Hello Gavin, Thanks for the kind words! It has taken me 25 years, but I think I have finally learned how to make first rate guitars every time. It comes down to selecting wood carefully, and testing components, and the nearly finished guitar, with acoustical analysis software. In the end however, all that matters is what the player says. The guitar has to be a thrill to play! Cheers, Brian
My guitars are quite traditional. I use hot hide glue, and fresh shellac for French polish. The old timers experimented a lot with different bracing patterns, and now we have the technology to see what these experiments actually do acoustically. My guess is that old style flamencos achieve short sustain by being built very light weight. I've got two ultra-lights in the current batch. Can you believe a bridge that weighs 10 grams?! Cheers, Brian
Hello Richard, Thanks for the kind words about my playing! My rule is to keep it basic. I like to say that flamenco guitarists think that they are being paid by the note (;->)...Flamenco is after all a folk music. I've hardly played at all for the last several years, so my "chops" have deteriorated a lot. I've been thoroughly occupied with building guitars. I have a flamenco in my current batch of six guitars---there is a market for classicals---and if it doesn't sell, I'll get back to playing more. If somebody wants to buy it , the bills need to be paid! Cheers, Brian
What a great video! The guitars sound great and the description of some of the details of classical vs flamenco styles was really informative. Thank you so much.
A wonderful video Brian. Very clearly explained and demonstrated. I really enjoyed how you broke the techniques apart on each guitar at various tempos. An excellent visual and aural demonstration.
Thank you m. Burns , you gave me a lot of ideas , i am in your age almost , start playing flamenco guitar since 60 years , by hearing and imitating records etc... i was enjoying , then i stopped gradually. Always i wanted to go back playing hopeless . I liked your technique, you’re encouraging me to try again , thanks again !!!
Hello Saad, Thanks for the kind words about my playing! I had to decide many years ago whether I was going to devote my life to playing or to building guitars---I chose building, so I play well enough to teach, but that's about all (;->)... I teach flamenco guitar playing on the internet using Skype or FaceTime. It's about 80% as good as being in my office for a private lesson. Send me an email if you are interested: Brian@BrianBurnsGuitars.com Cheers, Brian
Hello Mick, Thanks for the kind words! Neat to see you restoring the old Philco radio. I'm getting back into ham radio after 50 years, and have an old Viking transmitter that I'm restoring, Cheers Brian
Hello Jim, You're welcome! I Got taken by flamenco some 58 years ago, and I'm still fascinated by it. There is a lot of slow, contemplative flamenco guitar music, but it doesn't sell as well as the fast flashy stuff, so you don't hear it much.
So here I am a teacher at Mission High School in Mission Texas Googling information on luthery and BAM! I run across Brian Burns in Cali. who attended Mission High School way back in the day... talk about goose bumps...A tip of the hat to you sir on your many accomplishments playing, and making guitars. and a friendly shout out that good ol' MHS is still here.... Who was your principal? We still have all the year books in the library....
Hello Harold, I certainly grew up in Mission, and have vivid memories of the place and the people. I went from first grade through eighth grade there, but we moved to McAllen where I started high school. In seventh and eighth grades I played clarinet in the high school band---1951 through 1953---as there weren't enough high school kids. I would really appreciate your contacting me directly. If you google my name and the word guitar, you should find my contact info. Cheers, Brian
Thanks for the kind words! A couple of flamenco friends also remarked that I looked like Diego in the video. I was flattered all to hell! Diego is one of my heroes, and my teacher David Serva, and friends Chris Carnes, Evan Harrar, and Robert Long all studied with him back in the '60's. When Robert told me that even Diego would sometimes get out of compás in the bulerias, I felt much better!
"...or perhaps a little better ...without the tape..." Great stuff! I am now interested in learning more about guitar crafting. I just bought my first classical today, a Cordoba. From your nice video, I find that I was really attracted to the warmth and fullness of it; I guess I'm just starting to learn about my own taste as well. However, you're wonderful demonstration and explanation (not to mention the great rigging) of the range of guitar sounds has really helped me get a better sound picture. Thanks Brian! Cheers!
You're welcome! A lot of guitarists just play an E chord on the top four strings, and do the hammering on and pulling off with the ring finger. I liked the full 6 string E chord sound, so I learned to do it with my pinkie. BTW, I would never have had the discipline to practice enough to be a half way decent player, if I hadn't taught flamenco for years, and had to demonstrate the fundamentals repeatedly for my students.
Hey Brian!! I've read somewhere here that you'd be turning 76 in February so although a bit late I just wanted to wish you well and congratulate you for that! :-) All the best and thank you for this magnificent video!! Cheers from Portugal!
+caldeirone Thanks for the birthday greetings! Yep, I turned 76 on the 4th of February. I'm still in very good health thanks to the low-carb diet that I've been on for 16 years. It cured my Type 2 diabetes in the year 2000, with no medication of any kind! Details on request---just google my name and guitar for contact info. Cheers, Brian
+Brian Burns Impressive! Though it makes sense to do a low carb-diet having diabetes, it's not an easy task to accomplish and takes a lot of determination and courage! Thanks for sharing! By the way, I noticed you're a radio ham fellow! :) 73!
Being diagnosed with a bad case of type 2 diabetes scared the you-know-what out of me! I was very highly motivated to get on the low-carb diet. It took me about 3 months to get over my addiction to carbs, but I've never been hungry since. Fats and proteins keep my blood sugar at an even level. Yeah, I got tempted back into ham radio some years ago, but haven't renewed my license. Gotta make those guitars to pay the bills (:->)...
