It had been a while since I last reviewed a Spanish guitar. This occasion is somewhat special: the manufacturer, Raimundo, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It's certainly an occasion to congratulate them. Like many legendary brands (Fender, Gibson, etc.), they started out as a small family business. Since then they haven't stopped growing in every sense and winning numerous awards. Personally, I can say that I have worked with their flamenco-MIDI guitar for the last two years, and my experience is that their quality speaks for itself.
This time I received a Raimundo guitar, specifically the 630 E model. This is a somewhat unusual model in the world of Spanish guitars. Right off the bat, there are two notable features: cutaway construction and a preamp system installed in the instrument itself. These two points are key in determining the guitar's sound. The cutaway, or inward curve in the body design, the addition of a component (the preamp) in the upper side, and especially the placement of a piezoelectric pickup under the saddle, can't help but affect the sound in some way at first, and we would presume, a priori, not very positively. Well, that is not the case with this model. The guitar has a natural timbre and a more than acceptable volume, so these additions don't seem to have affected the overall result of the sound. Quite the opposite: the end result is very positive, since a cutaway guitar makes it easier to reach the highest notes and, on the other hand, having a guitar ready to plug into any amplification system adds extra versatility.
This model has another distinctive feature. In terms of sound and performance we can consider it mid-to-high-end, but its retail price is barely 450 euros. So for those who want a good guitar without sacrificing on cost, it can be an excellent option.
Feel
The guitar is quite comfortable; after just a few minutes of playing you feel well adapted to its dimensions, which are similar to the usual ones anyway. Players used to electric guitar may well need to adjust the string height. As it comes from the factory, the string tension and height are set up as on a classical guitar. So, just as I don't think a classical guitarist would need to adjust anything on the instrument for optimal playing, electric and even flamenco guitarists will probably feel more comfortable lowering the string height by a couple of millimeters. Even so, the string tension isn't very high, which is why I can say it's comfortable.
Sound
As for sound, the model in my hands sits on that curious frontier of versatility. It can sound classical, or you can play it with a pick and get a very different sound out of it. With a few adjustments and a flamenco touch, you can change the timbre drastically and take it into that territory. This is probably possible thanks to its frequency balance. Neither the lows, the mids nor the highs particularly stand out. We have a very warm timbre that spreads its sound across a wide range of frequencies without overdoing any of them.
Technical data
The scale is 650 mm, the neck width is 51.5 mm at the nut and 61.5 mm at the 12th fret. The fingerboard is rosewood, the top is pine, and the back and sides are sycamore. The body depth is 95 mm at the 12th fret and
100 mm at the tail. The bindings are rosewood with white purfling, and the bridge is also made of the same material.
Another very important element is the preamp system and the piezo pickup. In this case it's a Fishman model, specifically the CL4-010. It has three EQ bands—bass, middle and treble—and another small fader that adds brilliance, giving the high frequencies more presence. There's also a volume control and a built-in tuner, which is quite accurate, too. The quality of the preamp is good. These systems have their limitations and can't give us the sound of a good mic, but if we control the feedback inherent in using piezos on acoustic instruments, we can be satisfied on more than one occasion.
One far from minor point I'd like to mention is the beauty of the instrument. It comes with a practically colorless varnish that lets the natural tone of the wood and its shapes stand out. Definitely a good call. Beyond that, its beauty lies in its simplicity.
Conclusions
The overall impression I'm left with after playing this guitar for a couple of hours is definitely very positive: comfort, good tone and stable tuning. The amplification is good, and the Fishman system does its job well, which in theory should be to amplify the guitar without coloring the signal. With this type of system, the difficulties don't lie in sound quality but in feedback problems at high volumes. Having a good amplification system can help in this respect.
I think it's a guitar within everyone's reach, with results far superior to those in the price range of around 500 euros. Sorry to repeat myself, but whenever I talk about acoustic instruments I recommend trying several, even of the same model, since every instrument is unique and we'll hardly ever find two guitars that sound exactly alike, even if they share a number of features. So if you have the chance to try several Raimundo 630 E guitars, do it; you're sure to be in for some very pleasant surprises.
