A weird nylon guitar. Share your thoughts

[Guitarplayer_PR]

This is my latest guitar and this model is a fan-fretted nylon string guitar built by a young local (Puerto Rico) luthier called Jose (Raulo) Román. It has solid Guayacán (Guaiacum or "Wood of Life") top and solid Majó (Blue Mahoe) back and sides. Its neck is made of teca (teak) and mahogany and its fretboard is made of Nazareno (Purple Heart). Also includes a dual-system of an SBT tranducer and an undersaddle piezo.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

This is how it sounds unplugged:

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Plugged into a Laney acoustic amp

[Ceabeceabe]

Interesting ! What is the guitar's depth and do you find the fan frets make a big difference?

[ukejon]

That's a really neat looking guitar. Very original. Congrats.

[Bax Burgess]

Who came up with the idea for the moveable soundhole cover?

[ZippyChip]

It is a unique and strange design but sorry to say I think the tone is not good.

[redir]

Originally Posted by ZippyChip

It is a unique and strange design but sorry to say I think the tone is not good.

Good and bad tone is subjective but I would agree with you that it doesn't sound like a classical guitar. More like a Ukulele. But if a player can find a voice in it then it could be something truly unique.

As for the guitar, I'd be concerned with what looks like a slab cut top. It looks cool but fluctuations in humidity could cause problems with it. If you life in PR where it was built then perhaps not though from my travels on that small Island you can go from rain forest to desert in a days drive so be careful.

[Bikewer]

If Pablo Picasso had designed a guitar....This would be it.

[Ceabeceabe]

Rather than an ukulele I'd say this sound like a thin line nylon meant to be played plugged in more than unplugged. Hard to really judge regarding depth of tone without being there in person.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Ceabeceabe

Interesting ! What is the guitar's depth and do you find the fan frets make a big difference?

The guitar depth is less than 3 inches, so it's not too deep. The fan frets are a bit easier to play, but maybe it's because the guitar was kind of tailor made for me

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

Who came up with the idea for the moveable soundhole cover?

My idea

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Bikewer

If Pablo Picasso had designed a guitar....This would be it.

You ain't seen nothing yet. This is the luthier's website: http://rauloguitars.com

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Ceabeceabe

Rather than an ukulele I'd say this sound like a thin line nylon meant to be played plugged in more than unplugged. Hard to really judge regarding depth of tone without being there in person.

I think basically the same.

I was looking more to a nylon string guitar with the playability of a steel string and stage-ready.

It's a solid guayacán (gwah-jah-KAHN) top (guaiacum), which is a VERY hardwood, definitely harder than maple. The back and sides are solid majó (blue mahoe). All Puerto Rican woods. It's not a deep body guitar and although the woods will eventually open up, I think this guitar sounds better plugged in, and indeed is more pop than classical. It's also a somewhat short-scaled guitar and I'm using extra hard tension strings. It also has an SBT transducer and an undersaddle piezo.

[Ceabeceabe]

@Guitarplayer_PR

Your more detailed response to my guess about thin line plug-in sound explains much.

Very interesting build, indeed! Would be interested to know how the tone changes if it opens up any...

Curtis