Welcome to CFX Guitars
Meticulously handcrafted from solid hardwoods, combining a passion for the process with a precise approach to create expressive instruments rooted in the Spanish tradition.
Guitarist Alejandro Cote performs on a CFX classical spruce top guitar with rosewood back and sides.
How the Guitar is Made
The sound boards are made using European Spruce or Western Red Cedar. The back and sides can be made with a variety of hardwoods, traditionally Rosewoods from India and South America. The neck is carved from Spanish Mahogany and is reinforced with a carbon fiber rods to give extra stiffness without adding more weight.
Examples of a “rope” tile for a flamenco guitar (above) and a rosette based on Ignacio Fleta’s design (below) for a classical cedar top guitar.
The Rosette
The rosette is a special part of the guitar that celebrates the beauty and aesthetic traditions of the guitar. Using wood veneer, the entire rosette is made by hand. Not only does the rosette support the sound hole, it is the strongest decorative element on the guitar. The rosette gives the individual guitar its 'face' and is the luthier’s unique decorative mark.
How a rosette tile is made by hand.
Steam bending and inlaying the rosette .
Applying the french polish.
The guitars are finished using traditional French polish - thin multiple coats of hand applied shellac that protects and enhances the surface of the guitar as it focused the sound of the guitar. French polish is very labor intensive but it is the most beautiful finish. It does not dampen the resonance of the guitar nor will it separate from the guitar due to variances in temperature. It is easy to repair and with care, will deepen in color and age with grace.
The French Polish
About Christian Francis Xavier
My guitar teacher introduced me to flamenco and showed me a guitar once played by the legendary Sabicas. It was a flamenco blanca, and I was immediately struck by its tight, responsive feel and powerful energy - as if the instrument itself held a stored intensity. Years later, while searching for a new instrument, I realized I could build my own guitar. This pursuit led me to the European Institute of Guitar Making in Andalucía, Spain.
Under the guidance of master luthier Stephen Hill and his colleague Pablo Requeña, I attended an intensive course where students build a guitar by hand. I chose to make a flamenco blanca, and the experience was transformative - solidifying my path as a guitar maker.
As a dedicated luthier specializing in handmade classical and flamenco guitars, I approach each instrument as a lifelong pursuit of craftsmanship, tone, and artistry. I build guitars one at a time, guided by intuition, research, material exploration, and feedback from musicians and performers. The process is both humbling and demanding, yet deeply rewarding.
Creating custom handmade guitars is a personal journey. Through each instrument, I strive to share the beauty, resonance, and expressive power that the guitar has brought into my life—offering musicians a unique instrument to support their own artistic voice.
