about the Restaurant Business... ALL I know is how to sit down and order the meal...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2013 0:08:45

C. Vega

Posts: 379
Joined: Jan. 16 2004

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bluesheavy

Obviously I would love a handmade from Spain; however, my budget and my playing don't warrant such a purchase. I do feel as though I have found my passion with Flamenco guitar and that is why I'm ready to step up to something a bit better than a student model.

Think used.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2013 2:14:36

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

quote:

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bluesheavy

Obviously I would love a handmade from Spain; however, my budget and my playing don't warrant such a purchase. I do feel as though I have found my passion with Flamenco guitar and that is why I'm ready to step up to something a bit better than a student model.

Think used.

I agree. And go test as many guitars as you can (used, new ones, mexican, Spanish, Chinese, Danish etc.). Its all experience. Try to focus not only on sound and technical meassurements. Try to focus on feel and what makes you sound well and feel good.

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Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2013 8:36:09

RobJe

Posts: 731
Joined: Dec. 16 2006
From: UK

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

quote:

Obviously I would love a handmade from Spain

If you have a dream why compromise it by buying a new factory guitar that will lose a considerable part of its monetary value as soon as you take it out of the case? If you are able to find one, go for a used guitar that you can trade on with less loss. Practice hard and move towards your dream.
Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2013 10:43:23

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

Don't think in terms of "factory made in spain" VS "hand built mexican" VS "god made in heaven" etc.

Sometimes "hand built" is small factory anyway ;)

You might prefer a Salvador Castillo over a hand built spanish guitar or vice versa.
You might prefer a 3.000 Euro Anders Elliasson over a $15.000 old Archangel.
You might prefer a used 2000 Euro Sanchis Lopez 1F from spain over a 8000 Euro guitar from another spanish maker.
(Or you might prefer a used factory Conde over anything else :D , sorry couldn't resist ;) )

etc. etc.

Its more about the concept of the guitar brand, playability, sound, pulsation, feel, etc. which is personal taste and also
anatomy of the body and fingers of different players and their experience (and which will change most of the time for many guitar
players anyway during their journey).

So yeah, just try out different guitars and see what you like and don't divide guitars in those categories.

And yes, the good thing about guitars is that used guitars are sometimes even better than new ones if treated well and played.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2013 11:03:08

Bluesheavy

Posts: 2
Joined: Nov. 5 2013

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

I have played guitar for years before starting on the flamenco journey and when looking for an electric guitar I never looked at the headstock I would always go by feel and sound. The problem is in the states it is so difficult to find flamenco guitars to try out. Life would be easy for me if I could walk in to a store and try out a ton of guitars but it just doesn't exist. Buying a flamenco guitar off of eBay is not something I would do so I feel as though I'm kind of stuck between acquiring a new factory made guitar or a hand made Mexican. I truly wouldn't care where a guitar was made I would play as many as I could and then decide based on sound and feel it just seems impossible to pull that off. That is why I'm trying to get feedback from players.

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Nicho

I don't know anything about the Restaurant Business... ALL I know is how to sit down and order the meal...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2013 2:26:03

Guest

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

quote:

Life would be easy for me if I could walk in to a store and try out a ton of guitars but it just doesn't exist

could be worse...i live in Australia.
we have a few dealers here
so it involved a few domestic flights to checkout anything as nothing in the town i live in

i ended up with used guitars both times..not due to budget but totally on sound and feel
i upgraded from a ramirez 1A to a Manuel Caceres Blanca
lucky both these were in the country
luckier that Diego Losada moved the Caceres while touring here..

i agree that the instrument should be played before purchase..unless maybe your having one made to the specs of a model you have already tried.

best of luck..it took me a good 6 months before i had my first flamenco guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2013 2:36:46

FlamencoD

Posts: 113
Joined: Apr. 7 2012
From: Portland, OR

RE: HANDMADE Mexican vs Factory made... (in reply to Bluesheavy)

Yes it's true, it's almost impossible here in the US to just go play a bunch of nice flamenco guitars to find one you like, particularly depending on where you live. That said, I have a Navarro Concert Blanca flamenco and I love it. In addition to the Navarro Reyes, you should also consider Andy Culpepper (USA made) and Anders Eliasson (Spanish made), both active members here on the forum and respected luthiers with reasonable prices, esp their 2A models. Castillo is another Mexican luthier already mentioned who has a good reputation.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2013 4:56:31