Very nice. I don't claim to know anything about flamenco music, but I actually prefer the classical model in this video. But that's just me... sounds really full and warm, I think it's great!
villy ylliv like a ten minute walk from my house!!! Just found him yesterday evening, knocked on his shop door and had a wonderful tour and conversation!! Real treat
Mr. Burns,you are the best flamenco guitar player I've seen in my lifetime........you inspire me to be better at playing my ibanez until I can be as good as you are.Kudos for you Sr.
Hello Chano, I have a couple of pieces of advice about playing solo flamenco guitar. Keep it simple and practice at slow tempos. Do the fundamentals well. Go over the basic 12 count compás, accenting 3,6,8,10, and 12 until you have it so well memorized that you always know where you are in the compás. That way you can improvise your own falsettas. Cheers, Brian
Hello Edward, Thanks very much for the kind words! Now all I have to do is to figure out how to sell some of my guitars (;->)... The fellow that made the video for me is coming over to my shop here in Fort Bragg (California) on the last weekend in May to do a video of my playing the guitars that I have for sale. We will be putting together a simple website just for guitar sales. My current website is all about my teaching of guitar making. Cheers, Brian
Brian: NIce job. I've built two classicals and am building a baratone uke right now. The advice you gave me when I visited you in your shop was a big help. I'm sorry I didn't ask you to play for me.
+Fabian Romano Hello Fabian, Gene Clark's old trick with the tape kills a lot of sustain, but unfortunately it kills a lot of the high overtones as well, so the treble suffers. I'm still experimenting, trying to get short sustain and brightness both. Trying new things for 25+ years is what keeps me fascinated with guitar making. I'll be 76 in February, and I'm still in the shop early every morning (:->)... Cheers, Brian
Hi Brian, I really like the slow flamenco. I was not aware that flamenco was played at anything other than a frenetic pace. What are the pieces you played on the Negra? So nice! Thanks again, for sharing your wisdom and talent. Jim P
Hello Jim, There is a lot of flamenco that is relatively slow, it just doesn't sell as well as the flashy stuff. Flamencos learn early on that they are being paid by the note (;->)...The slow piece that I begin with is Granadinas---in flamenco there are traditional forms with dozens to hundreds of traditional melodic variations called "falsettas" for that form. The other, slow but rhythmic form is Soleares ( a slang way of saying soledades). It's often played too fast as a solo. I think it works best at about 80 beats per minute. PM me for more info. Cheers, Brian
Hello CountryHouseGent, I'm a bit slow to respond, sorry...I got into building guitars because I was studying flamenco, and wanted a good guitar. A friend gave me "Make Your Own Spanish Guitar" by AP Sharpe, a little booklet, and I was hooked. That was in 1959. I put in 5 years at it then, and resumed building in 1993. Cheers, Brian
Thank you so much for to share this video and your wisdom with us. I Study classical guitar and I have a Ramirez R2. Do you have dvd to sale for someone that like to know more about classical guitar? Gracias
Hello Carlitos, Oddly enough I really didn't like that guitar when I first strung it up. After about a month it began sounding musical. I kept it around, and after a couple of years it became a really good guitar. I sold it to a player in L.A. that "Had a hard time getting it away from my teacher". Spruce takes time and playing to develop. I now "voice" my guitars a half step lower, and they sound good right to begin with. Cheers, Brian
I could listen to this kind of exposition about classical vs. flamenco guitars for many hours. If you plan to offer a DVD, or a CD for that matter, I'm interested in buying same. Thanks.
Much better than I’ve heard, you sound more pure than the other ones hacking flamenco on youtube. People aren’t tributing the gypsies and their families for preserving. I most definitely hold Moríato Chico in most highest regard. I’ll not mention names but others show some off commercial flash that’s not being authentic. Thank you for posting.
Hello Brian Nielsen, I'm a guitar maker, and I built both those to my standard size plan, which is very close to the 1937 Hauser--slightly smaller than modern. The first one is nominally a classic, but is bright sounding enough to be used as a "flamenco negra". The second guitar is a cypress flamenco. The tape trick kills the sustain, but it also damps the brightness. I'm building two "ultra-lights" in this current batch to try for short sustain while keeping the brilliance. Brian . I
Hello Cassius I've played some old Santos' and Domingo Estesos, and they were very lightly constructed. Being old, and "fatigued", contributed to their short sustain too. I've got two "ultra-lights" in the current batch, so we'll see. Ramon chose to put the cejilla on the 5th for the Siguiriya in his 1930's recording--that sure contributed to the choked up sound appropriate to a funerial form.
A nice video. I'm an old steel string player but not so set in my ways that I can't enjoy and appreciate Flamenco or any other guitar styles of playing. Love and respect from the UK.
Fantastic. I hope you make a video of how you make a flamenco guitar without the tape... I have been contemplating on buying a Córdoba Hauser & then installing a lr baggs anthem into it... I was thinking the full body sound would be interesting...
