VietFlamenco -> RE: looking for a new guitar (Apr. 16 2011 14:58:29)
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Don't get me wrong guys, I like Salvador's guitars, but to say they are the best at any price range is an overstatement. To give you an idea, i'm basing my opinion on his Euro Spruce/Mex Cypress blanca. When the blanca arrived, I was really happy with the feel and playability of the instrument. The guitar was very loud and percussive. However, that's where it ends. We all like a little buzz in the guitar, but I feel mine was excessively buzzy starting at the G string all the way to the high E. I am no expert, but I don't think open string buzz is a good thing. This however, made it perfect if all you're doing is playing rasgueados. I took the guitar to have it looked at by a local luthier. He agrees that it's a very well built instrument, but it seems like a rush job. First, the luthier suggested that the french polish was not 100% french polish and may have been sprayed on and quickly rubbed in. The coating was extremely light. I guess this helps the guitar breaths and produce that volume. Secondly, Salvador leaves the fret crown on the guitar very high. If I run my hand along the side of the fret board I can also feel the frets slightly sticking out. Lastly, I noticed the pegs holes that he drilled were not completely round. There was some chipping at the end of the hole as if he didn't have the right tools for the job. When I adjusted the pegs, I have to really push the peg in or it just pops out to a secondary level. This is hard to explain to people without them actually trying to turn the pegs. With that said, I still would probably never sell this guitar because for the price I paid, it's worth every penny. I tried comparing my Castillo to my brother's Kenny Hill Signature Series blanca and my flamenco teacher's Lester Devoe. The Castillo sounds really coarse and harsh when compared to top end instruments. The sound coming from the Devoe is incredible. It is louder than the Castillo, but the sound was really profound and warmer to my ears. The Kenny Hill was just as good, but it has a more lyrical sound. Something Vincente would want. Strangely, I didn't like the Kenny Hill as much b/c it wasn't buzzy enough for me. The Devoe and Kenny Hill starting prices were $7000, out of the price range for most of us. This makes luthiers like Anders, Stephen Faulk, & Andy Culpepper bargain buys. We all have different taste in sound, so if you like your guitar, that is all that should matter. I don't let paco, vincente, or juan influence my judgement because I have ears of my own. After all, didn't Paco endorse Andalusian guitars?[:D][:D][:-]
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