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An angled neck or top has no bearing on string height over the neck, but they do increase string height over the top which isn't the least bit desirable for flamenco players in general. It's purpose is to give better access to the higher frets. But being as old-fashioned as most guitarists are, cutaways aren't overly popular. The angled top gives you the better access of a cutaway, without actually using a cutaway, and this is a little bit more popular with classical players.
I had a guitar from cuenca in past. It also had this angeled fretboard. I thought its like that to have better shrumming sound in the basses but clear tones in the trebles.
The fretboard is normally angled, relative to the plane of the top, in some way. It's visible on that Marvi because he's elevated the fretboard and you can clearly see the slope of the cedar. This is not the same as what is usually meant by "elevated fretboard" on a classical guitar, and does not necessarily raise the saddle height--the distance between the strings and the top is decreasing along the neck. The fretboard is elevated to provide better access to frets 12+, not to alter tone or action.
Guitars without elevated fretboards typically have an angled string path as well, the difference being that the fretboard itself is sloped. Some people set the neck in the same plane as the top then plane a slope into the face of the fretboard and others angle the neck forward of the top and plane a slope into the underside of the fretboard above fret 12. The result's the same in the end. Low action is possible with any method.
Humphreys made a guitar this way probably about 25 years ago, I think it was his inovation. The idea was to get greater volume by increasing the angle between the plane of the strings and the top of the guitar. In crude terms, the greater the angle, the greater the volume a bit like the way the strings are set on a Harp. There are obvious limitations when dealing with a guitar and the wedge shape fretboard is just a consequence of the design to maximize the string angle. I agree, a total no no for flamenco allbeit, Nunez seems to like playing his Marvi.
RE: Raised/Angled Fretboard (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Well I don't know how much Nunez really likes the Marvi. I have seen him in concert Live 4 times and he played Conde each of those times. He played the Marvi on the Encuentro DVD, but it does not seem that it is his concert instrument.
Oops. When I mentioned the increased string height, I wasn't referring to the subtle angle like on that Marvi but instead the more drastic angle like on Humphrey Millennium guitars, even though the Marvi picture is posted right up there for all to see. I can see that Marvi version being accepted, but definitely not anything more noticeable.
Well I don't know how much Nunez really likes the Marvi. I have seen him in concert Live 4 times and he played Conde each of those times. He played the Marvi on the Encuentro DVD, but it does not seem that it is his concert instrument.
I read an interview with Gerardo where he talked about th Marvi that he got for a few bucks because he promoted it in the encuentro video. He said that the guitar was very nice but it was too heavy for him. He wants to be free and move on stage..the Marvi guitar was to heavy for that, so he switched back to his conde.
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