Hello Joseph, I've been working on a new website for the last couple of months, and am nearly finished. The "My Guitars" section is all but done, with a bunch of videos of my guitars being described and played. BrianBurnsGuitars.com The "My Process" section has two lengthy videos that need to be broken up, and each part associated with one of the three main things that I do differently from other builders. You can go there and watch them, but it's currently a bit out of sequence. Cheers, Brian
Hello Zain, Yep, I have the great good fortune of having a guitar making student that is a videographer. He loves to spend money on the latest and greatest equipment! I'm surprised that you can tell the difference after youtube compresses the audio. Perhaps they have expanded the audio bandwidth (?) Cheers, Brian
Hi Mr. burns, thats awesome I don't know if youtube changed anything but I was listening to your video with my headphones the other day and it was like you were speaking inside my brain lol, top quality! take care :)
As a person with an electrical background and some experience of playing, I liked your explanation based on how the rate and amount of fixed energy imparted to the strings can be converted to sonic energy. I understand your video to demonstrate nicely how a lighter box is faster energised, and also quickly transmits the sound with less loss of energy to the inertia of the wood, and can thus sound louder for a shorter time, whereas a heavier box is slower to respond due to inertia, but may resonate longer due to the momentum of the larger mass, spreading the energy over a longer time, thus with less volume. Seems to me this is a trade-off that cannot avoid the laws of physics, and you will always have to choose between volume and sustain, or happily build something in between if required. BTW I got into guitar thru Folk then Rock, but got here thru an Oboe & Guitar vid, after some Flamenco. :-)
Hello flamencoprof, The laws of physics still apply, but it's more complicated than just a matter of mass and inertia. I go into it at length on my new website---BrianBurnsGuitars.com Go to the "My Process" page for the technical stuff, but check out the "My Guitars" page as well. Daniel Roest, a really good player, demonstrates half a dozen of my guitars. Cheers, Brian
@ Brian Burns Well, there you seem to be talking more about the optimum resonant frequency, which I wasn't commenting on. Nevertheless, I think we are in general agreement if frequency is considered as well. Thanks for your reply. BTW, am I right that that you play Solea as done by Sabicas?
This is great. I'm an Argentine-American looking to get more in touch with his roots. Any ideas as to where to begin to find information on learning South American playing styles, such as Folklore and chacarera?
Thanks for the tips Brian! I have a Cordoba 55FCE and love it. My question is about the action - is there an optimal setup for flamenco guitars? I feel I could get a slightly quicker attack if the string were closer to the fretboard, but want to be well informed before i change the setup. Thanks in advice :)
Hello Brian, Faster attack is pretty much determined by the overall weight of the guitar. You can get a somewhat "snappier sound" by lowering the strings at the bridge saddle. The trade-off is that you start getting fret buzzes, but that also depends on how strongly you play with your right hand. Try experimenting by swapping in a shorter bridge saddle, but be sure that it's bone---plastic makes a poor bridge saddle. Cheers, Brian
I think he meant 'playability' by "attack" as opposed to the sound (which is what it normal means, and how you answered). I could be wrong. but yeah, you want the action as low as you can get it without introducing problems. these songs can get difficult and a lousy action really does make them impossible. try turning down a step and then putting a capo on the 2nd fret. the downtuning is blasphemy, but you'll be more able to play some things until you have a real guitar. Brian would know better than I, though
Excellent presentation on the differences. I've always liked the chort almost percussive sound of a pure flamenco guitar. I think that many classical guitars, especially the heavy ones with a bigger body, have too much sustain and fullness that sort of messes up the music. It's very impressive at first especially if it's partnered wid lots of volume, but guitar music is about saying the "words" clearly - not just loud. A short tone can have plenty of tonal qualities. So now I'll transform my classical luthier build guitar into an original flamenco model with a piece of cello tape :-).
Per Lindhof Frederiksen Hello Per, The only problem with the tape-on-the-strings trick is that it kills the brightness of the high overtones as well as killing the sustain. I will have a couple of "ultra-lightweight" cypress flamencos strung up in a few days. One of them has a Spanish cedar bridge that weighs less than 11 grams. The typical rosewood bridge weighs around 18 to 20 grams. This should be an interesting experiment! Cheers, Brian
Hello Steve, I'm just using good old D'Addario normal tension EJ-45's, except for the 3rd string which is a Savarez Alliance. The D'Addario 3rd is pretty dead. On a recent "Larger model" classical I've switched to Knobloch C.X. normal tension in order to balance the bigger bass. My new website has half a dozen videos of my guitars being played by a really good player: www.BrianBurnsGuitars.com. There are also a bunch of videos on my methods.
Hello Abdellah, That's an interesting question, because I like to play Rumba slowly, which gives it a distinctly South American quality. It's called "the song of love", and at a slow speed I call it "the song of un-requited love", it has such a poignant quality. To answer your question: At Gypsy Kings speed---I can't play that fast!---I would think the cypress guitar would work best. There is a technique of lifting the left hand fingers to damp the chord that would work to make it possible to play fast with a rosewood flamenca negra. Cheers, Brian
Hello Phil Jackson, I have two ultralight flamenco's underway that have cypress necks. My Flamenco teacher, Freddy Mejia brought back a 1947 Barbero from Spain that had a cypress neck. As that was right after the war, Barbero probably couldn't get Spanish cedar. Cheers, Brian
Hello Trevor, Traditional flamenco forms (palos). Granadinas, soleares, bulerias, and siguiriya. I play the simple "folk" material---I teach online, if you're interested. www.BrianBurnsguitars.com Cheers, Brian
I'm learning more flamenco stuff in this video than Spanish one, that's funny. Great guitars, sound great, maybe another tape will give a bit more sustain ?....thanks for this relaxing video !
