Bob, After reading your description on your inferior recording setup, I was set for the worst. All my fears subsides even listening on the laptop speakers. I donned my Bose headphones and will say your recording setup has a much better frequency response than one would imagine.

Now, all I can say is wow! I fully understand why when you played this guitar unfinished in Peters shop, you had to have it despite the fact you have enough fine guitars to equip a small army. Here is my appraisal.

Response: One of the best I have heard on any flamenco guitar at any price. Many guitars that have this kind of response also produce disturbing overtones that can work well with flamenco, but their absents makes for a clean defined sound. Knowing how you play, I can say you didn't work hard at all to get this response.

Tone: Is very flamenco with great growl on the basses and sweet crisp trebles. It sounds like it is also well balanced over the range.

It amazes me Peter has mastered the art of a fast action exceeding any other maker I know of. Less than 2 mm is unbelievable without having disturbing buzzing. I noticed no buzz that would be offensive.

Tomas better get your order in before word spreads because I can see Peter building a long waiting list. I am now anxious to get mine from Peter, but in no way want to rush him.

This is by far the best flamenco made from Alaskan yellow cedar that I have ever heard. It would be great if one of your flamenco friends there in Salt Lake has a high tech digital recording setup, to hear this guitar recorded on such.

No disrespect to your Ramirez (an exceptional one), but this guitar sounds better on these recording than the Ramirez did in person.

Congratulations Peter on another outstanding flamenco guitar.

I concur with Sam's opinion. That is a marvelous sounding guitar. I wish I could afford one right now. Oh well, maybe in a few months.

Castillo

This guitar sounds raw and strong immediate and clear.
It sounds and looks great.
I am not convinced that you need any one else to play it because when you play it you are being who you are...producing the sound that you feel....it is the impression that we can hear you already connected to the guitar and that it is right for you.
Congratulations to Peter Tsiorba and viva flamenco!

davinort wrote:I'd very much like to "meet" your new Tsiorba. I have a new Walker you haven't seen yet, either. With Spring coming we should plan to get together again.

I wrote an email a while back to invite you and the others over after our last meeting had to be canceled, but then had some issues surface that prevented me from being able to meet and didn't send it. The afternoon of Saturday March 6th currently looks like a good time for me. I will send you and the others an email to see if that will work for everyone.

Let me know if anyone else in Northern Utah who may be reading this would like to join us for an afternoon of flamenco.

-Bob

I noticed Peter's latest negra was braced Santos style. What style was this guitar braced? I would be interested in seeing some photos of it in the making if Peter has such. I noticed on Peter's photo galleries he has used several bracing patterns and find it interesting how the guitars sounded when finished. I realize different woods and grade of wood may have some effect on outcome of tone and response, but wonder if certain bracing patterns have a predictable outcome even using different woods.

Bracing affects top stiffness, which not only affects the sound qualities of a guitar, but also the string stiffness players experience as they play. Peter has told me that he likes to decide on bracing during construction according to the acoustic qualities of the actual wood being used. Each piece of the same type of wood is slightly different and Peter likes to have the freedom to select the bracing he thinks will be best as he works with the wood while taking into consideration whether the person he is making a guitar for tends to play aggressively or with a lighter touch.

My new Tsiorba flamenco has seven fan braces similar to Torres, but with shorter closing bars that are angled wider and of different lengths on the treble and bass sides.

Incidentally, my Ramirez and Contreras flamencos both have five fan bracing. I don't know what bracing my Ramirez classical has. I should check that next time I have it out.

-Bob