new flamenco guitar

[jrc]

i am very excited today ... after years of playing classical and electric guitars, i have purchased my first flamenco guitar. it is a jose ramirez fl2. not quite a devoe, but still a very fine guitar !

[Adam Solomon]

lol and I'm still stuck with my 1968 $40 authentic Walmart-bought Zim Gar...God, I can't even find a classical guitar at my music stores Isn't Long Island fun?

[Naomi]

What's the difference between a classical and a flamenco guitar?

[Adam Solomon]

I hate to say, I was unaware of any...lol.

[David Jr]

(short version lol) They are made slightly different. A classical is made more for the tone, fuller sound, and may be slightly louder. It's sound is more for the individual notes.

A flamenco guitar is made as more of a percussive instrument. In the old days, it was made of more inexpensive wood, it's body is slightly thinner than a classical, and it usually has tap guards above and below the sound hole. The tap guards and like a pick guard on a steel string guitar, but are thinner and sometimes transparent so you don't see them.

The differences between the two stems from the wood that is used, as well as the dimensions being slightly different.

OK, that was the layman's description. You can read more by doing a search for each, or shopping online and reading what their made of and their dimensions.

-D

[Naomi]

Thanks, that explanation was very informative.

Okay, here's another one...What happens to old guitars when they get worn out or damaged beyond repair? Is there such a thing as a used guitar salvage yard? I would like to get my hands on some used/old guitar wood to use in some art.

[Adam Solomon]

Naomi--Sure, used guitars are all over the place Try ebay, or almost any music shop.

David--Well, thanks a lot I'll assume I have a classical guitar, and if I can ever find an affordable flamenco guitar on Long Island, I'll definitely pick it up...

Which means I have a while to wait

OL, you're coming to NYC in September! How about donating an old flamenco guitar to the save the Save The Starving Adam Foundation?

[jrc]

Naomi,
Here is a good link that hass a lot of information about classical ans flamenco guitars ... www.azstarnet.com/public/commerce/zavaletas/greene/woods.htm

jim

[Naomi]

Thanks. If I can educate myself in the woods, when I run across a damaged guitar I'll know what I'm looking at.

[Liz]

There are people who repair and restore guitars. My teacher has a really old guitar (an antique) that has some ivory inlay in the fret area. I can't remember what woods he said were used to make it. He intends to have it restored (someday.) It is very interesting to see because it's not the same size as classical guitars today. The frets are further apart and the neck is narrower. The body is also smaller than what is made today. As was said above, today classical guitars are made to project more sound and have a fuller tone. Back when this old guitar was made, it was still considered a background instrument. Andres Segovia worked very hard to make people understand the beauty and versatility of the guitar. Because of him (and others like him) it is more of a solo instrument. Check out his albums at your local library if you are intersted in hearing some great classical guitar.

[dave]

Check out www.mfa.org/exhibitions/guitars/preview_launch.htm for various guitars. I went to the exhibition a couple years back at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and it was great. They had John Lennons first acoustic guitar, Jimi Hendrix' Flying V and numerous vintage guitars. I don't know if the book is still available.

[Question]

Andres Segovia is definitely excellent. I saw him when I was living in Spain many years ago and I think that started my love of guitar music. I still remember his concert.

I have a nice guitar, and a ukelele but I do not know how to play either of them. I am hoping to generate some time to learn. I am interested in how all of you learned the guitar. Did you just get a book and self teach, or did you take some lessons?

[Adam Solomon]

I take lessons, but good luck finding anyone on Long Island who teaches guitar and responds to flamenco with anything except a mock "Spanish dance", so when it comes to flamenco I'm self-taught Well, mostly...I was fortunate enough to have a counselor at camp, last summer, who made me love my first guitar (a classical, which I hated because previously I had only used it for rock, etc.) because he taught me how to use it. He was very much into flamenco, and it was then that I decided to take out my mom's OL CD's and I really fell in love with the music...lol he also taught me the ever-important "flamenco strum", and fingerpicking flamenco-style

[David Jr.]

Yeah, I am self taught also. I've played steel string acoustic and electric for 14 years before playing Flamenco-ish styles on a nylon string 6 years ago. My brother took lessons since high school (ca 1985), and I just picked it up from having the guitars around and he wasn't looking. ;D

I was fortunate in San Antonio, Texas, to play in an alt rock band with a guitarist who was classically trained. I was playing bass at the time, and he had an opportunity for us to compose background music to a poet who wrote in both English and Spanish. Because of this, I back up his Spanish/Flamenco guitar playing with my bass, which in turn backed up the poet. From there, he introduced me to different compositions and the rest is history.

Question -- I think the best would be to just pick up your guitar, listen to some music, and see if you have an ear for matching what you're listening to to the various frets and strings of the guitar. "Guitar for Dummies" is, I think, a great book that helps beginners alot, too. If you feel lessons are more your route, perhaps start with taking a class at a community college, just to get the overall/general intro, then pursue an instructor in your area. Usually you can go to a musical instrument store that rents student band instruments, and they will have inexpensive lessons.

Best to you and good luck!

-D

[Adam Solomon]

David, like you said, playing by ear is EXTREMELY important, especially with flamenco. I've only been playing guitar for 2 1/2 years, and flamenco for less than a year, already I can listen to almost any OL song, and figure out the guitar within less than an hour. It's really not that difficult, and an important first step to composing that kind of music. Pick up a cheap classical guitar, or flamenco, but classical is fine to begin with--nylon strings are essential, flamenco and classical differences arent quite so important for you yet.