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Thanks Ethan! I've been saving that top to go with the flamed maple. Akustik Tonewood threw it in for free with an order of Spruce a few years ago. I guess some makers don't like bearclaw but the guitar sounds great...
Posts: 79
Joined: Mar. 19 2015
From: Panama (living in South Florida)
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
Andy: Beautiful work as usual! You are keeping yourself busy! What number is that? 63?
Ethan: Gorgeous guitar! that rosette is beautiful, intricate work for sure!
Stephen: That is a very cool rosette! I don't know much about painters but the patterns and colors remind me of southwestern art. I hope my ignorance doesn't offend you.
I grew up in the Southwest so your observation makes sense. I looked at my friends collections of Navajo rugs and Acoma pottery a lot as a teen and early 20's.
That Arabic pattern Brown-black-brown or Brown -white- brown I use for a border also makes reference to this:
Romanillos' rosette is a literal iconographic picture. Look up his rosette. The one I use is abstracted from same Mezquita motif.
On the Mezquita arches the B/W/B/W alternating colors don't have a border of black. They are just plain arches with no border. The rosette I make has the same idea behind it. (To be really literal in explaining what I am thinking about. )
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RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to HolyEvil)
quote:
Love this rosette mate. Love your work. If anyone is thinking about getting an axe from him, Stephen makes awesome guitars, I'm loving my maple blan-gra.
I'm so happy it's making you happy. I'd like to hear you and hear it someday.
For the aesthetics of American Indian´s decoration and symbols (which I love) me would like to see obvious borrowings of it in rosettes. If possibly put into sequence of what is mostly seen in rosettes of Spanish guitars, just the better, but not indispensably. Same for motifs displaying a torro.
When seeking for a design once, I tried to intigrate a correspondingly stylized miniature eagle with the help of the tyling program kindly provided by a dear foro member, only that I was too clueless to wrap my head around the program. -
Andy, that guitar with the incredible bear claw (never seen such before) and accomplishing design looks simply amazing; even complementarily making those plain concentric rings looking tasteful (which otherwise to me would appear as carelessly dull).
Only that I liked your former headstock shape much better.
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to estebanana)
quote:
I think despite the fact they were made for a bargain market they carry an elegance and clarity
quote:
nice sizeable fields of black are very satisfying
I agree with you both.
I have always admired Ethan, Andy and Stephen's rosettes. I have yet to meet one of their guitars in real life but I really enjoy seeing them here, thank you for posting.
I had Jeronimo Perez build me a guitar earlier this year and I designed a rosette of just black rings inspired by Torres and Esteso. I elaborated on the purfling and tie block, which is Jeronimo's design. The rosette is basic but it really works well when you are at least a few feet away.
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Very very nice. It reminds me the rosettes of Carmona which I love for their simple and effective design. Did you get to have also the headstock modified according to your specifications?
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to estebanana)
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I'm going to do a plain concentric circle like the Tatay with green a white lines and brown border.
How nice to see this old "Sons of Tatay" label with the address Literato Azorin 13. Back in 1962 I was seriously ill in Valencia and ended up recuperating in a top floor flat at Literato Azorin 11. Out of my bedroom window I could see the shady courtyard behind no 13 where they appeared to be putting cheap guitars out for the finish to dry.
At a time when the production of cheap plywood guitars was on the rise in Spain, you could buy a simply constructed Tatay made of solid wood for about the same price. OK - they didn't always last long but they were good fun to play. When beginners ask for recommendations for a cheap flamenco guitar it would be great to find something like this to recommend.
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to RobJe)
quote:
How nice to see this old "Sons of Tatay" label with the address Literato Azorin 13. Back in 1962 I was seriously ill in Valencia and ended up recuperating in a top floor flat at Literato Azorin 11. Out of my bedroom window I could see the shady courtyard behind no 13 where they appeared to be putting cheap guitars out for the finish to dry.
At a time when the production of cheap plywood guitars was on the rise in Spain, you could buy a simply constructed Tatay made of solid wood for about the same price. OK - they didn't always last long but they were good fun to play. When beginners ask for recommendations for a cheap flamenco guitar it would be great to find something like this to recommend.
Good story. Longer version would be great in Off Topic. I've had two or three Tatay's come through the shop over the years, never super duper, but they have something, some charm.
For me opctics rather relate when the guitar restst on a stand after a satisfactory session. Sometimes then looking at it and enjoying its aesthetics.
Somehow, I have always found them good-looking for what they can do, yet sure enjoy an overall well-made arrangement of proportions and colors.
