Customers usually come my way because they played one and want one like it. I don’t advertise so I rarely get calls from those who haven’t played at least one. While I have a standard design, there are subtle modifications that can affect the response and playability within that. My flamencos typically use a five brace with high closing bars a la Barbero which gives a rather Sabicas sort of sound.

This construction is very consistent from guitar to guitar and has stood the test of time well.

Classics can be made with  the same basic pattern but the way the braces are tapered and the top graduation of thickness is quite different plus I add two smaller fans outboard of the five. While considered a ‘flamenco’ pattern, this system was used by many Madrid builders in the ’50s and 60’s such as Marcelino Lopez and Hernandez Y Aguado.

I also make classics in the style of Torres and Esteso. The Torres construction gives an elegant and easily driven classic 19th century sound. The Esteso is more suited to a strong technique and has generally heavier construction but projects a fuller sound dynamic.

While I have made guitars to a 655mm scale in the past, today I use either 640, 650 or 660. Most players won’t pick up on 5mm but ten is a change. The actual change in string tension between 640 and 660 is about 3% which is hardly a factor when you consider the typical first string is about fifteen pounds and the second and third about twelve – a twenty percent drop! I like lots of room so I am happy at 660 but 650 is the standard and my recommended choice. On a flamenco the long scale is nice if you usually play with a cejilla.

Neck width, contour and thickness is a huge topic. I seem to spend as much time on the neck and fingerboard as any other part of the guitar. It looks simple enough but it’s the ‘office’ and the main frame. Many beginners and less experienced players want a thin ‘fast’ neck but there is an optimum thickness that works best for most players. Surprisingly, I find players with long thumbs seem to favor a thinner, flatter neck and short thumbs a more thick and round shape. Playing position and how you use your hands are also factors. For example, if you play with the neck in a high cello like position a thick neck is fine but if you hold it more horizontally a thinner one is more comfortable.

I offer traditional pegs and machines but the planetary geared ‘friction’ pegs are the best of both worlds. They aren’t significantly more expensive than machine tuners but give the weight, feel and look of wooden pegs. If you change your mind you can always convert to wood or slot the head and go to metal. It is hard to reverse the procedure, however, so if in doubt go planetary. For machines I use and recommend Schaller because they are durable and smooth and weigh significantly less than the others.

These are planetary internal geared pegs.

On a classic the Gotoh tuners are really elegant and I can supply Spanish Fusteros.

I only do traditional french polish finish. More and more makers are going back to it. It’s a lot of work but you cant beat it for tone and beauty. Most makers charge extra for it but as I don’t do a ’standard’ finish it’s hard to charge for the upgrade! At this point I’ve been doing FP so long that I’m fast and efficient at it so going to a spray system would probably slow me down!

Unlike some builders who settle on one headstock design, I have used various ones over the years. Some are original, others replicas of early builders or modifications of them. It’s now to the point that all the good simple options were taken years ago, so doing something dramatically new without entering the aesthetically challenged realm is tough. Whatever you do will have ‘elements of’ in it, as in the one above which has early Rodriguez and Esteso themes merged – a sort of Madrid Cordoba alliance.

Rosettes are always individually made but I’ll often use the same design more than once. I like simple and punchy designs that look right from a distance. Ultra complex and fussy things may look great with your reading glasses on but tend to just mush to brown/grey at any practical distance. The one above is  ’derived’ from a 1930 Santos Hernandez. I love pearl in rosettes and think it deserves a comeback so don’t hesitate to ask. You should hesitate to ask about abalone unless you plan to contribute to my retirement fund!

Purflings and bindings are usually pretty simple on my guitars. I’ve concentrated on making what would be called a ‘player’s instrument’ with the emphasis on the form and function and unfussy decorations. Thus it is rare to see side fillets on my flamencos although for a time I was using a red/white which stands out better than the typical black/white. On classics I prefer a plain maple binding. It wears better than the usual rosewood which, while hard, is porous and can flake off once the finish is worn. Being a consistent color it is easy to repair, match or replace. If I do side fillets I find that the fine white/black/white looks better than a single white; it looks more like an ornament and less like a gasket, and is no more work even if it looks like it.

See the other Design sections for more specific information.