RE: Making my first flamenco guitar "El Xiprer"

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Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

The 3mm wide saddle slot is routed in the Bog Oak bridge blank with this jig together with another 3mm at the front edge of the tie block:

A piece of African Blackwood is then glued into this slot. This hard wood cap will stop the treble strings digging in to the tail block:

A piece of bone is thicknessed to just under 2mm, marked for the 18 string holes and drilled with a 2mm brad point bit. This will be the template for drilling the tie block string holes and act as the back edge cap:

The bone template is stuck onto the bridge tie block with double sided tape and the string holes drilled through with the 2mm brad point bit:

A 3mm wide slot is then routed out just in front of the African Blackwood insert:

The two wings are then rough cut, the saddle slot area reduced to 6mm high and the bridge is shaped and ramped:

A tie-block cap was made matching the headstock inlay and rosette – twin rope purfling framed with black/ pear/ black purfling and Coyote Wood strips. This was glued onto the tie-block:

Finally the bone template is glued onto the rear of the tie-block after carefully matching up the string holes:

The bridge is carefully positioned on the top and masking tape used to form a “nest”. Two 2mm holes are drilled in the saddle slot through the top so that parts of cocktail sticks can be super glued in to hold the bridge in the correct position whilst gluing:

The bridge is then glued on using hot hide glue with the caul to span the fan braces positioned underneath:

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_____________________________

Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 11 2016 9:33:26

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Here’s “El Xiprer” strung up “in the white”:

The saddle is down so that the strings are just under 8mm above the soundboard at the moment and this gives an action of just about 2.75mm. Neck relief seems fine - plays well up and down the neck with no buzzing.

I used La Bella 2001 Medium Tension strings and the bass strings sounded fine but the black nylon trebles were rubbish. I some spare trebles from a set of Savarez Alliance Corum 500AR strings – normal tension fluorocarbons – so put these on instead and they are fine. So here’s a recording of me playing some “flamenco pastiche” on “El Xiprer” in the white and strung up for the first time. This was recorded straight into my Zoom H4n with flat EQ and no added effects:

"El Xiprer"

Forgive my amateur playing, I’m hoping a friend who plays flamenco will come and play “El Xiprer” when the finishing is complete and I can get some recordings then.

This thread is now back in the "present" so will go slower - on to the finishing.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 11 2016 14:55:27

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Spray time. The back, sides and neck are sprayed with pre-catalysed lacquer. The top will have an oil finish. First lacquer coat on:

A few more coats on:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2016 21:53:31

Leñador

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

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

This thread makes me want to go chop a tree down and build some stuff!

Maybe a nice mid-century entertainment center for my new turntable! Now to find a tree no one will miss in Los Angeles........

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2016 22:35:30

Dudnote

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 13 2007

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Great stuff. Never seen an 18 hole bridge before. Any chance of a close up of how you string up that baby?

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Ay compañerita de mi alma
tú ahora no me conoces.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 17 2016 0:39:08

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dudnote)

Here's one on a guitar made by Colin Symonds:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 17 2016 7:48:11

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Leñador)

Maybe use a stealth axe !!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 17 2016 7:50:35

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

The top is carefully sanded down and polished with micromesh up to 12000 grit. The first coat of Liberon Finishing oil is then applied. With lacquer the finish is applied to the wood and then the finish levelled and polished. With an oil finish the bare wood is levelled and polished and thin coats wiped onto this. At this stage the lovely silking of the medullary rays on the top shows through::

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 17 2016 11:46:57

Stephen Eden

Posts: 914
Joined: Apr. 12 2008
From: UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Interesting build. I am looking forward to hearing it. You don't often see a guitar made predominantly from materials grown in the UK!

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Classical and Flamenco Guitars www.EdenGuitars.co.uk

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2016 9:13:53

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Stephen Eden)

Stephen - thanks.

I posted a quick and dirty recording "in the white" in one of the posts above.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2016 9:52:14

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

The label is signed and glued in:

The golpeador is fitted:

Finished:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 19 2016 9:35:14

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

I got a friend of mine who can actually play to do a recording for me with "El Xiprer":

"El Xiprer Jonny M"

The conclusion is that "El Xiprer" is a bit too resonant in the trebles so I may put back the black La Bella treble strings that I didn't like and see how it sounds with those.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 13 2016 16:30:57

Joan Maher

Posts: 213
Joined: Dec. 3 2013

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Hi Dave, just stumbled across this post, lovely original guitar and wood from your own garden very cool..

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Gracias!

Joan Josep Maher

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 14 2017 19:15:33

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Thanks Joan. It turned out to be a very musical tree and I've made a number of different instruments from the wood with more to come.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 16 2017 8:00:43

mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Even with the contractors and the tools and the machine shop it will still cost you less then a Conde

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 2 2017 22:26:01

constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1672
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Nice going, Dave.

Interesting bridge design. Your tie block should be very strong and resistant to wear by the strings. But beware that one of the nice things about a 12-hole bridge is that the strings can be tied so that the ends don't rest on the soundboard. Having them rest on the soundboard tends to damage that area.

I like the stripes.

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Ethan Deutsch
www.edluthier.com
www.facebook.com/ethandeutschguitars
www.youtube.com/marioamayaflamenco
I always have flamenco guitars available for sale.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2017 1:12:45

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Mark, Yes - a small tree goes a long way. Here's some of the other instruments it has enabled - a cittern and bouzouki to the left of "El Xiprer" and a Piccolo guitar to the right. The cittern and bouzouki have top, back, sides and neck from the tree and the Piccolo guitar just the top:

Thanks Ethan. There is a small rectangle of clear pickguard material just behind the bridge so the top won't get marked by the string ends.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2017 8:53:48

pundi64

Posts: 234
Joined: Jul. 29 2016
From: Thailand

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Very nice a God given tree, to play his music

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Attachment (1)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2017 21:20:52

Dave White

Posts: 36
Joined: Feb. 29 2016
From: Buckinghamshire, UK

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Good friend James Daubney who can play a bit dropped round at the weekend and put "El Xiprer" through its paces. He kindly let me do a recording:

James playing "El Xiprer"

"El Xiprer" is currently spending some "quality time" with James.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2017 15:01:52

Turner

Posts: 81
Joined: Nov. 5 2011

RE: Making my first flamenco guitar ... (in reply to Dave White)

Dave, many thanks for this most interesting thread, so much stuff to go through here.
Actually getting to hear is is the cherry on the top.
Thanks for sharing and bests for the future builds.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2017 16:44:57