Help identifying guitar- TATAY

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ruger9

Posts: 3
Joined: Mar. 29 2022

Help identifying guitar- TATAY

A friend gave this guitar to me as a birthday gift. I know nothing about it, the only info I have is the sticker inside.

I haven't started googling yet, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone has any insight.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 11 2022 15:37:19

Stu

Posts: 2529
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

Have you googled Vicente Tatay?

I know nothing of this maker but have found some interesting reading.

The headstock stamp is new on me, but I'm no expert.
One article I read said that is the rarest of the headstock stamps on tatay guitars.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2022 15:06:28

orsonw

Posts: 1934
Joined: Jul. 4 2009
From: London

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to Stu)

quote:

I know nothing of this maker...

'Maker' might imply a luthier. This is a Valencia factory guitar.
You can find out more here:

https://guitarrasvalencia.wordpress.com/telesforo-research/guitars/

Tatay labels. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z211957noGWguw9l8b5wDYsvdBlb3lQ3/view

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2022 18:14:49

ruger9

Posts: 3
Joined: Mar. 29 2022

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to orsonw)

According to the first link, the "family tree", my label shows it as a 1932-1935... which would be before the factory, no? Vincente did not retire until 1942, when his son took over.

And the 2nd link seems to concur that the headstock stamp on mine was also from the era when Vincente himself built them, and they were stamped for export.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2022 19:29:32

orsonw

Posts: 1934
Joined: Jul. 4 2009
From: London

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

quote:

my label shows it as a 1932-1935... which would be before the factory, no?

At this time it is not the fully automated larger factory it would become. It would have been a small factory type production workshop with several people including Vicente, the sons and others building as many cheaper student level guitars as possible.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2022 20:01:06

RobJe

Posts: 731
Joined: Dec. 16 2006
From: UK

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to orsonw)

In August 1962 I spent some time in bed with a bronchial infection on the top floor of Literato Azorin 11 - next door to the address for Tatay. From my bedroom window I could see a small courtyard with cheap guitars hanging up to dry. Looking on Google Earth Pro I think the courtyard is still there. I had a newly purchased Madrid guitar under my bed, but I felt too lousy to play it!

In the early 60's I remember plenty of cheap Tatay guitars for sale for as little as 3GBP. At that time, you could get a good flamenco guitar in Spain for about 35GBP - Arcangel Fernandez for 60GBP (with a bit of a wait) - Ramirez a bit more.

The Tatay in the picture looks like one of their better models made from solid timbers.

Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 13 2022 22:12:29

davewphx

Posts: 126
Joined: Jul. 11 2011

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

Look at the unusual way they ended the fretboard near the sound hole, I've never seen that before. RobJe thats a great story. It's amazing you can still remember that from 62. Those price examples you give are also incredible for that time. What did it cost to rent a nice room for a month in that area back then? Just curious. That must have been a great time to travel.

_____________________________

Dave

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 14 2022 2:25:49

ruger9

Posts: 3
Joined: Mar. 29 2022

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to RobJe)

Wow, what a cool story! It would be interesting if there was a way to tell if this guitar has solid or laminated wood.

I was in the market for a nylon, I was looking at the Cordoba Fusions... I am primarily an electric player, and the narrower neck would likely suit me better. However, since being gifted this guitar, and I know some of it's history now, I will definitely keep it and play it. The boat neck (no truss rod) will take some getting used to, but that's part of the experience... I need to clean it up, and replace the nut at least (it has been replaced previously, but it looks like a hack job- it's too low, I imagine the hack was trying to lower the action in 1st position).

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 14 2022 12:18:12

Ricardo

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

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

Wow! It is authentic! I have one of these, I loved it. The first guitar I picked up at home as a teenager. It looks all original! You could command a used price or realize an auction sale upwards of like $40 or even $50 bucks!!!

Seriously these are good guitars, I love mine.

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 14 2022 19:12:49

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

quote:

In August 1962 I spent some time in bed with a bronchial infection on the top floor of Literato Azorin 11 - next door to the address for Tatay. From my bedroom window I could see a small courtyard with cheap guitars hanging up to dry. Looking on Google Earth Pro I think the courtyard is still there. I had a newly purchased Madrid guitar under my bed, but I felt too lousy to play it!

In the early 60's I remember plenty of cheap Tatay guitars for sale for as little as 3GBP. At that time, you could get a good flamenco guitar in Spain for about 35GBP - Arcangel Fernandez for 60GBP (with a bit of a wait) - Ramirez a bit more.

The Tatay in the picture looks like one of their better models made from solid timbers.

Rob

What a nostalgic story, I occasionally use Google earth to look at my old haunts and also street view.

I like a few Tatay guitars I’ve seen in pawn shops and dried out hanging for 30 years in someone’s garage. It would be fun to have a well preserved Tatay.

1962 was a tad bit early for the belle epoch of the modern Jernigan Suites Madrid, the franchise was still mainly in North America then. But had it been open I’m sure you would have received VIP nurse care from the Jernigan staff.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 24 2022 22:34:58

Manitas de Lata

Posts: 645
Joined: Oct. 9 2018

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to ruger9)

the majority of them are cheap ones , then and now.. , excluding some that are high end , not this case.

cheap ones have small body , but have a nice dry/risp sound that reminds old flamenco . the sound doesnt have big ressonance or sustain.... , for the right price and in good condition i think its a must have/buy .

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 28 2023 13:40:28

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

ORIGINAL: estebanana
1962 was a tad bit early for the belle epoch of the modern Jernigan Suites Madrid, the franchise was still mainly in North America then. But had it been open I’m sure you would have received VIP nurse care from the Jernigan staff.

Right. The Emperador in Madrid was years later.

In 1962 I was in the Army. Stayed at cheap hotels near Times Square when I traveled to New York City for Friday and Saturday nights at Zambra.

Except for the time when my buddy Rodolfo Vega Acosta came back from Germany. He got off the boat with a couple of duffle bags full of greenbacks from his loan sharking biz.

We spent a 3-day weekend at the Plaza. Checking in they wanted some proof of our credit rating. Caused a minor disturbance when Blackie just opened up a duffle bag and started dishing out 20's and 50's.

Ran up a room service tab. Prospected for girls at the folkie bars in the Village.

Went to a bank the next morning and deposited most of the cash. No rules about reporting money laundering in 1962.

My cheap guitar was from Ramon Zalapa's 10-man factory in Paracho, Mexico. It wasn't that bad, but my friend Dave Senechalle (RIP) had a spruce/cypress Francisco Fernandez from a Valencia factory that was better.

Bought a transcription of Sabicas's soleá Bronce Gitano from a music store in the Village. It must have been done by a piano player. It was in F# Phrygian, no fingering, full of impossible barré chords.

Took me months to figure out that Sabicas was using a cejilla and the idiot transcriber had written down the actual pitches.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 30 2023 1:34:12

constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1675
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: Help identifying guitar- TATAY (in reply to Richard Jernigan)

quote:

Bought a transcription of Sabicas's soleá Bronce Gitano from a music store in the Village. It must have been done by a piano player. It was in F# Phrygian, no fingering, full of impossible barré chords.

Took me months to figure out that Sabicas was using a cejilla and the idiot transcriber had written down the actual pitches.

I hate that. Even a decade later good transcriptions of any good flamenco were extremely rare. Paco de Lucia's Partituras opened a whole new world.

_____________________________

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 Dec. 1 2023 3:45:31