your "altamira experience"

rgrice · March 2015

Yes, good luck @britank! You ultimately gotta do what feels right for you!

Chiefbigeasy · March 2015

As the previous owner of the Altamira grande bouche which I sold to dorkydave1 (he commented earlier and is pleased as punch), I too had a good experience with my Altamira. It was my launchpad into this music and it had the authentic sound I was looking for.

I did have the setup from Michael's shop done at their recommendation, but I took it one step further. I had a local luthier do the finishing touches re: fret leveling, truss adjustment, action, after I had decided on the kind of strings I wanted to use. That's what put my Altamira at its peak. I only sold it to move on to a petit bouche and because the Alves de Puga MIchael had was such a deal.

One thing is inescapable, though, new Altamiras don't hold their value the way new Duponts and other big name builders do. That's not necessarily because of actual value, but more of a marketplace thing. So, going used is a very good way to go, especially if you are working your way through figuring out what you want.

Ideally, you're someplace where you can play and compare, but that's not the case for most of us. Barring that, this forum is a goldmine of advice. I only wish I'd found it before I put down $1600 for a Taylor while looking for that gypsy guitar sound.

britank · April 2015

Decision made, now begins...the wait.

I appreciate everyone's comment, experience, story, opinion, recommendation, warning... I took them all to heart and, last week, I called Micheal Horowitz. We had a pleasant conversation that informed my choice of...the Altamira M30D w/ antique finish edging out the Gitane DG-370. No doubt I would have been thrilled with either.

For anyone who hasn't talked with Michael, you should. It seems that selling is not his priority. Michael has this passion that I found refreshing. The gear sold itself.

The M30D Antique is back-ordered for a June arrival -- Michael sold his last one just this week. (Had I just called sooner... Oh, well.) I included a Josh setup and a copy of Django Picking with my order. Django Picking is rocketing to me as I type, so I'll be able to work up some technique before the guitar arrives.

Thanks, again, everyone, for your input and the lively discussion.

sadow · April 2015

A few weeks ago I purchased from Michael an M30 Antique, and it's a definite step-up from the M10 I'd been using. The thin lacquer finish significantly opens up the tone and volume, and it's worth every penny for that alone. But I wanted to warn any prospective buyers that the images and text on the site might not accurately describe what you will in reality be getting. They didn't in my case, anyway. Instead of the "ergonomic C-shape" neck, mine had the identical squarish profile of my M10. And, unlike the photos, mine had the marker on the 10th, not the 9th fret, and there were no side fret markers. Lastly, that fancy pin-striping on the back was absent. It's just a traditional plain back, which I actually prefer.

It appears that it comes straight out of the box from the factory so, if nothing else, you will need to invest in a fret dressing. The tuners are the same as my M10 and work well enough, but I'm going to opt for a better tailpiece. So far it has cost me $100 for the side fret markers and fret dressing from my local luthier. I'm also going to have him install a new tailpiece, and shave the neck a bit to create the C shape I was hoping for, which probably means another $200. But when the smoke clears I will have invested $1800 in what I consider a quality instrument, which should hold me until I have the resources to buy a Holo or Bumgarner or something of that ilk. If and when that time comes, I will be happy to keep the M30 around as a back-up.

In conclusion, be prepared to invest a little extra cash to get your Altamira up to snuff. But that's kind of the deal with these guitars anyway. You're paying less up front for a basic but well-made (and, to me, great sounding) instrument, which you'll then have to refine a bit to get it playing at its full potential.

AndrewUlle · April 2015

If you don't mind my asking, what difference does a "better" tail piece make? Is it purely cosmetic, or is there more to it? What makes one tail piece better than another? Thanks.

MichaelHorowitz · April 2015

Andrew Ulle wrote: »

If you don't mind my asking, what difference does a "better" tail piece make? Is it purely cosmetic, or is there more to it? What makes one tail piece better than another? Thanks.

Hi Andrew....there are generally three reasons to upgrade a tailpiece:

1) Strength: The Asian tailpieces are generally very weak and prone to fail. Both the Gitane and the Asian made DR tailpieces that Dell Arte uses tend to break fairly frequently. The Dupont DR and Dupont plain tailpieces are pretty well bomb proof, I've never seen one fail.

2) Sound: The cheaper tailpieces tend to create a lot of overtone ringing which results in an overly "wet" and abrasive tone. The higher grade tailpieces don't have this issue.

3) Aesthetics: The nicer ones just look better!

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AndrewUlle · April 2015

Is there a way to tell which quality of tailpiece is on a guitar?

MichaelHorowitz · April 2015

Andrew Ulle wrote: »

Is there a way to tell which quality of tailpiece is on a guitar?

The vast majority are Asian made so most will have the strength and tonal issues I mentioned. The only widely available high quality ones are the Dupont DR (not to be confused with the Asian made knock off which you see for sale sometimes), the Dupont plain ones, and Miller. Some luthiers also have their own tailpieces made which are of good quality (like Castelluccia.)

tommydavy · April 2015

The tailpiece being called "cheap/knockoff" sold by Dell Arte as mentioned above are used by two quite well known makers sold on this site such as: Bob Holo (insert is changed as well as posts from another tailpiece), Stefan Hahl (orders them specific from ****/Dell Arte with black leather) and too many others to list (Shelley Park, Alain Mazaud, Moustache Lutherie). Why would they use such an inferior product?