flamenco guitar
Before there were guitars in Spain, there where the lute like instruments
the Mores brought with them, which evolved into the flamenco guitar and
the classical guitar. Both are similar, but the differences are important.
The traditional flamenco guitar is made of Spanish cypress and fichte,
is lighter in weight and a bit smaller.
The position of the strings is lower to allow fast left hand action,
while the increased rattling of the strings is considered a trade of the
music. The latter is still true, but because there was a need for more
volume, the instrument became larger and today is often made of the darker
woods used for classical guitars. In effect the modern flamenco guitar
is a hybrid between the traditional instrument and the classical guitar.