Gayetana crossover....

[fitness1]

A friend of mine bought one of these a while back on a whim and brought it over Friday night.

I'm a really picky guy and I have to say I was absolutely shocked how good this guitar sounded. I felt it could use some minor setup and intonation work, but the build was very light (all solid) and I didn't see any imperfections in the quality of the work.

If it had a wider neck (48mm) I'd be buying the one in this listing rather than posting here about it!

https://reverb.com/item/68019797-gay...lectric-guitar

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by fitness1

A friend of mine bought one of these a while back on a whim and brought it over Friday night.

I'm a really picky guy and I have to say I was absolutely shocked how good this guitar sounded. I felt it could use some minor setup and intonation work, but the build was very light (all solid) and I didn't see any imperfections in the quality of the work.

If it had a wider neck (48mm) I'd be buying the one in this listing rather than posting here about it!

https://reverb.com/item/68019797-gay...lectric-guitar

I just bought that guitar on reverb... I've been wanting a crossover the past few months, thinking it will be easier on my fingers, and your endorsement of the model triggered me to pull out the CC..... Now, I feel like I'm waiting for a mail order bride, and praying that she doesn't smell bad, snore, or eat crackers, in bed? HawHawHaw!

It was love at 1st sight as I perused the photo... What a nice looking, gut stringed, box! Hope I'm as impressed with my Gayetana in-waiting, as you were with the one you played? I'll be very surprised if it has solid B&S... The ad didn't claim it to be solid, but I was delighted to see it has an ebony FB for an appointment... My 1st evaluation, will start with the quality of the gig bag it comes in.... I'll post a future review soon after the delivery rig shows up....

Don

[Rudy4]

I hope these turn out to be great guitars. There were several "points of concern" for me when I checked out the listing, although I have no need to purchase a crossover. I'm very happy with my Cordobas.

The most unusual thing I saw in the listing photos was the extreme break angle of the strings over the bridge saddle and the ball end strings, not something I'm used to seeing on a quality instrument.

I may be totally off base, and I'm hoping that's the case. The Reverb "dealer" had very little past sales history, only a few used items.

[fitness1]

First - don't expect much from the gig bag - it wasn't a Mono, for sure!

I'm 99% sure it's solid back and sides, just from the weight, which was very light.

As far as the strings - obviously that can be remedied pretty quickly

If it's anything like my buddies, you will be a very happy camper.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by fitness1

I'm 99% sure it's solid back and sides, just from the weight, which was very light.

I wouldn't be surprised if a properly stiff 3-ply laminate with maple or cherry centre were lighter than a comparably stiff solid rosewood plate!

The bridge looks a lot like the one on the Cordona Fusion series, the other specs are similar too so I wonder if this is a sort of sub-brand, built in the same sweatshop.

[TBman]

Not sure if that is all solid wood. Usually in the description of woods used, if a guitar has solid back and sides the word "solid" precedes the wood name. The back and sides are just "rosewood - India"

[fitness1]

I forgot to mention that the seller assured my friend it was solid back and sides - of course, it could have been a sales pitch.

When I played it, it wasn't in really bright light - so looking inside for the grain match wasn't an option.

I can tell you that it is immaterial based on the sound I heard.

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by TBman

Not sure if that is all solid wood. Usually in the description of woods used, if a guitar has solid back and sides the word "solid" precedes the wood name. The back and sides are just "rosewood - India"

My expectations as well... "Solid" is a boast, & buzzword... Seems since it was brayed about as a top, the boost would be repeated for the B&S - If they were solid too? It's supposed to weigh under four pounds, so that may not matter much.... There's plenty of lower priced, but decent plywood guitars made! How much can one expect for $600, with a pick up, anyway?

I've found little info about the Gayetana-Hiraldo outfit on line... They are gut string guys, operating from Florida... The major player of the company is designer / builder, and dedicated player... He designs them here, has them built in China, they're then returned to his business, where they're sold....

Thanks to Fitness for pointing out the brand... I expect he knows his nylon nylon guitars... I hope this rig will be much kinder to my crippled up fingers, so I can grow old gracefully, as a singer, songwriter, & guitarman? I'll have an upcoming review about the box, & try to get some pix posted...

Don

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by RJVB

I wouldn't be surprised if a properly stiff 3-ply laminate with maple or cherry centre were lighter than a comparably stiff solid rosewood plate!

The bridge looks a lot like the one on the Cordona Fusion series, the other specs are similar too so I wonder if this is a sort of sub-brand, built in the same sweatshop.

