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Posts: 1607
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania
Guitar story
I'd like to share this story with you guys:
When after about 10 years pause my aficion re-awakened a year or so ago, and I got out my old Manuel Bellido blanca, I found she sounded a bit muffled and "buzzy" on the higher frets.
and soon felt that what I really needed to rekindle my excitement for flamenco was a new, pristine, crisp blanca (I'm told elderly gentlemen are quite prone to this ).
At the music fare in Frankfurt I tried out one of the most expensive blancas on the market (Conde Hermanos Reedition Vda. y Sobrinos 1953 for >€ 14000.- ; they didn't have the Esteso Reedition for > € 16000.- ), and not really being impressed, I started looking for something I could afford. On the foro Anders' guitars caught my attention , and after visiting his web-site and ordering the Guitarrero-DVD I was seriously interested.
So when in Spain last September, touring Andalucia with my wife and a befriended couple, I visited him near Huelva. We quickly were on an equal wavelength. Anders' knowledgeable approach and his easy-going willingness to respond to my wishes made the process of selecting the woods etc. fascinating, and within but a few hours I had ordered my guitar!
When I got back home, I ordered an humidifier and got everything ready for her. The Bellido really made an effort, just about quit buzzing and developed even more volume. But I cold hardly wait.
And then one night I dreamed Anders had done something wrong, something had happened ... The very next day I got his e-mail: Unfortunately when fine-tuning my guitar, the beautiful old wooden stand, given to him by Manuel Bellido himself, had collapsed. The neck had suffered a ding.
Anders was so annoyed, he destroyed the stand, or to quote him: "I burned the Bellido stand in my woodburner and ... it didn´t even give much heat. ... I now use a standard metal stand."
He offered me his parallel-built guitar with rosewood bindings (rather than ebony) as an alternative.
So which to choose?
After a few sleepless nights, and being a romantic, I opted for the original guitar, built for me.
She has a small scar, but Anders' did such a great job, that I all but forget about it. Besides that, it gives her all the more character and betells of her history.
PS: I sold the Bellido a week ago ...
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a guitar with no dings scares me....I won't play it.
They've been adding dings to new electrics in the factory for years. This is Fender's Rory Gallagher Tribute Strat. Yeah, it's new.
In homage to the late, great Rory (who I saw so many times in the 70s) this is my next purchase. A cheap and very cool Vintage in Distressed Boulevard Black.
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I offer a reasonably priced pre-dinging service. It stops you experiencing the deep sadness that comes with your first ding. Just have your new guitar delivered to me and I will foward it to you after one month. Rob
Strangely though, there's a massive sense of relief once you've gotten your first ding out of the way.
All but one of my guitars are second hand anyway, so usually some genius has even done that part for me. There's only really my blanca and the electric I got for my 21st that I'd be really upset about dinging (especially as the latter has avoided it so far!).
Then again, none of my guitars are anywhere near as posh as an Anders.
Rory´s strat was horrible! In Ireland, we were all fans of Rory, from his days with Taste, and went to all of his sensational annual concerts in the Ulster Hall. My friend John, of the Peña Flamenca de Irlanda del Norte (don´t laugh, I was secretary!) is President of the Rory Gallagher Fan Club and as such, felt obliged to buy this Custom Shop replica. (Rory´s Brother has the original). It is a great strat but 3000 Euros???????? I suppose that in middle age, you can pay for some of the dreams of youth
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