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I never post videos of my guitars, mainly because I suck at playing flamenco, and for some weird reason I’m shy about it, but I figure it’s overdue.
I don’t have anything recent, I had big plans for 2020, and 2021 ain’t looking great either, so the most recent video I have is of a friend playing a guitar that I made in 2019. It was taken in the Albaicín about two weeks after I completed the guitar. I plan on getting some more videos done next trip to Spain - the guitar that was featured in the Spraying Tinted Shellac post turned out to be stellar, and it’s headed there, so I’ll try to get some good videos done of it, for sure.
One thing about the video....you can criticize the guitar all you want. I’d like to say I’ll take it on the chin and learn from it, but I won’t, I’ll just get mad and hate you, lol, if that’s OK. We were all aware the G string needed changing when the vid was done, and it is what it is...but any criticism of my friend’s playing is off-limits, please.
Even from my FB page it’s pretty obvious that I suck at self-promotion, too...
"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."
Gave this a listen in my old I pad soon as you posted it, tried to play it through my little Yamaha shelf system with the subwoofer but no joy.
Tried it again with a different device and ended up listing to it over and over again as I did my PT workout this morning. It was that good, not perfect but it had that thing, what's the word used, donde? Was in a back room for a moment and as it ended the applause sounded like it was in my living room. Brought home how much we have lost and of course looking forward to safer times!
Hard to critique anyone's guitar with my lack of experience but the whole recording had me wishing for more. I would love to have had the whole evening recorded, better yet to be sitting there with a glass of wine tapping my foot, the good one. It's coming!
Guessing you are not sitting on those guitars you finished and must be making more. What's on your work board now?
And for dogs sake, if you have any more recordings that 2019 juerga, post more. Olé!
HR
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I prefer my flamenco guitar spicy, doesn't have to be fast, should have some meat on the bones, can be raw or well done, as long as it doesn't sound like it's turning green on an elevator floor.
Screw the G string! didn't even notice.... awesome guitar, awesome playing. Made me want to dig out my Enrique de Melchor encuentro dvd and start learning more tangos is Rondena tuning. Keep posting videos.
I like it. I didn’t write further on the Facebook post you made because I was suspended from Facebook for a month for telling a maga nazi I would open them like a fish with a bayonet.
I have little impulse controls when it comes to maga nonsense and traitorous scabs that espouse it. But Simon is more anti fascist and allows self expression against the Meal Team Six maggots.
Anyway nice guitar. And I enjoyed so much chatting with you on the phone. We should talk again when my ear is recovered from it cauliflower state due to holding the phone next to my head. Just kidding I had you on speaker whilst I was tinkering with knife blades.
Hey Rob, thanks for sharing your creation. Good to finally hear one and it sounds great! And a good showcase as well. Looking forward to hearing the spray tint Blanca. I loved the look of that finish and can’t wait to try it one day if I ever get there
HR, I like that performance a lot, too, it has a lot of heart and it makes me feel good every time I watch it. It triggers a lot of fond memories, as well, so I dig it out whenever I’m feeling homesick.
As far as on my bench, just a couple of guitars, mainly final stage work on projects that were started last year. I was pretty well out of commission the first four months of this year due to illness, and then all the other craziness started up in March and I thought I would have to sell my place and tear down the shop, etc... so I didn’t want to start any new projects. Didn’t really have the heart for it, either. Things are a little more under control now and my health is slowly returning, so I’m getting my motivation back, but this might end up being another pretty down year by the time everything is said and done.
Stephen, hahaha, yeah, it’s funny how a 15 minute call can stretch out when you’re having fun. I think we went on for close to 2 1/2 hours! I really enjoyed the conversation, too, you are very engaging.
JasonM, just let me know when you’re ready to give spraying a shot. It’s worth trying at least once, and I’m happy with how the guitars turned out. It’s a skill well worth developing.
Everyone else, thanks again, encouraging words make a difference. I’ll tell Manuel people enjoyed his performance, he’ll be happy to hear that.
Congratulations Robf, I really like the sound of that guitar and the player, everything in general. What I don't like is the presence of microphones and amplifiers because they distort the sound, there are moments of hitting the bass that....... it sounds strange to me.
Yeah, hi Pali, I agree. It would be better to have a direct non-amplified example. I actually do have a short Bulerías that gives a much better idea of the sound of the guitar, but it was done in the Cajón player’s living room in Sacromonte and he was uncomfortable about posting it, I think because the place was a bit of a mess. I didn’t push for too many reasons, though, I just respect that he had a concern, so I won’t post it.
