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Videoclip of my Reyes Model Guitar
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gj Michelob
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
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 RE: Videoclip of my Reyes Model Guitar (in reply to Armando)
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If i may, Armando, a very nice blanca for all intents and purpuses... but not a Reyes. Initially i misunderstood your thread and thought you were sharing a new guitar you purchased, a Manuel Reyes, and while i listended to it on your clip a few times, wore my earphones to catch the exact subtle sound, could not believe that this was a Reyes. I thought that that lyrical quasi-classical guitar sound yet raucuos and nutty that Reyes alone was able to develop and distinguish all his blancas with, was just not there.
So, my comment is that if this is a guitar you and Jose made, you are making some very fine sounding blanca, but not a Reyes, at all.
Which begs the question, why is this a Manuel Reyes model, have you followed his blueprints? Tom Blackshear has a plan available for examination, have you based your work on it, other blueprints, your own perception and plans?
This is quite an interesting point to me. As the Flamenco world is becoming sensitive to Reyes, as Strings are obsessively to Strad, one wonders what research went into an "after A. Stradivarious" or "after M. Reyes" instrument, before it is named after the great luthier (?)
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gj Michelob
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Date Dec. 9 2008 14:52:51
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Anders Eliasson
Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
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RE: Videoclip of my Reyes Model Guitar (in reply to Armando)
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quote:
I know that the guitar doesn't really sound like a Reyes. First of all i never had the chance to even touch a real Reyes Guitar and secondly, i'm aware that it's impossible to copy the sound of a particular guitar by just following a blueprint. This is also not my goal. The Reyes model is just a step on my path of searching my personal design and sound.
However the building of the Reyes model gave me a lot of useful insights into the Reyes design and construction. I have experienced that all my flamenco guitars that i've built so far, have the same basic sound character. This was surprising to me because each of them has been build to different specs, even using different construction methods. This experience indicates, that the "soft skills" of guitarmaking have a very fundamental influence on the final tone of the instrument.
I totally agree and I like your description.
Plans are good to work from and as you say, you learn something from a plan, but the sound is yours. I have built different styles, but they have that same basic sound and feel, so to me its totally clear that the builder is much more important than the plan. The fact that the guitar sounds better, most probably is because you are now a better builder, but this you will find out in the future.
Keep up the good work.
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Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/
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Date Dec. 11 2008 0:38:18
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Tom Blackshear
Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008
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RE: Videoclip of my Reyes Model Guitar (in reply to Armando)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Armando
quote:
Then, it's just a matter of tweaking the fan braces a little and finding the proper top flex which you probably already understand.
Tom
If the guitar sounds tight, then i would assume the top is too stiff. I don't think that's the case. The spruce used was of average stiffness and rather lightweight. The bracing is as indicated on the plan.
I've learnt at the Romanillos course to determine the reight stiffness of the soundboard, but when it comes to fine-tuning i must admit that i have no idea how to tune a soundboard to the better. I also have the feeling that the key to the right tone is exactly there, but i'm still missing knowledge in this area.
regards
Armando
I think Jose approaches this issue a little differently if I'm not mistaken. In 1995 at the GAL convention Jose basically approached the top stiffness in sort of a esoteric way; not really giving thicknesses but showing how he bent the top with his fore-finger and thumb according to top stiffness, or if you can add any more to this.........
In the case of this flamenco design, it takes very little top thickness difference to make it work. But the idea is to cause the top flex to be loose enough that you can dig into the treble end with good separation without it fighting back too hard. The treble end should be fairly loose but not too much so. This way it provides excellent rasgeado, thumb, and picado technique with good snap, not unruly bouncing of the strings. If you have this already, then you are on the right path.
Same way with the bass side; good deep bass but not like a classical that booms but more wide open, deep and flat, and easy for the thumb work.
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Date Dec. 11 2008 14:11:22
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Tom Blackshear
Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008
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RE: Videoclip of my Reyes Model Guitar (in reply to Armando)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Armando
quote:
Then, it's just a matter of tweaking the fan braces a little and finding the proper top flex which you probably already understand.
Tom
If the guitar sounds tight, then i would assume the top is too stiff. I don't think that's the case. The spruce used was of average stiffness and rather lightweight. The bracing is as indicated on the plan.
I've learnt at the Romanillos course to determine the reight stiffness of the soundboard, but when it comes to fine-tuning i must admit that i have no idea how to tune a soundboard to the better. I also have the feeling that the key to the right tone is exactly there, but i'm still missing knowledge in this area.
regards
Armando
Second part: I tune my tops to the key of G with it decending to a more prominent F#; both are necessary for better or more even sound in the playing scale.
If the top is tuned higher like G-G# then it is too thick. You can taper the edges and bring down the Key a little but I wouldn't suggest that it be more than .1 mm difference on the very outside edges.
But I build my tops an even thickness with a little relief around the middle to get the top flex right. Normally, they are about 2 to 2.1 mm thick, and built very flat, not domed under the bridge. The fan brace pattern makes up from its voicing without the dome, and it provides better snap in the articulation.
The outside bass strut for the 6th string is a little thinner in height toward its top near the sound hole. this promotes a deeper bass sound, so again, there is no need for a domed top. If you get this strut too uneven or too thin at the sound hole area, then it might cause the bass to bloom too much or go dead.
If this happens then take a short flat stick and go in and level the top of this strut a little toward its bottom end and this will normally level out the sound, but remember not to take too much off of the height. I use a flat stick with 400 sandpaper stuck to it. Usually a couple of light swipes do the trick.
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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker
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Date Dec. 11 2008 14:41:50
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hey but again, sorry if that offended anyone. 