Hello Parallel Reflection, I like them both myself, but oddly enough classical players find my redwood soundboard instruments too bright. They seem to prefer a mellower tone. In the end, what the player says is all that matters, and player's taste varies dramatically! Cheers, Brian
Outstanding video Brian. Really basic question from a steel string guy...are those nylon or gut strings. I've always wondered whether classical guys really use gut strings anymore.
Hello Brian, first of all thanks for the video! I've read an answer of yours that in case of doubt between the two models the important thing is to get a quality nylon guitar. Still, I wanted to ask you something in that line of thought. I play electric guitar and am studying jazz, but I want to also play nylon strings to get better fingerstyle technique, primarily to play latin music, latin fusion as well( such as Al di Meola). I thought of getting some classical lessons as it seems to me it'll give me a more complete learning, so that I'm able to have classical music technique and still adapt to latin. But wouldn't getting a flamenco guitar kinda be in the way of proper classical learning? Thought of that mainly due to how high the strings are. If you have some time to answer I would greatly appreciate it! Cheers
Hello Rodrigo, Some classical players really like to play on a flamenco. I just sold one of my ultra-light flamencos to a classical player who only plays classical on it! Mostly the problem is that "factory made" nylon string guitars are built too heavy, and finished with a thick layer of lacquer. They're just not very responsive. The problem with luthier built classics and flamencos is cost. I charge $3500 for a cypress guitar and $4000 for a rosewood one, and I don't dare figure out how much I make per hour! I may take up pizza delivery (;->)... Play a bunch of nylon string instruments, and buy one that inspires you to keep playing it. Hill Guitar Co. makes some good lower cost instruments. Cheers, Brian
Hello Rex, "Afford" depends on what is most important to you. In 1963 I borrowed $600 from a friend to buy an Arcangel Fernandez---that was 50% more than a good Spanish guitar was selling for at the time. My income at the time was around $150 a month. Cheers, Brian
Interesting. I have been playing classical guitar for more than 30 years, and I still prefere the sound of the flamenco guitar - even for the classical pieces. It's like the sound o a flamenco guitar it the original sound of spanish guitar music. Short sustain but less mess.
Hello Per, You are not alone. There is a demand recently for classical guitars made with cypress. Jose Romanillos, when asked about his wood preference for a classic at a Guild of American Luthiers convention years ago, said "cypress". There were several hundred builders in the room and you could have heard a pin drop! We were all expecting some species of rosewood. Cheers, Brian
Hello Luiza, I made both the classical and the flamenco guitars. I make guitars and teach guitar making for a living. I'm glad that you appreciate the guitars (:->)...There are a bunch of my guitars being played by a good classical player on my website: www.BrianBurnsGuitars.com Cheers, Brian
Hello boytigdas, A tough question. I suspect that the redwood soundboard classic will "project" better than the European spruce soundboard one. The redwood that I use has excellent treble response, and the audience's ears are going to respond better to the higher pitched sounds. The response of the human ear drops off dramatically at lower frequencies, so making an instrument that favors the bass works well in a small space, but in a hall I would go for one with strong treble. Cheers, Brian
I have a classical guitar, 3/4 with top spruce and maple in rest.They sound more classical to acoustic(i use classical cords, the German Pyramid chords), with bright tone.What should change to sound more to flamenco style?
Thanks for the explaination ! I am looking to trade my Godin ACS-SA classical for a Benoit Raby (Luthier) flaminco guitar. I would really appreciate your opinion. Thanks
Hello Gavin,
Thanks for the kind words! It has taken me 25 years, but I think I have finally learned how to make first rate guitars every time. It comes down to selecting wood carefully, and testing components, and the nearly finished guitar, with acoustical analysis software. In the end however, all that matters is what the player says. The guitar has to be a thrill to play!
Cheers,
Brian
Best video on the differences between the classical and flamenco guitar.
My guitars are quite traditional. I use hot hide glue, and fresh shellac for French polish. The old timers experimented a lot with different bracing patterns, and now we have the technology to see what these experiments actually do acoustically. My guess is that old style flamencos achieve short sustain by being built very light weight. I've got two ultra-lights in the current batch. Can you believe a bridge that weighs 10 grams?!
Cheers,
Brian
Fantastic video. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Thank you so much for uploading such a great vid, Love listening to you play hope you put some more vids of you playing up soon.
Hello Richard,
Thanks for the kind words about my playing! My rule is to keep it basic. I like to say that flamenco guitarists think that they are being paid by the note (;->)...Flamenco is after all a folk music.
I've hardly played at all for the last several years, so my "chops" have deteriorated a lot. I've been thoroughly occupied with building guitars. I have a flamenco in my current batch of six guitars---there is a market for classicals---and if it doesn't sell, I'll get back to playing more. If somebody wants to buy it , the bills need to be paid!
Cheers,
Brian
What a great video! The guitars sound great and the description of some of the details of classical vs flamenco styles was really informative. Thank you so much.
Very cool, thank you so much for sharing. As a novice player, really enjoyed what you had to show!
A wonderful video Brian. Very clearly explained and demonstrated. I really enjoyed how you broke the techniques apart on each guitar at various tempos. An excellent visual and aural demonstration.
Excellent demonstration. Appreciate it! Thanks.
It was a pleasure to listen to you both play and discuss. Your guitars look and sound beautiful. I want one.
really enjoyed hearing and seeing your work.
1:55 Classical
5:52 Flamenco
Now I feel like I really understand the difference, thank you. A treat to hear the playing as well.
