Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences?

Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Full Version)

Foro Flamenco: http://www.foroflamenco.com/
- Discussions: http://www.foroflamenco.com/default.asp?catApp=0
- - Lutherie: http://www.foroflamenco.com/in_forum.asp?forumid=22
- - - Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences?: http://www.foroflamenco.com/fb.asp?m=345789

Message

TrickyFish -> Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 18 2023 20:51:04)
A question to luthiers about the differences between a flamenco blanca and a negra: Is the only difference between a blanca and a negra the type of wood used in the back and sides? Or are there other strucural differences that contribute to tonal differences?

Fawkes -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 18 2023 23:11:49)
I shall brazenly answer despite not having yet built a guitar: It depends on who's making it. I can't remember names but I think some luthiers here have said they don't really do anything different. Although the sample size I have access to via plans and books is comparatively small, it looks to me like Santos, building before the Segovia Schism was in full swing, braced cypress and rosewood guitars in ways that appear intended to even out the differences.

Doitsujin -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 19 2023 10:44:03)
Negras are usually played by people who have a certain skill that it makes sense they have a more "elaborated clean concert sound". Negras are also played by people who believe they have a certain skill that a negra makes sense for their play - it may or may not be the case. Blancas are usually played by baller puro bulerias lovers who need some pep and punchy flamenco sound - and by people who understand that no negra can be as flamenco as a blanca Everyone goes through "phases"..and playing negra is certainly a phase. It will wear off if the player is in the game long enough - even for the most famous flamenco guitar player the world has ever seen... Ottmar Liebert. Cheers ;-)

gerundino63 -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 19 2023 16:08:36)
All woods can generate a certain sound, long sustain, short sustain, more bass, less bass, but the main overall difference in my opinion is, that a blanca lower and higer notes melt better together, they have the same sound color. With a negra the sound collor of the low notes is different than the sound color of the high notes. Like a piano, the sound color of the notes in the lower part is different than the higher part. For instance, left sounds like a sax and right like a bell like instrument. With a blanca, the overall sound is more even, like a harp. Ofcourse you can like and dislike both. I like blanca’s with long sustain with a “grow” and Negra’s with a short sustain. (Low bass and bell like high) I Am lucky to have both exactly as my taste.

Stephen Eden -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 20 2023 8:59:52)
Some do, some don't and some offer both! It depends on what you are looking for from each guitar.

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 20 2023 10:23:55)
It’s like asking a painter how they paint the sky.

constructordeguitarras -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 21 2023 4:19:44)
Yes and no.

Ricardo -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 21 2023 11:39:10)
quote: Is the only difference between a blanca and a negra the type of wood used in the back and sides? Yes.

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 21 2023 14:30:53)
Does anyone fancy a mango for breakfast? I sure do, a mango with some toast and a boiled egg is a splendid breakfast. Of course accompanied by a strong coffee.

Richard Jernigan -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 0:03:23)
quote: ORIGINAL: estebanana Does anyone fancy a mango for breakfast? I sure do, a mango with some toast and a boiled egg is a splendid breakfast. Of course accompanied by a strong coffee. Though a mango would have gone down quite well, this morning I had two tamales de puerco, one with pico de gallo, the other with salsa poblana. ...with strong coffee of course, ground from whole beans. I alternate among Sulawesi, Balinese and Sumatran--but that's the only difference. Which reminds me, the distinguished mathematician R.L. Moore used to preface his definition of topological equivalence with an anecdote. As a graduate student at the University of Chicago in the early 1900s he passed through the famous Marshall Fields department store where a man had drawn a crowd for a demonstration. In one hand he held a potato peeler. In the other hand he held an object. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a potato, but that's the only difference." RNJ

Joan Maher -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 8:27:49)
Tomato with Jamon Serrano, coffee and small brandy please.

BarkellWH -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 12:41:57)
quote: Does anyone fancy a mango for breakfast? I sure do, a mango with some toast and a boiled egg is a splendid breakfast. Of course accompanied by a strong coffee. Sliced mango and papaya as a mixed tropical fruit dish makes for a wonderful breakfast. As for coffee, it is hard to beat Sumatran. Having lived a total of eight years in Indonesia and Malaysia, I can attest to how good Sumatran coffee can be at its point of origin. There is a very flavorful (although quite expensive) coffee known in Malay and Indonesian as "Kopi Luwak." ("Luwak" is the Malay/Indonesian term for the Palm Civet, sometimes incorrectly called a "civet cat.") Kopi Luwak is made from coffee berries ingested by the Palm Civet, the beans of which are then excreted with the Palm Civet's feces and collected for processing as coffee beans. It is said that the flavor of these beans, and the resulting coffee made from them, is enhanced because the Palm Civet only chooses to ingest the finest coffee berries, as well as because of processes occurring in the digestive tract. It should be noted that Kopi Luwak refers to a method of processing coffee beans. It is not a "variety" of coffee. Kopi Luwak is available in some shops in the United States, but one must be careful that one is purchasing the real thing. There are packages labeled as "Kopi Luwak" that are not, in fact, the real thing, even though they may have been imported from Indonesia. (Shades of "genuine" Rolex watches one can purchase for $50 in Jakarta street markets.) Bill

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 14:38:41)
I’ve heard from my uncle who worked in Indonesia on development after the tragic tsunami that Indonesia is an interesting country to work in. He marveled over the contrasts and contradictions we as westerners see. He also cultivated a taste for ‘civet coffee’. It appears civet coffee could be genuinely “good to the last drop” 😂

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 14:41:44)
Jamon, tomato and a few pieces of toasted bread is my favorite lunch. I see no harm in adding a delicious mango into the mix.

