Hi guys,

My name is Joseff and I just found your forum this morning. Since I was taught by an old school teacher, starting with classical guitar music, then flamenco guitar, so my heart leans mostly on the early masters (my teacher could not get enough of Sabicas and Nino Ricardo).

I got into it deep enough that my teacher suggested I join a local flamenco group so that I could learn to accompany dancers and maintain my tempo (I tend to go faster in the middle). My lessons stopped when I started taking my majors in college and was preparing for my thesis. I was hoping to go back to my teacher after college, but after getting a job, I never got the chance. I still play for personal enjoyment and on long afternoons when there's nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Another thing my old teacher introduced me to were beautifully made guitars. It was on my third lesson and he brought out a guitar made by a local luthier. I was taking design in college and am very interested in furnituremaking/design, so seeing a finely crafted guitar gave me a visual and tactile sense of music (the smell was also good). So, to make the story short, that also got me interested in guitarmaking, and, after 10 years, I finally mustered enough courage to build one. I am now finishing my first guitar and pretty excited to put strings on it.

Welcome to the forum. Based on your background you should fit-in well here.

It must always be exciting string-up and hear a newly-made guitar, especially a first one you made yourself. It is, of course, difficult to keep a set of new strings in tune the first while and most new guitars probably need some adjustments before everything is right which could cause some initial disappointments. Even so, it will be fun to hear what it sounds like and make those adjustments. I look forward to hearing a recording.

-Bob

Joseff, Welcome to the foro and I share a similar interest differing mainly in that I am mostly self taught. I had 3 or 4 flamenco lessons in 1971 from a guy visiting relatives in the remote area where I lived. I then taught myself several palos of flamenco from books and LP's. Also learned classical mainly Brazilian from sheet music and LP's. I built my first guitar using all hand tools and wood from a Yamaha piano crate in 1973 and the second one I still have in 1974. The third a cypress and cedar peghead flamenco was destroyed in a move before I got the finish on it. I quit playing about 1980 to work at hard labor jobs and returned to play flamenco only in 2003 when I retired due to nerve damage and an inner ear problem. I again self taught this time using videos and ideas from books and transcriptions and developed my style based on what technique I could do with nerve damaged hands, etc. It was just a few months ago I was able again to hold the guitar in the traditional Gypsy manner and I am amazed on how much better the guitar projects and responds with the minimal body contact.

I encourage you to put photos of your guitar project in our luthiers section as flamenco guitar building interest many here and we have several master builders as members. I will probably never tackle making another guitar due to my equilibrium and visual misconception problem, but have taken up making cejillas using Oregon wood with all hand tools. My last 2 are the perfect cejilla for me. I finally devised a system for making the pegs without a lathe and enjoy the result of making a perfect fitting peg all by hand with just the sound of a hand saw, rasp, and scraper. I am going to tackle making a set of pegs for a flamenco guitar using Oregon Manzanita. Welcome to the foro and interested in seeing and some day hearing your guitar.