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What is now known as
the Flamenco Guitar is believed by
many historians to have once been a lower cost "Spanish guitar"
built from inexpensive locally grown Spanish woods, Cypress and Cedar.
These instruments were bought by Gypsies and others who sang, danced and
played the tradition that became known as "Flamenco". The guitars
used were made of less expensive, locally grown woods and constructed
quickly and cheaply by the makers. The resulting sound of the
lightweight Cypress body reflected the quality of the instrument and the
manner in which it was played; hence over many years the "Flamenco
sound" was made. The typical woods
employed became the "standard" woods in order to retain this
characteristic sound - a Spruce soundboard with Spanish Cypress back and
sides and Cedar neck, very lightly built with a low action to facilitate
the style of the music. The traditional Flamenco guitar made of the
'white' woods Spruce and Cypress gained the name 'Blanca',
while the use of Rosewood in Flamenco guitars became known as '
Negra'. This distinction is unique to
the Flamenco guitar as the two instruments have uniquely different sounds.
The Flamenco Negra is also a good "crossover"
instrument built with a fuller bass and bright mid and high range, which
ideally suits Latin, African and European music often with a jazz flavour.
My Flamenco Guitar design philosophy
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Light in weight, strong in structure, cutting yet
vibrant in tone - this is the sound that is sought from a Flamenco
guitar and several design features contribute to this unique sound.
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Woods that contribute in their characteristics to the
traditional sound e.g. Spruce soundboard and Cypress back and sides -
the Flamenco Blanco. Classical and 'crossover' players may be more
attracted to the Spruce and Rosewood combination of the Flamenco Negra
which has a wider tonal range.
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The soundboard, bracing and bridge are designed to
"dump" as much of the available energy from the string as quickly as
possible. Thus the sound has a fast 'attack', and a quick decay with little
sustain. These attributes give the Flamenco guitar it's characteristic
sound. The use of Cypress in the back and sides aids this sound
somewhat by adding little colour or sustain to the overall sound.
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Very light, structurally minimal - the whole
instrument is energised to provide an instant response to the players
touch.
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The action or playing height of the strings is low
and set by the neck angle, neck "bow" and the height of the bridge and
allows rapid legado and resquado. The typical "string rattle" that
often accompanies the style can be controlled by the fingerboard relief
(neck bow) and the saddle height.
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The string height above the soundboard controls the
torque applied via the bridge and the low height of this enables table
thickness and bracing to be minimised yet still ensure adequate
stability in the table.
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Stings - each player has their own preferences, but
higher tension strings can provide a more "brittle" sound, but medium
tension are often preferred for an easier action.
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Neck shape (relief), can vary from none (straight),
positive (forward), negative (back-bowed) without tension - each
provides a characteristic sound when played and the amount of up-bow in
the neck determines the action available and the degree of familiar
"rattle" that is
associated with the Flamenco style. Classical players would find this
low action and a large amount of "fret-buzz " intolerable, offering few clean passages.
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