- Which is why I don´t understand why a to my taste beautiful crown like A would be traded in for a shape like B; which again wouldn´t ever keep me from playing with guitar B, but when laying back, thanking a wonderful instrument for its lovely practical properties, the eyes would celebrate just the more to follow lines of A.
But maybe my kind of taste is outdated.
Ruphus
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Ruphus, I have to say I agree with you about my usual headstock design. On this latest one I wanted to experiment with doing my variation on a Hauser style headstock with the square ramps etc as I think it fits the whole aesthetic better. But in general I prefer the pointy version (especially for flamenco) :)
Interesting link. I didn´t know that RW was used on guitars that early already. (Or maybe wasn´t attentive enough when watching images of antique axes on the internet.)
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
Hey Andy! Thanks for this new blanca, man. I lowered the action a little to suit my style (with no loss in power or response) but other than that, everything is spot on. You've made at least 3 of my best guitars obsolete. It has the strong points of all those guitars combined into one is what I mean. This blanca has huevos and complexity of sound at the same time, which is very hard to find in a single guitar as one would come to realize. Actually, it delivers ALL I need to play flamenco in correct balance & blend which will make most if not all flamenco players very satisfied. Beauty of tone/voice, percussiveness, power, mid-range punch, depth, articulation, vibrancy, bell-like ring, crunch, shape of the neck, being able to just use J45 medium tension strings, (hahaha) you name it, it's ALL there. Inredible specially being brand new! What more can one ask for? I can't put it down!
Your craftsmanship is also almost flawless with just little hints of being handmade, which is what I love since I don't want it looking factory made. I've decided to sell my other guitars so I'm double happy, lol. Your style of guitar will suit a type of player who only wants one guitar or maybe two - a blanca & a negra. And oh, I just love that carved nut bone, man. Very classy and really makes you feel like you have something unique. Please don't stop doing that.
I knew I was making the right choice when I chose a flamenco freak-turned guitar maker such as yourself to make me the guitar I've been searching for ever since I realized what makes a great flamenco guitar. I'm really happy with this decision. I know I can spend more money & time to find the guitar I've been picturing/hearing/feeling in my head but why do that when there are luthiers such as yourself, right?
We are about the same age so I will be getting guitars from you and grow with your craft through the years. I'm really interested in how much more you will improve this thing since you are just a pup compared to most. Great plan right? Haha.
Thanks again, Andy! I'll keep in touch. Mel
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Mel, I am really touched man. It's incredible to get feedback like that because I spend so much time thinking and working on how to make the BEST flamenco guitars, according to the ideal sound/feel in my head, and to know that the customer appreciates the same things as me makes it all worthwhile. Enjoy it, and I'll certainly look forward to working with you again in the future.
Nice rosette. Is it pre-made or hand made? Is this the rosette of the guitar of the last video? Also the headstock seems a little different from your current design. Can you please give some details more about that guitar? Thanks
Thanks Echi, The rosette is a premade one. For the headstock we actually did a copy of a Gerundino design. I decided not to post pictures because I thought people might get confused and think the guitar was supposed to be a strict Gerundino copy. The guitar is more just inspired by Gerundino. It is the one in the last video I posted.
Ethan, I can't watch many YouTube videos due to crappy internet bandwidth caps (satellite - yuck, we're working on changing it) but I have to say I've always admired that display case you have. I'm assuming you made it yourself? Great looking blanca too!
Posts: 1696
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA
RE: "Luthiers share your creati... (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
Thanks, Andy. Yeah, I made that cabinet when I got serious about guitar making. Mahogany was cheaper back then.
I thought you were going to say that you can't watch many videos of people trying to play Cepa Andaluza! (I find some of them hard to watch and hear myself.) I know I'm playing it way too slowly here but it's fairly clear and a start.
It was a project. I did build 4 "Red Ladies". All guitars have a maple back/sides and neck with padouk fingerboards/bridges, only the tops (2 Luts and 2 Euro Spruce) were different. They have a Romanillos bracing pattern.
The first guitar I finished (not on the pictures) is back on the surgery table. It sounded nice but but lacked too much power (very stiff top). So I took of the bridge and I'm thinning down the top as we speak.
The other 3 are sounding great and powerfull. Especially on the high notes. Very even on the whole of the fingerboard. Basses are sparkeling, they could be a bit stronger, but maybe this will grow in the next days/weeks.
Overall I'm very happy with the outcome. The next few will be Cedar/Walnut combo's.
Best regards,
Edzard
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