Gayetana crossover....

[Jamolay]

Delete double post.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Don Lampson

The P/U, is a barn door Fishman Presys, which seems commonly used on nylon string boxes, & appears to work satisfactorily? I expect my nylon string adventure will be amplified most of the time? Compared to my steel stringers, the volume is really lacking, which won't be a hindrance when I'm plugged in....

That Presys is a reliable source of rattles from both the door and the springs holding the battery in place (when not fitted just right into the battery terminals).
I don't know how you play your steel stringers, but any decent classical guitar will be (a lot) louder than almost any steel string acoustic when fingerpicked appropriately. Cordoba Fusions *are* classicals with some minor changes to make them crossovers. My Fusion certainly was (but I had the top-of-the line model and fitted it with the high-tension strings it was supposed to have).
If yours remains lacking in volume you may want to double-check if the top is really solid...
(Nothing wrong if it isn't, as long as you planned to plug it in anyway and it sounds good enough that way.)
[/QUOTE]

[Gitfiddlemann]

Congrats on your new guitar. The pics look pretty good and, based on your initial impression, it seems like you got a good deal.
I agree with Todd though that the strings look a little on the cheap side. I'd be tempted to replace them right away with your favorites, especially seeing how the low E string is badly strung up and tugs unnecessarily at the nut.
It seems you're happy with the guitar, all things considered, so that's the main thing.
Enjoy!

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by RJVB

That Presys is a reliable source of rattles from both the door and the springs holding the battery in place (when not fitted just right into the battery terminals).
I don't know how you play your steel stringers, but any decent classical guitar will be (a lot) louder than almost any steel string acoustic when fingerpicked appropriately. Cordoba Fusions *are* classicals with some minor changes to make them crossovers. My Fusion certainly was (but I had the top-of-the line model and fitted it with the high-tension strings it was supposed to have).
If yours remains lacking in volume you may want to double-check if the top is really solid...
(Nothing wrong if it isn't, as long as you planned to plug it in anyway and it sounds good enough that way.)

[/QUOTE]

The top is most assuredly solid! It has the same specs as the Cordoba 12... You're probably correct about it being made in the same "sweatshop", if indeed, Cordobas are built in a "sweatshop", about which I have doubts?

Hopefully, the budget Presys P/U won't begin to rattle, as you've predicted? I've only played it just a bit through a little battery powered Cube amp, so that remains unclear for the present? I suspect you are a lot more choosy about what makes a "decent" gut stringed box than I am? My two dreads, & a 17" jumbo steel strings are certainly louder, when using picks than the 15" is, with just nekkid fingers... For now, I'm satisfied with what I've got, and for $600, doubt I could find a better choice? The volume will probably increase, when I put on some D'Addario EPs, with extra hard tension strings?

Don

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Don Lampson

You're probably correct about it being made in the same "sweatshop", if indeed, Cordobas are built in a "sweatshop", about which I have doubts?

I have no idea, but I do imagine a workshop in which it can get hot in Chinese summer

I hope you didn't misread my post as raining on your parade or something like that; really wasn't my intention and I really hope you indeed found a great instrument for the price!

Maybe my Fusion also had a bad or badly installed preamp but the design is such that I think rattles are hard to avoid. I fixed mine by installing the battery really carefully and sticking a few layers of black gaffer tape on the front of the trap door (extending maybe 1cm around the corner). But I already get annoyed by the sound of a wire touching the top or back. And I play acoustic only so tend to dig in deep to get the instrument to vibrate enough to fill the entire room (and not with big strummed chords that are perfect to hide a bit of buzz here or there).

As to sound levels: I can easily get over 94dB out of my Cabaret without abusing it, and just my fingertips. That's an instrument in a very different class of course, plus I've been taking classical guitar lessons

You could try a set of d'Addario Folk (EJ33 if memory serves me well; nice brass-wound basses), or GHS 2100w which are high tension strings that still use regular nylon for the treble (but phosphor-bronze for the basses which may be more familiar to you). Someone mentioned the Pearse folk strings; if those have rope-core trebles they'll be helpful for getting the instrument to open up. I used the 3 rope-core trebles from Thomastik (same strings, a priori) and even though they're actually pretty low-tension they were very effective at driving the top and speeding up the improvement of the high register of my Cabaret. (Careful when installng the 1st and 2nd strings; they're delicate).

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Don Lampson

The volume will probably increase, when I put on some D'Addario EPs, with extra hard tension strings?

Don

Just sent you a PM...

[Don Lampson]

The more I play my new nylon box, the better I like it! It seems to be louder, after a dozen hrs of play? Hope it's not just my imagination? I'm slowly becoming accustomed to the wider board, & nylon strings... I especially enjoy the light weight of it... It's supposed to dress out, @ 3lbs, 10 oz? That's a plus, for a stove up geezer, like yrs truly.... I'm also beginning to appreciate the sound of nylon strings increasingly....

The style I'm working on, is unconventional... Playing with nekkid fingers made my poor, unused digits sore as boils, so I started using a plastic finger pick on my R index, & a combo thumb /flat pick, for my thumb... Soon, I'll experiment with a John Pearse metal finger pick, and a regular clear, Dunlop brand, which I expect will rapidly tear up nylon strings... For that, I bought some cheapie strings, with trebles, black as Elvis's hair, for better aesthetics..... I'm curious to see how long lower tier strings last, before installing any high grade jobs....

My biggest complaint so far is about the tuning machinery, although it may just be the stretching, of relatively new gut strings? I'm still well satisfied with the guitar, and bought a wireless set up to use with it! Wish I'd gotten one of those cable less rigs, years ago!

I certainly hope it's not a "Lifetime Instrument"? However, since I'm nearly 79, (gulp!) that possibility is regretfully there? I just hope it will extend my picking arc, & provide me with reliable service, until I move on up to a Furch crossover, or my motivation & the wherewithal, to play, departs for the wild blue yonder....

Don

[fitness1]

Just let those nails grow and try to figure out what shape works best for you - you'll never go back to any kind of picks. You'll find the guitar will sound SO much better - more warm and dynamic.

And yes - those strings will continue to stretch for a couple weeks!

So glad it's working out.