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This flamenco is a long time coming as this spanish cyprus set was my third guitar set I bought many years back. For this guitar I have suspended most of my knowledge on how to build a guitar and have been following Paco Chorobo online class on Robbie O'Brien's site. The course is nicely detailed and while viewing, I picked up some woodworking techniques I did not have. Sometimes watching how people are using tools is just as valuable as what is being taught in the class.

This is a very traditional guitar for me in every way, no carbon fiber! I will French polish it next week.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Looks well made, enjoy the finishing process.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Nice one John. Not looking for a live back by the look of it. Pegheds?

Dave

Thanks Dave, the spanish cypress is light and the back is thin. I needed to brace it to get the back high enough. I get a very strong back response when doing a doing a spectrum tap test. Yes pegs, but I will use fancy geared ones.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Looks great John.

Been thinking about making one for a nephew, but I know very little about Flamenco guitars. Other than punchy notes with little sustain and low action so the player can produce the string buzz when they strum a certain way (I'm sure they have a name for it.) Like I said, I don't know much about it. Robbie course sounds like the way to go.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Tnx for posting john, am also building a FL based on the barbero plan from GAL. using a local exotic, birds eye willow wood. Will you be posting a sound clip in the future ??? tnx ernie. PS looks like a very nice FL. gtr.

What pegs are you going to use?
A close up of the top purfling would be nice-looks great in the pics.

Strings?
I use either Hannabach Flamencos or Labella 820

mike

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Mike Collins

Thanks Joe and Ernie,

I will post a sound clip, I have a spanish guitar friend who was trained as a flamenco player. Joe I did find the course useful; I have build a number of traditional classical guitars so I could have probably just built from plans, but I don't really have a feel for a flamenco guitar. I feared that no matter what the plans say I would be pushing toward a classical sound. Hearing the commentary during the top selection, thicknessing and top voicing and how and why to use tentallones may be helping me get a some clue.

Thanks Mike, Especially for the string recommendation. I have a set of Wittner Flamenco Finetune-Pegs that I plan to use. Here is a picture of the purfling scheme. It was just black-red-black, I wanted it to tie in the rosette and be simple.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

did you make that purfling?
Or is it from a supply source-like Gurian?

Looks great.
Can't wait to hear it.
NOW -did you name this guitar?
Many "Flamencos" are given a name.

Mike

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Mike Collins

Mike thank for your interest and comments!

I used strips I bought from LMI, so most likely Gurian. I ran each strip once between a block with sand paper and my bench to get it to fit just right in the channel I cut. The shell is zipflex.



Now I need to come up with a name. I guess I will have to hear it first.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Hi John,
I am just about to french polish a Classical I've built(birdseye maple and Cedar top) and was wondering if you could give your thoughts/techniques on polishing around the bridge.
I am mostly a nitro guy, but the one classical that I built many years ago , I glued the bridge on after the french polish-masking the top.

Brad, I think my picture is misleading I have not yet glued on the bridge, it is just pinned. I know there are some who French polish around the bridge, I mask, french polish and after a week or so glue on the bridge. I know some who finish with the bridge on, but I can never adequately blend in the areas around the bridge.

I finished the French Polish today.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Brad, I think my picture is misleading I have not yet glued on the bridge, it is just pinned. I know there are some who French polish around the bridge, I mask, french polish and after a week or so glue on the bridge. I know some who finish with the bridge on, but I can never adequately blend in the areas around the bridge.

I finished the French Polish today.



Aha... Thanks

I knew some people did it with the bridge on.

It's hard enough to get around the heel/body juncture for me.

I noticed I never followed through with a video of the guitar being played. These recording are from an small informal concert Paco Chorobo performed at Robbie O'brien. He loved the sound of the guitar. It was an honor to have him play it.





Flamenco Blanca
Top: sitka spruce
back and sides: spanish cypress
bindings: Rocklite Sundari (yes I lied on the video)
back backstrip is East Indian Rosewood.
Neck: spanish cedar and laid up it ebony
Bridge and and peghead veneer Brazilian Rosewood.
Tuners: Wittner Finetune Flamenco

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Beautiful work John. I'm getting near closing the box on my Paco course build. I was inspired to get the Paco course after I saw the video above of your guitar being played. Such a great flamenco sound!

Wow!
Beautiful!
I saw an f.p. video where the guy cut an eraser like this,
wrapped the cloth around it,
and used it to get into the corners.
Alan

Looks and sounds great!

Pat

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Pat

Wow-beautiful job John!

It’s always a pleasure hearing one’s creation in the hand of an accomplished player.

Love the red purflings!

Nice looking guitar John.

I just did a guitar with the bridge on. I cheated too! What I did was use a very nice 1in brush and paint the shellac on by dipping the brush in the shellac and wiping it off on the edge of the jar, both sides of the brush. So the brush is loaded but not dry. Then I deliberatly and carefully place the brush on the top right where the edge of the bridge and top meat then with one long stroke pull back all the way to the edge of the guitar, or the sound hole depending on what side of the bridge I am working on. That's it, just one stroke then let it dry.

I continue with that process till there is some build up. Then I wet sand using walnut oil and 1500 grit paper.

After that I do the traditional FP with a mouse pad, shellac, alcohol, and walnut oil. The trick when getting close to the bridge is to work in constant circles and as the pad starts to dry up move real fast banging the pad into the bridge. I think oil is very important here because if the pad sticks it ruins it and you are more or less polishing at this point and want fast and free motion. As you are making circles and you approach the corner of the bridge you will make swirls out from the corner so you can then reverse direction and bring the swirl back in. Keep doing it till the pad dries up then move faster and faster to polish it out.

If you get swirl marks jsut let it dry for a day or two then wet sand with oil and do it again.

It's always hard to explain FP technique but that worked for me anyway.

Chapeau John!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Thanks all for the kind comments and the tips for polishing close to the bridge.

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