Flamenco Guitar

Store/Sales
#1

Hello bachi lovelies
Some of you might know me as a shamisen and kora maker. I’m also making guitars now too. Flamencos mostly but likely will include classical guitars in the near-ish future.
I hope this isn’t breaking any rules, but I thought that I’d put up a notice of my most recent piece. It is a Flamenco Blanca made with Red Mountain Cedar back and sides, and with an Engelmann Spruce top. It’s a really lovely instrument and I’m super proud of it. If anyone would like to have a look, I’ve posted it on my page - https://musicforestinstruments.wordpress.com

And here is a short video of me with it just having put strings on it.

Hope this finds everyone happy and well and playing lots of shamisen!
Cath

1 Like
#2

#3

Hi Catherine. As a flamenco guitar’s maniac and a happy owner of a magic Conde Hermanos blanca, I can only be touched by such a nice work ! Yours seems incredibly light. And what a beautiful traditional headstock ! Congratulations !

#4

Hi Patrick
How wonderful! re the Hermanos.
Thanks for the kind words. It is very light indeed.
Also, re the headstock, thanks especially for that. I also thought it traditional and also referencing a bit of the islamic roots of the guitar (if I have that right) but my friend Soocheang here in Thailand was especially struck by the Thai influence on the shape. Now I think it was an amalgamation. These Thai shapes are all around me here and it feels as though I take it a bit for granted at times but clearly it is sinking in.
Cheers, thanks and all the best
Cath

#5

Gadzooks, that’s beautiful.

I’ll pass this along to a guitar playing friend of mine.

#6

Thanks Christopher!

#7

Great work!

I have a kora. I got it in tune once, would like to put pegs or tuners in it at some point.

#8

Thanks Pete!
if you’d like some help with the traditional tuning method please let me know. If everything is fitted well it is actually a very accurate tuning method, not to mention beautiful in it’s simplicity and tradition. I made one kora with viola pegs and I would say that the rings are better. I can tune my kora if it’s just a little off from not playing for a few days in about 5 minutes.
Mind you, tuning machines would definitely be easier and of course accurate. The only down side (though it wouldn’t be so I think for most people I suppose) is that the strings are then fixed in length. With the braided rawhide strips you can adjust string length for particular pitches. That’s pretty kora-geeky though. I’ve heard African players talk about this aspect with a certain sense of importance.

Actually now that I write this… I have some tuning videos that might be of some help on my YT page.

https://www.youtube.com/user/catrionanicthamhais/videos?disable_polymer=1&ab_channel=CatherineThompson

if you scroll down a ways, you’ll find some videos.

#9
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