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I finished my first guitar some time ago but barely got around to posting the photos. It's built according the plans of Marcelo Barbero's 1951 flamenco Sabicas used on the 'Flamenco Puro' album.
Spruce top, cypress back and sides. 663mm scale, 53mm nut. Rosewood fingerboard, Schaller machine tuners with ebony knobs. Head design(my own), rosette(pre-made). Yes, the strings are reversed. I am El Zurdo!
I will soon get some recording equip. and record a sample. It came out pretty nice. It has somewhat of an "old school"/gipsy sound". My guess it is because of the 5 fan strut pattern. The top is a bit more flexible than say a guitar with 7 struts.
Yeah the head is a bit "crazy". You know how it is when you start a new project and you want to go all out? that's what happened here. My new head design is more simple, elegant and a bit more traditional.
Great to see you got it finished. Mine cracked up and is consigned to be an unusual wall hanging But even that gave me a deeper appreciation of the art.
But even that gave me a deeper appreciation of the art.
That's exactly what it's done for me. If your still interested in building a guitar, don't give up. You have a luthier nearby who will give you great advise. That is if he's not burned out on giving advise after all that he gave me during my journey. If I am able to be half the builder Eliasson is, I'll be a damn good builder.
Tom, I've seen the photos of you guitar before, and I can just repeat what I said before: I think it looks like a great guitar and not just a great number one. Keep up the good spirit and build some more.
For guitar smellers: cypress with cedar top smells very good. But the best thing is to plane cypress and bend rosewood on a hot pipe. Ohh that's what make me live.
Tom, I've seen the photos of you guitar before, and I can just repeat what I said before: I think it looks like a great guitar and not just a great number one. Keep up the good spirit and build some more.
For guitar smellers: cypress with cedar top smells very good. But the best thing is to plane cypress and bend rosewood on a hot pipe. Ohh that's what make me live.
Thank you my friend. There's a little bit of Anders Eliasson in this guitar too. You've been an inspiration and your advise was a huge help to me, you have no idea.
The smell of cypress and cedar is almost intoxicating. Planing and scraping rosewood is also nice.
When are we going to see the next one???? and what will it be. Hopefully not the Rodriguez copy you are making following online apprendice, because it looks like it'll take forever.
When are we going to see the next one???? and what will it be. Hopefully not the Rodriguez copy you are making following online apprendice, because it looks like it'll take forever.
No, not the Rodriguez. I was doing that to learn a little about 'classical' building. The next one is another blanca but this one will be the first one that will begin to reflect me and my visions of the kind of guitars I want to make. I love doing this. I want to be a builder when I grow up
Remember that many of the very finest builders like Hernandez y Aguado, Robert Bouchet and many others started very late with the guitar building. So you have plenty of time to reach your goal. Age is not a bad thing when it comes to building guitars. It's a very lonesome process.
Remember that many of the very finest builders like Hernandez y Aguado, Robert Bouchet and many others started very late with the guitar building.
I did not know this Anders. This really gives me hope. I know that there are other more important factors that determines ones success as a builder. I'm glad age is at the bottom.
quote:
It's a very lonesome process.
I don't mind. I'm actually a loner and prefer to be alone. It's hard to find alone time though when you have a wife and kids.
Great job, Tom. I totally dig that headstock. Have you uploaded audio example so we can give it a listen? How did you get started in luthiery?
Thanks. Sorry for the late reply. Haven't been around in a while. I have no audio yet of my guitars but I'm working on that. I've always been fascinated by guitar making and I finally decided to just do it. I've read a ton of books and asked many questions to many builders. Just ask Anders how much I bugged him
Just out of curiosity, is it true that cypress sides are harder to make than rosewood ones?
Hi Ryan
By make do you mean is cypress harder to work than rosewood? as in bending, sanding and finishing? If this is what you mean I would have to say yes based on my experiences with it.. I find cypress easier to bend although I've heard some people say it was a little more difficult for them. It's not as porous as rosewood so it's easier to finish.
Did you opt to make a jig and use blankets to bend the sides or did you "pipe" bend them. Just curious, I am assembling what I need to work on my first build. I am thinking of building a jig. It would seem to make subsequent guitars easier. What is your opinion? What book did you use for guidance?
Did you opt to make a jig and use blankets to bend the sides or did you "pipe" bend them. Just curious, I am assembling what I need to work on my first build. I am thinking of building a jig. It would seem to make subsequent guitars easier. What is your opinion? What book did you use for guidance?
Hi Cordova,
For this guitar I used the bending iron which was a pain. I'm sure it gets easier the more you do it. For the ones I'm working on now, I built a side bending machine. I get the same results everytime with little effort. It was rather easy and cheap. You can buy the Fox bending machine for something crazy like $500. For the materials, it cost me only $35 and a little bit of sweat. If you send me an email I can send you a photo of mine as a reference if you like.
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But even that gave me a deeper appreciation of the art. 
Guitar looks nice. So you're gonna continue building flamenco guitars or leave it there? 
. Without such art there would be no possibility of writing the beautiful music of flamenco. Synergy. 
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