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sjlen · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:06 am

This is me and my Admira Concerto in the grounds of Bolton Parish Church here in North West England, UK.

I also have a 3/4 size Yamaha nylon string guitar that I bought because you can do some amazing muting with a classical guitar because of the bridge, you can rest your strummin hand on the bridge and get a great variation in the amout of muting that you apply to the strings by rolling your hand towards and away from the strings. I've never been able to quite achieve this same effect with a full sized guitar nor with steel strung or electric guitars. There's quite a story about how I discovered this and the people involved at the time but I won't bore you with that story just now. :-)

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

Yeah, the problem is that I really don't want to let my schoolwork suffer-it's pretty important to me too. There's just too much to do in one day, every day. :lol:

adey · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:01 am

Hi Steve, welcome to the thread.

Muting over the bridge? Can't say I've done much of that. Just the odd piece that needs some pizzicato notes. I'd imagine that flamenco players have more need of it. Sounds like you''ve made it a signature technique -I'll try it..

I couldn't see your photo by the way

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

Sorry, I didn't notice there was another post. Hello!

I have never thought of using a 3/4 size because of techniques that are easier on that. Next time I play one, I'll have a look at that palm muting.

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

I was just wondering, to compare to how long I spend myself preparing for grades-how long is it that you would spend, typically, preparing a piece for performance? is performance standard the same as distinction at the grades, considering i'm at grade 6 so my ability is probably lower than yours? Do you know how long a professional that does big concerts and performances to large amounts of people, goes on TV, that sort of thing, would spend preparing a piece to performance standard, too? I have never known this, so always wondered if I'm really slow, or not going into enough detail, or somewhere between the two

Thanks

adey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:13 am

We're pretty much at the same formal grade level TD.

My guitar teacher strongly believed in encouraging his students to play recitals and public shows at anytime during their developing career. To that end, we always had pieces 'in the bank' that we could play at anytime. These were seperate from the pieces we learned for exams, but in some cases exam pieces were played as performance pieces as well. Often, as part of a guitar club he set up for his pupils, as many as 6 students would play a recital all together - solo pieces, duos (doubled parts for 4 players) and trios (doubled parts for 6 players) and so on. These performances would take place in local halls, civic halls etc. The biggest show we played, needed 2 months rehearsal work on the duets and trios.

Professional recitalists are usually playing at high technical levels of difficulty, and plan their shows to reflect a carefully thought out programme of music. And they would then stick to that for a whole season of performances. So it's a long sequence of selection - rehearsal - performance. Professional working musicians have the time and the resources to prepare and maintain to concert level, a large collection of material. I had a brief chat backstage with John Williams many years ago (he was signing authographs after a show) and he told me that it was not unknown for his agent to contact him out of the blue and ask if he was available for a recital at short notice. Needless to say, as a professional musician, he was usually able to take a short notice gig and play to his usual incredibly high standard..

We amateurs don't have those time or financial resources, and even a single performance is of necessity a big deal for us. I have seen a perfomance by a talented (rather than brilliant) guitar player, and for him, that one show at a 200 seater venue, was the culmination of 6 months work in his non-work time outside his day job. And he had to hire the venue himself and pay for the promotion..

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

Thanks, that's reassuring. That sounds like a similar amount of time to how long I spend preparing for the grades. Although I have to fit it electric guitar too...It's a lot of guitar playing...or a lot of guitar playing that should be done... :lol:

After I've done homework, slept eaten and been to school, I normally have about...not very much. But it seems to do, I get decent grades anyway. I would like to play more, but I just don't have the time, literally.

adey · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:31 am

'Euphoria 480' posts a few classical styled pieces here, revealing a serious talent (actually in many styles).

Check them out to enjoy some superb left and right hand hand fluidity..

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

OK, so whilst trying to narrow down my shortlist for a better classical, I have discovered a new variation on the Alhambra 3--- classical cut-away model. There are three now-the 3C-CW, the 3C-CT and now the 3F-CW. At least I can see some differences with this one-it has a solid German Spruce top and Laminated Sycamore sides and back-the difference being that solid German Spruce is one of two options on the other ones for the top, and that it has laminated Sycamore sides and back.