Thank you m. Burns , you gave me a lot of ideas , i am in your age almost , start playing flamenco guitar since 60 years , by hearing and imitating records etc... i was enjoying , then i stopped gradually. Always i wanted to go back playing hopeless . I liked your technique, you’re encouraging me to try again , thanks again !!!
Hello Saad,
Thanks for the kind words about my playing! I had to decide many years ago whether I was going to devote my life to playing or to building guitars---I chose building, so I play well enough to teach, but that's about all (;->)...
I teach flamenco guitar playing on the internet using Skype or FaceTime. It's about 80% as good as being in my office for a private lesson. Send me an email if you are interested: Brian@BrianBurnsGuitars.com
Cheers,
Brian
Hello Mick,
Thanks for the kind words! Neat to see you restoring the old Philco radio. I'm getting back into ham radio after 50 years, and have an old Viking transmitter that I'm restoring,
Cheers
Brian
Unpresentable? The wood grain looks gorgeous on them at this stage.
Very informative, I'm motivated again. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Jim,
You're welcome! I Got taken by flamenco some 58 years ago, and I'm still fascinated by it. There is a lot of slow, contemplative flamenco guitar music, but it doesn't sell as well as the fast flashy stuff, so you don't hear it much.
wonderful video. Well done there fella. Really interesting and enjoyable. You speak, play and demonstrate very well indeed.
So here I am a teacher at Mission High School in Mission Texas Googling information on luthery and BAM! I run across Brian Burns in Cali. who attended Mission High School way back in the day... talk about goose bumps...A tip of the hat to you sir on your many accomplishments playing, and making guitars. and a friendly shout out that good ol' MHS is still here.... Who was your principal? We still have all the year books in the library....
Hello Harold,
I certainly grew up in Mission, and have vivid memories of the place and the people. I went from first grade through eighth grade there, but we moved to McAllen where I started high school. In seventh and eighth grades I played clarinet in the high school band---1951 through 1953---as there weren't enough high school kids. I would really appreciate your contacting me directly. If you google my name and the word guitar, you should find my contact info.
Cheers,
Brian
Beautiful playing and the guitar sounds awesome too!
Thanks for the kind words! A couple of flamenco friends also remarked that I looked like Diego in the video. I was flattered all to hell! Diego is one of my heroes, and my teacher David Serva, and friends Chris Carnes, Evan Harrar, and Robert Long all studied with him back in the '60's. When Robert told me that even Diego would sometimes get out of compás in the bulerias, I felt much better!
What a pleasure to watch, thank you sir
love this video. informational, educational, and just well done. pretty good playing too!
"...or perhaps a little better ...without the tape..."
Great stuff! I am now interested in learning more about guitar crafting. I just bought my first classical today, a Cordoba. From your nice video, I find that I was really attracted to the warmth and fullness of it; I guess I'm just starting to learn about my own taste as well. However, you're wonderful demonstration and explanation (not to mention the great rigging) of the range of guitar sounds has really helped me get a better sound picture. Thanks Brian! Cheers!
Thanks for the kind words! I love to teach---it's a socially acceptable form of bragging (;->)...
Thanks very much for such an informative video.
i had no idea how much of a workout the pinky gets w/those hammer on/pull offs that u were doing. thanx for the education on the differences.
You're welcome! A lot of guitarists just play an E chord on the top four strings, and do the hammering on and pulling off with the ring finger. I liked the full 6 string E chord sound, so I learned to do it with my pinkie. BTW, I would never have had the discipline to practice enough to be a half way decent player, if I hadn't taught flamenco for years, and had to demonstrate the fundamentals repeatedly for my students.
amazing - both: your playing and the tape trick
Hey Brian!! I've read somewhere here that you'd be turning 76 in February so although a bit late I just wanted to wish you well and congratulate you for that! :-) All the best and thank you for this magnificent video!! Cheers from Portugal!
+caldeirone Thanks for the birthday greetings! Yep, I turned 76 on the 4th of February. I'm still in very good health thanks to the low-carb diet that I've been on for 16 years. It cured my Type 2 diabetes in the year 2000, with no medication of any kind! Details on request---just google my name and guitar for contact info.
Cheers,
Brian
+Brian Burns Impressive! Though it makes sense to do a low carb-diet having diabetes, it's not an easy task to accomplish and takes a lot of determination and courage! Thanks for sharing! By the way, I noticed you're a radio ham fellow! :) 73!
Being diagnosed with a bad case of type 2 diabetes scared the you-know-what out of me! I was very highly motivated to get on the low-carb diet. It took me about 3 months to get over my addiction to carbs, but I've never been hungry since. Fats and proteins keep my blood sugar at an even level.
Yeah, I got tempted back into ham radio some years ago, but haven't renewed my license. Gotta make those guitars to pay the bills (:->)...
Thank,great diferencies 😮😊
great vid. just what I was looking for. Thx
very cool mate.. thanks for sharing..
Very nice. I don't claim to know anything about flamenco music, but I actually prefer the classical model in this video. But that's just me... sounds really full and warm, I think it's great!
In addition to making classical and flamenco guitars, I teach guitar making on an individual basis.
Cheers,
Brian Burns
Where are you based?
Fort Bragg Ca.
villy ylliv like a ten minute walk from my house!!! Just found him yesterday evening, knocked on his shop door and had a wonderful tour and conversation!! Real treat
Make me one
A tip: you can watch series at flixzone. Been using them for watching loads of movies recently.
thank you i did not know of any difference trying to learn more
that guitar looks and sounds beautiful, great job, Sir.
Wonderful explanation, thank you very much.