Fawkes -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 14:52:38)
According to a friend of mine from India, those of us who have only had mangos in the US do not know what a real one tastes like.

TrickyFish -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 19:30:47)
This is a very strange forum

Richard Jernigan -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 21:54:09)
quote: ORIGINAL: Fawkes According to a friend of mine from India, those of us who have only had mangos in the US do not know what a real one tastes like. A Javanese girl I knew demonstrated how to peel and slice a mango without getting juice on her fingers. The mangoes in southeast Asia and the Philippines are delicious. I can't remember when I might have bought one in the USA. She also introduced me to durian, which she cracked open by stomping on them. RNJ

BarkellWH -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 22:59:23)
quote: According to a friend of mine from India, those of us who have only had mangos in the US do not know what a real one tastes like. Mangoes were originally grown in India. They were brought to Southeast Asia, primarily the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, and Java, centuries ago via trade. Everyone has his favorite region for Mangoes. Although I consider those from Malaysia and Indonesia to be delicious, my very favorite are from Thailand. They have a natural sweetness that is exquisite. Most Mangoes in the US are imported from Mexico, but they are inferior to those of Southeast Asia, in my opinion. Bill

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 22 2023 23:35:30)
“ his is a very strange forum” You’ll learn a lot. Mangoes are delicious, but ask any one person and they have in depth opinions about the mangoes from different regions. Some don’t care for mangoes and prefer jamon and tomato. So you see that trees are trees and produce wood that is dark in color and wood that is light in color. This is an ineluctable truth.

TrickyFish -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 6:23:34)
quote: ORIGINAL: estebanana You’ll learn a lot. What i am learning is that the people on this forum appear to want to push newcomers away. Its like you want the art of flamenco to die.

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 9:00:53)
It’s doubtful the members if this forum have any influence on the life or death of any kind of music. Everyone answered your question. It’s simple, the answer is that there’s not much difference and it’s your choice which you like. Guitar makers don’t have to explain things that don’t need to be explained, one is rosewood and the other is cypress and it’s about that simple.

gerundino63 -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 9:20:36)
Tricky Fisch, Sometimes you do not get the answer what you are looking for, so wich kind of answer you had in mind for youself? Did you read my post? I do not know if others experiance the same, but it is useful to investigate how you experiance the thing I wrote yourself. Do not blame other people about the answer they give. It is their answer, respect that. And, your question was, “is it only the wood or are there any other differents” It is only the wood. There are no other differents. So, if you want to know more, ask another question. P.S. People here like newcomers, but remember you step into a room where a lot of us know eachother for a long time, so you are treated as a gast. We only aspect you behave like one. Welcome here on the foro. (My name is Peter, the one that writes terrible english)

Stephen Eden -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 10:37:59)
It can be a strange place but your question was answered several times before the thread turned to mangos. If you were not satisfied with your answers ask some more questions.

Ricardo -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 11:23:24)
quote: Mangoes are delicious, but ask any one person and they have in depth opinions about the mangoes from different regions. and differing pulsations.

Echi -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 11:33:32)
In my view the question itself didn't help for a good answer: either cypress or rosewood are just a part of the story as they are elements used by individual luthiers to make flamenco guitars their own way. The focus is on the luthiers and guitars then. A negra guitar made by Stephen Eden wouldn't sound like one made by Estebana or Andy Culpepper or Ethan Deutsch in spite of the woods they make use of. There are luthiers are more appreciated for their blancas than negras as a certain wood may better fit their sound goal. BTW there's a huge variety among different rosewood species in terms of mass, dampening and stiffness. A negra made with African Blackwood is a different beast than a negra made with a light Indian rosewood or walnut. In the end, yes, there's a difference between a blanca and a negra of the same makerat least as rosewood is a wood way heavier than cypress; also because rosewood tends to give a different "color" to the note for a different way the high partials are expressed but the point is how a luthier would make use of these characteristics. To the question: "is it the only difference?" my answer is: "it depends by the maker" even though usually there are little or big differences.

estebanana -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 12:30:22)
I’ve seen mango trees in Micronesia with huge trunks. And I believe certain species of mango tree would make great guitar wood. Probably not easy to get because it’s not a regularly commercially traded wood, but I’d like to get my hands on some.

Richard Jernigan -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 21:59:54)
quote: ORIGINAL: estebanana I’ve seen mango trees in Micronesia with huge trunks. And I believe certain species of mango tree would make great guitar wood. Probably not easy to get because it’s not a regularly commercially traded wood, but I’d like to get my hands on some. Now that you mention it, I have seen a guitar for sale on the web, with mango back and sides. I liked the look of it. Of course, I don't remember where I saw it... Googling "mango guitar" turns up several steel-strings and electrics, but not the classical I saw, at least in the first couple of pages. RNJ

Fawkes -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 23 2023 23:24:31)
https://tinyurl.com/mpka2btn The video is of a mango topped classical, go figure.

Ricardo -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 27 2023 11:44:25)
quote: It’s like asking a painter how they paint the sky. Blue? With hints of Conde Orange.

etta -> RE: Blanca vs Negra - is only the wood different? Or are there other differences? (Mar. 27 2023 17:17:50)
Er...back to guitars; yes blanca and negra; not the same; yes, but with different woods, you know, the light and dark thing. BUT, there is more; most of the negras I have played or owned have slightly thicker bodies or depth, front to back, especially in the lower body. Remember this is not about fruit or women, only guitars.

Page: [1] 2 > >>