Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Full Version)

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estebanana -> Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 2:18:21)

Ok boys here is your chance to defame me and show your glowing disapproval! [:D]

It's me playing a couple guitars I made. Go easy on my compas and playing, I have not been playing guitar regularly in over a year. I just hope you hear the voices of these guitars. I'm happy to answer any questions about how they are made. I think I might try to practice again, but life is complicated and makers can't always be choosers! Musically speaking I've been focused on learning the cello the last 18 months.

The first guitar has Port Orford Cedar back and sides with a Western Red Cedar top. It is slightly deep bodied for a flamenco guitar with a tail thickness of 4" ~ 650mm scale. Quite low action. Easy to play, but does not bottom out when you give it the juice. Very cool guitar. I hear Chuscales and Carlos Lomas will get to look at this one when the new owner goes to see him. Fred Sanford loves it too. I'm very excited to hear their opinions and feedback. The man who bought it seems satisfied with his guitar.

The Negra is about the same size slightly smaller. It has a 655 scale. Spruce top. Sound port. Fun to play.




srshea -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 3:57:54)

Nice! The cedar top sounds so cedary. You could put a blindfold on and still know what kind of wood that is.

Would you mind explaining a bit about how you define "voice"? I asked this question of Gene Clark a few years back and he went into great detail about it, delving into all sorts of esoterica, at one point hooking up some weird little oscillator and making sci-fi noises to illustrate the difference between tone and voice. I just nodded my head and pretended to understand what he was talking about, but really, the whole thing went waaaay over my head. I guess the gist that I took from the conversation was that voice is a defining characteristic of a builder's work, in toto. A sort of sonic signature that carries over from guitar to guitar (assuming the builder is seeking to build guitars with that same signature), rather than a discrete quality that each individual guitar might have. Or maybe that's not it at all, and I just took away an unnecessarily spooky (semi)understanding of something that's really much more simple, like "voice is how a guitar sounds, dummy." I'm curious to hear you thoughts.



Arash -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 8:07:29)

Nice Guitars and good playing.
I personally liked your Negra better than the Cedar Blanca.
It sounds brighter and somehow more open.
But thats just taste. I am not so much a Cedar guy.



KMMI77 -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 11:52:12)

Hey Stephen,

I enjoyed listening to your guitars, and getting to know you a bit through the video.

It is hard to comment about guitars from a video. I would love to be able to have a play in person.

To be honest, i don't really know what to make of the cedar guitars sound. It sounds good and different. It seems a bit stiffer than the negra. The strings sound really new as well. I could hear a few interesting overtones coming from it, and feet like it needs a good playing in.

The negras throaty voice reminds me of the sound of hermanos sanchis Lopez guitars. The second you strummed it i could hear that sound. I like its soft, strong and deep voice.

Please continue to share videos of your guitars.



michel -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 12:41:41)

very nice sounding guitars!
congratulation for the work
they have a fat "growl" and they seem to be extraordinarily responsive.
(especially the negra)

but i'm very untaught in lutherie, so i have nothing more to ask
[:)] so once again very good job!



XXX -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 13:05:48)

Think the negra has the most growl that i have heard on a guitar.
Well played, for an innocent guitar maker ;)



ralexander -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 13:22:24)

Nice work, Vlad [:D] Ole amigo! Both guitars sound awesome.

This is a real treat to hear you talk a bit and play your own creations. The bridge on the cedar looks like a nice match - is that one Goncalo Alves as well?

If my blanca turns out similar to that one, I will be one happy mofo. Seems to have that old school snarl I love.



Shawn Brock -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 22:17:44)

Stephen,

I'm proud of you man. Hell! I'm glad to hear you play your own creations for once! I'm sure if Fred liked them they would be more than good enough for anyone!

Damn! Now I'm into the Black Wood section of the video, a bonus that you didn't tell us about!

I can't decide if I like the blanca or negra better. I love the little extra bump in the bass of this blanca, and the midrange throatiness of the negra! Great work man!

Your right, your not a guitar player, your a musician and great maker, and that beats just being a "guitar player" any day. A musician has a better understanding of things than those of us which are just guitar players.



estebanana -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 1 2012 23:54:36)

Thank you for the compliments on my playing and the guitars. I will practice before I make another video and probably play shorter passages with explaining.

The first one the blanca with the Cedar top sounds slightly different in person now, although I'm not unhappy with the sound quality for a video. After the video I played with the action and frets and made it less buzzy, although it was asked of me to set the action really low even if it did buzz.

