Chasing ghosts

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Chasing ghosts

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Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

Chasing ghosts

Spent most of last week trying to get hold of someone allegedly selling a Ricardo Sanchis 2AF for 200 quid (thats less than half the price new. In fact Stephen Hill was selling a second hand one for £595).

The ad was on Loot.com - I tried clicking on the map link to see where it was located, and it said the postcode given was invalid. I tried phoning the person everyday and the mobile number given just rang and rang. I tried the email link to contact the vendor, and it bounced back saying no such address.

I guess the old saying applies - if it looks to good to be true...

Why do people bother placing ads if they aren't interested in selling, I wonder?

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 15 2004 10:23:34

Billyboy

Posts: 389
Joined: Aug. 18 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Was Stephen Hill selling a second hand 2f for £595, if he was it says a bundle for he's pricing ideas for his own guitars.
I play a Ricardo Sanchis 2AF, that Riqueni Buleria I posted was played on the Sanchis, although the recording sound quality is not a good advert for the guitars, for the money they are unbeatable, in fact better than some famous name makers at £1000 plus, beautiful finished with a lovely orange colour, very bright, good action, It lacks any depth of tone or bark, that you would get from a true hand built guitar, but it is instantly lovable within a few moments of picking it up.
Dave

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 15 2004 10:58:24

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Billyboy)

Hi Dave,

You've commented before about SH prices being high.
I understand that 2K - 2.5K might sound a lot of cash, but for a good hand made guitar it's a bargain.

The thing is that there is no comparison between a factory guitar and a good handmade instrument.

(I say 'good' because I realise that there's a lot of so called hand made guitars around that are only hand assembled using supplied components)

When you consider the hours spent, the quality of the materials supplied and the makers commitment to take the instrument back if adjustments are needed then this is a very fair price for an instrument that has all the qualities your Ricardo Sanchis lacks.

You are a fine player and I'm sure you would appreciate one of his guitars.

Cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2004 19:26:05

Guest

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jon Boyes)

The world of prices is a difficult one to understand, and guitarprices are the same. In an expensive handbuild guitar, you pay for the name, which should mean, a kind of security. Tonal characteristics, quality of work, resalevalue etc. And of course snob value (I´ve got this, this and that famous guitar....)

If a guitar is worth a certain price is difficult to say, but if you want to have a ´normal´standard of living, and make high end handbuild guitars, the prices in the north of europe has to be the way it is. If not, you´ll be starving.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2004 7:35:54

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jim Opfer)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Opfer

Hi Dave,

You've commented before about SH prices being high.
I understand that 2K - 2.5K might sound a lot of cash, but for a good hand made guitar it's a bargain.

Hi Jim, I can't comment on Stephen's own, hand built guitars, but for the rest of his stock I agree with Dave, his prices certainly are high. Apart from the second hand Sanchis Dave mentions, which SH was selling for a higher price than they are new (!), he is charging £155 more for a new Cashimira than another English dealer is asking for the same guitar.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2004 8:15:07

francis

Posts: 2
Joined: Apr. 18 2004

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Hello,
First, ive learnt a lot just reading this site already, so thnak you.
Im trying to find a flamenco guitar in england too. I have had a teacher for just over 2 months now, im playing on a classical, which i bought just before meeting my teacher! because i thought it was useless tryng to find a teacher in suffolk.
Can anyone give me another source of guidence on purchasing a flamenco for myself a very keen young poor student, (practicing around 3 hours a day) desperate to become good!
Ive been offered by a freiend of my fathers a guitar which he wants 2000 S/H for, im not sure of the make yet, also would you recomend a student (who is perhaps not worthy of it yet!) to buy such an expencive guitar or more around 800-1000? factory makes like Sanchis, Amilio Berguet, Cashimira Contrereas .... Can someone provide any insight into the 'value' of these or other mid priced instruments and perhaps some comparisons. Or maybe someone has a secondhand instrument for sale? Tho there dont seem to be to many around.
Sorry for the rambling (its a bit like try to find a guitar in england!)
Thanks,
francis.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2004 14:07:04

Billyboy

Posts: 389
Joined: Aug. 18 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Thanks Jim, I was mainly thinking about the re sale value, as for me and a lot of other guitarists, guitars become a tempremental thing, never happy ,always looking to buy something new, and selling the one you have, in which case paying 2k for an English maker, one would have to keep it for life, as the re sale value would be a fraction.
Cheers
Dave

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2004 20:24:45

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Billyboy)

You know, I find it interesting that ToddK used to play an inexpensive Contreras before he got his Brune.
He still sounded great on his Contreras, and with regard to the Brune, he's managed to pull off some excellent Classical pieces on what is after all, a Flamenca Blanca!
Some of the expressisons Todd uses in his emails are actually quite an insight into his thinking.
I sent him a clip of the Scottish lute player Rob MacKillop and he said "Man, that guy sure does know how to draw tone out of an instrument."
I like the use of the expression "draw tone", 'cos I think this is how Todd works.
If he ain't got the best, then he makes best use of what he's got.

