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RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
Great head design Ramón, simple and effective. I love the bookmatched tapeta: this seems to be quite rare (though my 1972 Melero has it). The wood is really beautiful, especially with pegs.
Posts: 440
Joined: Feb. 23 2005
From: La Jolla, Ca
RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
Thanks Sean!
I wanted to keep the design a bit more simple and elegant. I saw a peghead that had 'little going on', and I thought it just looked right. Don't care for the real elaborate designs, generally. Juan Martin had/has a peghead like that. Where I got the idea for 'simple', and I like pegs because the headstock doesn't flare out so much as with machines.
The headplate wood is the macassar ebony. Guy in Oregon sells that stuff, along with bindings, and he picked me out a winner! Although ebony's LOTS of fun to bend and stuff!
Gary: Never did, and now can't take any final measurements on the neck (strings), but I think I was around 21/22mm at the 1 and like 23-24 at the 9th. Something like that, but when I came down to it, it was just what 'felt right', not about acheiving a predetermined thickness. I used Bob Hein's templates a bit, too, as his necks get lots of kudos for feel, shape, and 'speed'... But necks are WAAAY harder than it would seem! A lot going on there!
So here's a few pics of the neck, one with a barr chord to get a feel of it.
Ramon
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Posts: 440
Joined: Feb. 23 2005
From: La Jolla, Ca
RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
54mm wide at the nut, about 63mm at the 12th. One of the things I really liked on how Reyes sets the strings, is the 'inset' (offset?) of the high E away from the edge of the fretboard (moved in towards the low E). You can see it somewhat in the top photo of the pegs at the of the page.
The high E doesn't have the tendency to pull off the board on a slur, pulloffs, hammers, etc...
RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
Hi Ramon,
I have the GAL edition with the Blackshear plan and article. He made the comment that he compensated the bridge by 1mm since this was basically pulled out with the flexing of the top when strung. 1mm seems like a lot, and I basically see no change in the 2 guitars that I have (when strung and un-strung).
I'm not sure if you made any comments about this in your report, if so please ignore my oversight. If not;
Did you see this 1mm reduction in nut to saddle length when strung? Any other comments in this area most welcome.
p.s I would ask T.Blackshear (since the GAL article ended saying he was available to answer question) but it was not noted in the article that he wants money to answer question. He answered my first question but added further question would be answered at $50/hr(I think that was the rate).
Posts: 440
Joined: Feb. 23 2005
From: La Jolla, Ca
RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
Hi Andrew,
Something I did passover in my comments.
I forgot to compensate at the nut, but ended up adding 1 (or 2mm?) when I set the bridge. Tom at La Falseta said this would work - thanks Tom - as I was a bit like "uh ohhhh"...
Like you, I haven't ever seen any 'pull' that would take away the 655 scale to 654 or 653, but I did it the way it's 'supposed to be', and whatever the hell I did, it DID come out right. Just let another guy play it tonight at a Monday dance class. He owns an early 70's Conde, and he looks at me with his mouth hung open, and says; "...this is REALLY nice!"
Just follow the plans. That's what Tom told me, and you'll get a great guitar.
RE: Flamenco 15 ~ Back n' bizness! (in reply to Ramón)
Hi Ramon,
Had a couple more questions about the Reyes. Hope you don't mind. The description of the top in the GAL magazine makes no sense to me. I can not understand what the shape of the top is. The plan is a bit vague. Did Tom describe any of this to you?
The article says there is about 1.5 mm(?) dome at the inserts. Is it just tapered down from these inserts to nothing? How much doming is at the bridge location? Is the bridge concaved to match this doming?
On the plan the inserts have lines across them, some in the middle others to one side, do you know what that means?