I wondered the same thing myself? The specs are totally similar... But, the same features on Cordoba are priced usually at $300 more, for their brand, sans a gig bag.... Of course, Cordoba has incredibly more name recognition, than Gayetana-Hiraldo.... I sort of hope it was made by Cordoba, since Cordoba's seem to be well regarded by the gut stringed crossover fanciers, here on AGF....

It's supposed to be delivered tomorrow... I'll be waiting for the UPS rig to finally arrive, with my flower bouquet in hand, like an anxious mail order groom, awaiting his mail order bride.... Hope the box will "spark joy" in me, when I get 'er tuned up, & lay into those nylon cuerdas?

Don

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Don Lampson

the gut stringed crossover fanciers, here on AGF....

Gut strings on the crossover or highly strung guts in the fanciers?

Gut is about the only thing I haven't yet tried on my crossovers. Would probably be the most fun on the resonator but I'm a bit afraid I'll like it more than I can afford ...

[Don Lampson]

When my pard went up to check the mail, she discovered the guitar was left up near the road by UPS? The mail order bride's arrival, was Peg, struggling to carry a huge box down our 100 yd driveway.... I opened the package like it was Xmas morning...

For openers, the gig bag it came in, probably would retail for around 25 bucks? It appears to be the same guitar as the Cordoba Fusion 12, only with a cheesier looking logo for the Gayetana brand, and selling for a few hundred bucks less, with a gig bag... The build is pretty much top quality, no glue drips, well fitted, with a nice poly finish... It's a beautiful guitar, although certainly not a solid B&S model, it looks good as instruments costing far more than it did!

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....

I'm not a competent judge about the unamplified tone... Some of the loudest guitars I've ever heard were classicals, but they were far, far, more expensive than this $600 job! Even my former Taylor 32N had a deeper voice, & was substantially louder.... It's been several years since I've played a nylon stringed rig, so my technique is quite awkward, but I expect it will improve with time? I haven't played any guitar over three hours, during the past six months due to hand problems... So now, my hands are painfully stiff, & my fingers feel like I've been out Blackberry picking for an afternoon! Yowza! I'd also forgot how long nylon stings continue to stretch, until they'll hold tune....

In conclusion, I'm quite satisfied with my new purchase, for the greenbacks spent, & thank Fitness for pointing out the model... However, if nylon picking becomes a permanent endeavor, I'll have no trouble expanding my budget for a deeper commitment!

I shall now send my pix to Fitness, hoping they'll be worthy of him posting, since I'm a dullard at technology.....

Don

[Jamolay]

There is a good chance it came with some pretty mediocre strings. You may want to replace them.

If you are looking for a steel sound, I think the John Pearse folk fingerstyle are nylon tension steel like strings, if I recall correctly.

There are soooo many options with nylon strings and everyone likes something different, so hard to advise. I have a set of Curt Mangan nylon on now and really like them. Balanced with a G string that can hold its own with the others. I like Hannabach as well and dislike D’Addario nylons, but that is just me, plenty of love for them out there and easy to get.

[Jamolay]

There is a good chance it came with some pretty mediocre strings. You may want to replace them.

If you are looking for a steel sound, I think the John Pearse folk fingerstyle are nylon tension steel like strings, if I recall correctly.

There are soooo many options with nylon strings and everyone likes something different, so hard to advise. I have a set of Curt Mangan nylon on now and really like them. Balanced with a G string that can hold its own with the others. I like Hannabach as well and dislike D’Addario nylons, but that is just me, plenty of love for them out there and easy to get.

[Jamolay]

There is a good chance it came with some pretty mediocre strings. You may want to replace them.

If you are looking for a steel sound, I think the John Pearse folk fingerstyle are nylon tension steel like strings, if I recall correctly.

There are soooo many options with nylon strings and everyone likes something different, so hard to advise. I have a set of Curt Mangan nylon on now and really like them. Balanced with a G string that can hold its own with the others. I like Hannabach as well and dislike D’Addario nylons, but that is just me, plenty of love for them out there and easy to get.

[fitness1]

I will try to get them up later on today.

A brand new guitar that just spent a week traveling across the country will sounds it's worst - if it were me I might even try the old "sit it in front of a big speaker" trick.

I'm also guessing the strings are very cheap and not the best.

I'd play it for a week or two a lot, evaluate and do anything setup/intonation wise it needed, then put some good quality strings on it.

I bet you'd think you were playing a different guitar by then!