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Is there a flamenco guitar that sounds flamenco but plays electric? I'm not talking about an amplified or otherwise modified with an added pickup guitar. My interest is more towards an acoustic flamenco guitar with an electric guitar neck shape: 635mm scale length, 12"-16" radius and a slightly narrower fret-board. The hybrid guitars that I have played are not really satisfying (Taylor & Yamaha). Every hybrid seems to be aimed at a steel string or an electric player that needs a nylon strings sound but retains the electric setup. In other words, their acoustic is horrendous.
Maybe this issue has been already discussed on this excellent forum, and in that case I offer my apologies.
There is a reason why nylon string guitars have longer scales and wider necks than what you think is ideal and it has to do with playability and sound.
There is a reason why nylon string guitars have longer scales and wider necks than what you think is ideal and it has to do with playability and sound.
I agree about the sound since the neck shape and scale clearly can influence the guitar sound. As far as playability, that's mostly in the hand and mind of the player and thus much more subjective. For my playing I would prefer a neck that is a little narrower, not Fender Strat narrow but maybe a 48mm nut would work great.
There is a reason why nylon string guitars have longer scales and wider necks than what you think is ideal and it has to do with playability and sound.
I agree about the sound since the neck shape and scale clearly can influence the guitar sound. As far as playability, that's mostly in the hand and mind of the player and thus much more subjective. For my playing I would prefer a neck that is a little narrower, not Fender Strat narrow but maybe a 48mm nut would work great.
The neck deal stops becoming subjective once you start playing with the proper right hand technique and all top level players gravitate to more or less the same design. Maybe you want to play it with a pick? In which case it's understandable, but already that's why the crossover guitars are a touch wider than an electric or steel string and not as wide as a concert classical.
The neck deal stops becoming subjective once you start playing with the proper right hand technique and all top level players gravitate to more or less the same design. Maybe you want to play it with a pick? In which case it's understandable, but already that's why the crossover guitars are a touch wider than an electric or steel string and not as wide as a concert classical.
Ricardo, thanks for clarifying, I could have formulated the question better as "what crossover guitar can be recommended?". You've hit the nail on the head, I'm playing often with a pick and my right hand technique sucks. Old habits die hard, I have been playing electric for over 30 years but growing older I tend to set aside the Marshalls, Boogies and drive pedals for a more mellow - and I would argue more primordial - sound. I acquired an entry level flamenco guitar a few years ago and I feel it's time to look for something new.
i believe the cordoba "cross over" guitars were made for the gyspy kings or made and the gypsy kings were paid to endorse them. you might want to try them. they usually can be found at a guitar center.
The neck deal stops becoming subjective once you start playing with the proper right hand technique and all top level players gravitate to more or less the same design. Maybe you want to play it with a pick? In which case it's understandable, but already that's why the crossover guitars are a touch wider than an electric or steel string and not as wide as a concert classical.
Ricardo, thanks for clarifying, I could have formulated the question better as "what crossover guitar can be recommended?". You've hit the nail on the head, I'm playing often with a pick and my right hand technique sucks. Old habits die hard, I have been playing electric for over 30 years but growing older I tend to set aside the Marshalls, Boogies and drive pedals for a more mellow - and I would argue more primordial - sound. I acquired an entry level flamenco guitar a few years ago and I feel it's time to look for something new.
thanks
Thought so As mentioned Cordoba has had some skinny neck models for years and don't sound so bad. Not so bad to pick on but arpegios feel very awkward and take lots of getting used to. But understand, the superior acoustic sound is simply NOT going to be found on crossover guitars. Luthiers figure if you gonna use a pick then you probably plug in via piezo too. Al Dimeola for one got used to the wide spacing of the Conde and plays it with a pick. Sometimes the simple trick of a nut with slots cut very close together make the feel more like you want so that alternate picking doesn't feel like jumping over a gorge when you cross strings.
I actually played one of the high end GK's by cordoba and hated it as a flamenco due to the string spacing but thinking of it as a crossover, it's probably the best you can get......
technically...you can add a pickup that will allow you to use midi patches / effects. but as soon as you do that...it's not really flamenco anymore. i believe they install it under the bridge and you might have to have a hole drilled in your guitar to fit a 1/4 plug....the pickup/plug and all this junk in your guitar will definitely affect the sonic qualities acoustically... by a margin of debatable quantities. So basically i wouldn't modify your nice concert guitar for this...instead i'd buy a whole new one for this purpose or buy a cheaper one and modify that. The extra distortion/ feedback would add a lot of sustain...killing the flamenco! So i wouldn't recommend it for flamenco, but you can play other genres like jazz, fakemenco, and maybe even classical with some less distortion patches. either way you'd be pissing off a lot of sound purists but the general public doesn't give a crap.