American luthier Lester DeVoe is among the most in-demand flamenco guitar makers alive today. His career has lasted for well over 30 years, and his guitars have been played by Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo and Sabicas. Devoe builds in the style of the old masters, creating punchy guitars thanks to their lightweight build. Perhaps the main reason Lester Devoe's guitars are played by so many professionals, is their superb playability and balance. Perfect balance in string tension, across strings and up the fretboard. Although this guitar was originally built as a classical, the current owner had the setup adjsted and thin tap plated added to convert this into a great flamenco negra - indeed with many "traditional" makers, their instruments can serve beautifully as either classical or flamenco depending largely on just the setup and this is such an instrument. Picado releases instantly and with confirmation, even when crossing strings. Intonation is also perfect, all the way up the neck. Action is low and extremely playable. Neck profile is beautiful, workmanship as well. This guitar is in excellent condition, with minor finish wear and no damage. It is a very well-constructed guitar, with clean aesthetics and great attention to detail inside and out. The sound is "flamenco puro" - bright, vibrant basses and snappy trebles. It is extremely lightweight and gutsy, and is one of very few modern guitars made in such a traditional style. If you've been waiting for a special Devoe, this is an excellent choice for condition and sound, especially at this price point.
Note on the recent price adjustment: Lester informed us directly that this guitar was originally built as a lower-priced classical guitar. He built a handful of these models, which he called his "AAA Model" (as indicated on the label). The only two differences between these and his full-priced guitars was that he used less expensive tuning machines (Schallers) and a pre-made, "stock" rosette. That's it. Otherwise, this guitar was built to the same standard and build quality of his higher-priced instruments.