Very nice, sounds great. Is that the one with Padauk back and sides? I can hear that bright edge to the mids and trebles (now watch me be wrong, haha). Either way I need to build with Padauk again.
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
quote:
Is that the one with Padauk back and sides? I can hear that bright edge to the mids and trebles
Yeah, that one would be Padauk. We were calling it “Coral” in Spain. It’s not really apparent in the posted video but the guitar did have a certain measure of brassiness and growl to it when pushed, not in a strident or jarring manner, but definitely there. I really liked the sound of that guitar and it was very well received. I believe its current owner is living in Paris but, due to Covid, it might be in India now. It appears to be better travelled than I am, lol.
What do you think…. Hear rosewood flamencos sound basically the same as Blancas if the back and sides are really thin. If thicker with less active backs then the sound diverges a bit to be more classical… opinions?
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to estebanana)
That goes along with what I was saying the other day about there not being much of a difference between a traditional classical guitar and a Flamenco guitar beyond the set up, in as much as the set up plays as large a part in defining the flamenco character of the sound as it does with the playability. But, because you want to build a structurally sound as well as a musically successful instrument, the character of the wood chosen is bound to come through.
The Padauk guitar pretty well sounded identical to a good Blanca, however. I think Padauk is closer to Cypress than Rosewood is for flamencos. But it’s messy stuff, it has big pores, and its dust will eff up your eyes, if you’re not careful. It smells good, but so do most of the woods used in a guitar (I’ll use willow sometimes for internal stuff, and it doesn’t smell great, but it’s not a bad smell or anything). There’s no denying it’s a beautiful wood, it can be both sonically and visually very attractive for a flamenco but, all in all, I find Cypress is way more pleasurable to work with.
In general, I think Cypress makes great guitars. It’s my favourite, it’s almost an ideal guitar making wood. I never understood why people say the reason Torres used Cypress is because it was cheap and available. I think they’re making that up. My pet theory is that he used it so much simply because he felt it made killer guitars.
In general, I think Cypress makes great guitars. It’s my favourite, it’s almost an ideal guitar making wood. I never understood why people say the reason Torres used Cypress is because it was cheap and available. I think they’re making that up. My pet theory is that he used it so much simply because he felt it made killer guitars.
Cheap and available and a great wood to make killer guitars are not mutually exclusive. It could be that Torres recognized that cypress combined the two attributes to make the best of all possible worlds for both luthiers and players.
I prefer cypress over rosewood. And cypress carries the added advantage of having a magnificent aroma. In fact, I think the nearest thing to heaven is playing a cypress blanca while having a copita of medium dry Amontillado jerez at hand, with the rich, intersecting aroma of each. It doesn't get any better than that.
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."
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to BarkellWH)
quote:
In fact, I think the nearest thing to heaven is playing a cypress blanca while having a copita of medium dry Amontillado jerez at hand, with the rich, intersecting aroma of each. It doesn't get any better than that.
Hahahaha that good !!!!! I am sure that you were born here in Cordoba capital or in some of its "small towns" such as Montilla, Moriles, Dña Mencía ...... where the best wine in the world is made ... What a mood!!!!
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to chester)
I wish it was me in that vid but it’s friend of mine. I reread my original post and can see how it could give that impression so I edited it to make it more clear that it’s not me playing. Thanks for pointing that out.
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Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to BarkellWH)
quote:
I prefer cypress over rosewood. And cypress carries the added advantage of having a magnificent aroma. In fact, I think the nearest thing to heaven is playing a cypress blanca while having a copita of medium dry Amontillado jerez at hand, with the rich, intersecting aroma of each. It doesn't get any better than that.
Nice, but I pair my blancas with manzanilla or fino, and my negras with oloroso or amontillado.
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to Ricardo)
I pair mine with a can of Mahou, because I'm that much of a Philistine.
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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."
nice, very nice. Is the guitar player Manuel de la Loles? He sure looks like him. If that's him, I met him in april 2018. really nice guy. He took me to one of his gig. was really good.
He probably won't remember me. the gig was really good. he secured a place for me, as it was full. he had a girl singing -probably gay- and a guy dancing - probably gay. it was an improbable trio, but really good. it ended really crazy. what a night. anyway, send him a big hello.
RE: Video of one of my guitars (in reply to Fluknu)
I think I know who the singer was, she has a very powerful voice. Also, the dancer, too, if it is who I think, he did a show with Manuel last night. Yeah, the first time I saw Manuel play I couldn’t believe how wild the crowd got, it was nuts, he really knows how to get people going. He knows how to draw it out of the people that work with him, too.
Also, I was just talking with him and told him you said Hi.
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