jlneng -> RE: Why are guitars built to last? (Feb. 13 2011 2:00:36)
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Hello All, I had the rare chance to play 3 different Santos Hernadez flamenco guitars last april. On was from 1923, the others from 1933 & 1934 I believe. Two of the three were giants. One of my friends has a 1942 Barbero with pegs which I have heard him play and it is a giant. I have heard and played other modern flamenco guitars built by reputable makers, and with the exception of two made by Robert Ruck, they were all second class compared to the older ones I mentioned. Another friend has a 1932 Esteso flamenco which I have played and heard played. I would not put it in the giant catagory but it would stand up against anything I have heard that was made after 1980. I believe that if an instrument has proper care, it and is properly constructed, it should improve with age. One also has to factor in the strings available at the time the guitar was constructed. While gut strings had similiar string tension compared to modern strings, they had many different tonal qualities. I have often been tempted to try a set of gut strings on one of my flamencos, if one could keep it in tune, it might provide an enlightening experience. Just my opinion though!
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