JBASHORUN -> RE: BUYING A CHEAP BEGINNERS FLAMENCO GUITAR (Jan. 24 2005 16:39:12)
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Jon, Thanks for your help. I recently spoke to a top virtuoso guitarist (I won't mention his name, but he happens to be Spanish and plays electric neo-classical/ "shred" type stuff, as well as accoustic stuff, and to a professional level... he's currently recording his latest album in his studio). Anyway, he said that he's tried lots of accoustic guitars, including some by the top luthiers for thousands of pounds. He also said that he didn't find many of them to be anything special, and perhaps not worth the money. Although he did agree that each individual guitar is different. But he did recommend the brand of guitar that he actually uses himself, which happens to be Alhambra (one that I mentioned in my last post, which also happens to be one of the cheaper makes). He said that his Alhambra (which is only a 2C, costing about £250 (English money) has great tone and playability, and is well put together. As you said, all guitars are individual, but that seems to me to be a pretty good review for the Alhambra brand. One thing, though... I think he feels that Flamenco guitars are more collectors items, as opposed to being accessible and playable like a standard classical. he did say that he prefers Mahogany guitars due to their "good sustain", which may be why he uses the Alhambra "2C" (C= classical) as opposed to the "3F" (F= Flamenco). Indeed, as you suggested, for the price of a 3F, you don't get the cypress wood. It is, I think, a spruce or laminate... would that be suitable for a beginner's guitar? He also seemed to think that the very low action of the Flamecos adds too much buzz and decreases playability. But what I want to know is whether I would loose the "authentic" Flamenco sound if I bought a classical guitar like the 2C, as he seems to be suggesting. I'm aware that you can lower the action or add tapping plates later if necessary, but I suppose I did want the sound to be similar to Paco and Al Di Meola's in the 'Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho' song from the 'Friday Night In San Francisco' album. And I'm slightly concerned that it may sound a little too Classical. However, the virtuoso guitarist I spoke to said that there wasn't a dramatic difference between some of the very basic Classicals, and some of the Flamencos, so who knows... Also, I suppose there are classical elements to the stuff I play... obviously I'm a complete beginner to Flamenco and don't want a guitar that is only suitable for hardcore Flamenco. If you listen to artists like Rodrigo Y Gabriela (www.rodgab.com- listen to 'Foc'), they blend neuva flamenca with other genres like jazz and metal. So I do want a flexible, playable guitar too, which must be considered when deciding which model to buy. At the moment, I'm sort of keen on the Alhambras. But I'm not really sure which of the 2 mentioned I should go for. If I can, I'll try and play them both to see which I prefer. But would appreciate any advice in the mean time. Thanks very much. James
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