In the Spanish tradition of guitar-making of the 20th century (at least) flamenco and classical guitars are made in similar way and whenever the orders come.  They are often very different but the case of Manuel Reyes is not the most common where a maker is known only for one style.  I make more classicals, as most makers do, but I really enjoy making a nice flamenco and have one on the go right now.  Cypress makes a light, incredibly responsive flamenco with just the right amount of snap and dryness.  This one will have pegs and I will be putting Pegheds (TM) on it.  By the way Pegheds are now available in Spain, from the distributor of Hiscox cases here, Delta Music.

I really like this light-coloured rosewood for flamenco bridges, very light weight too.

These days, importing guitars into the U.S. is expensive and complicated.  Shipping, insurance and customs charges can really add up and the “guilty until proven innocent” slant of the Lacey Act makes importation a real challenge for someone who has found a maker in Spain to make their dream guitar.  Having someone in the U.S. who has a good realationship with the guitar-playing community and is trustworthy and deals fairly with customers and suppliers is a must for me now.  On the west coast the dealer I consistently hear good things about is John Silva at Trilogy guitars.   I spoke to John about a year ago but only just recently finished the guitar that he ordered.  I am looking forward to a long a fruitful relationship with him.

This is just a test to see if I can use Facebook to reach more people without having to learn how to use it and waste time doing things their way.  This post should appear magically on my Facebook John Ray Guitars page without me having a personal profile on Facebook.

Update:  it seems to be working so I will publish my old posts  onto Facebook for those new readers I might get over there.