Official Luthiers Forum!

A good friend is starting his first guitar, a flamenco.
He has glued the plates, and then asked me to thickness sand them for him. (Sides, as well.)
My plan is to get them close to finish thickness, and let him take them from that point.
Question: what is a "ball park" figure for top and back and side thickness for a flamenco?
He is using Engelmann for the top, and Monterey Cypress for back/sides.

And you guys who know the answer to this, also know that I'm metrically challenged. If possible, could you give me some figures in thousandths of an inch?

Many thanks in advance,

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve, I don't know the answer but Brian Burns does. Flamencos are his thing.
Ken

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I dont build with Monterey Cypress as it has much less of the Cypress smell than a Spanish Cypress but the dimensions should be close...

Cypress sides I take down to .075-.80. The backs I take to about .100 as they take more abuse (flamenco playing can be vigorous ).

For the top, with Englemann depending on the stiffness of the top I would target .110 as the thickness and then for graduating the top I would keep the upper bout that thickness. For the lower bout if you think of the bridge area as the peak of the lower bout in terms of thickness and then taper the thickness of the top towards the edges to where the edges of the lower bout end up at about .090 to .095, the top will hold up but still resonate well for a first guitar.

Typically the fan bracing will be the same as any spanish classical but instead of having two transverse angled finger braces near the tail, those are left off. This gives the full sound (and for flamenco a sharp attack) but with less sustain because the top is looser so the decay is faster. That is desired because of the speed and nature of playing as sustain would make it sound muddy.

On my fan bracing for a 7 fan I start with the center brace at .230 x.230, the next on each side at .210 x .230, the next two on each side at .195 x .195 and the outside two at .175 x .195, shape them to a triangular shape and them taper the height down to .025 at the ends with the peak being just in front of the bridge and tapered down on each end to .025.

It ends up looking close to a parabolic shape to the brace but a little more angular.

The biggest problem with first flamencos is that they are built too heavy. Flamenco guitars are built as light as possible and are often played to destruction (literally) as many players play with high tension strings going for a bright loud attack but it takes it toll on the instrument with the instrument being built so light.

I am not sure what plans he is using but the most important part of flamenco construction is to get low action for the fingerboard. A good flamenco has the action as low as possible so it can be played faster, even if it means ocassional buzzing which is usually expected and tolerated.

Hope that helps.

Ken, thanks for the web site. I have a friend that has studied a bit with Brian, and has recommended him highly. Yet for all that, I've never seen his web site. Thanks!

Shawn, you stated, after so much useful info, "Hope that helps". Indeed it does! That is precisely what I was needing, and even in thou's of an inch. I feel more comfortable now handling someone else's wood than I did before.
By the way, he told me he is using a Fleta plan.

All this makes me want to build one. Especially if I can get away with a little fret buzz.

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

P.S.

Hey Shawn, do you have any pix of your flamencos?
Love to see some.

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com