What a great video! Great playing!
great video! thanks, I learned lots today :) Stay blessed!
I love this! Thank you!
Mr. Burns,you are the best flamenco guitar player I've seen in my lifetime........you inspire me to be better at playing my ibanez until I can be as good as you are.Kudos for you Sr.
Hello Chano,
I have a couple of pieces of advice about playing solo flamenco guitar. Keep it simple and practice at slow tempos. Do the fundamentals well. Go over the basic 12 count compás, accenting 3,6,8,10, and 12 until you have it so well memorized that you always know where you are in the compás. That way you can improvise your own falsettas.
Cheers,
Brian
Very good explanation. You are very well spoken.
Hello Edward,
Thanks very much for the kind words! Now all I have to do is to figure out how to sell some of my guitars (;->)...
The fellow that made the video for me is coming over to my shop here in Fort Bragg (California) on the last weekend in May to do a video of my playing the guitars that I have for sale. We will be putting together a simple website just for guitar sales. My current website is all about my teaching of guitar making.
Cheers,
Brian
Brian: NIce job. I've built two classicals and am building a baratone uke right now. The advice you gave me when I visited you in your shop was a big help. I'm sorry I didn't ask you to play for me.
Great demo and trick!
Amazing tip on using the piece of tape on the bridge. Huge change in character. Will try it on my classical.
+Fabian Romano
Hello Fabian,
Gene Clark's old trick with the tape kills a lot of sustain, but unfortunately it kills a lot of the high overtones as well, so the treble suffers. I'm still experimenting, trying to get short sustain and brightness both. Trying new things for 25+ years is what keeps me fascinated with guitar making. I'll be 76 in February, and I'm still in the shop early every morning (:->)...
Cheers,
Brian
Somebody asked me yesterday the difference between these 2 guitars. Wish I'd heard you the day before! Thanks Earl Ledden
Hi Brian, I really like the slow flamenco. I was not aware that flamenco was played at anything other than a frenetic pace. What are the pieces you played on the Negra? So nice! Thanks again, for sharing your wisdom and talent. Jim P
Hello Jim,
There is a lot of flamenco that is relatively slow, it just doesn't sell as well as the flashy stuff. Flamencos learn early on that they are being paid by the note (;->)...The slow piece that I begin with is Granadinas---in flamenco there are traditional forms with dozens to hundreds of traditional melodic variations called "falsettas" for that form. The other, slow but rhythmic form is Soleares ( a slang way of saying soledades). It's often played too fast as a solo. I think it works best at about 80 beats per minute. PM me for more info.
Cheers,
Brian
Really enjoying your videos.
I was wondering if it was playing that got you into making guitars, or making guitars that got you into playing?
So funny, i knew from the thumbnail that this was going to be helpful. Thanks!!
nice demo thanks
Amazing sound from your instruments.
Hello CountryHouseGent,
I'm a bit slow to respond, sorry...I got into building guitars because I was studying flamenco, and wanted a good guitar. A friend gave me "Make Your Own Spanish Guitar" by AP Sharpe, a little booklet, and I was hooked. That was in 1959. I put in 5 years at it then, and resumed building in 1993.
Cheers,
Brian
Thank you so much for to share this video and your wisdom with us. I Study classical guitar and I have a Ramirez R2. Do you have dvd to sale for someone that like to know more about classical guitar? Gracias
Bravo very Good, thanks
Very nice, Brian!!
Now thats a nice goose bumbs sound :)
First one I would use to play jazz as well. Nice piece.
The blonde is a beauty.
Hello Carlitos,
Oddly enough I really didn't like that guitar when I first strung it up. After about a month it began sounding musical. I kept it around, and after a couple of years it became a really good guitar. I sold it to a player in L.A. that "Had a hard time getting it away from my teacher". Spruce takes time and playing to develop. I now "voice" my guitars a half step lower, and they sound good right to begin with.
Cheers,
Brian
Woahhh , the nice sound of your guitars !!
Nice work Brian..
I could listen to this kind of exposition about classical vs. flamenco guitars for many hours. If you plan to offer a DVD, or a CD for that matter, I'm interested in buying same. Thanks.
Much better than I’ve heard, you sound more pure than the other ones hacking flamenco on youtube. People aren’t tributing the gypsies and their families for preserving. I most definitely hold Moríato Chico in most highest regard. I’ll not mention names but others show some off commercial flash that’s not being authentic. Thank you for posting.
Thank you ..It was really nice
Nice job here, Mr. Burns. Very interesting comparisons.
I now know the difference between the two types of guitar. Thanks
Hello Brian Nielsen,
I'm a guitar maker, and I built both those to my standard size plan, which is very close to the 1937 Hauser--slightly smaller than modern. The first one is nominally a classic, but is bright sounding enough to be used as a "flamenco negra".
The second guitar is a cypress flamenco. The tape trick kills the sustain, but it also damps the brightness. I'm building two "ultra-lights" in this current batch to try for short sustain while keeping the brilliance.
Brian
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I
Thank you!
Informative
Hello Cassius
I've played some old Santos' and Domingo Estesos, and they were very lightly constructed. Being old, and "fatigued", contributed to their short sustain too. I've got two "ultra-lights" in the current batch, so we'll see. Ramon chose to put the cejilla on the 5th for the Siguiriya in his 1930's recording--that sure contributed to the choked up sound appropriate to a funerial form.
A nice video. I'm an old steel string player but not so set in my ways that I can't enjoy and appreciate Flamenco or any other guitar styles of playing. Love and respect from the UK.
