Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Complete Beginner*

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Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Complete B...

Hello Everyone, just joined this forum, and I have been playing the guitar for approximately 3 and a half years now. I have slowly lost interest in all types of music but then recently got into flamenco (aprox. 3-4 months now), and to be honest i'm loving it, the passion is back for the guitar.

I was just wondering, no crazy-angry answers, but is it the correct move to already buying a flamenco guitar?

If so, what flamenco guitar is good for beginners, which allows me to develop my flamenco skills but also leaves me enough money to pay rent?

So what i'd like to spend is actually under 300 USD.
Many of you probably will say this is not possible, but like I said i'm only looking for one which allows me to develop my flamenco skills, so maybe a classical guitar could do as well?

Please give me your opinions. As of now I know one rumba pattern, like a basic complete, but not very quick (4 fingers down and back up with index) rasgueado, and a golpe.

All helpful answers apprieciated.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 9:55:16

Dudnote

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 13 2007

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Welcome to the foro Genie

I've never played one, but many people here swear by Yamaha as the best budget entry level option. Can't remember the model, but if you use the search feature you should find this has come up again and again.

Enjoy the journey.

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Ay compañerita de mi alma
tú ahora no me conoces.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 10:03:11

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Kind of depends what you're playing with now. If you're playing on a steel string, then yes the right move is to get a flamenco guitar.
If you already have a classical guitar, you could just slap on some cheap golpeadores and that would work fine to start on probably. I started on dirt cheap classical and omitted the golpeador part. Destroyed that guitar in less than 6 months.

For specific brands, like Dudnote said, you'll find a lot of stuff by using the search fuction as it's a very common question.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 10:23:28

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Piwin)

Thanks to both replies already!

Yeah I have a steel stringed guitar, not ideal for flamenco, really need to change my guitar in that case.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 10:35:44

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Dudnote)

I can't seem to find the type of Yamaha, you are talking about, which brand specifically, do you think it is? Or if anyone else knows, all answers are apprieciated.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 11:02:51

avimuno

Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

quote:

I have a steel stringed guitar, not ideal for flamenco

Not ideal at all even! lol

For your budget, I would also advise looking at Yamaha. In that price-range, they are pretty much unbeatable. Other companies that might be worth a look are Alhambra and Cashmira. I would also look into Camps and Bernal (although their entry level stuff might be higher than USD 300, but they make good student guitars at good prices).

Another way to go is to have a look at the second hand stuff, you might be able to find a really good guitar at a very good price. Well, you'll definitely get more guitar per Dollar, so it's worth having a look.

Hope this helps.

Saludos!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 11:08:30

avimuno

Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

It's the Yamaha CG172SF... the big online retailers have it for around USD 350 if I'm not mistaken.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 11:10:55

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to avimuno)

Apprieciate the reply, but can't find any which shipping fees don't make the price 450+. So i'm just going to go for a classical guitar, any recommendations there?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 15:35:16

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

No guitar shops nearby?
If you have to have it shipped, beware of Amazon apparently. There was a thread not to long ago about a foro member who received a guitar via Amazon and apparently they don't even bother to put the guitar in a case.

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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. 23 2017 16:34:29

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

[Deleted]

Post has been moved to the Recycle Bin at Feb. 23 2017 16:57:49

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 16:56:51

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Piwin)

I have two but they have really expensive prices if flamenco guitars at all, so not even worth it to start there. But if I was to buy a classical guitar, which would you recommend

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 16:59:33

Mark2

Posts: 1871
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Don't buy the classical-you should be able to find a used Yamaha 171sf or 172sf for 300.00 or less. Might depend on your location though.....if you are in the US, check ebay and craigslist.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 17:22:39

Ricardo

Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Getty any old classical guitar that is cheap and go for it. If you care about reselling it (which I really wouldn't anyway) you can buy a cheap tap plate (strings by mail $5) and stick it on yourself to protect it from golpes. Check local pawn shops.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 18:17:35

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

I own 3 professional flamenco guitars but most of the time i play on my childhood classical guitar which at precent day is way below 300. But that guitar was handpicked by an expert and most guitars < 2000 are no match for it.

For flamenco it is important to know that there is a technique called golpe which not only requires a guitar with a protecting tap plate or golpeador but also a guitar that SUPPORTS that technique. The strings of a good flamenco guitar run relatively close to the sound board, enabling all the right hand techniques a flamenco player might or might not use (aside from golpes many players favor to hold/glide 1 or more finger(nail)s on the surface of the guitar during playing). Not every classical guitar supports these required settings, some do but many others have to much distance between the strings and the soundboard (some crap "flamenco" guitars suffer the same problem). Around the area were you plug the stings the distance between wood and strings should not be bigger as about 1 cm.

My old classical guitar happens to be an early 70 Ibanez and if you manage to find one of that period i most certainly would recommend you to try it out or even buy it unseen if it's cheap. But be warned, somewhere halfway the 70ties the fabric changed hands and the later ones are quite crap so make sure you have one of the early 70ties (the label says: Mark of quality instrument, produced in Japan under strict quality control). The later ones have a different label.

Aside of that personal hint any playable guitar (classical or flamenco) with the right strings-wood distance and a (self placed) golpador will do.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 19:24:26

Genie

Posts: 10
Joined: Feb. 23 2017

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Erik van Goch)

Thanks everyone for the replies, I will take into consider what you guys have said about classical & flamenco guitars.

