my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020

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mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020

Steve made this guitar for me in february/march this year and I went down and picked it up from his workshop just before the lockdown. It's his "Soleá" model, the budget version with minimal/no decoration. He made one for me two years ago and I wanted another one, partly as a spare/second guitar, and partly with a few tweaks to the specs.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 0:52:05

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

All the pics were taken upright, and look upright on desktop, but have rotated themselves anticlockwise on post, no idea why. Also the identical flecks of something on all the pics must be some crud on my phone's camera....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 0:58:43

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

really basic no frills, no roses rosette.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 0:59:49

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

The pegs are Wittner mechanical pegs. Heavier than wooden pegs but lighter than machine heads, and tune perfectly.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 1:00:54

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Side view. really low action. Guitar is light and really easy to play.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 1:02:34

JasonM

Posts: 1925
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Nice. It’s strange seeing a finish with what looks to be perfectly clear with no tint.

Does he contract these out or just choose not to sign the label ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 14:18:29

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to JasonM)

what would a "tint" be? adding colour to the finish? like an orange conde?

It is just a basic french polish to the wood. He does it all himself.

As I understand it the rationale of the "budget" version is that the materials and construction are the same as the concert model. No decoration, veneer, purfling etc., a basic concentric ring rosette, and only a really basic french polish to protect the wood.

As most of the cost of the guitar is labour the cost is less than half what he charges for a concert guitar.

He sent me only a few pics this time, but the other one I got from him in 2018 he sent me loads of pics every day. He started the guitar on a monday morning and finished it on the friday afternoon. The following week he polished it. Took about 2 weeks total. This one took longer to finish as he had to put mine aside half way through and make a few other guitars. I wasn't in a hurry so that was fine with me.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 15:03:23

Ricardo

Posts: 13833
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

quote:

He started the guitar on a monday morning and finished it on the friday afternoon. The following week he polished it. Took about 2 weeks total.

See that, time to step it up Jason!

Beautiful guitar !

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 16:30:04

Auda

Posts: 232
Joined: Sep. 28 2019

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

That looks really nice and it must be light as it looks to be levitating in the last 2 shots. I am curious as to why it is easy to play. Is it due to the low action and/or is there something in addition?

Cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 19:24:56

orsonw

Posts: 1696
Joined: Jul. 4 2009
From: London

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to JasonM)

quote:

Does he contract these out or just choose not to sign the label ?

He has a thread showing how he builds one of these.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=261713&mpage=1&p=&tmode=1&smode=1&key=student%2Cmodel

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 16 2020 20:55:55

JasonM

Posts: 1925
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to orsonw)

2 weeks!

JasonM can’t even sharpen his scrapers in that amount of time. Hats off to maestro Eden.

Mark I though it was maybe a sprayed lacquer finish without any color added. It’s probably the lighting of the pics plus the pale shellac but I can see now where it doesn’t have that super glossy look of lacquer

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 17 2020 1:34:48

Echi

Posts: 1029
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

This looks like a very good deal indeed.
How does it sound like? Is it a kind of light and percussive flamenco guitar?
I know it’s difficult to tell by word, but It’s just to have an idea.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 17 2020 12:16:09

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Echi)

quote:

How does it sound like? Is it a kind of light and percussive flamenco guitar?

yes, light and percussive. responsive. I made a coupla rough vids on my phone just now but they are too big to upload, about 140/150MB. Is there a thread somewhere on how to smallify vid files for upload? any ideas?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 17 2020 18:04:53

Echi

Posts: 1029
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

I’m not an expert but I would just upload the video as it is on YouTube or in a cloud like Dropbox or OneDrive and then share the link here.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 8:19:17

mrstwinkle

Posts: 540
Joined: May 14 2017

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Echi)

Slap them on youtube....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 10:33:50

mrstwinkle

Posts: 540
Joined: May 14 2017

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Interesting guitar in a brutally minmalist way. Were the pegs an extra fee?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 10:50:57

rombsix

Posts: 7659
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Auda)

quote:

That looks really nice and it must be light as it looks to be levitating in the last 2 shots.

My thoughts precisely!

