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looking for a new guitar
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sig
Posts: 296
Joined: Nov. 7 2007
From: Wisconsin
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 RE: looking for a new guitar (in reply to aaa)
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Hey aaa,
I own a Culpepper Blanca and its great. Andy was fantastic and if I didn't like it I could return it. I can't speak to a Castillo but I've heard good things however it really comes down to what you like, not what anybody else thinks or says. To me, purchasing a guitar is a very personal decision, it may sound and feel good to me, but to you, not so much. I had the opportunity to play an Ander's Blanca and my Culpepper is very similar, loud, percussive, light and well balanced. My instrument has a Western Red Cedar top, with Canadian Cypress B&S.
Overall, I love the sound and feel of my Culpepper but watching a vid isn't going to help much in the decision making process because there are too many variables. The best thing would be the ability to play each side by side however that just isn't usually possible. Someone said that you could travel to play each instrument and that's a good idea but may not be practical and again, the downside is you wouldn't be able to play and evaluate each on its own merit.
I can highly recommend the Culpepper and from my own experience, it works well for dance accompanyment and has a nice bold sound. It really is a great instrument however you will know best what works for you...
Sig--
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 15 2011 14:36:04
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beno
Posts: 881
Joined: Nov. 3 2006
From: Hungary
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RE: looking for a new guitar (in reply to aaa)
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Hey Viet,
I feel free to disagree 
quote:
I love my Castillo blanca, but as soon as i have the money, it's going to be...
for me THAT doesn't seem like You love your blanca....anyway I haven't tried any guitars from Andy, but they look great and sound great as one could give an opinion based on youtube videos. I really think He's on his best way to became a sought after luthier very soon.
I don't know if You got a weaker guitar by Salvador, but as for mine, I'd not call that hype.
I've tried several great guitars including big names also, but even Salvador's raised prices are way below from their prices.
I've just tried a used Conde blanca for 5500 Euro... In no perspective could it even get close to my Castillo. Same for Contreras, Sanchis or Romero guitars I've tried so far.
Or just take a Ramirez FL2 ('cause it's about the same price), which is quite a good guitar, though vary a lot in quality....I've tried 3 already, all very different. COMPARE PRICE/QUALITY!
And after all, I really think that Salvador's guitars are not just good considering their lower price. They're among the very bests no matter at what price.
quote:
if you inspect his guitar closely, you will notice the french polish is not truely french polish
what do You mean by that? I've inspected mine closely several times, but couldn't get what You say?! Would You clarify that please?
I know that this is not a competition: everybody has different taste and so on... I simply think what You wrote is far from being true in my opinion, and I've felt free to disagree
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 16 2011 11:19:03
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VietFlamenco
Posts: 140
Joined: Aug. 1 2010
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RE: looking for a new guitar (in reply to erictjie)
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Don't get me wrong guys, I like Salvador's guitars, but to say they are the best at any price range is an overstatement. To give you an idea, i'm basing my opinion on his Euro Spruce/Mex Cypress blanca.
When the blanca arrived, I was really happy with the feel and playability of the instrument. The guitar was very loud and percussive. However, that's where it ends. We all like a little buzz in the guitar, but I feel mine was excessively buzzy starting at the G string all the way to the high E. I am no expert, but I don't think open string buzz is a good thing. This however, made it perfect if all you're doing is playing rasgueados.
I took the guitar to have it looked at by a local luthier. He agrees that it's a very well built instrument, but it seems like a rush job. First, the luthier suggested that the french polish was not 100% french polish and may have been sprayed on and quickly rubbed in. The coating was extremely light. I guess this helps the guitar breaths and produce that volume. Secondly, Salvador leaves the fret crown on the guitar very high. If I run my hand along the side of the fret board I can also feel the frets slightly sticking out. Lastly, I noticed the pegs holes that he drilled were not completely round. There was some chipping at the end of the hole as if he didn't have the right tools for the job. When I adjusted the pegs, I have to really push the peg in or it just pops out to a secondary level. This is hard to explain to people without them actually trying to turn the pegs. With that said, I still would probably never sell this guitar because for the price I paid, it's worth every penny.
I tried comparing my Castillo to my brother's Kenny Hill Signature Series blanca and my flamenco teacher's Lester Devoe. The Castillo sounds really coarse and harsh when compared to top end instruments. The sound coming from the Devoe is incredible. It is louder than the Castillo, but the sound was really profound and warmer to my ears. The Kenny Hill was just as good, but it has a more lyrical sound. Something Vincente would want. Strangely, I didn't like the Kenny Hill as much b/c it wasn't buzzy enough for me. The Devoe and Kenny Hill starting prices were $7000, out of the price range for most of us. This makes luthiers like Anders, Stephen Faulk, & Andy Culpepper bargain buys.
We all have different taste in sound, so if you like your guitar, that is all that should matter. I don't let paco, vincente, or juan influence my judgement because I have ears of my own. After all, didn't Paco endorse Andalusian guitars? 
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 16 2011 14:58:29
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