This little one is back from its quality test.
Having an instrument inspected by a musician is something different. There's a lot of expectations before arriving to the place or having them come to your workshop. Hopes are high, but also the fear of find out something has gone wrong and you need to step back. Retrace what went wrong. Maybe it is a minor issue. Maybe not. A lot comes to mind before putting an instrument in the hands of it's intended user.
It isn't the first time I take a instrument to a musician for test, but it is the first time there's some thorough inspection to check out flaws and the quality of timbre.
In the first video, my teacher explores all the register of the instrument using different chord inversions to check for any spot where the tuning goes off. There's an important fact to point out and it's that the strings go out of tuning frequently as they're still fresh on the instrument and it rarely sees any play. It is common since this is not my instrument. It sits still in the living room and from time to time I go and tune it up, but it goes down or up according to the temperature.
After this inspection, the verdict is that it is an interesting instrument. It has a lot of volume. Also, the bright and clear sound seems to work fine for both solos and harmony. On the other hand, there's some vibration coming out of the bridge area just on the spot of the first string. This could prove bad for recording. However, there's not much of it to be heard in the videos. And there's the fact that this isn't a professional instrument. It is a suitable instrument for a beginner.
His son-in-law also checked it out. There were some things to work. The nut needed a little sanding to prevent it from hurting the player. Also, he suggested to lower the saddle a little bit. The action of the instrument was too high for a beginner. He also found out a detail I had overlooked. There some weird light effect on the back of the instrument. It's hard to show in camera, but here's the thing. According to the angle of light, the pieces of wood of the back change their hue. Cedar is a brown-reddish wood. The pieces of wood alternate from a darker intense color to a lighter one. I have no idea how this is possible. But I think it has to do with the use of different sealants. But I'll need run some tests.
We couldn't stop the sound test without an actual solo being played on the instrument. So, the teacher got to it playing Alma Cumanesa, a Joropo Oriental by Jose Antonio Lopez. Check out all the things he does in a harmonic level. This is the guy to learn how to play this instrument.
Coming back a rich session of feedback on my instrument feels amazing. There's a lot to improve, but the idea of the sound I want to achieve is there and already showing up. Certain aspects like the vibration will get me studying a lot about bridges and struts. No problem with that. I love learning new things. Especially, if it will improve my craft. For the time being, I love having a musician this good at a short trip distance to test my instruments.
