Flamenco Ukulele - building more than playing

pulelehua

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Was wondering if anyone had much experience with ukuleles BUILT in a flamenco style:

Cypress back with spruce top?
Cypress back with cedar top?
Thinner profile?
Alternative combinations? Mahogany back/sides, cypress top?
Anything else?

I'm not too interested in negra models (rosewood backs) as I've heard plenty of ukuleles with rosewood back and sides and spruce tops.

What did you think? Do you have any sounds samples?


Thanks.
 
I'm pretty sure LoPrinzi makes a Spanish style Ukulele with a Cedar/Spruce top and Spanish Cypress back and sides. I think they'd be the ones to go to.
 
LoPrinzi do a mahogany with spruce or cedar top, which seems to be their "flamenco" ukulele, but I can't find a cypress.
 
Our new models models use Spanish Cypress in the back, but it's the inner lining of what we call a "luthier grade laminate" back. It's a technique that goes all the way back to the Romantic period - builders like Rene LaCote in 19th century Paris. A lot of Spanish builders have never gotten away from it.

LaCote said he used it to "sweeten" the sound on his guitars. Romantic guitars were not quite as small as ukuleles, but much smaller than today's classicals. We've found that it does give "blanca" characteristics of clarity and definition in the upper registers, but being the lining of a less flexible laminate back, it has more sustain than a solid cypress back - more like a "negra" in that regard. For us, that makes it the best of both worlds - I guess we could call it a "morena".

We use different soundboard material depending on the size of the instrument. We vary body depth depending on the instrument as well. Smaller but deeper than the norm on Baritones, shallower than the norm on Tenors (designed for high re-entrant tunings), more normal depth on the smaller models, but the concert shape is slightly shorter, and slightly wider in the lower bout (gives almost cutaway room on the 17" scale fretboard).
 
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Hi Pu! You probably saw the Negra uke that Mike (MP) build for me a few years ago. It was a spruce top with Madagascar back-sides. It's the only uke that I find can sound spanish.

Other than that my new Lui feu de Mesquita can sound very spanish and flamenco flavor too. It's a combo of Cedar top with rosewood back and sides. You have to know that Luis is a spanish luthier living in Canada and that his flamenco guitar sounds amazing!!!! So his uke has the same kind of flavor or tone...only smaller scale!!!

As for cypress, I think it will be a little bit too bright as tonewood for an uke. I think a spruce or cedar top combine with rosewood is a nice combo for a uke if you want something that is close to a negra uke....

talk to you soon...
 
Dirk,

Looks great, but I really like concert bodies AND necks. Can't do some of the reaches I need on a 17" scale. But I really like your obvious thoughtfulness. You have changed some "standard things" because you've rethought some of the basics.

Bao,

Your negra is beautiful. I'm just looking for a blanca approach. Fortunately, I won't be able to afford a custom for AGES, so have plenty of time for research. :)
 
Dirk,

Looks great, but I really like concert bodies AND necks. Can't do some of the reaches I need on a 17" scale. But I really like your obvious thoughtfulness. You have changed some "standard things" because you've rethought some of the basics.

Bao,

Your negra is beautiful. I'm just looking for a blanca approach. Fortunately, I won't be able to afford a custom for AGES, so have plenty of time for research. :)

Sorry we couldn't help you on a standard concert; our 15" scale has a soprano body.

I beleive Dave Means has built cypress/spruce ukuleles, altough Bao could be right about the brightness issue with Cypress on the small ukes. Maybe a little deeper than standard body could help.

I don't know these folks, but you may want to talk to Candelas. They do flamenco guitars - both with cypress backs and out of all Port Orford Cedar (tops-sides-backs). They also build ukuleles.

You may want to ask them about the Tacote soundboards. I've never head one, but my partner, Omar Corrales is familiar with them. He says they're very light - almost Balsa-like, and if I recall correctly, have a bit of a raspy tone.

Tacote soundboard w/ Port Orford Cedar? Hmmmmmm. Maybe the crispness, low sustain, but not as bright as the cypress?
 
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Gotta find the pics but a LoPrinzi tenor with spruce top/ spanish cypress b/s, maple ebony marquetry rosette, maple binding , ebony fb, satin varnish finish and a mi-si pick up is $1175.00
What's the price? Can't find anything on the site...
 
hi UUs

for me flamenco is kind of a way of life. a real flamenco player should know how to differentiate the different "palos", know how to acompañar canto y baile, and at least learn how to sing a few basic palos.
the basic 12 beats rythms must flow from the heart.

there's a documentary film about Niño Miguel, great flamenco guitar player. He plays with 3-4 strings in a borrowed cheap guitar and he is more flamenco than a lot of virtuoso players i've seen. it's called:

"la sombra de las cuerdas"

check the documental
 
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