Cypress

A light, springy conifer whose Spanish form is the traditional timber of the flamenco guitar.

In flamenco, cypress back and sides are prized for the way a lightly braced instrument responds instantly and then fades quickly, so fast rasgueado and percussive golpe playing stay clear instead of blurring into sustain. The wood is light, stiff across the grain and easy to work, and classical makers use it for bright, snappy instruments. Outside that tradition the name is applied loosely and varies by country, so pale cypress-family timbers turn up on budget bodies where the plain wood is going to be painted anyway. It dents easily and does not take the place of a dense tropical hardwood.

Example: A flamenco guitar in cypress and spruce answers a percussive golpe with a short, dry crack rather than a long ringing sustain.

typical use: Flamenco and classical backs and sides, and occasional budget solid bodies.

Cypress

See also