Flamenco Blanca

Building flamenco guitars is a wonderful challenge. The soundboards are braced differently to classicals, the guitars are generally lighter as a whole. The set up provides a much lower action and string height off the soundboard at the bridge. (3/2.5mm action with 8-9mm string height at bridge, whereas a classical might have 4/3.5mm action with a 11/12mm string height.) A flamenco blanca is built with a spruce top, and Spanish cypress back/sides. A golpeador/tap plate is glued onto the soundboard.

I have been building flamenco guitars inspired by the guitars of Santos Hernandez, and I have had great success developing in this direction. I am also interested in exploring the work of Gerundino Fernandez - who often built with cypress sides and a cedar top - as well as many other great makers. Around a quarter of my output has been flamenco guitars.

In 2023 I took one of my flamenco guitars to the Antonio Marin Montero guitar making competition in Granada, where my guitar reached the finals.