What type of guitar do you use for flamenco style playing?

September 15, 2016

In the beginning, flamenco guitarists played whatever they could find and afford!. Usually, non expensive instruments that had a more percussive sound (less sustain) and were made with cheaper woods and thinner tops than their “Classical” counterpart. If you’re a beginner you can start with any Spanish/Nylon string guitar. It is important that the action (distance between the strings and the fretboard) is low to get a percussive sound. When the guitar became a lead instrument, a new variation was born called “Flamenco Negra” (Black Flamenco). This guitars are a hybrid between Flamenco and Classical guitar and were made very popular by Paco de LucĂ­a. My CD “Azulejos” was recorded with a “Esteve Flamenco negra” guitar. This days you can get very inexpensive Spanish guitars that can be used for Flamenco. I’ll be happy to help you find one if you’d like.