The Top Plate
My flamenco tops are carved from Master grade Western Red Cedar. I have used a few other species of tone wood successfully in the past but for my top brace design, I prefer red cedar’s tonal characteristics and faster break in time above all others. For those that insist on spruce and don’t mind spending a few years to break them in, I do offer both Sitka and European Spruce.

 

Top Bracing
The top bracing design is the most unique aspect of my flamenco guitars. This design takes the traditional vocal characteristics of the flat braced flamenco guitar and amplifies it due to a unique cross brace residing under the bridge. The result is a significantly louder, livelier and more responsive instrument that retains the authentic voice and tonal characteristics associated with the flamenco guitar.

 

Bridge
In 2005 I was asked by a client to build her guitar with a 12 hole bridge. I did, and I haven’t built a 6 hole bride since. Having 12 holes in the tie block has a few advantages over a six hole design, aside from being less complicated and holding the strings more securely, it also increases the break angle of the string putting more solid pressure against the saddle.  This results in greater transfer of string energy while eliminating the periodic buzz that can occur with the larger E and A strings against the saddle.  I carve each of my bridges by hand with chisels and gouges so no two are exactly the same in shape or profile. The material used for the bridge depends on the guitar.  Usually, I will construct the bridge from the same material used for the back and sides.  With my flamenco Blanca I typically make the bridge using rosewood or ziricote.

 

Rosette
My rosettes are quite different than those of other luthiers as I do not use mosaic rosettes. Early in my career I found it made sense to bring my preexisting skills as a fret work artist into my guitars.  As a result, I have come up with a rosette style that is unmistakably my own.   Although I have designed and built many different rosettes (above) you will see what has, over the years, become my signature rosette. No matter the material combination used, each rosette is cut free-hand for every guitar - no two are exactly the same. You can see many other rosette designs in the gallery pages - they are all one of a kind designs or custom requests.

 

Purfling
Although many of my flamenco guitars do not have purfling along the back and sides, I always add a few strips of purfling around the top. I do this to allow a larger radius along the tops edge, giving me more material to carry my rasp into the tops surface without cutting into the soft tonewood. This is an important aspect that prevents the edge of the guitar cutting into the player’s forearm and makes playing much more comfortable.