Flamenco Guitar Recommendations? ~ $1500

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bmacko

Posts: 2
Joined: Sep. 6 2016

Flamenco Guitar Recommendations? ~ $1500

Hi Everyone - First time post!

I've been reading through this forum for quite a while now. I've been playing for about 16 years on a steel string (Taylor 814CE), and am now ready to make the leap into the world of Flamenco.

I've been researching quite a few models, and would love to hear everyone's suggestion as to what guitar is their best recommendation in the $1500 range. I'm a bit flexible in price, but wouldn't want to go over 2k at the moment.

My preferences:

Cutaway
Nice Electronics for amplification
Negra models (I almost always opt for darker/thicker & robust tones)

I would be playing a combination of styles; Flamenco, Rumba, Spanish Classical, World, etc. This would be both for studio and for gigging use.

I've been considering the Cordoba GK Pro Negra; and the Camps FL 11 C Negra; but am certainly open to suggestions.

Any input or guitar suggestions (and why that guitar is your recommendation) would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Bob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2016 4:43:42

Leñador

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

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

So you want a guitar that does everything for $1,500.00, got it. Lol
Doesn't sound like you REALLY wanna play flamenco as much as you'd rather play spanishy world music, which,
In that case the GK models are great, perfect even. You could even do a little dicking around with flamenco on it.
If you're anything like me you'll buy what you described, get into flamenco and realize you dumped too much on a guitar that doesn't do what you want, OR, you'll keep doing the world music thing and that guitar will serve you perfectly for years.

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2016 5:15:06

Kiko_Roca

Posts: 82
Joined: Apr. 25 2016
From: Midwest, USA

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

You could even do a little dicking around with flamenco on [the GK model guitar].

I don't think the GK guitars are ideal for flamenco at all, but you can play flamenco on it fine imo. I have one of the studio versions. The middles are lacking (kinda like a dreadnaught to me), but not to the extent that you can't compensate. The string height to the body is good, so all of the right-hand stuff can come off fine. The neck is a little narrower by ~3 mm, but it is something you get used to after a while. It sounds good amplified.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2016 15:01:22

Leñador

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

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

I would agree with all this and say the string spacing is pretty tight so better for rasgeau and picado than for arpeggio and tremolo. Also th tone is gunna be in the amp/PA not the guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2016 17:15:45

bmacko

Posts: 2
Joined: Sep. 6 2016

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

Thanks for the replies. That's the general consensus I've heard about the GK series, "great amplification, so-so natural acoustics".

It would be nice to be inspired by the instrument, and not have dead zones or drawbacks in playability.

The acoustics are just as important as representing them amplified. Is there a well-balanced model you'd suggest where I can add in the electronics, ie Fishman Matrix / Prefix?

Is the nut width of the GK (50mm) counter productive to learning Flamenco, so much so that I should abandon the option?

Any feedback on Camps?

Thanks everyone!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2016 21:04:53

roozbeh60

Posts: 51
Joined: Apr. 9 2015

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

I'm new to Flamenco Guitar and have only been playing for a year or so, but my instructor told me this when I was looking for my first pro guitar:
"If you are going to Spend less than $2000, buy a Yamaha CG71SF. If you are going to spend over 500$, do not buy a factory made guitar as you will waste your money".
Mind you I did find a beautiful Salvador Castillo for $1500 2 months ago. You can always mod it with electronics but it takes away from the tone.
Just my Beginner 2 cents :)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 8 2016 20:51:12

Cervantes

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

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to roozbeh60)

quote:

ORIGINAL: roozbeh60

I'm new to Flamenco Guitar and have only been playing for a year or so, but my instructor told me this when I was looking for my first pro guitar:
"If you are going to Spend less than $2000, buy a Yamaha CG71SF. If you are going to spend over 500$, do not buy a factory made guitar as you will waste your money".
Mind you I did find a beautiful Salvador Castillo for $1500 2 months ago. You can always mod it with electronics but it takes away from the tone.
Just my Beginner 2 cents :)

I would agree with this. You can find a used Castillo, Fransisco Navarro or even Hermanos Sanchis Lopez in that price range. My old guitar has a cut away and my new one does not. Athough a cut away is not supposed to affect the sound I prefer the traditional shape. I would go with microphones and no internal electronics, neither of which are really necessary.

_____________________________

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 Sep. 9 2016 18:47:04

Morante

Posts: 2179
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

quote:

Any feedback on Camps?

Be careful about what you want and where you are going to play. My friend John has a great Gerundino, but has become tired of feedback problems and has bought a Camps and likes it.

You need to know what you want the guitar to do and in what kind of environment.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 9 2016 23:46:25

Goldwinghai

Posts: 215
Joined: Mar. 17 2015
From: Virginia USA

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to Morante)

I also bought a Camps Primera Negra from Camps and really like it too. I had it shipped from Camps to The US with the total cost about $1600.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 10 2016 4:01:31

Guillermo77

Posts: 1
Joined: Aug. 24 2016

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

Hi,
Just a comment on the Cordoba since the second hand guitar shop next to where I live has a Cordoba GK Pro Negra since few weeks, so I decided to go and give it a try.

It took me few days before I could go, so in between, i did few research on the web and the main thing I realized (after a while) is that you never really find anybody making a demo of this guitar playing flamenco. But the features and all the advertisement kept me interested.

Once I saw it in the shop, I was a bit disappointed I must say. Visually, it is ok but far from the level of quality I could expect for the price and for a supposedly "pro" model.
Then playing it, I was even more disapointed. Really flat, no energy, no crisps. I dont know how to express it but it was far from what I expected.

Although I think the strings were not the best (very floppy) and didnt help much.

My own guitar at a third of a price has much nicer quality and finish on one hand, and much better feel and sounds when playing it.

At the end, I was ok because I didnt had to think much more about buying it. Very clear.

So my advice would be to try the guitar you are interested in as soon as possible. Sometimes it gets very clear.
And for this level of price, I think you can get something much better, depending where you live and want brands or makers are available around you.

Cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2016 21:27:05

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to Guillermo77)

Cordoba GK Negra Pro

https://www.amazon.com/Cordoba-GK-Pro-Negra-Signature/dp/B0092EY5IS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473726362&sr=8-1&keywords=cordoba+gk+negra+pro

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 13 2016 0:28:18

timoteo

Posts: 219
Joined: Jun. 22 2012
From: Seattle, USA

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to rombsix)

If you're interested in the Cordoba GK Pro Negra, Sweetwater is currently running a giveaway for one. Enter at the link below, good through 1 March 2017.

https://www.facebook.com/sweetwater/?sk=app_494571643886440

Maybe someone on the foro can win this!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 3:06:27

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to timoteo)

quote:

Maybe someone on the foro can win this!

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 3:46:30

Red_Label

Posts: 34
Joined: Apr. 23 2012

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to timoteo)

Nice! Thanks for the heads-up. I just bought a GK Pro negra, but certainly wouldn't be disappointed if I happened to win another.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 3 2017 19:37:45

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to Red_Label)

I didn't win it.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2017 17:54:57

mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

RE: Flamenco Guitar Recommendations?... (in reply to bmacko)

What am I missing that everyone else gets? The cutaways with electronics are good for soloing on a rumba piece, but they don't resonate well with chords and sound lousy when you play arpeggios. I won't even getting into playing traditional flamenco on them, youre better off playing flamenco on a modified classical even...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2017 20:41:48