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Hey there, I'm looking to upgrade my humble Cordoba F7 to something with a bit more kick to it. I'm looking at a used Marlon Navarro, as I've read very good things about it here and everywhere else it's been mentioned. I've also stumbled upon a gorgeous Hermanos Camps Primera blanca, which is quite a bit more expensive, but about $700. My budget is somewhere below $2000. This will be my first quality luthier made instrument. I'm in the San Francisco Bay area and there's a lot of flamenco presence here. I've been lucky enough to visit a Sobrinos de Esteso at Schoenberg's Guitars in Tiburon (highly recommend this amazing hole in the wall guitar shop, possibly my favorite). However it's in the $5k+ range, which I've almost taken a leap of faith on before, but hesitated.
Would anyone who knows the area be able to recommend some guitar shops that would have a variety of flamenco guitars within my range of $2k?
Anyway, I've read very good things about both the Marlon Navarro and the Hermanos Camps Primera, and I'm looking to pull the trigger later this week. I am most likely going to be choosing a blanca, but really my soul keeps getting split between blanca and negra, but either way I feel that whichever I decide on, I will probably acquire a new guitar of the other variety later in the year. I have a good musical alchemist friend who's finally convinced me to start seriously considering forming a group, so I'm giving it a lot of intention at this point.
Sorry for the long winded post, I'm really excited and trying to stay 'centered'. I know there's a lot of information about both guitars here on the foro, but to be specific, would anyone have any advice/suggestions for a comparison between a Marlon Navarro and a Hermanos Camps Primera? Are these two guitars comparable, is one considerably better (subjective I'm sure?) than the other? For these prices I'm willing to take a leap of faith on a guitar that I haven't played and let it help me determine how I approach these issues of purchasing fine instruments in the future, and from what I've read about these two, I feel like either would be a safe bet.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Marlon Navarro or Hermanos Camps... (in reply to Tikahtnu)
quote:
I've been lucky enough to visit a Sobrinos de Esteso at Schoenberg's Guitars in Tiburon (highly recommend this amazing hole in the wall guitar shop, possibly my favorite). However it's in the $5k+ range, which I've almost taken a leap of faith on before, but hesitated.
RE: Marlon Navarro or Hermanos Camps... (in reply to Tikahtnu)
The only thing I don't like about that guitar is that she's set my expectations unreasonably high. I'm thinking if all works out, I'll go for the Marlon Navarro, but I've spoken with Schoenberg about making payments on the Sobrinos in the past... Maybe next month I'll start doing that. It would be a shame to walk in and see her gone.
Posts: 2006
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
RE: Marlon Navarro or Hermanos Camps... (in reply to Tikahtnu)
I don't think you'll find a bunch of 2k ish flamenco guitars at a shop in the SF bay area but you might want to try Guitar Solo in the city. I'd be looking at the used market in that price range. And that 5,600.00 guitar-no label.....I don't have enough knowledge to take advantage of that deal, if it is one.
RE: Marlon Navarro or Hermanos Camps... (in reply to Tikahtnu)
I stopped in to Guitar Solo in San Francisco to visit the 2008 Francisco Navarro blanca with pegs (I assume its a student, made by Marlon, no signature, but I think this is before he began to sign them?). It sounds really great, a hell of a lot more punch than my Cordoba F7 (obviously). I also played a 1960 Jose De La Mare cedar topped blanca, which sounded very amazing, but a bit more expensive. Was very difficult to decide between the two, but I decided to get the Francisco Navarro. Much more horsepower, and I'm excited to see how we develop together.
RE: Marlon Navarro or Hermanos Camps... (in reply to silddx)
I wonder if putting a 24 lockout preventing new users from posting right after joining would stop them (if the foro's SW allows that). Site appears to be under attack with these the past few days.
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