Flamenco?
 

Trying to find a flamenco I gel with.

I was had a Cordoba C10 but hated it. The fretboard was concave, yuck.
I was thinking the Eastman Cabaret JB would be the ticket but one of the owners on here says he didn't like it for that purpose.

Open to <$3k-ish suggestions! TIA!

The stores near me in San Francisco (that aren't guitar center) all just have regular steel strings acoustics and maybe one or two classicals but no flamencos I've come across. Open to store ideas too!

Have you tried Guitar Solo in SF, or Fine Fretted String Instruments a little further south?

What Carey said.

Drive southeast to The Berkeley Music Exchange and check out their flamenco guitars from Paracho, Mexico. They're also a Cordoba dealer so you can compare them. They supposedly carry Cordoba to highlight how much better the Paracho guitars are.

Also, Eric Schoenberg had one old flamenco guitar when I last visited him. Even if it's not what you're looking for, his shop is always a delight to visit.

The C10 is no flamenco??

I haven't tried mine for this but I'd expect that owner is probably right: the Cabaret was developped with jazz in mind. It's drier (or less boomy) than a regular classical but probably (still) much more resonant than a traditional flamenco.

You could check if there's a used Picado for sale that you can try out, e.g.
http://guitarraspicado.com/site/en/g...o-53-flamenco/

I know it’s not close, but GSI in Santa Monica is a great place to deal with…Patrick is my go to guy…they also will let you trade the guitar you purchased for another one within a year (I think), at 75%, which makes for a no hassle good exchange for a different guitar, which I have done. Very happy with them…they ship quick too!

In that price range you will sometimes find used handmade guitars by good makers. You might look around for an Ethan Deutsch. His guitars are right in the sweet spot between old school and modern, they can be driven in either direction. He's a player who trained in Spain and his guitars have been in the hands of a lot of important modern players.

Have you considered visiting Kenny Hill’s Ben Lemond location, it’s near SF and worth looking into.

I don't believe Kenny has flamenco guitars in his New World line (which is what would be in the OP's price range). But one could always call and inquire if he has a used one from his regular builds.

I can think of no other Bay Area options in the <$3k range that offer at least a handful of guitars beyond Guitar Solo, Fine Fretted String Instruments, and The Berkeley Music Exchange. Hopefully the OP will find something at those three locations that suits him.

But I believe that most players in their early stages just needs a well-built foundational instrument. Here's forum member Francis Grant playing a rumba on his old Yamaha CG182SF (the European version of the $400 CG172SF).

I had too many questions for the Guitar Solo guy. I've been in there before and he always seems uninterested in talking even if you're the only person in there. Perpetually grumpy or I don't look fancy enough, ha ha.

I'll check out Berkeley.
Schoenberg only has two and they're both built in CA, feels weird to have a non-latino builder but that's me being a snobby outsider, ha!

I sent them an email but I think it was too close to closing time on Friday. Hopefully I'll hear back Monday. They have some great videos at least!