#16
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Chuck Marfione of All Strings Nylon in NC is a Cordoba dealer and a luthier who builds his own specialty guitars. He will install a Barbera pickup in a nylon string guitar. He has a couple of GK Pros on his site with the Barbera PU already installed. I have never had a chance to play a GK Pro, but really like my GK Studio.
I nearly bought a medium scale Kenny Hill fingerstyle nylon from him a year or so ago. I had to hold off the purchase, but communications with him were very good. If I was to buy a nylon string guitar with a Barbera PU I think I would put my trust in Chuck based on my correspondence with him about the Hill.
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Mark D |
#17
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MC;
I've been an avid nylon string advocate for years and yet never across this source. Thank you very much. |
#18
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By the way. It might appear that this thread is off topic. However, there's been a lot of discussion here regarding the move from wooden to composite guitars. There are some people moving the other way, which is as just as informing and interesting.
After trying scores of wooden guitars I ended up checking out CF instruments. After checking out available CF instruments I am still not entirely happy. It's been years since I checked out wooden instruments and I see there are a lot of new developments. The search goes on with an increasing number of choices. I may be selling my 7 electric, but I'm still hanging on to the 10 acoustic. The future is exciting. |
#19
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MC;
I've made contact with Chuck Marfione and he is a delight to talk with. He's considering my wish list. Thanks for the reference. |
#20
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That is great Evan.
Although I never ended up making the purchase of the Kenny Hill guitar, I really enjoyed speaking and emailing with Chuck. He responded to my questions right away and sent specific pictures that I requested without pressure of any kind. The type of small shop proprietor that I like to support. Best of luck in your search for the One.
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Mark D |
#21
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Hill has P640S FS that my attention, All Strings Nylon. Chuck is also checking out Cordobas that I might find appealing.
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#22
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And so, forum member Mark turns me on to Chuck Marfione (All Strings), and All Strings lists a number of guitars including Kremona. So I go on the Kremona site and I run across the Sophia S63CW. The Sophia has electronics and won't do the Barbera pickup but will ship a guitar without electronics. Mr. Marfione can take delivery and install the Barbera (which I like a lot because it is really a good pickup and it is not weighty or bulky.
And then...in going back to look at the Sophia it turns out that the dimensions are almost the same as on my X10 acoustic. I've always complained that CF nylon string guitars did not project like wooden instruments. Now I have an ideal comparison. The sound holes are different but the major difference is material. I'm tempted to make the order, dithering. By the way, I contacted blackbird and the Ekoa nylon string guitar is down the line. |
#23
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Evan, now you’ve got me interested in
https://allstringsnylon.com/kenny-hi...erstyle-spruce I really don’t need another guitar....... |
#24
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Cecil;
Of course you need another guitar (I know where you can get a real good deal on a thin-bodied nylon electric). As my wife says, "just one more." Have you taken a look at the Canna? I sent Jakob, the maker, a review of the comments made on the Canna thread and he replied with some really interesting information, some of which I'll be passing along on the Canna thread. |
#25
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By the way, none this is meant to fault CF guitar makers. My conclusion in working through Rainsong, Blackbird and Emerald guitars is that they work best with steel string guitars. I've not gotten the projection that I want in CF nylon but have no direct comparisons to a wooden instrument.
With the Kremona Sofia S63CW I can get a direct comparison. The Kremona has close to the same specs and can be ordered with a Spruce top and no electroncs--an active Barbera can then be installed and the comparison begins. All Strings, recommended n this forum, is looking into the project. Interesting stuff. |
#26
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I've placed the order for the Kremona Sophia S63CW. The order is custom in that the guitar will have a spruce rather than a cedar top and will be built without electronics. Mr. Marfione of All Strings Nylon will take delivery of the guitar and install a Barbera pickup.
The guitar very closely matches the dimensions of my Emerald X10 and I look forward to comparing their tonal and projection qualities. Fun stuff. |
#27
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Quote:
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Some CF, some wood. |
#28
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Thank you Jim. This is an awkward point the search. I know going in that the emerald is going to win ergonomically. I also suspect that the wooden guitar will excel in projection: comfort versus projection. Electronics bring favor back to the Emerald, but acoustic sound is the goal.
I sort of feel like Pavlov's dog: trained to lift my left foot on the bell (ergonomics), trained to lift my right foot on the buzzer (projection). And then getting the bell and the buzzer at the same time. I might just fall on my face. Wouldn't be the first time, but it always hurts. Life is good, but sometimes hard. |
#29
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Quote:
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Some CF, some wood. |
#30
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I'm thinking of throwing the Canna into the search. I like what Jacob is doing and I can see a custom guitar that offers a contrast to both wood and carbon fiber. I'm making a list of desirable features and checking it twice.
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