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blanca with cedar top?
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pietro
Posts: 12
Joined: Jun. 13 2011
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 RE: blanca with cedar top? (in reply to edguerin)
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I have Plazuelo, Marvi, Manzanero, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, all with spruce top, all great guitars, but my old 1971 Gerundino with cedar top and cypress back and sides, it seems coming from another planet, my best guitar even.
I think that if a guitar is a nice one, it is so either with spruce or cedar top, but this is my opinion and I am not an expert luthier.
Ciao
Pietro
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 2 2011 19:42:28
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Tom Blackshear
Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008
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RE: blanca with cedar top? (in reply to Anders Eliasson)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Anders Eliasson
quote:
I hold my opinion about color matching cedar tops, as a general rule.
As a general rule no!!! Its your opinion and nothing else. Its like saying that its unprofessional to make red cars.
Many Spanish builders color their tops to match their cypress sides and backs. It's not just my opinion. Barbero did it, Conde did it, Ramirez did it, Rodriguez did it, Reyes does it, and on and on with many Spanish builders.
It's more labor intensive but "I believe" it adds to the ambience of the instrument. It's not a point to argue, its a fact that many Spanish builders employ with their guitars. It's a general rule with them. Trends may add some change to the rule but the general coloring rule stands.
This is similar in its meaning to the Spanish fan-braced model being the general rule to the market place, instead of the newer lattice braced trends. And Red cars have color on them, generally all over the body to color match them. So guitars are color matched as well to add patina and over-all beauty to the wood.
It's done all the time, and if it is done right, it glows with a deep luster and attractiveness toward compelling the player to pick it up and try it out.
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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 4 2011 10:11:25
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Tom Blackshear
Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008
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RE: blanca with cedar top? (in reply to RobJe)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RobJe
quote:
Trends may add some change to the rule but the general coloring rule stands.
Who needs rules? The luthier makes guitars, the player chooses whether to buy.
All I was saying is that the general trends of coloring guitars, in Antiquity, have caused their trend to become a general rule in today's market place. This does not mean that this is the only way, but a widely accepted, and perhaps a majority way to finish guitars.
These older trends have become widely accepted to become a general rule. But where the beauty of the natural wood is concerned, there are builders today who feel it is expedient to finish in a clear coat rather than put color in the finish.
But, as I said before, my personal preference is to add a little color to the wood to bring up a more appealing patina. This is my opinion, but based on a long tradition of Spanish builders of notoriety. If a person decides not to join this ideal, then that's his choice.
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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 4 2011 11:55:05
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Tom Blackshear
Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008
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RE: blanca with cedar top? (in reply to jshelton5040)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jshelton5040
quote:
ORIGINAL: Tom Blackshear
But what I see on an old Santos; for example, is that the over-all color seems to be a good match after all the years it has been on the instrument. Perhaps my understanding is guided by the fact that I've built guitars for over 50 years, a certain way, and a darker top looks out of place for my taste.
I'm forced to agree with Tom. I prefer adding color to all guitar finishes although lately we've been building a lot of spruce top blancas without color. We do it to so we can sell the guitars for a little less money and save our clients money in these hard economic times. Overall I like bright yellow spruce top blancas and orange cedar top blancas. We've been known to add yellow to spruce top classics as well and always make our cedar top classics dark rusty orange. As they say, "whatever turns your crank".
The way I gauge the top color is to bring the top color to match whatever coloration that the cypress sides and back are showing me, whether it be light or a little darker. I don't think it's necessary to finish all guitars the exact same shade but to bring all of its parts to blend together as its over-all appearance requires. Thank you for your voice of reason.
Eugene Clark was telling me over the phone today that Borax soap, heated and mixed with blond shellac, will flatten out the dark color of some cedar tops. I think the point can be further made that Santos was most likely using a brand of shellac that was used for many purposes; even pasting paper to the walls back then.. But whatever it was, it had an ambience/patina to be proud of. Also, I still have some of the old school shellac with color, called Gomo Laca, which the finishing houses in Spain don't carry any more.
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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 5 2011 2:14:11
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