SPANISH CYPRESS
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Part No. Spanish Cypress Each 6 - 12 13 - 24 Spanish cypress, back, best $85.00
Inquire Spanish cypress, sides, best $85.00
Spanish cypress, back, standard $75.00
Spanish cypress, sides, standard $75.00
for All Cyrpess
Above flamenco guitar with small blemish typical of Spanish cypress. Courtesy of Eric Monrad.
An example of the blue spots that can embellish Mediterranean cypress. Some were scraped away, but these go a little deeper. In most cases they don't go that deep. (To hide, stain the entire guitar blue; it's all the rage these days.) We haven't had any sets with blue spots in a few years now, so not to worry.
Mediterranean cypress sets being graded out at Maderas Barber.
Spanish cypress or Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sermpervirens) is the traditional wood for flamenco guitars. It's been used for centuries for musical instruments, for backs, as well as for tops (harpsichord soundboards to lute ribs). José Romanillos said at the '95 GAL convention that his preferred sound for a classical guitar (not flamenco) was Mediterranean cypress paired with a European spruce top. Interestingly, tapping a back for tone is not unlike tapping cardboard for tone.
It often has blue ink-like spots that are usually removed with sanding but not always. This, of course, is a downgrading factor, and although it is very difficult to get good cypress, it's hard to believe that it wasn't always the case when you see the trees, which are usually gnarled and full of limbs, rarely showing any clear trunk. The better grades are quartersawn, and have few if any defects.
Below: Gowan Cypress trees off the Golden Gate Bridge entering San Francisco.
Mike Doolin's nouveau flamenco of Spanish cypress.
Below, closeup of Spanish cypress.
Flamenco guitar by local luthier Eric Monrad
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