Home/Build Blogs/Classical & Flamenco Guitars

Classical &
Flamenco Builds

Eight nylon string builds — from traditional fan bracing to falcate braced contemporary classicals, and a first Flamenco Blanca.

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...more responsive than instruments from the best of the renowned Luthiers that I had played. Their superb basic tone color and resonance, especially their high overtones presented a harp-like quality. They exhibited a wide dynamic range and followed responsively throughout the range, enabling a vastly broadened interpretive menu... The sustaining quality enabled impressive legato lines. The treble-bass balance enhanced voice leading and unfolding rich harmonies.

— Doug Rice, Classical Guitar Instructor · Preface to Making a Falcate Guitar

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Construction Diaries

All Classical & Flamenco Builds

African Blackwood Classical Guitar
Fan Braced · African Blackwood · Hauser

African Blackwood Classical

Fan braced African Blackwood guitar built after attending Jeff Elliott's voicing class. Bracing is Jeff's modification of a Hauser 42 with an open harmonic brace.

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First Falcate Classical Guitar
Falcate · Gore/Gilet · Bolt-On Neck

First Falcate Classical

My first classical using Gore/Gilet's Contemporary Acoustic Design and Build concepts — falcate bracing, bolt-on neck, 20" radius fretboard, and a truss rod.

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Second Falcate Classical — Doug Rice's Guitar
Commission · Falcate · Instructor's Guitar

Doug Rice's Falcate Classical II

Commissioned by my classical guitar instructor. A refinement of the first falcate classical — raised resonant top frequency to better support the treble E. Doug switched from his mid-70s Kohno 30.

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Hauser Style Falcate Classical
Falcate · Hauser Style · Brazilian Rosewood

Hauser-Style Falcate Classical

A traditional Hauser-inspired look built on a solera with a Spanish neck — but with falcate bracing inside. Lutz spruce top with Brazilian rosewood back and sides.

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Panama Rosewood Falcate Classical
Falcate · Panama Rosewood · Contemporary

Panama Rosewood Falcate Classical IV

Looks like a standard classical but hides contemporary features inside — bolt-on neck, falcate bracing, truss rod, radiused fretboard. One of my nicest sounding classicals.

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8 String Nylon Crossover
Commission · 8-String · Crossover · Cutaway

Bocote 8-String Nylon Crossover

Commissioned 8-string nylon crossover with venetian cutaway, 14-fret body join, 660mm scale, falcate braced with a live back.

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Pernambuco and Western Red Cedar Classical
Commission · Falcate · Pernambuco · Cedar

Pernambuco & Western Red Cedar Classical

A commission where the client was deeply involved in selecting the tonewoods. Falcate braced contemporary classical, still in progress — follow along on the build blog.

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First Flamenco Blanca
Flamenco Blanca · Online Class · First Build

First Flamenco Blanca

My first Flamenco Blanca, built following Paco Chorobo of Chorobo Guitars' online class through Robbie O'Brien's site — the guitar featured in the homepage video.

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