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A few days ago a friend of a friend brought me her newish Cordoba flamenco guitar. Not an overly pricey instrument but not a super cheapy either.
She's just learning to play and when she bought the guitar she thought that the buzzing was just a result of her ineptitude. However, after owning it for a few months she realized that there is no way to play it without buzzing.

I just got a chance to look over the guitar and, while there are a couple of frets that are a touch out the biggest problem I noticed is with the guitar's geometry. The action is very low (2.4mm bass to 1.5mm treble @12th) however, the saddle is VERY high (5.6mm bass to 4.5mm treble).
I decided that the guitar must be defective and checked the manufacturer's website for warranty info and came across a section labeled "good buzz vs bad buzz" which explains that they purposely build buzz into their flamenco models.

Now, I personally think that is absolutely ridiculous. I've built flamencos and listened to plenty of flamenco music, even fooled around with playing a little of it and realize that buzzing is common and acceptable in flamenco music due to the low action that players prefer coupled with aggressive play. But producing a instrument that cannot be played (and cannot be setup to be played) without buzzing just sounds idiotic to me and it seems shameful to sell such an instrument to someone who is just starting to learn the instrument and doesn't know any better (especially without pointing out buzz "feature").

My question is this: Should I do any work on the instrument? I could level the couple of frets that are just a smidge out and can tweak the truss rod a touch to give it a little more relief but it is still going to buzz but maybe not as badly. The saddle is already higher than I'd be comfortable with on one of my instruments so I don't want to raise that.

I'm leaning toward not doing any work (since I'm not an authorized repair person and wouldn't want to potentially void the warranty) and suggesting she first try to return the instrument or trade it in for a comparable classical model that doesn't have the built in buzz. However, I doubt they'll accept it since it is a clearly stated "feature" of that model.

What do you guys think?

Hard to tell without seeing it, but as I understand.... flamenco guitars ARE supposed to buzz a little.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I don't agree.
A flamenco should be capable of playing without buzzing if the player chooses. It should ALSO be capable of buzzing (pleasantly) when the player chooses to play aggressively (such as when playing rasguados).

I've never played a high-end flamenco that couldn't be played without buzzing.

They are supposed to buzz - with low action. Raise the action to that of a Classical guitar and it should not buzz with 'normal' playing.
Are those saddle measurements from the top of the Bridge? If so they are already out of range, which suggests a poor Neck angle.
The relief won't do much for buzz free playing. If you can get 0.3 - 0.4 mm's on the bass that's about it.

Yes, the saddle measurements are from the top of the bridge-the exposed portion of the saddle, and, as I said, the saddle is already too high so raising the action isn't really an option without compromising the structural integrity of the top.

And I understand (again, as mentioned before) that flamencos should be set up with low action (and geometry should be such that string height over the top is lower than a classical) and that the resulting edge (buzz) you get when playing aggressively is part of the flamenco sound but I find it hard to accept that a guitar should be set up in such a way that it is impossible to play anything cleanly.

I will add, though, that I'm not a flamenco guy. I mostly build and play classical guitars (with the occasional small-bodied steel string thrown in). I've only built a couple flamencos. But I do live near some world-famous guitar shops and have played a few very pricey flamencos and don't recall any that absolutely could not be played cleanly.
That being said, I'd be interested to hear opinions from some folks who do have extensive experience building and/or playing flamencos.

(side note: the string height over the top also seems high on this guitar for a flamenco @ 12.1mm, more like a classical)

The saddle is already too high. It's much higher than I like on a Classical with Classical action. I aim for 4 mm's saddle projection on the Bass side. Anything over 5 mm when you already have the action that you have stated is too high. There is no margin built into it.
There's not a lot of difference between a Classical and a Flamenco. Relief? neither here nor there. Some Classical makers shoot for dead straight, little or no relief. Anyway, you have a double action truss rod. It won't do you much good. Action? Up or down on the saddle according to taste. Nothing else. What else is there that will deliberately induce/control buzzing? Nothing.
On a Classical I can easily get my Guitars to buzz. Just change to a lower saddle. The margin is there. Just because it's a flamenco doesn't imply that you merely touch the string and it buzzes like crazy. It's much more of a subtle buzz, if you get my meaning.

It sounds like the geometry is off. In an old style flamenco setup your action should be down around 2-2.5mm with a string height over the soundboard at the bridge of something like 7 mm. Reyes built his with a more classical string height, more like 10mm at the bridge. Some people consider that to be unplayable.

It's hard to say whether the guitar should absolutely be supposed to be able to be played cleanly without buzzing. The Barbero that Sabicas made famous has about a 2 mm action at the 12th and has intentional back bow in the fretboard to boot. Dennis Koster reportedly jacked the saddle height way up when he had the opportunity to play it at an important showing.

If you are at 1.5 to 2 mm action and the string height at the bridge is high, -- problems!

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Just caught this. Yes, this is on the high end even for a classical, as much as 5 mm high for a flamenco, and you still have the low action at the 12th? Ouch. Too bad.

If there is enough fretboard thickness at the 12th and I were intent on fixing this, my first inclination would be to yank the frets and plane the fretboard. But you need to take off maybe 2 mm at the 12th, or so, maybe even 2.5mm? That would give you room to play with action and string height at the bridge.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

OK guys, I'm well aware of the problems with the geometry. It was one of the first things I stated.
I've built enough guitars over the last 9 years to know what the geometry should be like on a classical and, while not really a flamenco guy, I am familiar with the geometry of flamencos as well (on the couple I've built I've gone with 8mm string height and about 2.8mm 6th string action at the 12th fret).
My question had nothing to do with geometry.

My question was, simply, should I go ahead and do what I can to make the instrument more playable (with the current geometry it's never going to be particularly playable) or should I tell her to try to return the instrument (again, I doubt they'll take it because "it's supposed to buzz").

edit: sorry if that came off as a bit snippy

Standard flamenco action is 3.0 to 2.5mm at the 12th with a string height at the bridge of around 8mm
Assuming the neck is not backbowed,This instrument at 2.4 to 1.5mm and 12.1 at the bridge is clearly defective, regardless of any "meant to buzz" statements and should be returned.

Yeah, that was my initial feeling but seeing the whole buzz section on their website kind of threw me off.

It doesn't hurt to see what they say.

I think a commercial flamenco should be able to be set up to not buzz, like a classical, or be lower and buzz. What you describe cannot. I think if it is under warranty, the owner should challenge to company on this. Also, can you examine other flamenco guitars from this company to see if they are similarly defective?

That said, I have heard of flamenco experts who play guitars with a reverse bow, so they always buzz. This is a very special arrangement that should not be built into a commercial guitar.