Buying a guitar

[robc311]

So, I am on my second copy of the new Moon Nicaragua book (lost the first one...don't have a clue where) and it says that you can get a decent deal on guitars in Masaya.  It piqued my interest and I am considering buying one.  I would only want a basic one...since I don't even know how to play (I'm hoping this will motivate me to learn).  My only concern is getting it back home.  We are flying from Managua to Tampa via Miami.  Do they wrap them?  Can they be gate checked?  Any advice would be awesome...thanks!!

[Randall Wood]

At a minimum, you can expect them to wrap the bejeezus out of your guitar with bubble wrap.  But they don't have or sell cases.  If you are traveling to Nica to get a guitar it's worth bringing a decent case with you.

As for gate checking, I certainly wouldn't put the guitar in with the checked luggage.  You can ask at the ticket counter for it to be counted as your carry on and the flight attendants can put it in their coat closet.  I flew once with British Airways and they damaged the hard case for my guitar (thankfully the guitar was unharmed) despite charging me an extra $100 to transport it!  I was not happy.

[Joshua Berman]

I bought a guitar in Masaya last year from Sergio (in book). You'll be fine in Florida, where it's nice and humid, but I neglected to humidify the interior of my Nicaraguan guitar over the winter in Colorado and the back warped and cracked. It's still playable and sounds great (I use it in the school where I teach), but let that be a warning to anyone living in a dry climate who is bringing back tropical hardwood instruments.

[robc311]

How did you transport your guitar home?  I'm flying to Tampa via Miami on American...I don't know if they will stow it in a closet in the cabin or make me check it.  AA was really good when I carried on a hand blown glass pitcher set onto the plane once.  One of the flights was on a commuter prop plane and the box wouldn't fit in the bins so they gave it a seat of its own....I'm on a budget so I can't afford any fancy shipping methods or procedures.

[Randall Wood]

At the time I was living with a family that knew a lot about sewing, so I had them make me a kind of quilted bag for the guitar.  It was good enough to get the guitar around with me.  If you buy a guitar in Nicaragua your luthier should almost certainly know a craftsperson who could sew you a decent quilted bag, and I can't imagine it would cost you much more than $30-$40.

Otherwise, go crazy with the bubble wrap.

[Papatara]

I had Sergio build a guitar to specs (wide classical fretboard, etc.) for my son-in-law a few years ago. Sergio did a good job (fit and finish was a little sloppy, though), and, my son was very pleased with the tone and performance of the guitar. Sergio also obtained a quality case for the guitar because I prepaid and gave him plenty of time to order it.

For a couple of years (living in Texas) the guitar was fine. However, when son-in-law and daughter moved to Arizona the guitar back cracked. I second Joshua´s warning about dry climates!

While you might get lucky, be forewarned that decent guitar makers in Nicaragua generally don´t maintain inventory of finished guitars. They tend to work on commissioned jobs to customer specifications. Also, they may be backed up, thus, requiring several months to complete your job. They also don´t usually keep materials on hand, so, you probably will have to depend on the builder to pick and match your woods.

Don´t expect the builder to meet his promised delivery date, either. Sergio promised delivery in six weeks. In reality it took him five months! I was actually able to complete the order to coincide with a return trip because I had a friend in Masaya that I periodically had visit the builder and ¨prod¨ him to meet my scheduled trip date.

[¡Un Buen Viaje! Jessica]

Now that the subject of guitars has been brought up again, I can give you the contact information for a young guy who makes guitars in Granada. While I don't know anything about acoustic guitars, I know that he and his dad make highly sought after gorgeous furniture as well. Just let me know if you're interested.  – Jessica   www.ToursToNicaragua.com

[Papatara]

Bear in mind that guitars made in Nicaragua are NOT made in a factory. And, the equipment most artisans use are hand tools and the most rudimentary (usually home-made) machinery. As a result, every single guitar made here is unique (at least in fit and finish). As stated above, check out your potential purchase thoroughly before purchase!

One thing that should be carefully checked is the flatness and trueness of the fretboard. If this piece is not properly made, fitted, and aligned, you will always have trouble with the guitar. Check to see that as you press down in one fret the lowered string does not ¨buzz¨against another when strummed. Be sure to check every fret with every string. A low action acoustic guitar may be a bit less tolerant of construction errors than a normal action one.

Aisabe,
Papatara