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I really needed a couple of days to believe how good this guitar is!!! 650, spanish cypress, spruce top, cedar neck with graphite, 12 hole-bridge, ebony fretboard. It's loud, and has a lot of punch, and projects very agressively by just pushing it a little. The choice of wood is excellent, and very much for my taste.
The sound is somehow feel multidimensional: it's surface is snappy, cutting and sharp, popping trebles, while beyond it also has a rich, spicy body to it. And the thing I like most about it, is that it's so astonishingly easy to play for both hands, even my right arm feel somehow more 'in place', the guitar just fits to my body!
I agree with some who said it's a very intimate feeling playing this guitar, it somehow goes under my skin! I'm so happy, it's hard to express!
I'm gonna make more photos, and a video next week, but now I'm going back to play!!
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Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
What guitar do you use now?
Its a Raimundo classical guitar. Its not bad, Ive had a couple of pros play it and they have mentioned that it sounds good, but not even close to a flamenco sound. I would love to have a nice throaty sounding flamenco guitar.
Another thing that I don't like about my guitar is that the neck is a bit too narrow. When I play other guitars its the first thing that I notice - more space between the strings. Makes playing alzapua and tremolo a lot easier for me.
One day Ill get one, but for now I cant really complain I guess. Some guitars out there really sound like crap!
Posts: 1025
Joined: Oct. 14 2009
From: New York City
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
Another thing that I don't like about my guitar is that the neck is a bit too narrow.
For some reason, Raimundo guitars have a nut width of only 51.5 instead of the typical 52. It's really a small difference, and even that is spaced out over all the strings, but I have played these, and yes, you can actually feel the difference.
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
Nice silk on the front, and I love the inlay own the back center. I have 3 Castillos, and as good as they sounded when fresh, they all improved even more over the first months of playing.
Congrats!
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to Guest)
Congratulations looks beautiful.
I'm looking foward to the day I can try one of his guitars.
I've been so tempted to buy one but having never actually seen or played one I won't take the risk. Still I've bought four great blancas in the past year, I'm really enjoying having more than one guitar but I don't need another one!
Edit- I've just checked out Castillo's website. This thread has woken my Guitar aquisition syndrome, as I've heard it called on the foro.
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to Guest)
quote:
So are you guys buying them from his US dealer or directly from the man himself in Mexico?
Directly from Salvador. I paid $1200 in 2006 for a blanca (Mexican cypress), and $2800 for a negra with Brazilian RW and lots of fancy inlay in 2008, then $2000 for a palo escrito negra in 2010. All were spruce top pegheads with graphite reinforced necks. The last one has Castillo's new bracing system.
GSI is selling a negra for $2500 (marked down from $3500) right now. I expect it is Indian RW. They are saying Castillo is the "Conde of Paracho". They will let you send it back if you change your mind.
A friend of mine bought a Castillo blanca a few months ago (also direct from Castillo) with spanish cypress and spruce top for $2200.
Shipping and a mid-grade hardshell case is included in all those prices.
Maybe that helps.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
Thnak You guys!
I also went directly to Salvador, as Chapman suggested me to do so a while ago. (though it has the original label just like on the webpage- the one GSI offers has a slightly different one) By the way thank You Chap!! Salvador is a really great guy, and a true gentleman! He even picked the back specially for me to my wishes. I transfered 50% to begin process, and the rest upon complete.
I ordered the 4th of august, and recieved the 22th of sept. 2700 USD including shipping to Hungary.
I really don't know if that "Conde of Paracho" is right as it feels totally different in my hands than a Conde, though I like this better than the Condes I've tried so far..
Posts: 1937
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
damn! it's almost worth flying to Mexico for that same amount of money and taking the guitar back as your own, without paying any tax...did you consider that?
i'm lucky as i'll get to see the guitar tomorrow :)
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to xirdneH_imiJ)
quote:
ORIGINAL: xirdneH_imiJ it's almost worth flying to Mexico for that same amount of money and taking the guitar back as your own, without paying any tax...did you consider that?
But there is still a chance they pick you up and ask where you bought the guitar etc. There is a whole program in german tv in which they show german tax officers during work.
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
it's almost worth flying to Mexico for that same amount of money and taking the guitar back as your own, without paying any tax...did you consider that?
Of course I did, but the cheapest flight to Mexico would have take more than that, not to mention cost of a motel there+food etc..
And there's also an option that Deniz mention: In that case I payed for the travel, the VAT and Taxes, and the penalty for being caught importing sg illegaly
By now I know a way to do this again without paying at least the 25% Taxes:
1.Just get a friend who runs a musical instrument shop. 2. Get him to order You the guitar (and that means transfering the guitar's price) from his own account. 3. Of course he'll have to pay the taxes anyway-You pay that. 4. At the end of the Tax-period He can claim back the taxes, and give it to You.
Of course You should give him some of it, but this way You can save up the most of it, and the rest You pay for a friend who has made you a favour, not the state who did nothing for You to get the guitar....
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
but why not ordered it at:
I've mailed La sonanta, but considered like this:
That price's in euro, while Salvador's in USD. That means it's almost the same (including the shipment from Paracho). For the same price I rather went to Salvador directly and got a guitar especially built for me. Little nuances but that counts for me. The one at La Sonanta is built with Mexican, while mine from Spanish Cypress.
So in one word: the one at La Sonanta was pricey... They also sell the PaloEscrito negra more expensive while it's the same price as a blanca even at Salvador's official website...I don't know why??? They also talking about some waiting list, that doesn't exsist in my opinion....
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
I've mailed La sonanta, but considered like this:
That price's in euro, while Salvador's in USD. That means it's almost the same (including the shipment from Paracho). For the same price I rather went to Salvador directly and got a guitar especially built for me. Little nuances but that counts for me. The one at La Sonanta is built with Mexican, while mine from Spanish Cypress.
So in one word: the one at La Sonanta was pricey... They also sell the PaloEscrito negra more expensive while it's the same price as a blanca even at Salvador's official website...I don't know why??? They also talking about some waiting list, that doesn't exsist in my opinion....
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
not the state who did nothing for You to get the guitar....
yeah but i prefer to live in a country with high level of public services rather than one where you don't pay any or few extra cash for the state and where public service are quasi inexistant...
quote:
By now I know a way to do this again without paying at least the 25% Taxes:
Or get a used guitar? If i buy to a particular instead of a profesional i don't need to pay all that taxes??
So if Castillo make a guitar and his brother or his friend sell it to me as a used one i can bypass that pinche chingadas tax
_____________________________
"The most important part of Flamenco is not in knowing how to interpret it. The higher art is in knowing how to listen." (Luis Agujetas)
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
yeah but i prefer to live in a country with high level of public services rather than one where you don't pay any or few extra cash for the state and where public service are quasi inexistant...
I'd prefer that too, but in Hungary I feel that 'public service are quasi inexistant' YET You have to pay a LOT for Nothing.
RE: New Castillo Blanca arrived!!! (in reply to beno)
quote:
Or get a used guitar? If i buy to a particular instead of a profesional i don't need to pay all that taxes??
So if Castillo make a guitar and his brother or his friend sell it to me as a used one i can bypass that pinche chingadas tax
Yeah, as I said, we live a different country, in Hungary You have to pay ANYWAY. Doesn't really matters that You buy it used...
The way I wrote works just because in that case You're not a 'private person' but a shop. The shop also have to pay for it, but they can gain back it's amount (provided You manage to fulfill all criteries)
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