Alain Bieber second Senorita size classical. Strange woods..

[Alain Bieber]

The following photo shows two Senoritas built after an Enrique Garcia model of 1899. The first one, completed last year, was exactly following the model even for the wood choices: spruce top, maple back and sides. For the second one I almost sinned using anachronic WRC for the top... a complete heresy for the purists of course (Fifty years before Ramirez III !<g> Back and sides are made of Ceylan satinwood.
Fingerboards in BRW. String length 64 cm. Width around 33 cm as standard for that kind of "ladies" guitars.
Even if strictly similar, the two instruments sound very different. I am kind of surprised by the potential of WRC on such an instrument. Very powerful. I might sin again...
.. and now I realize I forgot how to attach a photo..help...

[Greg Robinson]

Hi Alain,

To post a picture, you will need to click the "full editor" button at the bottom of the thread. From there, the first section is "Post a Reply", below that is "Upload attachment".

In the "Upload attachment" box, click "choose file", you will then need to browse your computer to find the picture files. Once selected, click "Add the file".

You can attach three pictures to each message.

Hope that's clear, good luck!

[Alain Bieber]

Thanks Greg,
Something against that photo I am afraid. Well, not really important.

[Greg Robinson]

Alain, did you make sure the file was under 150kB? We've upped the size limit on the new forum software, but most cameras will make files that are still larger than even this increased file size limit. Also, the forum software only accepts the following file types: .gif .jpeg .jpg .png .pga .tff & .tiff
If your photo is not one of those file-types (it probably is), you will need to convert it.

Hope this helps, I, for one, would like to see your next señorita!

[Jim McConkey]

There is a temporary Forum-wide problem preventing anyone from uploading images. Please be patient. It should be fixed soon.

[Alain Bieber]

Thanks Jim. The software states "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached".. and my picture is only a 143 K Jpeg.
I will try again when this problem is over.

[Jim McConkey]

The image problem has been fixed now, Alain. Please try again.

[Alain Bieber]

We will see if it works.. YES...
N°2 looks bigger than N°1, but it is only the perspective.

[Chuck Tweedy]

More please, I want to see the back of the satinwood one ... at very least.

[Simon Magennis]

Lovely work Alain. I'd love to get my hands on them or at least hear someone play them.

Simon

[Alain Bieber]

You are kind, thanks. Chuck, my pictures are not first class but give an idea. This is Melanoxylon Swietenia. If someone knows where I could still buy Zanthoxylum flavum, the satinwood used by the old Masters, I would be very happy. But I am told it is now almost out of common commercial uses. Only a few old furniture restorers find it... and pay.
Anyway, I am becoming an addict of melanoxylon. I found pieces with medium densities, as optimal since some is really too heavy. I save a lot of trouble (and time) in the finishing period.. and the clean character of building is the same as for maple.

[Alain Bieber]

I think I used above Melanoxylon Swietenia for what is called in the US (by Gilmer for instance, I just checked) Chloroxylon Swietenia.
Likely the same wood.. and probably a mistake of mine. Sorry.

[Waddy Thomson]

Another fine looking instrument, Alain. I'm liking the lighter colored woods, these days.

[Mark Day]

Beautiful guitars, Alain.
I too have sinned. I used WRC to re-top my Pakistani-built lute. So actually I sinned twice. Once by buying an import lute in the first place, and second by using WRC as a soundboard on a lute. It sounds beautiful to me and I know of two professional lute builders who have either used WRC in the past or offer it as an option. I love the sound, myself.

[Alain Bieber]

Wow, your sin is bigger than mine Mark. But I forgive you totally.<g>
Waddy, both maples and satinwoods make nice boxes and the finish is simpler than rosewoods of any kind.
Even some professionals now are choosing such woods for hi-level classical guitars. Not a lot but some good examples exist now.

[Bill Raymond]

Alain, I think what you used is indeed chloroxylon; melanoxylon is a species of blackwood (the word is Greek for "blackwood", chloroxylon is Greek for "yellow wood").

And, I should add, those are fine looking guitars. I don't think that use of cedar is technically a sin, just "historically inappropriate" <G>.

[Douglas Ingram]

Even if strictly similar, the two instruments sound very different. I am kind of surprised by the potential of WRC on such an instrument. Very powerful. I might sin again...

Nice work, Alain. But you keep us baited with such comments! Do tell about the sound quality.

[Alain Bieber]

Hi Douglas,
Well, I do not believe much in sound descriptions with words, specially with my English. <g>
I sometimes receive a visit of a concert level guitar player and I take that opportunity to ask for a little demo. My level of playing is not high enough to get good samples, I mean musically.
The sound characters of the two woods, as generally described, are respected. The spruce/maple sounds with more smiles in the voice, the WRC/ satinwood one with a slightly darker mood. As already said, the reduced size does not "choke" (English?) the output of the cedar one.
Being not a fan of really mellow ouputs, I have recently put Aquila (Alabastro) strings on the WRC one. It gives some more "attaque" or punch but transform a bit toward the dry side the natural rather mellow sound of a WRC guitar.
For the other one, I kept from the beginning my basic choice i.e. D'addario's , but now the comparizon does not mean much of course. Such strings are so different.
The general feeling I keep is that this moderate reduction of size is not causing more than a very marginal change of output.. but my full size ones are not Friederich or Field's <G>.
Thanks for your comment.

[Alain Bieber]

For Chuck an improved photo of the Satinwood I used for this guitar. In the central part, the wood shows a little the sense of depth you have with koa, but less in this peculiar case.

[Chuck Tweedy]

Very beautiful Alain!
The figure in that center section is exceptional, I'm sure in person it has a jewel-like shimmer.

A hand-crafted satinwood guitar sitting on a yellow satin upholstered chair with the light of a Paris day filtering in through the window. The very picture of civilized life. I love it!