crossover nylon string guitars worth recommending

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rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

crossover nylon string guitars worth...

hi guys

I would like to ask you for help. I have small hands therefore I would like to buy crossover flamenco guitar that sounds well. Can you recommend any guitars like that ? My budget is 1000 pounds.

I wonder if flamenco crossover guitars exist ? If they don't I would be interested in any type of crossover nylon string guitar. I was thinking about cordoba 12 but don't know if this guitar is good or not .

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 23 2017 22:51:58

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

I think of a crossover flamenco guitar as one on which you can play both flamenco and classical music (a classic with low action or a flamenco with high action and increased sustain).

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 23 2017 23:16:03

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

https://www.cordobaguitars.com/p/gk-studio-negra

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Ramzi

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 0:13:42

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

I would like to ask you for help. I have small hands therefore I would like to buy crossover flamenco guitar that sounds well. Can you recommend any guitars like that ? My budget is 1000 pounds.

Why do you think small hands require a "crossover" guitar, a hybrid that doesn't really exist? Why don't you just look for a flamenco guitar that has a scale length you can handle (650?), or at least that you can practice with until you master the stretching required for left hand work?

Bill

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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 14:19:05

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

I'd bet your hands aren't smaller than Magnolia Sanlucar.
I'd investigate your posture and left hand placement before I compromise on a guitar.

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 15:31:54

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

Magnolia Sanlucar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 15:36:53

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

thanks guys for replies, I used to own beautiful flamenco cypress guitar. Sound was amazing! Unfortunately fretboard was pretty wide and I had pains in my left hand after I tried to play chords etc. Problem is that there are many nice sounding nylon strings guitars that sound good but all of them have wide frietboards. I am looking for guitar that has fretboard width comparable to electric guitar. There is much smaller number of crossover guitars available when compared to guitars with regular fretboards. Therefore it is much harder to find nice sounding guitar with narrower fretboard.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 15:57:51

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

Magnolia Sanlucar.

Oops lolol GD auto correct!

I'm telling you señior, if your left hand hurts you need to look at technique, there's tons of tiny gitanos rippin it with tiny little fingers.
I'm giving beginner guitar lessons to a retired guy and he said the same thing, hand hurts cus they're too small to play his Les Paul. I cured his issue after the first lesson and he's never complained again.

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 16:07:12

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

does anybody know what cordoba model is that ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 16:38:00

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

I am looking for guitar that has fretboard width comparable to electric guitar

Wouldn't something that narrow make it a whole lot harder to play a decent flamenco right-hand?

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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 16:51:34

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

i am not talented enough to be good flamenco player ever . i want to learn simple rhythms like rumba etc but my thinking is that rumba when played on poor quality guitar sucks. Therefore I would like to buy nice sounding guitar so that my rumbas sound good enough !

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 17:10:03

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to Piwin)

quote:

Wouldn't something that narrow make it a whole lot harder to play a decent flamenco right-hand?

Something as narrow as an electric guitar fret board would make it almost impossible to play any kind of flamenco decently with either the right hand or left hand. It's just too narrow.

Bill

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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 17:28:58

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

when i said narrow i think i meant fretboard that is not as narrow as electric guitar fretboard but at the same time not as wide as classical guitar frietboard. I am looking for something a bit narrower when compared to classical guitar fretboard or typical flamenco guitar

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 17:46:54

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

Gotcha. I guess that should've been my first question, what kind of music you're actually trying to play.
Anyways, I don't want to cramp your thread because unfortunately I really don't know anything about these kinds of "narrow" guitars. Good luck!

