Cypress provider portal Videos

Thanks for your comment dear Renato.As per my role of educator, friend and advisor I will allow myself to illustrate some important points to you as follows:Cypress may be "Traditional"  but there is more than one reason why Paco de Lucia did eliminate Cypress guitarsfor 30 years of his career, and instead introduced the Negra concept to flamenco.Why he did so...?Answer:    Because of the Cypress flat skinny tone, lack of dynamics and power in projection.Flamenco guitars in Spain were made of Cypress for about 100 years only because of the following 2 reasons:1) It was the cheapest wood in Spain.2) It was easy to find locally here in Spain last century when imported woods were not an easy option.As you can see it was not chosen because of its quality in sound.On the other hand maple wood  here you have 4 examples of that which I personally played myself//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1945-spruce-mapleb-cocobolof-maple-natural-10.html//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1945-spruce-cocobolof-hayab-maple-yellow-12.html//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-7-spruce-amarellob-amarellof-maple-orange-11.html//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-12-spruce-purpleheartf-backcherryb-maple-yellow-22.html as I was saying Maple wood has a long history of best quality for sound even before Stradivari//www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine52-29jun14.html#magazinerec1I ask you the following question: if Cypress was such a great sound and all that, why Stradivari did not use it...?So, I will disagree about  "cypress greatness" with the so called "tradition" just like my teacher did.I can clearly sense that most people over praising cypress guitars are saying what they are saying based on popular-prejudice and it's just "everyone's" opinion on the matter and not their own point of view based on their own experimentation and/or experience with other different guitars made with diverse kinds of woods to replace cypress, hence they haven't played those alternative guitars the conclusion is easy to grasp. I dare to say so because for anyone to have a real point of view on this topic (and therefore a personal opinion on it ) first of all they would have to actually have played the different alternatives of Blanca Female guitars to compare    those with  the Cypress sound.I am advising my students and my friends (like yourself) to rather document themselves well in order to discriminate and eventually be able to tell what is Knowledge, and what is just plain parroting, because such conclusions based on majority consent are pretty empty and are only based on habit and on been acclimatized to obsolete guitars as I explained on the following video //youtu.be/q_MkQjgbjUM?t=14sThat fortunately is not my case, hence I have played all kinds of guitars, and I am talking here by proving the facts playing on this videos and talking from what I have learned from my preceptor and from my own experience with guitars, therefore in the videos I am mainly demonstrating  HOW is that Cherry or Maple woods are far better than Cypress not just talking about it.Things have value when the speaker has knowledge and when he is actually proving what he is saying, that's why I did the next video here:(If you disagree with me the following video is for you... if not just skip it //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1390.html )As an instance I think those cypress fans haven't played on a flamenco East or West Indian Satin wood guitarlike this //spain-guitar.com/?pid=84903996East//www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/east-indian-satinwoodWest//www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/west-indian-satinwood/And here is how it sounds that wood on a blanca //www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine49-24may14.html#magazinerec1 played by "Niño Seve" who is the winner of the 1st National Award Contest of Flamenco Guitar in Córdoba To me that's far more than Cypress sound. I have also played this other model here//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-16-spruce-birdseyeb-birdeyef-satin-natural-12.htmlVideo //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1370.htmlIn that category of female guitars here you have far better options1)  Maple is at least 3 times superior to Cypress //www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-12-spruce-purpleheartf-backcherryb-maple-yellow-15.html  2)  Cherry is twice better than Cypress //youtu.be/VYjtePq5OBY?t=14s//www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine55-05oct14.html#magazinerec1Other videos on which I played such guitars to listen:A) //youtu.be/ovSGT3ypaXc?t=1m//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-14-spruce-birdseyeb-birdseyef-maple-natural-13.htmlB) //youtu.be/uj9CaaLBkis?t=14s//www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-12-spruce-purpleheartf-backcherryb-maple-yellow-8.htmlI hope this answer gives you more enthusiasm to cultivate knowledge about spanish guitars.Best RegardsPs.If a luthier tell a person "...this guitar I made is so great..."is like if my mother tells someone that: "...You know my son is the best guitar player of the world...""...When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge...." (Confucius)

+MarquellePower Yes Marquelle, Paco is the greatest in this field and he changed many things that are nowadays "valid currency"here is an interesting article for you //www.rdiaz.org/rd-art%207.htmlRegards

+rubendiazguitar Nice, I did not know all of that. It's great to learn something new each day. Paco is definitely my favorite guitarist and has been the reason I fell in love with Flamenco. Of course I would have to play on all these different types of guitars to really understand which one is better and has more of the sound I like. 

