New Bernal Prodigio Especial Flamenco Guitar for sale

£900.00 (vat inc. plus hard case)

This new model is a superior model to the Sueno. The guitar has been tested and selected among several others.

You can try it before buying it!

Imported by
Ramon Ruiz

Are you looking for a flamenco guitar?

Buying a flamenco guitar is a hard task.

It took over 25 years experience performing and teaching before developing the knowledge and understanding to distinguish one guitar from another. I still have doubts when purchasing a guitar but experience usually guides me in the right direction.

I will give you a few tips on how to choose a flamenco guitar:

Neck: Hold the guitar as if it was a rifle and check if the neck has an angle. It should be straight!.

Tuning: All guitars must have a correct tuning or else you are in trouble! Play the E note on the twelfths fret of the 6th string and then play the harmonic on the 12th fret, same string. They must have exactly the same tuning. Do the same on all strings.

Sound: A Flamenco guitar must have a crisp sound but not hollow. Look for a meaty and woody sound. Loud sound is not an issue: Loud guitars may have too many over harmonics that makes the notes less defined.

Wood: Cheap usually stands for cheerful. Good wood costs more and makes the guitars more expensive. There are exception: Second hand guitars with some dents here and there usually are good value for money.

Old guitars (up to 25 years) usually sound better but some times they lose the crispness. The guitar can end up been too "castigada" that means it has been played aggressively throughout the years and has lost it's edge. Make sure the guitar hasn't been revarnished too many times.When the top of the guitar is too thin the wood can be very delicate and crack easily.

Makers: Esteve are usually bad guitars. Alhambra (with some exceptions) are just about playable but usually don't come with comfortable necks. Sanchez are usually good value for money in the cheap range. Bouget are usually quite good but expensive.Francisco Barba are usually good. Postigo are usually made buy other makers but have his brand name. Jeronimo Penas are good and beautifully made but at times come with high action and may be hard to play .Manuel Diaz guitars are usually good but he is not very honest! (I caught him out changing the label of a flamenco guitar and selling it for double the price!). Bellido sound nice but can also be a bit expensive.Gerundino are good. Hermanos Conde (Sobrinos de Esteso) are good but. Usually the ones made in calle Felipe V are better than the one made in calle Gravina. Paco de Lucia plays an Esteso negra. Ramirez are also good especially the ones built before 1968. Jose luis Rodriguez plays a Ramirez .Reyes are excellent but hard to get hold of and expensive!. Vincente Amigo plays a Reyes.

Bernal guitars:I currently perform with a Bernal Sueno and a Prodigio Especial. I am happy with the sound. I also have a Hermanos Conde and a Ramirez but I always end up playing my good old Bernal. The neck is very comfortable the action is low , the sound is very flamenco and most important it only costs around £900.00. Bernal guitars have a good range of models. The Prodigio Especial that is the basic professional model is hand made, cypress sides, ebony neck, Cedar and spruce tops. Sometimes it is worth spending an extra £100 to get the next model up but not necessarily will quality be reflected in the price.

I currently import and sell Bernal guitars among others. I select and test each guitar individually before buying them.

Ramon Ruiz