Material
Weight is a critical issue with flamenco guitars and, as the cypress bodies weigh so very little, a dense neck material can make the instrument top heavy and awkwardly balanced. This is why I use only Spanish Cedar for my flamenco necks, it is quite a bit lighter than mahogany yet still very rigid and resistant to changes in humidity. When I cut up a log of Spanish cedar for necks, I separate the lighter material for use on my flamencos, and the slightly denser for my classical guitars.

 

Design
I have never liked the look of glue laminated heels and glued on headstock, it's a technique that is commonly used on classical and flamenco guitars and has really no other purpose than to save money on material.  I designed what I call a "split truss neck," this method of neck design eliminates the heel and headstock glue joints leaving the carved profile of both fluid and uninterrupted.  Aside from being aesthetically superior (I think so anyway), my neck design incorporates a center wooden truss that runs from the top of the headstock to the very tip of the heel, providing an overkill of rigidity to the neck that without question, enhances the playability of the instrument (also, it looks awesome). I typically make this truss from the same back and side material used on the body with the exception of my flamenco Blanca, in which case I will use whatever the guitar is bound in.

 

Carving
I carve all my necks by hand using a combination of draw knifes, rasps, and chisels. This allows me to easily accommodate any requested profile. I do have a preferred way of carving my flamenco necks that is quite a bit thinner than traditional (as my neck design can handle this), and has a flatter backed shape that leaves a solid surface where the players thumb can apply pressure as frets are barred. When a flamenco player says that they have "shaved" their neck, that is basically what I do in the first place.

 

Fingerboard
I prefer to use ziricote for my flamenco fingerboards. As hard as ebony, zircote is not quite as dense, offering a slight weight reduction. While being just as long wearing, zircote also adds a bit of character with its bizarre, figured grain. I build all guitars with a "bound fingerboard" this hides the fret ends so the fret's “tang” (part of the fret that resides in the fingerboard’s slots) is neither seen nor felt on the fingerboard’s side.

 

Headstock
A headstock plate is added to both the front and back of the headstock, typically using the same wood as the back and sides. This adds a tremendous amount of strength, especially when the headstock is slotted for machine tuners. For peg headed flamencos, where strength is not really a concern, the front and back plate gives a cleaner, stronger entrance and exit for the tapered peg hole.. and it looks great.