The Spanish flamenco guitar and its characteristics

It's worth noting first that the flamenco guitar has spread throughout the world due to the success of flamenco on five continents. Let's look at some of the features that define it: Classical and flamenco guitars are different instruments, with different construction specifications and materials to achieve a different type of sound.

The main differences are: Different arrangement of the harmonic bars inside the guitar (front of the soundboard).

Side size: They tend to be narrower on flamenco guitars. String action: It's much lower on the flamenco guitar. It's not just a matter of lowering the saddles, since on a flamenco guitar, when it's built, a different angle is used where the neck joins the sides and the soundboard.

Fretting or lisping: Normal, within a certain range, for flamenco guitars. Completely undesirable for classical guitars.

Type of wood used: In Flamenca guitars, traditionally solid Spanish cypress is used for the sides and back, and German Spruce for the top. In classical guitars, rosewood is used for the sides and back, and for the top, both spruce and cedar, although the latter is much more common. As for the woods, it is worth mentioning that in recent years the "Negra" flamenco guitars, built with rosewood sides and back, have become increasingly popular. The fact that they are well-known players, combined with the difficulty (and therefore increased cost) of obtaining cypress wood, has contributed to the spread of the "Negra" flamenco guitars. These are the main differences from the point of view of construction and why, once you have reached a certain level of flamenco playing, the type of guitar used can be a limitation to further progress. Conversely, someone who attempts to play flamenco guitar without proper technique will inevitably experience lisping problems. Both the sound and feel are different.