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i have small hands. regular flamenco guitars have pretty wide fretboards. do you think luthiers sometimes built guitars with narrower fretboards for people with small hands or they usually build guitars with regular wide fretboards ?
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to rafapak)
Many virtuoso flamenco pros have, or have had small hands. Sabicas was a case in point.
Often steel string players complain about the width of classical or flamenco fretboards. (I’m not saying this applies to you, it’s just what I have observed.) Left hand technique for classical and flamenco differs from that for a narrow neck steel string, and can be learned.
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to rafapak)
Quite a few years ago, when I was taking Flamenco guitar lessons in Granada, I met a student who had a really nice Negra flamenco guitar made by John Ray, who’s a member here (johnguitar). I’m pretty sure it was a shorter scale (645mm?) and the student said he had bought it because he had small hands and it had a narrower nut (John could confirm if he’s done this). It was a beautiful guitar, very light, nicely balanced, and quite pretty.
John’s already posted on your thread asking about Granada makers, and has his shop in the Realejo district of Granada (at the foot of the Alhambra). Maybe fill a suitcase with money and pay him a visit while you’re there on your quest. He’s a seriously good guitar maker.
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to rafapak)
I used to own a flamenco guitar made by Felix Manzanero in 2002. That guitar had an extremely comfortable and narrow fretboard. I am sure any luthier can help you with that. A feature someone likes is also a compound radius fretboard. I for one find quite comfortable the standard flat fretboard, and notice few difference from my guitars with 664 mm scale and 655 mm scale.
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to rafapak)
quote:
i have small hands. regular flamenco guitars have pretty wide fretboards. do you think luthiers sometimes built guitars with narrower fretboards for people with small hands or they usually build guitars with regular wide fretboards ?
I wonder about the other way round, a steel string acoustic guitar with a wide neck and fretboard like a Spanish (classical or flamenco) nylon/gut string guitar? Does anyone play one of these? Would anyone want a guitar like this?
(I actually have a guitar like this that I'd like to sell but have no idea where to try to sell it, so if anyone knows I would appreciate advice - if anyone is interested I could offer it in the classifieds here...)
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to rafapak)
quote:
ORIGINAL: rafapak
i have small hands. regular flamenco guitars have pretty wide fretboards. do you think luthiers sometimes built guitars with narrower fretboards for people with small hands or they usually build guitars with regular wide fretboards ?
I have small hands. The tapering narrow cross over guitars designed for guys transitioning slowly from electric guitar, are VERY hard to play. I never understood why they make those cheaper student guitars with that tapering. Any wide neck concert level guitar feels much smoother, it has to do with right hand too. My opinion is you have it exactly backwards.
RE: custom made flamenco guitars (in reply to RobF)
Thanks you for the kind words Rob. Yes, I sometimes make a 50mm nut and on copies of historical instruments the original can even have a 48mm nut. However, there is no law that says that a short scale has to have a narrow nut. Spacing at the bridge can vary too but usually that too is independent of the other measurements used. Unless someone specifically asks though I stick to 51 or 52 at the nut.
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