I used Bouchet bar on that top, it's a light bar that is near the back of the bridge and goes from one side to the other perpendicular to the fan braces. Most of the time flamenco guitars do not have these bars. Builders use a flat strap under the bridge most of the time. The Bouchet bar was the invention, I guess, of Robert Bouchet the French guitar maker. It is about a 1/4" to 3/16" wide and 3/8 inch tall and is tapered from the center of the bridge down to nothing where it hits the bouts.

I wanted the top to have more cross grain strength, but still be able to change my mind in process. After the bridge was glued on and the guitar was strung up few days I made the video. The next day I removed a bit of wood making the Bouchet bar and cross grain of the top more flexible, and then the sound came together more. I would not say it made trebles or basses any better, but sort of blended them into each other and made the whole thing more cohesive which was what concerned me. Kind of a risk, but it worked.

The negra, well it sounds big and warm and in the last two weeks playing it it really opened up. It is available for $4000.00, but I think the person who has it on approval right now will buy it.

But I'll make more. Well if there are not other questions.....I'm curious what people want to hear about most when guitar makers do demonstration videos?

[:D]



estebanana -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 0:09:28)

quote:

Would you mind explaining a bit about how you define "voice"? I asked this question of Gene Clark a few years back and he went into great detail about it, delving into all sorts of esoterica, at one point hooking up some weird little oscillator and making sci-fi noises to illustrate the difference between tone and voice.


That the fun of hanging around with Eugene Clark. he says a lot of things, but you must listen between them to get the stuff you need.

I just think the voice of the guitar is it's sound character. Which kind of soprano is she? Does she have a piercing voice which lazer beams though a big orchestra or does she have a bell like ringing sound that carries mysteriously far for how small it seems? Does it have some natural echo, is it naturally dark or deep?

For me the voice is just like a persons voice, you just identify the guitar by how it sounds. It's really limitless and abstract to talk about for me. It's like which metaphor do I want to use today to explain it?

Everyone has a different guitar players sound because we have an individual touch. But even if several people play the same guitar, the guitar can take on different characters, but here will be something at the core of the sound that all players will show in common. I think the common denominator is the natural voice of the guitar.

Or something like that.



srshea -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 3:28:06)

quote:

.....I think the common denominator is the natural voice of the guitar.


I can hang with that answer. To take the singing voice metaphor and run with it, the cedar top is like the Rancapino of guitars. Comfortably warm and wooly, but ready to bark and howl when pushed...



estebanana -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 3:57:57)

Exactly, to go with a flamenco voice, think of a making the guitar like a flamenco voice. Growly, but with a clear spot in the middle and the right kind of echo.



KMMI77 -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 5:57:24)

quote:

I'm curious what people want to hear about most when guitar makers do demonstration videos?


Hey Stephen,

Please don't take any of this in a negative way. I will be honest with my opinion.


As a guitarist, i am often frustrated by the way makers demonstrate guitars. Especially if the maker fails to show me the guitars full potential. Either through playing with poor technique and choking the guitars sound, or failing to demonstrate what is potentially really good about the guitar.

When i watch a guitar demonstration video, I am hoping to hear the guitars full potential. The tonal qualities it possesses, and see the ease, or lack of, in which the guitar is responding. Often poor technique or poor selection of material, can make the demonstration unclear, and leave me feeling unable to make a judgement. It's best when the person demonstrating is able to clearly and confidently exemplify a range of the guitars qualities. Especially those sounds and responses considered important in relation to flamenco.

I think the aim in demonstrating a guitars should be to give the potential customer an honest overview, and hopefully an enjoyable experience via the demonstration. Info about the construction method and timbers used is always of interest. Also seeing what the guitar looks like is nice. But most important to me is the sound and playability. I become more interested in the other aspects when i can hear that the guitar sounds and plays well. But that's just me personally.

Giving me as a listener, a chance to experience the guitars sound is so important. When i say experience the sound, I mean for a decent uninterrupted amount of time. And when i say uninterrupted, i mean clean and aware musical playing, covering and exemplifying the guitars response to a variety of techniques. I believe that the better you can exemplify this with your videos, the better the results will be in terms of customer interest. If the demo contains to many mistakes, choked sounds, lack of varied examples, I have trouble being able to fully realize the guitars potential.

My ways of testing guitars have continued to change and develop as i've progressed as a player. So have my abilities and awareness to listen for and test things. When it comes to listening to guitars from makers in other countries, I would prefer an experienced player to demonstrate a guitar I'm considering. When I'm unable to have a go myself that is.


