Hello to all, I've just joined the forum after watching for a few weeks. I am new to flamenco studies, but not to the music or the guitar, having played guitar in one form ar another some 40 years now. I play pedal steel and dobro, as well as electric spanish and bass. I fell in love with flamenco as a teenager, even though I pursued other musical forms. I am now 68, and while I will never live long enough to become a proficient player, I hope to at least be a fairly good intermediate.
Better late than never, I suppose. I have a Cordoba FP45, that seems a nice guitar at what was a very affordable price. In the near future, my budget will allow me to acquire a better guitar, and the Francisco Navarro grand concert flamenco, as well as the Johnny Walker guitars, seem to be very nice. I looked at the Montalvos as well. Any advice would be appreciated.
best regards to all

It is never too late to start learning flamenco! Welcome to the forum.

I haven't had any experience with Francisco Navarro or Johnny Walker guitars, so I am not qualified to comment about either of them. It seems like Dave Norton mentioned that he has a Johnny Walker. I don't think he has posted recently, but maybe he will see this and offer some advice.

-Bob

You might take a look at a Jose Ramirez FL2. Its looks great and sounds great. Here is a clip below -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1SgjTK54U

Ramon

I would definitely recommend any of the luthier handmade over the factory or production models for the same money. Many Spanish made guitars even some expensive ones are made by several makers in a production setting. Some great instruments come out of these places, but chances are you will get more what pleases you for less money using an individual maker. There are 100's of these individual makers worldwide and chances are there is one near you. Why not get a guitar custom made just for you? I have 2 such guitars and they please me more than any other guitars regardless of price. I have heard good things about Johnny Walker, but think some of our foro luthiers offer a better guitar for the same money. I would recommend Johnny Walker over any factory guitar.

Jeff Sigurdson
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/my-fabulous-jeff-sigurdson-blanca-t518.html
Andy Culpepper
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/now-making-guitars-t627.html
Peter Tsiorba
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/peter-tsiorba-s-amazing-guitars-t619.html
Stephen Faulk
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/stephen-faulk-blog-about-guitar-making-and-related-topics-t729.html
Les Stansell
taller-flamenco-f5/a-guitar-makers-path-documentary-t595.html
Steven Eden
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/stephen-eden-t441.html
Pablo Requena
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/pablo-requena-t438.html
Stephen Rees
guitarreros-flamencos-f27/stephen-rees-uk-guitar-maker-t723.html

and many more to consider.

Hola Hombre Viejo
¡Bienvenido!
I just want to say the same as Sam C.
We are living in a time of luxury. There are many relatively unknown guitarreros all over the world who may not be Spanish ( or some may be) but who are making flamenco guitars that are as good as the best Spanish flamenco guitars except for very low prices.
I have played Requena, Eden, Rees and they are very good.
I have heard others on the internet such as Tsiorba and Mario Amaya and they are superb too.
Incidentally I have taken flamenco guitar students once they have retired from work at about 65 who have started flamenco with almost no experience of playing guitar and within two years they are playing very nicely and feeling it is worth going to courses.
I am sure you know best what is right for you but I look forward to any contributions you wish to make here.
Saludos cordiales

Tomás

Welcome.

I can also recommend getting a guitar made. We are very lucky to have high quality custom guitars available at manufactured prices. I have a Jeff Sigurdson guitar and I can highly recommend Jeff in every possible respect.

byron

Bob wrote:I haven't had any experience with Francisco Navarro or Johnny Walker guitars, so I am not qualified to comment about either of them. It seems like Dave Norton mentioned that he has a Johnny Walker. I don't think he has posted recently, but maybe he will see this and offer some advice.

Yup, it's been a while since I visited here. No good reason for being absent, just "life" I guess. My musical focus lately has been other-than-flamenco, so maybe that's as good an excuse as anything else. But the wheel is turning back this-a-way again.

Anyway, I own a very good Johnny Walker flamenco, spruce-cypress, with pegs. Based on the famous 1951 Barbero of Sabicas. I'm not a flamenco player, more of a classical person. But I do know that I really like the sound and feel of this guitar. Sam C is a vocal proponent of Peter Tsiorba's guitars. I've heard good things about these, his videos are top-notch as well.

I've owned (past tense) two Francisco Navarro flamencos. Great guitars, but not-so-flamenco as I understand the term. Yellow classical is probably a better description. One of these, a 2003 blanca, is on my "why the HECK did I sell that???" list.

What else? I have a 2001 Kenny Hill Triana, the only one of this model which was actually made in California. It was built after the Paracho operation closed down, and before the China operation started up. So it's a very rare bird indeed. But again, more of a yellow classical than a true flamenco guitar, at least to my ears.

My favorite guitar is a 2007 negra by Monica Esparza, from San Clemente CA. Bob saw this one when I had just purchased it. It's about as ideal as I can get for having a refined-roughness to the sound quality.

So there's a lot of makers out there.

Good to hear from you again David. You have some very interesting guitars. Also interesting that some made to be flamenco guitars actually sound better for classical. I see a trend among some classical players to prefer woods like cypress over rosewood. If someone wants a great traditional flamenco guitar Steven Faulk is offering a rare opportunity at a very low price for Port Orford Cedar (Lawton Cypress). http://hieronymusguitaricus.blogspot.co ... itars.html