Fantastic.
I hope you make a video of how you make a flamenco guitar without the tape...
I have been contemplating on buying a Córdoba Hauser & then installing a lr baggs anthem into it... I was thinking the full body sound would be interesting...
Hello Joseph,
I've been working on a new website for the last couple of months, and am nearly finished. The "My Guitars" section is all but done, with a bunch of videos of my guitars being described and played. BrianBurnsGuitars.com
The "My Process" section has two lengthy videos that need to be broken up, and each part associated with one of the three main things that I do differently from other builders. You can go there and watch them, but it's currently a bit out of sequence.
Cheers,
Brian
Your microphone is phenomenal!
Hello Zain,
Yep, I have the great good fortune of having a guitar making student that is a videographer. He loves to spend money on the latest and greatest equipment! I'm surprised that you can tell the difference after youtube compresses the audio. Perhaps they have expanded the audio bandwidth (?)
Cheers,
Brian
Hi Mr. burns,
thats awesome
I don't know if youtube changed anything but I was listening to your video with my headphones the other day and it was like you were speaking inside my brain lol, top quality!
take care :)
As a person with an electrical background and some experience of playing, I liked your explanation based on how the rate and amount of fixed energy imparted to the strings can be converted to sonic energy. I understand your video to demonstrate nicely how a lighter box is faster energised, and also quickly transmits the sound with less loss of energy to the inertia of the wood, and can thus sound louder for a shorter time, whereas a heavier box is slower to respond due to inertia, but may resonate longer due to the momentum of the larger mass, spreading the energy over a longer time, thus with less volume. Seems to me this is a trade-off that cannot avoid the laws of physics, and you will always have to choose between volume and sustain, or happily build something in between if required.
BTW I got into guitar thru Folk then Rock, but got here thru an Oboe & Guitar vid, after some Flamenco. :-)
Hello flamencoprof,
The laws of physics still apply, but it's more complicated than just a matter of mass and inertia. I go into it at length on my new website---BrianBurnsGuitars.com
Go to the "My Process" page for the technical stuff, but check out the "My Guitars" page as well. Daniel Roest, a really good player, demonstrates half a dozen of my guitars.
Cheers,
Brian
@ Brian Burns Well, there you seem to be talking more about the optimum resonant frequency, which I wasn't commenting on. Nevertheless, I think we are in general agreement if frequency is considered as well. Thanks for your reply. BTW, am I right that that you play Solea as done by Sabicas?
Wonderful
Wonderful video sir...and I have completed your 1000 subscribers ...
Hello Viral World,
Well, imagine that---a thousand subscribers! The internet is certainly a remarkable place.
Cheers,
Brian
Wonderful lesson-thank you very much:)
sunaj
Very Informative, You play great by the way! :)
very nice!
i wish i have that sort of guitar that is so smooth
This is great. I'm an Argentine-American looking to get more in touch with his roots. Any ideas as to where to begin to find information on learning South American playing styles, such as Folklore and chacarera?
Thanks for the tips Brian! I have a Cordoba 55FCE and love it. My question is about the action - is there an optimal setup for flamenco guitars? I feel I could get a slightly quicker attack if the string were closer to the fretboard, but want to be well informed before i change the setup.
Thanks in advice :)
Hello Brian,
Faster attack is pretty much determined by the overall weight of the guitar. You can get a somewhat "snappier sound" by lowering the strings at the bridge saddle. The trade-off is that you start getting fret buzzes, but that also depends on how strongly you play with your right hand.
Try experimenting by swapping in a shorter bridge saddle, but be sure that it's bone---plastic makes a poor bridge saddle.
Cheers,
Brian
I think he meant 'playability' by "attack" as opposed to the sound (which is what it normal means, and how you answered). I could be wrong. but yeah, you want the action as low as you can get it without introducing problems. these songs can get difficult and a lousy action really does make them impossible. try turning down a step and then putting a capo on the 2nd fret. the downtuning is blasphemy, but you'll be more able to play some things until you have a real guitar. Brian would know better than I, though
Excellent presentation on the differences.
I've always liked the chort almost percussive sound of a pure flamenco guitar. I think that many classical guitars, especially the heavy ones with a bigger body, have too much sustain and fullness that sort of messes up the music. It's very impressive at first especially if it's partnered wid lots of volume, but guitar music is about saying the "words" clearly - not just loud. A short tone can have plenty of tonal qualities.
So now I'll transform my classical luthier build guitar into an original flamenco model with a piece of cello tape :-).
Per Lindhof Frederiksen
Hello Per,
The only problem with the tape-on-the-strings trick is that it kills the brightness of the high overtones as well as killing the sustain. I will have a couple of "ultra-lightweight" cypress flamencos strung up in a few days. One of them has a Spanish cedar bridge that weighs less than 11 grams. The typical rosewood bridge weighs around 18 to 20 grams. This should be an interesting experiment!
Cheers,
Brian
Well Said and Explained
This is amazing. What is the brand of his guitars?
What strings are you using. Great sounding guitars, beautiful work!
Hello Steve,
I'm just using good old D'Addario normal tension EJ-45's, except for the 3rd string which is a Savarez Alliance. The D'Addario 3rd is pretty dead.
On a recent "Larger model" classical I've switched to Knobloch C.X. normal tension in order to balance the bigger bass. My new website has half a dozen videos of my guitars being played by a really good player: www.BrianBurnsGuitars.com. There are also a bunch of videos on my methods.
