2025 Colin Van Aelbrouck "Negra" CD/IN

This 2025 Colin Van Aelbrouck flamenco negra, built in Braine-le-Comte, Belgium, pairs a Western red cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides – our second flamenco guitar from the maker whose blanca won First Prize for flamenco in Granada in 2023.

Our Second Flamenco Guitar from Colin

Our first was the ACTUAL award-winning flamenco blanca that Colin showcased at the sixth Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Building Competition in August 2023. Like the blanca, this cedar negra clearly displays the attributes of a true, mid-century style Spanish flamenco guitar. The entire instrument is French polished, with some tint to give it an amber, honey-like color.

Lightweight, Punchy and Easy to Play

It's ultra lightweight, which gives it an immediate, punchy attack. It has lovely, low action – thanks in part to the neck being reinforced internally with ebony, which keeps it stable and allows an accurate, low flamenco setup – making it a breeze to play.

A Flamenco and Classical Crossover Guitar

In the hands of all of us here at GSI, we believe this instrument is versatile enough to satisfy the needs of a classical player as well – in fact this guitar could easily be a great "crossover" instrument for the guitarist playing both flamenco and classical. A visually stunning and sonically beautiful negra that would suit the recording or concert needs of any guitarist. Great instrument all around.

Photos of this guitar taken just after completing construction

Colin Van Aelbrouck: From a Charango to the Spanish Guitar

Colin Van Aelbrouck is a Belgian guitar maker who lives and works in Braine-le-Comte, a small city south of Brussels. From a very young age he was attracted to music of all types, but it was at the age of 18, during a humanitarian trip to Chile, that he fell in love with stringed instruments. He returned home with a charango and bought a student-level Spanish guitar, which allowed him to start learning some of the Andean and Latin American repertoire he had picked up during his travels. Shortly after, he heard Pepe Habichuela's album "Hierbabuena" and became passionate about flamenco guitar and Spanish guitar music in general.

Training with Karel Dedain in Puurs

In 2011, his desire for a better instrument led him to build his first guitar, following the instructions in Roy Courtnall's book "Making a Spanish Guitar". In 2013 he entered the CMB school in Puurs (Centrum voor Muziekinstrumentenbouw), where he studied the art of lutherie with Karel Dedain for five years.

Influences: Ramírez, Santos, García, Bouchet and Friederich

Colin loves the sound of the Spanish guitars of the early 20th century – those of Manuel Ramírez, Santos Hernández and Enrique García. But he is also inspired by the great French luthiers, such as Robert Bouchet and Daniel Friederich, as well as by Italian, German and English makers. He has even built lattice guitars, replacing the usual carbon with wood. For Colin, each new experience is an enrichment, and each new guitar is an improvement. GSI is proud to be Colin's exclusive dealer in the USA.

First Prize in Granada

In August 2023 Colin won First Prize in the flamenco category and Second Prize in the classical category at the prestigious sixth Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain.