Portuguese Guitarra

[jomifl]

Has anyone on AB owned or played an example of the above instrument (Lisbon or Coimbra version), if so was it comfortable to play, neck width comparable to a guitar? does it hold tune well, any unexpected quirks?

[NazNomad]

Are you worried about the watch-key style machine head staying in tune?

[jomifl]

Hi Naz.. amongst other things yes..It looks as if it could be quite a good mechanism but a bit vulnerable to knocks. I was wondering also how the neck stands up to 12 strings and whether it has a truss rod. I haven't yet come across a real life example but like the sound. I've been listening to Carlos Paredes playin guitarra on youtube and he really does get some expression out of it. :-)

[NazNomad]

It's an excellent type of machine head, it stays in tune very well, mostly because each tuner is held in place with the string-under-tension and not by 2 weeny screws in the headstock.

Agreed, you wouldn't want to be banging it against anything - but would you with ANY guitar? (A similar theory about a cardboard double bass - people said, "I wouldn't want to use it in the rain" ... to which the best reply was, "much in the same way I wouldn't use my real double bass in the rain either.") lol

Truss rod, I have no definitive answer. It's short-scale (indicating you might not need one), yet it's 12 string (indicating that you might need one) - I've seen a lot of photos of what appears to be a truss rod adjuster in the centre of the tuning mechanism, I've seen an equal amount of pics that show none.

[jomifl]

Thanks Naz.. I've been perusing photos and have now ascertained that the top loop of the string attaches to a traveller on the adjuster screw thread so the string does not get twisted, quite neat really. I have an octave mandola which has a truss rod for it's 8 strings so probably a good idea. Again thanks.

[Tuddypat]

Hi jomifl

Would you mail me at [email protected] please - thanks