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As the title says, I've just purchased a flamenco guitar on ebay. I never heard of a cypress top. That is what the seller told me it is. (Cypress back and sides as well) . Could it be Port Orford Cedar which is really cypress? It's an Ignacio Rozas high end student model. It probably was farmed out and not built by him but it's a good instrument for what I payed. Anyway, i will make future videos playing with it.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to jg7238)
I used to have a Rozas student model when I first started playing. I forgot all about it until now. Bought it from a teacher. I didn’t like it very much though. I got it from him because I trusted him since I knew nothing about guitars at the time. Could tell it wasn’t my style. I also went to this teacher to learn PdL stuff , but he only played super old school
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to JasonM)
Ok... here is my first video with the Rozas.. My hands were really cold. I was not feeling it frankly. (I know i got out of compas towards the very end). Any thoughts on the guitar? Anyway I kind of like it for the money.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to jg7238)
Looks like a nice guitar, it seems to be in very clean condition, too. While it’s hard to say for certain from the video, the chances of that being a cypress top are close to zero, it’s almost certainly spruce.
I suspect that guitar probably has never been played so well in its life, lol, it’s in good hands now.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to rombsix)
Thanks everyone! The only thing that I’m not too sure is if I have a good or bad buzz at the 12th fret on the 6th string. Other than that I think it’s pretty decent. @Ramzi: the seller said he paid 1300 dollars at his shop in Madrid. He was asking 900 dollars. He sold it to me for 650 dollars plus 75 for shipping. So I can’t complain really.
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Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to jg7238)
quote:
Could it be Port Orford Cedar which is really cypress?
It could be (either). If you stick your finger inside--past the "donut" or other sound hole reinforcement--and rub the underside of the top--I know this sounds stupid, but if it's cypress or Port Orford cedar, your finger would likely have the characteristic camphor-like smell of those. Spruce is ordorless.
The guitar and your playing sound great, by the way.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to Echi)
quote:
In my opinion the top is easily spruce made. I didn’t see port oxford cedar often used in Spain.
That’s the kind reasoning I was using, too. My feeling was that, while it’s certainly possible that the top may be a cypress, it just seems improbable that a manufacturer would go to the trouble and expense of importing what could be considered to be an exotic soundboard wood and then also be willing to incur the additional risk that they might get the treatment of the wood wrong during construction and produce a dog. It doesn’t seem to fit with the kind of business plan that one would expect to be applied to a student guitar, even a higher end one, by a factory or shop.
But that’s just my take on it. Who knows? Maybe they got a deal.
I was also assuming that a Mediterranean cypress wasn’t used for the top or jg would have told us up front that it looked like it was the same wood as the back and sides.
At the end of the day, if the guitar sounds good and plays well and it’s liked, then that’s all that really counts. The price seems to have been very reasonable and it’s a nice looking guitar. Ethan’s suggestion for a smell test is good and pictures also could help, if it matters to dig deeper.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to Echi)
Mind you, if Rozas was importing guitars from China, then all my reasoning flies out the window.
Edit: To clarify. They have enormous purchasing power and can buy large quantities of wood from NA and elsewhere, plus they have their own resources. They are also closer to the west coast of NA for buying exports. It changes the rules.
Edit again: if the guitar was made in 2000, forget about the China angle. I’m putting my money on Spruce. But without seeing the guitar, maybe just enough money for a pint of beer, lol.
The seller told me that when he bought the guitar in Madrid in 2000 Rozas told him he built it there in his shop on Calle Mayor. In the end, if the guitar sounds good that is all that matters. Thanks for the feedback.
RE: just bought a flamenco guitar on... (in reply to jg7238)
If the label is signed by him then he built it - he didn't sign the outsourced ones that as much as I know, but if it sounds great which it seems to then all is good.
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