At first glance, the Flamenco guitar looks very similar to the ‘classical’ guitar. There are, however, significant differences. Light-colored Spanish cypress wood is the material of choice for the sides and back of the Flamenco guitar, as opposed to the dark Brazilian rosewood used to craft the finest classical guitars. The difference in material, combined with differences in the wood’s thickness, the internal struts, and in the size of the guitar, gives the Flamenco guitar its penetrating brilliance, as well as its vibrant response. The classical guitar, in contrast, has a mellower sound. Traditional Flamenco guitars have pegs for tightening the strings made of ebony, rosewood, or other easily-worked hardwoods. Many modern-day Flamenco guitars, though, have machine heads for tightening the strings, making it easier to fit and more simple to tune. Many players, however, prefer using pegs. Pegs are lighter and more durable, producing a tone which has more ‘Flamenco’ character.
The Flamenco guitar’s soundboard has some similarities to the classical guitar, but also some marked differences. Called a ‘tapa,’ the soundboard comes in close-grained spruce or cedar, similar to a classical guitar. To protect the delicate surface of the tapa from the player’s fingernails, the Flamenco guitar must be fitted with tapping-plates, called ‘golpeadores.’ Usually these are made of transparent plastic, occasionally from opaque white plastic. Guitar makers use cedar or hardwood to fashion the neck, while ebony is used to manufacture the fingerboard. Brazilian rosewood is used to craft the bridge, but the nut and bridge-saddle are hewn from bone. The bridge of a Flamenco guitar is shallower than that of a classical guitar. The Flamenco guitar differs from the classical guitar in its fingerboard as well. Its fingerboard slopes in the portion which overlays the tapa, causing the strings to lie nearer to the fingerboard. Guitar makers use polyurethane lacquers, usually stained deep orange, in order to put a brilliant, long-lasting finish on the body and the neck. Some craftsmen, however, prefer the older spirit-based finishes, which produce a lighter, mellower color. The Flamenco guitar has a faster ‘action’ and ‘response,’ enabling it to produce a ringing brilliance in both its tone and its attack.