+MarquellePower Thanks for your comment.The thing is that regardless of the varnish color of any particular guitar which evidently will not change at all the sound in any given instrument,regarding flamenco blanca guitarsif one has not ever played any of the following new possibilities:1) Satin wood //www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948y-8-spruce-satinf-satinb-satin-red-21.html  Here is a mayor player  (Champion of Cordoba competition) playing one //www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine49-24may14.html#magazinerec1{see link from wood database //www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/west-indian-satinwood/ quote: under Pricing/Availability: "...Sustainable supplies of this species have been exhausted for over one hundred years; for all intents and purposes, this wood is commercially unavailable..." }This sounds to me not only as a most exclusive wood for a blanca guitar, but also as an infinitely  more interesting tone wood than the overratedsame-of-the-same cypress sound.2) Finest Maple wood //www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948-spruce-haya-maple-yellow-17.htmlhere I play one //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1331.html3) Cherry wood //www.andalusianguitars.com/MB1948a-spruce-white-cerry-yellow-natural-17.htmlhere I play mine at the beginning of the following video //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1350.htmlTherefore: If you haven't played those 3 extraordinary extra options for female blanca guitars then your only reference is cypress sound and feel, and that kind of guitar is just the opposite to an extraordinary thing, really speaking is the same of the same of the same of what people don't even realize is the same common instrument...I understand that you are following the traditional view about cypress guitars, and I am ok with that ,but as another person told me that: "...there are plenty of flamenco guitarists nowadays that would not turn to a negra for a reason..."One of the problems with that cliche statement is that Paco de Lucia who happens to be the best flamenco player ever in historydid not agreed with Cypress as been a great wood... in fact he avoided it 40 years of his life and  -for a reason-my point is that what Paco personally taught me regarding that subject concerning diverse tone woods has (to me) more value than any other flamenco player opinions... that's why I choose to follow Paco, in fact just before dying he was confirming to me the correctness of those non-clishe new horizons in guitar making //www.rdiaz.org/rdfoto98.htmlthere may be many other players accepting as good sound the Cypress sound,but there is only 1 Paco de Lucia and he did not like cypress guitars* except in rare occasions. Regards

I agree with you. I like the sonority of the cypress one myself. I have also played on cypress wood guitar before. True they have a thin sound, but I like the sound an dsometimes you can make it sound very tamed. But the range of power on the cherry is much better. I am not a fan of the red finish either, but nonetheless they are both excellent guitars. 

Thanks for your comment Charlie. As an instance here is the most exclusive catalog of guitars in Spain//andalusianguitars.com/MB1948home.htmland as you can see there is not even one single cypress guitar there,why…?Answer:  Because nowadays there are plenty of better options than cypress.It was not just in case that Paco in the 60s abandoned completely the cypress guitars in favor of the negra concept //www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine48-08may14.html#specialsectionpaco5We live in 2014 not in last century where this cypress idea belongs. //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1333.htmlFor example here is the new champion el "Niño Seve" is the winner of the 1st National Award Contest of Flamenco Guitar in Córdoba he plays his piece "Taranta" here //www.rdiaz.org/rdmagazine49-24may14.html#magazinerec1he played with this guitar model //andalusianguitars.com/MB1948y-8-spruce-satinf-satinb-satin-red-14.htmlmade of Satin, most exotic wood //www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/west-indian-satinwood/Why…?  Answer: Because its different.Here you also have a maple option //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1330.html which is also far better than any cypress guitar.But there are tastes for everything, and in this video I am just answering an specific question for my magazine.This article //www.rdiaz.org/rd-art%207.htmlmay also help to understand the context in which we are talking hereRegards

+rubendiazguitar Thank you, Mr. Diaz, for the link to the video.  AG Guitars does it again.  You know, since I have been a subscriber to your magazine and your YouTube channel, I have never been disappointed in the new guitars that AG designs.  That new Fresno guitar by AG is another example - the sound is amazing and the appearance has a resemblance to maple or arce. With all these guitars that you introduce from AG, I always wish that you could record a song (instrumental) in a studio with each new AG guitar that comes out just to hear its ultimate quality.  The reason I say this is because the guitars you play in your video sound so good with just the microphone from your camera, I am just left to wonder how "out of this world" they would sound in a studio recording.  If there is any one on this planet that can do justice to an AG guitar is you, Mr. Diaz. So here is hoping that you would consider doing a project like this - doing a studio quality recording of each new AG guitar that comes out.  I know you are a busy man with your teaching but it does not hurt to hope.  Take care.

