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player101 -> Anders Eliasson Guitar (Mar. 14 2005 18:49:57)
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Hi,
If any of you went to Anders's site and heard that playing with the Negra guitar, I am a lucky and a proud owner of that Negra.
I had that guitar for two weeks, playing about 2-3 hours a day, with low-tension string (since the guitar was a few days old when I got it), then I lent it to Anders for his recording. Now that I have replaced the string with normal tension string and it is even better sounding than with the low tension.
I would like to share with you (guitars players and guitar lovers) my experience with this guitar, everything I describe here is just my own opinion,
I have no commisions from Anders.
To begin, like most of you, I have owned and played many Flamenco guitars in the past and currently still own a few of them, it just a bad habit on my part.
It seems like even popular-name-maker guitars and expensive rare-to-find guitars are never make me (speaking for myself) happy more than a year,
I always look for something else. Last few years, I finally grew up and decided that I will look for a "player" guitar, it can look ugly and it should not cost too much,
but it must be explosive lound, percursive, bright, tight bass and singing treble.
It seems, nowsaday the modern Flamenco guitar sounds more rounder and it lacks of Flamenco bite.
It should be a guitar that I can take around to some gatherings and even if I put a mark here and there, it wouldn't hurt my feelings (as "Oh my god, it's a $6000 guitar and I put my nail mark there!").
When I first heard Anders soundclip on his basic-model guitar, I told myself that's the guitar I want. So I asked Anders to make me a Negra that has "Anders" sound.
The good thing is that I was able to come to Anders home and his workshop to pick the guitar. After 5 minutes of playing I put it in the case and gave Anders the money and said "It is mine now."
I had a chance to play three other Anders guitars along with mine. I was glad that, the first belong to himself and the other was already sold. Otherwise, I would tempting to get that Blanca as well. But Anders promised he will make me a Blanca when I send him money. Meeting Anders and his dog are very nice, he plays well, he knows wood and has excellence sense of hearing.
This guitar, when I play it without looking at it, I would have to say it is not Negra as in term of rich-sounding as most of Negras that I have played, it is bright, lively and the treble quality is bright, clear and rings as a bell. The same quality that I only find it in my Barba Blanca until now. The bass of Anders Negra is strong, deep and very tight, no booming. That special dried and explosive sound is what I have been looking for. Currently I am compare it to the Brazillian Conde (which bright, dried and hollowed) which I think the best Conde Negra I have ever played.
Anders guitar stands up head to head with that one, Anders guitar has better mid-range sound, more focused.
Compare to the Barba, Anders guitar just a little less volume (but it is only a few weeks old), all other qualities are similar. Compare to a modern 2002 Ramirez blanca, Anders guitar won, no contest. The Ramirez sounds more bass, but loosely bass, the treble is bright but not as strong as the Anders.
Playability is wonderful, the guitar responded to the very light touch, it almost plays by itself ( I wish guitar can play by itself :-))
The finish is all hand-French polished, is very beautiful to look and feel. Even with the lousy currency exchange (Euros vs. US dollars), Anders guitar is a great bargain.
In my life of Flamenco guitar searching, this guitar is my final stop (almost final, I am planning to have another Anders someday soon).
For you guitar lovers around the SF Bay Area, perhaps we will have a guitar shoot-out day, where we can get together and compare our best guitars against each other.
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