For now i'm browsing at the Yamaha CG182SF Classical Acoustic Guitar, this is a flamenco guitar right? Because the SF stands for Flamenco Standard.

Anyways this guitar costs 394.10 Euros, which is a pretty good price, but is the quality worth it? Thanks, does anyone know the difference between this one and the cg172sf, i've done some research and seen that they are the same, is that true (except for the colour)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 19:39:31

ElGringo

Posts: 7
Joined: Nov. 27 2013

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

I had the 171SF, and I loved it. Fun to play. I had to lower the action on it, but I've noticed on the newer models the action is lower than it was on the 171. I say go for it. I loved mine. It served me well for a couple of years before I upgraded.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 23 2017 19:51:22

Cervantes

Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Maybe you find a used Cordoba Gypsy Kings model in that price range.

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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco
very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 24 2017 6:04:28

mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

In my personal experience its Yamaha is the best for that kind of budget. The guitar is very dry. To be hones chords and rasgeudos don't resonate very well, but single notes can sound almost oud like with the right pulgar or picado. Having the right strings makes a difference on that guitar too, like LaBella 820s

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 24 2017 21:11:57

mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Cervantes)

I must be the only person to not like the GK Studio. It looks pretty but sounds almost like a steel string acoustic IMO

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 24 2017 21:15:43

Filip

Posts: 403
Joined: Apr. 23 2006
From: Paris

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

I think even a classical guitar would do fine if the money is an issue, and then you can save over time and buy something better. The most important is to practice correctly and learn methodically and right things I guess, I lost much more by being alone and by doing stupid things in a wrong way than by the fact that I played many years on a cheap classical guitar.

I started on my brother's broken guitar with metal strings until one of them (lower e) snapped. Then I replaced the metal strings with plastic ones, and only maybe a year after I got Yamaha c-180 classical guitar. It was ok and got a bit better when I lowered the action. I always thought that I will get a better guitar when I learn to play and prove to myself that I am really making an effort. Then I got my first flamenco guitar when I moved to Madrid, some 6 years after that, mostly because it was on sale and on very good deal although it was still a lot of money for me at that time.

Cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 24 2017 22:41:55

Leñador

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

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

For once I agree with mark74

Can't beat yamahas consitancy on cheap guitars.
Don't like the GK cordobas at all and I've played maybe 10-15 of them. Sometimes other cheap cordobas are good but it's real hit and miss, I have one that's terrible and my friend has the same model and it rocks.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 25 2017 1:31:58

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Don't buy a guitar. Playing the guitar sucks. Learn to dance Sevillanas so you can hang out with hot girls and always get picked to dance. For $300.00 you can get three or four several week long sessions of group dance classes.

Study palmas with an expert master dancer or singer.

Learn to sing letras. Learn Spanish.

F**k the guitar, the guitar is a piece of steaming unholy ****e.

If after all that you still want to play guitar, that is your problem. If you absolutely have no self control and need a guitar, get the dog dammed Yamaha.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 27 2017 11:00:15

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to estebanana)

And risk looking like a fool with those castanets?
Nah. Work out at the gym all day and get a guitar just to carry it around and show people you're an artist. You don't have to actually play it. Just look off in the distance every now and again as if you were pondering the meaning of existence.
Go to a pawn shop and buy a shirt, doesn't matter if the there are no buttons on the top, you won't need them, and if possible a cheap knock-off chain that looks like gold.
Oh, and get a hat.

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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. 27 2017 14:38:26

mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Leñador)

The Cordoba GK studio is like some ex girlfriends. Pretty on the outside. Soulless on the inside.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 27 2017 22:09:38

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

Oh yeah, buy the guitar instead of the castanuelos, right? May as well invite an airline to crush the guitar, or your girlfriend to get jealous of it an trash it down a long cement stairs. Super fun. Then the fancy pants luthier tells you it will be $1000.00 to replace the top.

The $150.00 ebony castanets will make you the envy of all the ladies, and you still have $150.00 left over to go to the bar!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 28 2017 1:00:11

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to estebanana)

Luthier? What is that?
I meant one of those wonderful guitars you can buy at K-Mart. The ones out of plastic that were built by machines and cheap unskilled labor, like God intended.

*long gone by now*

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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. 28 2017 10:43:46

DavidRG

Posts: 41
Joined: Dec. 12 2015

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

I have a flamenco guitar that I don't play anymore.
I spent 1500€ on it, and I'm selling it for 300€.
If you pay the shipping (and maybe a hard case) I'll personally send it very carefully.

PS: I'm in Spain.

Greetings.
David.

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Best regards.
DavidRG
www.eltablaoflamenco.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 7 2017 0:57:50

jalalkun

Posts: 276
Joined: May 3 2017
From: Iraq, living in Cologne, Germany

RE: Buying A Flamenco Guitar *Comple... (in reply to Genie)

If you're still searching: I bought a Höfner SE I from Thomann in 2012. At that time it retailed at 289 Euros. A smaller bodied guitar, but it is really loud and present. It beats any Yamaha, even the more expensive ones (about 400). Being a classical guitar, it has no golpeador and the action is a little high, but for starters you cannot go wrong with that one. It might be a little more pricy now but it's still worth the money. I just recently lowered the action a little and put a golpeador on (and repaired the top, cuz I almost dug through the spruce with the golpes :/) and now it plays really well. the sound isn't too bloomy, which is normal at this price range, but it suits flamenco well cuz it doesn't have as much sustain. if you're still looking you should give it a shot.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 3 2017 12:19:18