A Prudencio Saez classical modified to be a crossover flamenca

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Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

A Prudencio Saez classical modified ...

Hi there, this is my first thread. I have converted/
modified my classical guitar into a flamenco.

Here is the list of what has been done in 3 months
time:

1. Frets sanded and polished to get rid of the useless
factory finish
1a. Headstock modified
1b. Bone replaced upper and lower saddles lowered considerably
resulting in a height of 2.8 mm at 12th fret from around 4mm
2. Fretboard sanded to a silky smooth finish
3. The polyurethane top, back and sides sanded down to
bare wood.
4. Cedar top and mahogany back were sanded down
to almost 2 mm.
5. Neck was thinned with a less curved profile 21mm
0th and 23 at 12th fret
6. Sounboard and back were pore filled with vernica
bianca top 21 back 18 layers
7. Soundboard painted on with base earth material in
red
8. Soundboard, back and sides were touched with
dark brown and black to give a vintage contrabass
effect
9. Guitar brush polished with a mixture of 5 resins
(Mastic, pine resin (colophone), sandrac, liquidambar orientalis, and yellow gommalaca)
10. Padauk golpes glued on both sides of the soundhole
11. Finishing layers of yellow and blonde gommalaca with sandrac resin brushed
all over and sanded

I was curious about the resulting sound. The feedback
from a famous flamenco player was a positive one,
except that it was a bit more difficult one to play as it
converted from a classical guitar. Other than that it
really sounded better than it was with a typical punchy
percussive sound of a flamenco guitar with a hint of a
classical as the braces were not touched at all

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 12:26:04

Tom Blackshear

Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Earloflondon)

This seems to be a lot of work. Words are good but pictures of this work are better.

What prompted you to do this?

I'm sure you have a story to tell.

_____________________________

Tom Blackshear Guitar maker

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 12:43:29

Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Tom Blackshear)

This is the picture of how it was 4 days ago, with minor make up for a classical guitar enthusiasts convention, after a long night of glue removal off the fretboard from a long standing masking tape. I learnt two lessons from this; how to remove it from wood and why I should put fresh tape frequently. As I was left with very little time for a proper finish the guitar turned up quite unpresantable. Some luthiers were quite reserved in approaching the guitar like they saw a freak, and one particular luthier openly scolded at me by saying he would never ever do such a thing, like I adked him :). Anyway, the only two guys who were startled by it was a cajon player and a guitar student. I was lucky that a flamenco player was there, and played it. He found the sound quite well, though he found the playability harder compared to those of his guitars custom manufactured in line with his way of playing.

I decided to name my guitars rather than numbering them. This one is named Guitarra Flamenca Pasion Diabolica

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 12:51:49

Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Earloflondon)

The guitar was like this in the beginning

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 19:40:57

Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Earloflondon)

This one is a picture of one the modification stages. The final glossy finish shall be like so, as in the picture below

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 19:57:43

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Earloflondon)

You masked the bridge, why didn't you mask the rosette? It would have been much more pleasing cosmetically.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 6 2016 23:04:12

Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to jshelton5040)

I did it in the beginning. But I decided to let the varnish infuse into the rosette, as I thought a vintage look could be had by giving the instrument a history of having been repaired several times, and partially locally not totally. I'd like to remind that the whole work had been motivated by an experimental urge.
1. I wondered if this quasi conversion would work
2. I wondered about the varnishing impact on performance

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 7 2016 4:39:25

Earloflondon

Posts: 21
Joined: Jul. 6 2016

RE: A Prudencio Saez classical modif... (in reply to Earloflondon)

Here is another set of photos on the line. Those are FPd not brush polished. Removed the polish to brush thicker layers that can be sanded down like a window glass.
I discovered that, most of you I believe might have already, a thicker gum like polishing material becomes harder as it gets brushed layer over layer and I was able to obtain a thick but easily repairable finish. Easier to repair compared to FP.