I also like the idea of you personally demonstrating the guitars as well. It adds something to be able to make a connection between instrument and maker. Having Fred demonstrate your guitars also makes a good combo. I think if you continue to combine the two. You will be on a winner!

I believe that after all the work you put in to these instruments, they deserve a really professional showing. Anything less is like putting a heap of time and effort into recording a great sounding CD, and then marketing it with a video that shows someone practicing half heartedly.



Shawn Brock -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 17:09:58)

Stephen,

The only thing I would have changed about the video is the length of the passages which you played. I don't think you can make everyone happy. MR. 77 likes a video of length, and here I thought the playing got a little long. Not much, but a little.

I also value a hotrod player firing up a guitar and showing how it sounds balls to the wall, but this gives me more to consider... I for one feel that Jason could make most any guitar sound good. He will bring out the best of what it has for sure. Then I have to wonder... I'm not the player Jason is, I'm not some guy who can't play the guitar, but I couldn't showcase a guitar like Jason could. So what will this guitar sound like with average clean playing?

I thought the video had a good clean sound as videos go and the sound quality was a notch above a lot of maker's demonstrations.

Also, don't be shy about talking on the video! Your the man who made this and I for one want to hear anything you have to say about your instruments.

As MR. 77 said, having both you and Jason cutting videos each has a great benefit. I was also glad that you demoed the blanca with and without a cejilla. We all have seen guitars which are their strongest on one part of the scale. When a guitar is just demoed in one position I have to wonder, hmm, did he pick the 2nd fret because that's where the guitar sounds the best? Or did he just want to make a quick video and never thought about this possible perception? So thanks for putting in the extra thought.



JuanDaBomb -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 19:59:24)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shawn Brock

So what will this guitar sound like with average clean playing?



I totally agree with this. [:)] Professionally executed falsetas are helpful to the listener/potential client, without a doubt. But I would also like to hear real simple stuff where I can focus on the quality and the intricacies of the note(s) and chords. If you keep in mind that it's a video and not a real-life sound, I think the listener can still gain much useful information. I'd like to see things like varying picking angles, picking strengths, playing at different distances from the sound hole, those sorts of things, even if a video such as that can be rather mundane. I personally don't mind if these things are demonstrated in a systematic, though boring way. I want information, and the more the better. It's definitely the voice of the guitar that I am listening for, and for qualities that just pop out at me. Sometimes it's that one note that reaches your ears in just the right way and says to you "Hey, I ain't no Yamaha, buddy! Check me out!" And sometimes with general playing, I end up having to work to find examples of these things in a guitar demo video. And that's discouraging sometimes to the viewer.

Having said that, I think these are pretty damn good videos, Stephen. The audio quality is superb. I do like the "dark room" type of feel, though it would have been nice to see more detail on the guitars. But I guess that's what my photos are for [;)]



estebanana -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 22:04:54)

Thanks for the responses about how to present the guitars in a video. I'm glad you all spoke up because I have my ideas on how to do it, but of course I want to present to the guitar playing public, so all the feedback is appreciated.

I have friends who play much, much better than I do. I'll include them in some way. Fred is usually up for a spin on one of my guitars, but I'll include others as well. I'm building Fred a new one as we speak, in fact I'm doing three at once right now. So eventually if he likes that one and keeps it you'll see lots of Fred. I also want to learn some new material, but I'm really pressed for time trying to do repair work and build so my playing has gone to the dogs. I feel like I've forgotten about 2/3's of what I know.



Andy Culpepper -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 2 2012 22:10:16)

Hey, we can't all be Anders Eliasson [8D]
I enjoyed the video, very cool guitars as always.



KMMI77 -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 3 2012 5:36:48)

quote:

I also want to learn some new material, but I'm really pressed for time trying to do repair work and build so my playing has gone to the dogs. I feel like I've forgotten about 2/3's of what I know.


I just edited my above post. After re reading it today, I discovered it was poorly written and a real mess. Sorry about that. My brain was not working well.

I hope my comments didn't come across as putting your playing down. I enjoyed your playing and I liked the solea falsetas. I just want to see you do well with your skills as a luthier. I hope you will share more of your playing with us when you have time.



TANúñez -> RE: Count Dracula plays a blanca and a negra that he built! (Feb. 4 2012 13:21:10)

First of all, that scarf is cool. Great sounding guitars. I love love love cedar tops. I like those earthy tones.



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