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2004 20:50:55

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Ron.M)

Hi Ron,

Everyting I've heard produced by Todd has been stunning and makes me think that he's got all the attributes.

There's got to be a 'but' comming so here goes. The fact is, I haven't sat there and listened to Todd play and it does cross my mind that a lot of what I hear could be enhanced, dubbed, re-recorded or even speed up, efectivley 'manufactured' through some recording studio gizmo. Then I think, well I've seen video demonstrations so might be for real.

I don't want to try to take anything away from the fella, after all it might be that he's truely an extremely talented musician, just sometimes I wonder.

Can you shed any light?

Cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 20 2004 18:02:34

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jim Opfer)

LOL!
Jim, I'm pretty sure that Todd makes sure that every little tweak of EQ and Reverb etc has been set absolutely 100% right before he ever posts anything!
That's just the way he is.
But there is no technical way you can "enhance" a mediocre style into the final brilliant results that he gets. If he could develop a recording technique which could do that, then he could make his fortune as a recording engineer and forget about playing guitar.
He just is good. Not only as a guitarist, but as a musician.
Sometimes I think he could write a 5000 page book on playing guitar, such is the attention he gives to every tiny detail of playing.
It's a wonder he doesn't get a nervous breakdown!
I sometimes wish he'd just relax a bit and get his butt on the road, far away from his recording studio, playing and making some money as well as finding out that an audience couldn't care less about the odd fluff or bum note.
He did a concert in January, in Maryland and got a standing ovation.
So he must be pretty OK! LOL!

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 20 2004 22:32:51

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jim Opfer)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Opfer
There's got to be a 'but' comming so here goes. The fact is, I haven't sat there and listened to Todd play and it does cross my mind that a lot of what I hear could be enhanced, dubbed, re-recorded or even speed up, effectiveley 'manufactured' through some recording studio gizmo.

I remember someone else once commenting here that they suspected Todd might record one note at a time, then edit it all together LOL!

Such ideas are quite ridiculous, I find it very frustrating that people people think its possible for musicians - guitarists especially - to 'manufacture' their work to this extent. It shows a competed lack of appreciation of how difficult the recording process is anyway, let alone what is possible to improve and enhance a performance.

Of course Todd edits its recordings, of course he rec-records sections he isn't happy with, of course he polishes his recordings with a variety of mixing and production tools such as EQ, compression, etc. Guess what - everyone else does to!!

But if the skill isn't there in the beginning, the best mixing and production skils in the world wil not help you, any engineer will tell you that.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding anyhow, and Todd has recorded several videos of himself that should satisfy the sceptics.

Mind you, I'm sure someone will say that those have been edited together from Tomatito videos or something.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 22 2004 8:31:31

Billyboy

Posts: 389
Joined: Aug. 18 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jon Boyes)

I agree with Jon, It would be impossable to lay down one note at a time, the main trick I found for inhancing ones playing sound was to maybe split a peice into two or three recordings, then splice them, this, only to stop yourself getting in a bad mood by playing a whole piece then messing up on the last note, and maybe a slight speed increase, but too much and it sounds speckly, even with the most powerfull computer, no I guess Todd is as good as he sounds.
Dave

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 22 2004 22:08:52

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Billyboy)

quote:

I guess Todd is as good as he sounds.
Dave

That's great to hear and best wishes to him.

Cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 26 2004 11:09:35

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jim Opfer)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Opfer

quote:

I guess Todd is as good as he sounds.
Dave

That's great to hear and best wishes to him.

Cheers
Jim.

Jim -sorry if I sounded a wee touchy in my last post. I am spending a lot of time recording at the moment (just did another whole day of it yesterday) and despite knowing what I am doing, it is still hard work and incredibly time consuming. The tape recorder/PC studio is a very harsh critic, and whilst its a very powerful tool there are simply some things that you have to be able to pull off, and no production wizardery will help you.

Todds production skills impress me a lot, but his musicianship is something else.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 27 2004 8:41:17

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Chasing ghosts (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Jon,

Oops! sorry Jon, I ment it exactly as it reads, no 'side' to what I said, I do wish Todd all the best.

Good to hear you're getting through lots of recording, I think it must be extremely hard work so power to your fingers.

Cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 28 2004 15:57:39