Here you have another video dear William (Cypress sound is over...Cherry deep blanca rocks! https://youtu.be/BcA2O8z_tZs?t=14s )

That design is very nice William but there are only three main categories: 1) Female (Cherry) //www.andalusianguitars.com/intro13.html2) Mild male (Ovangkol) //www.andalusianguitars.com/intro8.html3) Pure Male (Brazilian R. negra) //www.andalusianguitars.com/intro4.htmlRelevant links:Negra Vs Deep Blanca //youtu.be/WT-P00nkPeE?t=14sFemale Cherry & Male Brazilian Rosewood //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1347.htmlDeep Blanca Vs regular blanca  //youtu.be/VYjtePq5OBY?t=14sMild-Male Guitars //youtu.be/eTE94gdIQtQ?t=14s

+rubendiazguitar I hear you. :)  I actually have a handmade guitar, and it's a very good specimen of the old-school. So I'm close already, and can enjoy my waiting time. In the meantime, I'll just drool while looking at the other stuff. I'm sure you've heard of G.A.S., Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.  :)

+ChuloDavidcito If there is no other way is better to save and wait a bit to get a really nice instrument instead of buying 2 o 3 bad guitars the reason is to know about the fallacy of  "The Quality vs Price Ratio"//www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1329.htmland here are  new features //www.andalusianguitars.com/fretboard-division-3.htmlRegards

Lo aprecio, gracias, Maestro.

Here is a video for you with my advise David (What if I Can't Afford Yet a Good Flamenco Guitar...?)//youtu.be/0F6BcS-29vo?t=1m24sRegards

Here is another alternative to rosewood Renato lookOvangkol Negra = Redefining The Flamenco Negra / Mild-Male & Twin Guitars //youtu.be/eTE94gdIQtQ?t=14s

Hello Renato, First of all you need to watch the new video with all the guidelines (the following video)  //youtu.be/5Pw4mNtVHeU?t=14s (Flaw Detection Guidelines & Post-Paco de Lucia's Age in Flamenco Guitar Making)And specifically here is the answer to your questions:I) Why Cypress Guitar is an Obsolete Concept Today...? //youtu.be/bHk8bbbx6dk?t=1m13sII) Ebony Fret-board is Obsolete Choice in Flamenco Guitars Today//youtu.be/VUG8iYCTKsg?t=14sIII) Evolution of "Negra Flamenco Guitar" after Paco de Lucia's period //youtu.be/-7yjNP3DMNk?t=14sFemale Cherry &Male BR //www.rdiaz.org/rdvideo1347.htmlIn my opinion:1) Ebony Fret board,2) Rosewood Bridge,3) Cedar Necks,4) Bone-Saddle, are all unimaginative choices born out of traditional dogmas plus scarcity of ideas which luckily now belong to the past.Best Regards!

+ironrain1x What do you mean with "proper intonation" ?  have you done the simple test I explain on minute 4,54 of the following video //youtu.be/5Pw4mNtVHeU?t=4m54sif you want you can send me a small video of you doing the test and we can talk more after that.Regards

+rubendiazguitarthis is weird!? I'm looking over the guitar I got back from my guitar tech and its odd.  Because the bridge was moved slightly towards the right  It looks like perhaps 1/2 of an inch moved to the right.  This is odd.  However it is still in tune and maintains proper intonation.

Thanks for your comment. Probably for to the specific music and technique that you play your feel ok with the guitar you have, but as far as our specialty is ( Avant-garde flamenc)  on the following video you can see one by one the main guidelines which we follow //youtu.be/5Pw4mNtVHeU?t=14s (Flaw Detection Guidelines & Post-Paco de Lucia's Age in Flamenco Guitar Making)

Yes Sledge this is the test here https://youtu.be/xvnPa_OOeCQ?t=14s

Yes dear William in fact I don't play anymore Ebony fretboards, many of the guitars I play in  videos are property of the school, and when I recorded this video I just played the guitars that were there at the moment.Regarding improving sound in time I think every brand should provide prove of that, as you observed herein,the following video has some insights about staying relevant in flamenco guitar making //youtu.be/NlW6DTQmjLU?t=1m33sRegards

Yes Kelly sound portal is the present and the future of flamenco guitar unidirectional sound is very outdated in fact.//youtu.be/PJLTqE_-pxI?t=14sSend me a video of your test on decibels to see it, I am interested.

Yes Hector, thanks for your comment but not all the guitars you see in this channel are mine.I see and play many guitars for many years but only owe a few, the rest are property of the school of friends, acquaintances, collectors and other students, I wish were all mine...Regards