Thanks for the video. I would love to know wich one would be the best to play rumba flamenca
Hello Abdellah,
That's an interesting question, because I like to play Rumba slowly, which gives it a distinctly South American quality. It's called "the song of love", and at a slow speed I call it "the song of un-requited love", it has such a poignant quality.
To answer your question: At Gypsy Kings speed---I can't play that fast!---I would think the cypress guitar would work best. There is a technique of lifting the left hand fingers to damp the chord that would work to make it possible to play fast with a rosewood flamenca negra.
Cheers,
Brian
Ole! Haha
This video is a work of art. Wow
Hello Phil Jackson,
I have two ultralight flamenco's underway that have cypress necks. My Flamenco teacher, Freddy Mejia brought back a 1947 Barbero from Spain that had a cypress neck. As that was right after the war, Barbero probably couldn't get Spanish cedar.
Cheers,
Brian
Thank you for the presentation! What are the names of the pieces being played? Thanks!
Hello Trevor,
Traditional flamenco forms (palos). Granadinas, soleares, bulerias, and siguiriya. I play the simple "folk" material---I teach online, if you're interested. www.BrianBurnsguitars.com
Cheers,
Brian
I'm learning more flamenco stuff in this video than Spanish one, that's funny. Great guitars, sound great, maybe another tape will give a bit more sustain ?....thanks for this relaxing video !
Thank You
They both sound beautiful
Hello Parallel Reflection,
I like them both myself, but oddly enough classical players find my redwood soundboard instruments too bright. They seem to prefer a mellower tone. In the end, what the player says is all that matters, and player's taste varies dramatically!
Cheers,
Brian
Outstanding video Brian. Really basic question from a steel string guy...are those nylon or gut strings. I've always wondered whether classical guys really use gut strings anymore.
Hello Brian, first of all thanks for the video! I've read an answer of yours that in case of doubt between the two models the important thing is to get a quality nylon guitar. Still, I wanted to ask you something in that line of thought. I play electric guitar and am studying jazz, but I want to also play nylon strings to get better fingerstyle technique, primarily to play latin music, latin fusion as well( such as Al di Meola). I thought of getting some classical lessons as it seems to me it'll give me a more complete learning, so that I'm able to have classical music technique and still adapt to latin. But wouldn't getting a flamenco guitar kinda be in the way of proper classical learning? Thought of that mainly due to how high the strings are. If you have some time to answer I would greatly appreciate it! Cheers
Hello Rodrigo,
Some classical players really like to play on a flamenco. I just sold one of my ultra-light flamencos to a classical player who only plays classical on it! Mostly the problem is that "factory made" nylon string guitars are built too heavy, and finished with a thick layer of lacquer. They're just not very responsive.
The problem with luthier built classics and flamencos is cost. I charge $3500 for a cypress guitar and $4000 for a rosewood one, and I don't dare figure out how much I make per hour! I may take up pizza delivery (;->)...
Play a bunch of nylon string instruments, and buy one that inspires you to keep playing it. Hill Guitar Co. makes some good lower cost instruments.
Cheers,
Brian
Thanks a lot for your insights, will sure give it a look, appreciate you put time into helping people out. All the best!
Yah ya bet!
These guitars sound amazing. Wish I can afford a nice sounding handmade instrument some day.
Hello Rex,
"Afford" depends on what is most important to you. In 1963 I borrowed $600 from a friend to buy an Arcangel Fernandez---that was 50% more than a good Spanish guitar was selling for at the time. My income at the time was around $150 a month.
Cheers,
Brian
Interesting. I have been playing classical guitar for more than 30 years, and I still prefere the sound of the flamenco guitar - even for the classical pieces. It's like the sound o a flamenco guitar it the original sound of spanish guitar music. Short sustain but less mess.
Hello Per,
You are not alone. There is a demand recently for classical guitars made with cypress. Jose Romanillos, when asked about his wood preference for a classic at a Guild of American Luthiers convention years ago, said "cypress". There were several hundred builders in the room and you could have heard a pin drop! We were all expecting some species of rosewood.
Cheers,
Brian
what do you think about morus nigra and morus alba@@brianburns222
Any idea where to get planetary geared pegs for a Flamenco guitar? thanks
Which brand guitar is that classical one Brian? Love this!
Hello Luiza,
I made both the classical and the flamenco guitars. I make guitars and teach guitar making for a living. I'm glad that you appreciate the guitars (:->)...There are a bunch of my guitars being played by a good classical player on my website: www.BrianBurnsGuitars.com
Cheers,
Brian
Hi Brian, between the 2, which one will produce a louder sound (in a medium sized hall with no mic or sound system)?
Hello boytigdas,
A tough question. I suspect that the redwood soundboard classic will "project" better than the European spruce soundboard one. The redwood that I use has excellent treble response, and the audience's ears are going to respond better to the higher pitched sounds. The response of the human ear drops off dramatically at lower frequencies, so making an instrument that favors the bass works well in a small space, but in a hall I would go for one with strong treble.
Cheers,
Brian
This is very educational.
I have a classical guitar, 3/4 with top spruce and maple in rest.They sound more classical to acoustic(i use classical cords, the German Pyramid chords), with bright tone.What should change to sound more to flamenco style?
Brian, You can post a video on YT any time you like - and I'll be watching. Thanks.
Thanks for the explaination ! I am looking to trade my Godin ACS-SA classical for a Benoit Raby (Luthier) flaminco guitar. I would really appreciate your opinion. Thanks