The modern flamenco guitar is first cousin to the modern classical guitar. The two have a common ancestry, and are handbuilt by essentially the same methods. The flamenco guitar, however, has a particularly distinctive sound and playing action of its own, achieved by the use of different timbers for the body and subtly different dimensions and proportions.

There are three primary differences between the flamenco and classical instruments:

• The classical guitar is typically made of rosewood, with a cedar or spruce top. The traditional flamenco instrument is made entirely of cypress, and is generally lighter in construction.
• The flamenco guitar has plastic tapping plates called golpeadores. These protect the face of the guitar from the taps with the right-hand fingernails, a feature of the flamenco music.
• Flamenco guitars still often have push-pegs (like a violin) for tuning. On the classical guitar, these have been replaced by geared machine heads.