❌SOLD❌William Laskin Flamenco Blanca Guitar, 1987

Built in 1987, this William Laskin Flamenco Blanca model sports Pegheds gears tuners has been used as intended, and has fully developed its voice.

William Laskin has been building guitars for decades and was one of Jean Larrivee’s early apprentices, along with other now highly accomplished builders like Linda Manzer, Sergei de Jonge and David Wren. His work is of the highest quality, and he has developed his skills in engraved inlay to an exceptional degree. Laskin is also active in promoting the arts, performs and records, and has authored several books.

Here we’re looking at a William Laskin Flamenco Blanca guitar, dating to 1987 and built at his Toronto workshop and recently set up by The Twelfth Fret Repair Shop. It is built in the traditional Spanish manner with a ‘slipper heel’. In this design, the neck is essentially one piece (aside from any scarf joint for the peghead) and the carved heel and neck block are separated by slots that the sides fit into. This construction method is quite different from the use of a dovetail or mortise and tenon joint, or any of the newer hybrid joints that may include a single bolt.

The top is Sitka Spruce, and the sides and back are Cypress, the traditional material for Flamenco Blanca guitars. This gives a bright, clear and focused tone with good volume and projection, necessary for the sometimes raucous setting of a Flamenco performance. The neck is Mahogany, with Ebony for the fingerboard and head plate, and Indian Rosewood for the bridge. A full sized white Golpeador or tap plate has been added to the top, usually necessary to protect the top from the percussive Golpe technique. There is some honest play wear to the top, and a small chip to the edge of the soundhole on the lower bass area. There’s also finger wear, likely from rasgueado strokes, below the treble strings. There are a number of small dents to the top, expected for a working guitar of this age.

Very helpfully, the original Ebony friction tuners have been replaced with excellent Pegheds geared tuners. These look just like friction tuners but provide all of the accuracy and ease of use of conventional geared tuners. 

The frets have recently been polished, and are fairly low and flat.

A hard shell case is included.