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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 18:01:18

laughingstock

Posts: 35
Joined: Jun. 30 2016
From: Texas

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

I have small hands too, bought a Cordoba gk negra not really paying too much attention to nut width, saddle width ect just to do some small club gigs. In my opinion it's NOT easier to play. The string spacing is so tight that I get a lot of nail noise on the right hand. I also have a tendency with the GK to snap the strings for some reason no matter how much I reposition my hand. My left hand starts to hurt after 10 minutes of playing.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 18:47:12

Blondie#2

Posts: 530
Joined: Sep. 14 2010

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rafapak
when i said narrow i think i meant fretboard that is not as narrow as electric guitar fretboard but at the same time not as wide as classical guitar frietboard. I am looking for something a bit narrower when compared to classical guitar fretboard or typical flamenco guitar

I'm sure we've been here before, but you already have your answer from Ramzi above, he posted the whole spec for you. Looks to me like the guitar Ben's playing also.

Any narrower than this (under 50 mm nut) and you are looking at a crossover guitar like the Yamaha NTX range (48mm), but it will take you even further away from the tone you want. You can't get a flamenco guitar with a very narrow fretboard for the reason already pointed out to you, it would be no good for playing flamenco... so no-one makes them.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 19:21:54

Paul Magnussen

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

I have small hands therefore I would like to buy crossover flamenco guitar that sounds well.

Take a look at Ako Ito (half of a classical guitar duo with Henri Dorigny). Her hands are tiny, yet she plays a standard-size guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 20:18:47

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

I'm sure we've been here before, but you already have your answer from Ramzi above, he posted the whole spec for you. Looks to me like the guitar Ben's playing also.

Any narrower than this (under 50 mm nut) and you are looking at a crossover guitar like the Yamaha NTX range (48mm), but it will take you even further away from the tone you want. You can't get a flamenco guitar with a very narrow fretboard for the reason already pointed out to you, it would be no good for playing flamenco... so no-one makes them.

i played ntx few weeks ago and yes, tone is not what I am looking for. thanks guys for replies

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 24 2017 22:08:10

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

does anybody know what cordoba model is that ?

Cordoba GK Studio Negra.

Please refer to my post above.

Here I am playing this guitar (same guitar Ben Woods is playing).

I have small hands too, and I had surgery on my left hand, and I got the Cordoba GK Studio Negra for the exact reason you stated. It worked VERY well for me.

I recommend the Cordoba GK Studio Negra guitar for you. It is the guitar Ben Woods plays in the video above.

Good luck my friend.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 1:43:20

JasonM

Posts: 2054
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

I have small hands like "Magnolia" Sanlucar, and I have been playing a 660 53mm guitar for about ten years now, and I still can't do certain chord stretches easily.i have no problem on a cordoba Gk studio. Hand size being equal, Some people can spread their fingers further than others no matter how flexible . I unfortunately have webbed fingers. That said, a lot of it is technique like Len mentioned, and it sounds like you have room for improvement. Also, guitar setup, and string tension are factors.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 2:08:27

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

The GK is 50mm nut still way bigger than electrics and only on the small side of a normal flamenco but MANY Flamenco's have this width.
Te lo estoy diciendo, ES TU FORMA DE TOCAR! You don't need to find a "special guitar". You can't get away with bad form on a flamenco like you can on an electric. Trust me, I've been that guy.

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 2:36:03

SephardRick

Posts: 358
Joined: Apr. 11 2014

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rombsix)

Ole - I like your playing style, Ramzi...

Case on point: Good recommendation the Gypsy King Studio rosewood. Good built-in Fishman electronics eliminate the microphone placement hassells. It is readily available and priced under a grand.

I also happen to like the GK Pro maple and have been fighting urge to buy one for sometime. The temptation of plugging into an existing PA system gets stronger as I get older. And then there is GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). Alas, my wife says I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head.

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Rick

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 15:25:35

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to SephardRick)

quote:

Ole - I like your playing style, Ramzi...

Case on point: Good recommendation the Gypsy King Studio rosewood. Good built-in Fishman electronics eliminate the microphone placement hassells. It is readily available and priced under a grand.

