How to achieve "the Conde sound"

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JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

How to achieve "the Conde sound...

Is there an element of construction that influences "that boxy sound" that Conde blancas have? Not so much the timbre of the string tone-- they seem to have a thump to them when you play rasgueado. Is this a rediculous question? Do you even know what sound I am talking about?

Is there a definitive factor? Is it the thickness of the wood, bracing, or a combination of many factors that can only be known to the luthier?

Jason

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 12 2006 18:56:38

chinito

Posts: 104
Joined: Jun. 14 2004

RE: How to achieve "the Conde s... (in reply to JasonM)

Hey Jason,

John Shelton of Shelton-Faretta guitars had some info on the unique bracing patterns he has seen inside newer Condes. Apparently older models had a traditional seven-fan brace pattern. He said the newer guitars had a brace on either side of the center fan which were made of a darker wood which was not spruce or cedar. John, if you read this post, could you clarify this bracing pattern or provide a sketch? I'm just starting to learn about luthery, so I'm not sure if this is specifically the key to the Conde sound.

-Jake.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 16 2006 5:54:00

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: How to achieve "the Conde s... (in reply to chinito)

Your description of the unusual braces is accurate. I examined two brand new A26 Conde guitars (one was a negra) and both had the two full length braces running parallel with the center fan. I didn't measure but would guess the braces were about 4 inches apart. They did not appear to be either cedar or spruce. They ran from the V shaped braces near the end block to the tone bar above the sound hole with a half lap joint at the tone bar below the sound hole. Perhaps someone more knowledgable on Conde's knows what the wood is. I doubt that simply adding these braces would contribute to a "Conde sound", to achieve that one would need to use a Conde solera and copy the top thickness, taper, box dimensions, brace size, scale, etc. and of course it wouldn't hurt to be a master luthier who can make thickness adjustments based on tap tones and flexing for the individual piece of topwood.

John Shelton

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 16 2006 16:32:41

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: How to achieve "the Conde s... (in reply to jshelton5040)

Jake and John, Thanks so much for responding. I wasn't really counting on a reply, but that was very informative. Tap tones would be hard to reverse engineer I imagine