These are the links:

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=34

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=36

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=35

My question is, what would the laminated sycamore sides and back sound like, compared to the laminated mahogany sides and back on the other two?

Does anyone know any other differences between these models?(unique properties of sycamore-weight or something...?)

The more research I seem to do, the more questions I seem to get... :lol:

Any and all help appreciated,

Thanks very much

sjlen · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:21 pm

Professional musicians are practsing all the time (8 hours a day), and I know that musicians in a professional orchestra often get the pieces they need to work on about two days before a concert, they are playing at shuch a high level that you just need to put a piece of music in front of them and they can play it perfectly as their playing, reading and interpretation is what they do all day every day. I often see performances at the higher student level where the orchestra have only been playing a piece together for one or two days (in order to emulate the professional environment), and they give a fantastic performance every time.

I do know a professional clasical guitarist (though I haven't seen or spoken to him for about three years), I don't know how long he spends preparing for a recital but he does spend about 8 hours a day every day practising if he's not travelling or performing that is.

adey · **Posted:** Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:50 am

teledeluxe72 wrote:

OK, so whilst trying to narrow down my shortlist for a better classical, I have discovered a new variation on the Alhambra 3--- classical cut-away model. There are three now-the 3C-CW, the 3C-CT and now the 3F-CW. At least I can see some differences with this one-it has a solid German Spruce top and Laminated Sycamore sides and back-the difference being that solid German Spruce is one of two options on the other ones for the top, and that it has laminated Sycamore sides and back.

These are the links:

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=34

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=36

http://www.alhambrasl.com/index.php?opt ... d=35&id=35

My question is, what would the laminated sycamore sides and back sound like, compared to the laminated mahogany sides and back on the other two?

Does anyone know any other differences between these models?(unique properties of sycamore-weight or something...?)

The more research I seem to do, the more questions I seem to get... :lol:

Any and all help appreciated,

Thanks very much

Sorry TD, I don't know anything about the harmonic qualities of Sycamore. Maybe Ceri might have an idea, he knows his timbers. I don't know if he looks in on this thread though.

But it has electro support (Fishman III), so you can EQ tweak it however you like. Unless you're playing acoustically of course!

Nice range of guitars there -very handsome. I see that one of them is designated 3F, whilst the other two are designated 3C.. Could the 3F be a flamenco guitar? F = flamenco, C = classical? Just a thought..

adey · **Posted:** Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:03 am

Thanks for the comment sjlen..

The professional playing world is seemingly unreachable to us with day jobs. I've done some marathon practise sessions in my time, but approaching 8 hrs a day? A sobering thought that that is the sort of work a pro classical musician needs to put in..

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

OK thanks, that was something I thought. Maybe I will email Alhambra-not sure if they speak english though!

It is a very confusing place, the classical guitar shop. Tiny changes in name seem to represent a huge change in the guitar.

Will keep you posted.

adey · **Posted:** Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:53 pm

Hey there TD..

I found this discussion on the tonal qualities of sycamore wood guitars in an acoustic guitar forum. Might answer a few questions:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru ... 03586.html

After looking again at the 3 Alhambras, I see it's the 3F model that features sycamore wood. Given the comments in the discussion above (about the use of sycamore in lower cost flamenco guitars) I think we can safely assume that the 3F is indeed a flamenco guitar. If I were you, I'd be focussing on the 3C models.

Hope this helps. Adey

almungo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am **Posts:** 456

Yes, that would make sense. I managed to find the time for my own research, which agrees.

Well, that narrows it down some... :lol:

I think it's between the yamaha NCX700, alhrambra 3c cw and 3c ct, and the esteve 3ECE model. I think the difference between the alhambra's is in body depth-being a classical player, but also electric, I may go for the thinner version, the CT, unless the reduced depth impacts too greatly on sustain/volume and eq.

Thanks very much Adey

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