2026 Gao Yi "Flamenco Negra" SP/IN

Gao Yi has been building for many years and is a seasoned and well-trained luthier building largely in the Granada style, having studied there with two of the city's top names: Antonio Marin and Rene Baarslag. He also studied in Beijing years before with Juan Labella, also a Granada luthier. This is Gao's 142nd guitar which is built as a traditional, old-school flamenco negra. Unlike his classical model which uses the Bouchet-inspired 5-fan with under-bridge brace, this flamenco uses a traditional 7 fan system that Gao learned from Rene Baarslag, and is otherwise very influenced by the Granada School in general. The resulting sound is overwhelmingly and convincingly very "flamenco" with a bullet-like attack, raspy voice, and dry "bark" - this guitar could be used in solo or ensemble playing, it's extremely versatile for any flamenco setting. It's absolutely incredible how different in sound and feel this guitar is from his classical counterpart. This is truly a fantastic "Spanish" negra!

Materials selected for this guitar are incredibly well-sourced - the soundboard is made of high-quality spruce from the Fiemme Valley at an altitude of 1500 meters in the northern Alps, which is the same location that sourced the woods for Stradivarius' violins. The back and sides are constructed of a lovely set of high-grade Indian rosewood with some lovely figuring and texture in the grain patterns. Snakewood is used in the bindings and inlays througout including the central part of the back and foot (where the sides come together at the bottom). Overall this produces a very unified look, very classy and tasteful all around. For the headstock shape, Gao takes inspiration from Antonio Marin and Antonio de Torres to create his own design. The striking rosette borrows from traditional geometric decorative patterns of Chinese window grilles and also integrates Japanese Hakone Yosegi Zaiku (marquetry wood mosaics) to create a distinctive, elegant and very unique look. His plantilla is his own - he seeks the produce the curvature that follows the waistline of the human body, done both for the gentle aesthetic as well as improved ergonomics when playing the guitar. For playability and maximal flamenco response, Gao has implemented a low string-to-soundboard distance, enabling guitarists to easily balance playing and tapping.

Overall, this guitar beautifully combines the charm of Gao's local Chinese influences, a dab of Japanese design and of course the modified but very traditional Spanish influences that make this a unique but very traditional Spanish guitar. All in, this an exceptional instrument by any standard.

Gao Yi's background with the classical guitar goes back many years, when his interest as a player earned him music degrees from both Jining University and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He also earned top prizes in several competitions including first prize in the 2000 Chinese Competition. As a player, he has also taught out of his own studio in Shanghai. His interest in guitar making was sparked in 2002 while working with Yamaha in the marketing division, and his experience playing the guitars of Antonio Marin led him to embrace the Granada style. Indeed, he traveled several times to Granada to receive advice and support from Antonio Marin himself, and to study with Rene Baarslag in his workshop just outside Granada. After several years of working at his craft, Gao Yi was awarded first-prize for his flamenco guitar at the prestigious seventh Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Making Competition held in Granada, Spain in July/August, 2024. His classical guitar also made it as a finalist. We are very pleased to have met this very fine maker, and look forward to seeing many more of his guitars in the future.