Cordoba introduces the 55FCE Limited, a special edition Gipsy Kings signature guitar with Ziricote back and sides.
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This stage-ready flamenco guitar will have a darker appearance thanks to the exotic wood used for the back and sides. It will have a limited production of approximately 150 units.
The 55FCE is the signature guitar of Tonino Baliardo from Gipsy Kings, it is described as a “crossover” nylon string guitar because its playability and thinner profile will be familiar to electric guitar players.
This limited edition guitar retains the original’s modern body design, which is thinner and with a deep cutaway. This makes it easier to play, reduces feedback and allows better access to the upper frets. The neck is also slightly narrower to make left hand fretting more comfortable when compared to traditional nylon string guitars.
What distinguishes the 55FCE Limited from the regular production model is the use of Ziricote for the back and sides. The press release describes this exotic wood by saying, “Ziricote is similar in appearance to rosewood, but has olive green and gray highlights, as opposed to the reddish tones often found in rosewood. This darker colored wood makes the 55FCE Limited a “negra” flamenco model. “Negra” guitars have become more popular in recent years, and tend to offer a deeper, bassier tone in comparison with “blanca” guitars, which are built with lighter colored and brighter sounding woods like cypress and maple.”
The Ziricote back and sides support the guitar’s solid European spruce top, while the Indian rosewood binding add aesthetic value. The body is crafted using Flamenco guitar building techniques, most notably the Spanish fan bracing.
The neck is carve from Spanish cedar and is topped by an ebony fretboard with 19 total frets. It has a scale length of 25.6″, a nut width of 1.97″, and the guitar’s overall length is 38.25″.
Matching the slim body of the guitar is a Fishman Prefix Pro Blend pickup. It has an internal microphone, as well as an acoustic matrix under-saddle pickup, that you can use to find the ideal amplified nylon-string guitar sound that you have in your head. Sonic shaping is provided by the preamp’s 3-band EQ, volume control, and pickup/mic blend control.
Complementing the guitars feedback resistant thin-body design, the preamp system comes with a feedback-fighting notch filter and phase switch. You can use it to stop feedback before it starts getting out of hand, and lets you personalize your amplified sound.
Other features of the guitar include premium gold tuning machines and Indian rosewood bridge. The new Cordoba 55FCE Limited is currently retailing for just under $1,500. Visit Cordoba Guitars for more information.
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