Year: 2003
Model: FCWE
Serial Number: 52854
Made in Spain
Type: 6-string acoustic-electric guitar (nylon string)
Body type: thinline cutaway
- Solid
German spruce top
- Solid yellow cedar back and sides
- Honduran cedar neck
- Ebony fretboard
- 7-fan strut top bracing
- Fisherman
ProBlend pickup/mic/preamp system
- Scale:
650mm
- Nut width:
50mm
The origin
If you look around for a thin-body cutaway classical or flamenco guitar, you will come across a few similar guitars. I myself noticed three very similar guitars: FCWE by Cordoba, 7FC by Alhambra and 447 by Almansa. The specifications are almost identical, except back/side materials and rosette design.
I was puzzled. There was little information on the Web that explains who originally created this design, or how three different brands ended up making an almost identical guitar. The questions remained unanswered for quite some time, until one day in 2003, I had an opportunity to exchange emails with Tim Miklaucic, the CEO of Guitar Salon International. In his email, he solved the puzzle for me. I posted the content in a newsgroup rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic. Below is his message.
"Thank you for your email and your interest in Cordoba guitars. Please feel free to post this in the newsgroup. You have my permission to do so if you like.
Cordoba is not a "house brand" of Guitar Salon, but rather a line of guitars designed by me, Tim Miklaucic, luthiers who work for GSI, the the makers in the workshops we hired to build our instruments. Cordoba guitars are built by more than one workshop, but we do not discuss who builds these guitars specifically. There are highly skilled luthiers involved in the making of all Cordoba guitars and the concert level instruments are built completely by hand. With respect to the FCWE, although there is machinery involved in the building of these guitars, I would consider them very handmade.
Regarding the quality of our guitars, Cordoba guitars were second only to Ramirez as the best Spanish classical guitar according to Acoustic Guitar's readers in 2002. Also, having personally bought and sold scores of thousands of guitars including thousands of concert and collectable guitars over the last twenty years, I would say that Cordoba guitars are AT LEAST as good or better than the other "factories" you mentioned considering price and quality.
Regarding the FCWE, I personally developed the design of this guitar with Tonino and other members of the Gipsy Kings. The pick-up design was created by Fishman for the Gipsy Kings (although their touring guitars are somewhat different). I have personally traveled with the group and been to numerous shows where they played ALL Cordoba guitars. According to their management, they play and record almost exclusively with our instruments. As a matter of fact, we have recently signed an agreement to extend our relationship with the Gipsy Kings for several more years.
After we developed the FCWE, it is true that nearly every Spanish manufacturer came out with a similar thin-bodied instrument. I guess this should come as no surprise since it sells quite well. It is true that most Spanish guitars have equivalent models and specifications and price points, each of the brands mentioned by the writer you "quote" is slightly different upon examination/inspection. For example, they have different plantillas, bracing, neck feel, weight, etc. They also play and sound differently. You just need to try them side by side to see this. Specifications in this case don't mean much to me.
Hope this helps and all the best to you.
Sincerely,
Tim
===========================
Tim Miklaucic
President/CEO
Guitar Salon International"
I love this guitar. it's super-light and compact. It feels great to hold and play. When unplugged, the thin body (2.5" depth) has surprisingly strong projection, though I don't claim that it sounds as good as a deeper body guitar. When plugged in, it's just wonderful. The sound is sweet and brilliant. The Fisherman ProBlend allows perfect blending of condenser mic and under-bridge piezo pickup.
This guitar definitely expanded my music and I plan to keep playing it for a long time.