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 14:33:11

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mrstwinkle)

quote:

Interesting guitar in a brutally minmalist way. Were the pegs an extra fee?

brutally minimalist!

- yeah it is minimalist. I paid separately for the pegs, but Steve knocked some off the price for the guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 14:48:48

Stephen Eden

Posts: 908
Joined: Apr. 12 2008
From: UK

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Cheers Mark, Glad to see it again. How does it compare to your first if I might be so bold to ask? I must admit I really enjoyed playing that one!

JasonM - It is just a pale shellac finish I vert rarely add a tint as I prefer to let the wood naturally colour. If you leave it of the case and on a stand for a year it will look just the same and be easier to repair finsh damage. Two weeks is pretty slow compared to my best time. On the classical model I used to be able to start on a Monday and have it strung up by 5pm on Friday! I've made over 100 those now!

I choose not to sign the label on these ones. I once had an idea that I could have other people help build them but after a few trials I gave up on that idea as it usually costs more than just doing the work myself. I've kept up the tradition though as a marker that this is the cheaper model. I still sign the soundboard though.

Mrstwinkle - Mark provided the pegs so I didn't charge him extra in general though I charge an extra £50 for them as they are that much more expensive than the Schaller Grandtunes I use otherwise.

Brutally minimal indeed. This is how the price it so much lower than my top guitars. £1800!

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Classical and Flamenco Guitars www.EdenGuitars.co.uk

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 15:22:25

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mrstwinkle)

quote:

Slap them on youtube....

First one here, fluffs n all. Took about 3 hours to upload, my internet connection is hopeless.

https://youtu.be/ILZfKoEfksU

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2020 23:33:40

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3291
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Sounds great, Mark!

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 3:06:15

Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

The recording seems not to allow for hearing subtleties like depth and overtones, but good separation of the notes indicates that partials and fundamentals ought to be well aligned anyway. And the balance across the neck leaves nothing to be desired for sure.

Said playability, I suppose, coming at least partially from soft pulsation, that may be rather typical for light guitars, both of which I like very much.

A very appealing example for what is a good guitar without costing an arm & a leg! And the no frills optics do have their very own charme.

Quite an instance for how pitying the choice of buyers is who commonly seek for a flamenca among student guitars of popular makes like say Ibanez, Alhambra etc. (boy, have I experienced bulky, heavy duds of those in shops!) for considerably more of money in the same time.

Admiring both, the lengthy and contemplatory building, as well as the super fast, yet proficient production of Stephen Eden (who won´t make a fuzz by pretending lengthy procedure, as he could), his down-to-earth presenting is so sympathetically to me.

Love it!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 11:34:03

Echi

Posts: 1029
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Thanks for the video Mark. Great.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 14:06:35

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Echi)

Here is the other vid i recorded yesterday, another 3 hour upload....

thanks to all for comments.

I clearly need to a) practise this stuff more, b) practise recording myself more, and c) get the hang of this tech stuff more...

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 15:40:33

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Echi)

how did i get that to embed? see if i can get the first one to embed

it worked!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 15:55:54

Ricardo

Posts: 13833
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

quote:

ORIGINAL: mark indigo

Here is the other vid i recorded yesterday, another 3 hour upload....

thanks to all for comments.

I clearly need to a) practise this stuff more, b) practise recording myself more, and c) get the hang of this tech stuff more...

Sounds great, I really like at jerezana material.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 16:29:17

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

Sounds great, I really like at jerezana material.

thnx

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 16:39:32

Auda

Posts: 232
Joined: Sep. 28 2019

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Sounds great. Really like the relaxed right hand.

Cheers

Edit: didn't mean to replicate Ricardo's post

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2020 17:12:26

Stu

Posts: 2107
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to mark indigo)

Hadn't seen this. Cool Guitar!

How's it working out Mark? vids sound great!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 6 2020 11:52:28

mark indigo

Posts: 3424
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: my new guitar Stephen Eden 2020 (in reply to Stu)

Hi Stu, it's great. thinking i might try to do a comparison video with the other one (2018) as I have played that one for a couple of years now. Since i got the 2020 one i have just played that (apart from when i change strings) as the neck is a bit more comfortable.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 7 2020 16:35:41