Richard Jernigan -> RE: Solera Flamenca LA 40% off sale!! (Dec. 17 2018 3:48:15)
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ORIGINAL: JasonM The only two guitars I see if interest are the Conde and the Francisco SANCHEZ - which from the pics does not look like very high quality wood - hence the 40% off discount [:D] I have written on the Foro that I think when a guitar reaches a certain level of quality, there is no “better” or “worse,” just “different. “ I don’t know whether any of these guitars qualifies for the top tier, but I do know that I have never played a classical that I would say is better than my 1973 Romanillos, #407. I have been told it is the one just before Bream’s famous #501. #407 is the 7th and last of the 4xx series design, “modeled on” a 1950 Hauser; #501 is the first of the 5xx series, modeled on a Hauser from the 1930s. The grain of the #407 top is very broad near the center line. It narrows down considerably toward the sides, but substantially broadens again further out. I saw Bream’s guitar up close. The top was obviously from the same tree as #407. When I visited Abel Garcia in Paracho to order an instrument I told him which Romanillos I had, and that I liked it. Garcia worked twice as Romanillos’s only assistant at his summer course in Guijosa. Garcia showed me some wood Romanillos had given him “from early in his career.” They could have been the next boards in the tree from #407 and #501. I chose the straight grained, quarter sawn Brazilian for the back and sides from Garcia’s excellent stash—after he had told me he could make an equally good guitar from three other woods, and that using Brazilian for a guitar was “like putting jewelry on it.” He told me he would have chosen a different set of Brazilian. He showed me a slab cut set. “Why this one, because it is slab cut?” “El corte no importa mucho,” he replied. “Esta madera es mas blanda.” [“The cut is not particularly important. This wood is softer”] He assured me it was not really a big deal if I liked the quarter sawn set better. I took him at his word. He has published an authoritative book on guitar making woods, which I had a chance to look over at Richard Brune’s shop. I said, “You choose the top Maestro. You are the expert.” I didn’t even look at tops. When the guitar arrived, the top had an extremely fine, very regular and straight grain, with a lot of “silk,” and no runout. I phoned Garcia to tell him how pleased I was with the instrument. We talked for a while, then I commented, “You didn’t use the Romanillos wood...’ “It’s some of the best wood I have,” he replied, “but you might have a hard time selling a guitar that looks like that.” RNJ
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