Your Ramírez appears to be in excellent condition.

-Bob

i currently own one Flamenco guitar, a Conde Hermanos EF4 student. i have only had opportunity to actually see and attempt to play one other Flamenco and that was a Ramirez 1A which was a new model(thinking a 2006 or thereabouts).
A man who was with me and could play some basic Flamenco played both for me to hear, the Ramirez was nicer sounding-but not by much to my ears-or to his, so that made me feel good of my EF4.

I am hoping to develop some playing in Flamenco starting this year and just took a build spot with Peter Tsiorba for a basic Blanca. Excited to say the least, its about a year or so out to be started, which is good so i can develop some technique to appreciate it.

I have a friend who purchased a classical from Peter about 2 years ago(friend lives about 6 hours away near DC and takes classical classes). My friend told me 2 years ago Peters work was excellent and his teacher said it played and sounded like a $8000 guitar.

I really appreciate this forum, i am learning so much from reading all the posts.
Thanks to all who contribute and who made this info available.

daryl

Very good decision to invest in a Tsiorba flamenco. Your friends teacher is right in his evaluation of Peters guitars being equal or better than most selling for 2 or 3 times the price. The maple and spruce flamenco Peter made for me is superior in every way to anything I have ever played and that includes guitars now selling for $20,000. The playability of Peters guitar will help improve your technique greatly.

Sam

A question about your Tsiorba. Does the maple back/sides bring something different into play compared to cypress?

Is the top Englemann or another spruce type?

thanks
d

Daryl, In my opinion yes. The maple brings more growl on the basses and more sweetness to the trebles. Many disagree with me, but cypress is a bit dull to me. Maple and Myrtle are brighter than Spanish, Mediterranean, or Monterrey cypress in my opinion and experience. I think it sounds more traditional for flamenco. Port Orford cedar ( Lawton Cypress) is more like maple or myrtle and brighter than other cypress. The maple on my guitar is a plain figured straight grained maple. I believe it is from the USA Northwest as is the top of Englemann spruce.

Having had several cypress flamenco guitars over the years by different makers and playing on many others, I was pleased with the sound until I played and heard some fine maple flamencos and I was convinced to try one. I had the tone in mind I wanted, the bright bass growl with sweet trebles and I felt best choice was maple with spruce in a Santos size and shape with Reyes bracing. The result exceeded my expectations. Peter has a way of knowing how to achieve the sound a player is desiring. I think it helped because I have played on many fine guitars in the past and had an idea of the results of different bracing and woods that would come closest to this sound and response I wanted. What blew me away and still does is the response of Peters guitars. No other maker I know is getting this kind of response with the clarity and beauty of tone and evenness in amplitude with said response and tone over the entire range. Another thing is the charm of Peters guitars being truly hand made using mostly hand tools instead of high speed saws and sanders. Hand saws, planes, and scrapers impart a "magic" to the wood that cannot be achieved by bullying the wood with production type machines.

Sound clip of Tanguillo at 1 month old. It has only got better. Open no cejilla. Clip of Bulerias at 1 year. Tango de Oregon at 13 months old. Cejilla at 2nd fret on these. Tangranta (Purple Puma) no cejilla and shows response over entire range of guitar open E6 to 12th fret E1.
Tanguillo Tsiorba.mp3

Bulerias por Solea (2).mp3

Tango de Oregon.mp3

Purple Puma.mp3

SamC wrote:The maple brings more growl on the basses and more sweetness to the trebles. Many disagree with me, but cypress is a bit dull to me.

I don't recall playing or hearing a guitar live that I new was maple, but I would like to hear one. We are planning another Oregon trip later this month. If you will be available it would be fun to stop by for quick visit and hear yours. I will contact you via email when I have a better idea when we will be in your area.

SamC wrote:Many disagree with me, but cypress is a bit dull to me.

You haven't heard my cypress Tsiorba live, but I am sure you would agree that it is anything but dull. However, I won't be bringing it or any of my other guitars on this trip, because we are going to spend several days on the Coast and I don't want to have to worry about keeping a guitar safe from heat damage and theft.

-Bob

Bob, I guess I should say cypress is less brighter than maple to my hearing. The word dull I think gives the wrong idea. Cypress is brighter than Sycamore for instance. I think most will agree cypress has the most sought after traditional flamenco tone, but I prefer the extra brightness and growl maple gives on the basses. Looking forward to your email and visit. I understand on the guitars with summer heat, altitude changes, and barometric changes you will encounter on your trip. I thought your Tsiorba was Alaska yellow cedar which is a relative of cypress.

SamC wrote:I thought your Tsiorba was Alaska yellow cedar which is a relative of cypress.

According to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callitropsis_nootkatensis article, Alaska Yellow Cedar is actually a cypress:

Nootka Cypress (Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Spach)), formerly Cupressus nootkatensis, Xanthocyparis nootkatensis or Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, is a cypress (Cupressaceae) with a chequered taxonomic and nomenclatural history. This species goes by many common names including Nootka Cypress, Yellow Cypress, and Alaska Cypress. Even though it is not a true cedar, it is also often confusingly called "Nootka Cedar", "Yellow Cedar", "Alaska Cedar", or even "Alaska Yellow Cedar".

-Bob