Types of wood are used for the Flamenco guitar
Many guitar manufacturers use a completely different design for the soundboard of a Flamenco guitar than for that of a concert guitar. Some use palosanto for the back and the sides. But the guitars still sound ”muy flamenco.” The only visible difference between it and a concert guitar is the golpeador.
It is a matter of the guitarist’s taste or is up to the guitar maker’s philosophy, whether spruce or cedar is used for the soundboard. Some guitar makers leave the choice to you. Others use only cedar or only spruce.
The tapa de cedro (cedar soundboard), which sounds a bit more wooden and nasal, doesn’t need to be broken in for as long as the tapa de pinabete (spruce soundboard), which has a more brilliant and powerful tone. In return, it lasts longer than a cedar soundboard. i.e. the legendary sound of Manolo Sanlúcar.
The following types of wood are used for the different parts of the guitar: pinapete (mostly German spruce) or cedro (Canadian cedar) for the soundboard, as already mentioned; ciprés (cypress from Spain or Morocco) - this guitar is called guitarra blanca - or palosanto (jacaranda from East India or Rio) - this guitar is called guitarra negra - for the back and sides; cedro (Honduras cedar, also called cigar-box wood) for the neck; ébano (ebony) for the fingerboard and spruce and cedar for the bracing.