I also happen to like the GK Pro maple and have been fighting urge to buy one for sometime. The temptation of plugging into an existing PA system gets stronger as I get older. And then there is GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). Alas, my wife says I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 17:09:17

Tap_Tap

Posts: 10
Joined: Aug. 6 2016

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

i was reading an interview with paco cepero today and he was saying he has small hands so he always plays with the capo on the 2nd fret... maybe not ideal, but maybe something to try when practicing on a normal guitar

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2017 18:28:38

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

quote:

i was reading an interview with paco cepero today and he was saying he has small hands so he always plays with the capo on the 2nd fret... maybe not ideal, but maybe something to try when practicing on a normal guitar

thanks for info

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2017 0:00:31

jmg12

Posts: 18
Joined: Jun. 9 2016
From: France

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

hi,

perharps take a look to yamaha ntx1200r , nut is 48mmm , little less than Ramzy's GK

this guitar has reputation to be played as easily as an electric ....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 27 2017 9:30:54

Red_Label

Posts: 34
Joined: Apr. 23 2012

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to jmg12)

I like Yamaha nylons, but the NTX' sound like crap for flamenco. They are too heavily built.

I just bought my 11th Cordoba (my third GK Pro) and cannot recommend them highly enough for flamenco and other nylon styles. I would definitely recommend looking for the GK Pro used on Ebay or Reverb.com. This latest one I got (a negra) had cracks coming from either side of the output jack, so it was discounted and I won the auction at $570. My other two GK Pros were both blancas. The first one I paid full price for from Sam Ash, and the second one (which I still have) I picked-up in "open box" condition from Musician's Friend for about $1K. My very first Cordoba was a GK Studio that I bought in Las Vegas. I flew home with it and took it to my gig the next day. I started the gig with my $4K Breedlove Masterclass Bossa Nova and picked-up the GK Studio for the second set. Never put the Cordoba back down. The Breedlove got sold the next week and that's when I got my first GK Pro. The Breedlove was a wonderful instrument, but more suited for jazz.

I also currently own a Cordoba F10 and C12. The F10 is every bit the flamenco guitar that the GK Pros are. My recommendation regarding getting a Pro over a Studio is because they are built better, and the electronics are FAR superior to the ones in the Studio. The sound is more natural and balanced across the strings. I put a K&K Pure Classic passive pickup in my F10 and that sounds wonderful as well. A big part of getting a great tone plugged-in is using the right amp or DI box. Plugging straight into a PA will be very unlikely to give you a great, natural tone. I use a Fishman Loudbox Mini and SA220, as well as a Roland Cube Street EX system. I also have an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI that sounds great between my guitars and my full-on Alto PA system. I may eventually upgrade to an AER or Scherlter acoustic amp, because I've heard great things about those. But I'm very happy with my Fishman and Roland amps.

I too have small hands and I prefer the Cordoba 50mm nut width. There's plenty of space there to play fingerstyle, but it's not so wide that you're working hard to stretch.

I've also owned most of the Spanish-made Espana series, including the FCWE Reissue, 55FCE maple, and 55FCE Ltd Ziricote. All are great sounding instruments, especially considering their ultra-thin bodies. But they have thicker/rounder D-shaped necks on them and I vastly prefer the neck profile of the Chinese-made Luthier series (like the GK Pro and F10). All of my Espanas are gone and all that's left are the Luthiers.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 19:29:44

Red_Label

Posts: 34
Joined: Apr. 23 2012

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rafapak)

BTW... for those who don't think the GK Pro sounds flamenco enough... I think that the player certainly has a lot to do with that. Ben does a pretty job here...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 20:47:26

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to Red_Label)

For sure it depends on the player.
But, to my ears at least, Ramzi sounds way more flamenco than this guy.

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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 21:28:57

rafapak

Posts: 271
Joined: Aug. 9 2015

RE: crossover nylon string guitars w... (in reply to rombsix)

i had a chance to play cordoba gk studio negra. It is beautiful guitar , rich tone but definitely for guys with bigger, stronger hands and fingers. I bought fusion 12 cause my little fingers can ' elicit' more from this guitar.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 7 2017 18:34:02