Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
- Thread starter mrid
- Start date
DiminisheD-7th
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
look for Admira or other spanish brands.
the Yamaha's i played sounded like plastic (altough they were very playable)
look for Admira or other spanish brands.
the Yamaha's i played sounded like plastic (altough they were very playable)
Hoss
Joyfulnoiseologist
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
takamine...
i'm sure you could find a used one of these in your price range...?!
takamine...
i'm sure you could find a used one of these in your price range...?!
Rstlessone
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
Try these:
Ovation Classical CC059 Acoustic Electric at MF for $439.00(comes with pickup.)
Agree with Yamaha there are several available in and below your price range, good products.
Takamine have some as well, could be higher in price but good guitars as well.
Try them out. I prefer cedar tops.
Hope it helps.
Try these:
Ovation Classical CC059 Acoustic Electric at MF for $439.00(comes with pickup.)
Agree with Yamaha there are several available in and below your price range, good products.
Takamine have some as well, could be higher in price but good guitars as well.
Try them out. I prefer cedar tops.
Hope it helps.
texasguitarslinger
Mo Cow Bellologist
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
Anything but an Esteban! :laugh2:
Anything but an Esteban! :laugh2:
TwofacePimp
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
*Classical guitarist chiming in*
I think you first have to decide what you're going to use it for. If it's just for strumming or flatpicking, you probably could get away with an ovation, or whatever else floats your boat when you play it. The pickup on the ovation will come in handy.
Now if you want a classical for fingerstyle and "classical" playing, I would suggest a Takamine, Cordoba, or even one of the Yamahas that have a glossy finish (not the cheap matte finished ones!) in your price range. There are also a lot of Spanish-made brands that are more obscure, such as Raimundo, Amalio Burguet, Almansa, or maybe even a used Ramirez student model (which is the kind of the Gibson of the classical guitar world). You can find a solid-topped guitar very easily for $500, but solid sides and back will be harder. If you want to go this route, I would try to find a store that specializes in classical guitar, and go and try out as many guitars as they have in your range. The Spanish makers are very inconsistent from guitar to guitar, so always try before you buy.
One more thing: I usually buy $125 Montana CL80 guitars (I think that company is a Kaman affiliate) for my school, and a private school down my street bought similarly-priced Arias, and they were both fine for their purposes. I still love my first Aria classical guitar, which was probably all of $75 when my dad bought it in the late 70's/early 80's. A lot of cheaper models can do pretty well if they are properly set up. The big quality leap is when you go to all solid-wood factory guitars, and then the leap after that is to hand-made guitars from one-man shops.
Hope this helps, Mrid.
*Classical guitarist chiming in*
I think you first have to decide what you're going to use it for. If it's just for strumming or flatpicking, you probably could get away with an ovation, or whatever else floats your boat when you play it. The pickup on the ovation will come in handy.
Now if you want a classical for fingerstyle and "classical" playing, I would suggest a Takamine, Cordoba, or even one of the Yamahas that have a glossy finish (not the cheap matte finished ones!) in your price range. There are also a lot of Spanish-made brands that are more obscure, such as Raimundo, Amalio Burguet, Almansa, or maybe even a used Ramirez student model (which is the kind of the Gibson of the classical guitar world). You can find a solid-topped guitar very easily for $500, but solid sides and back will be harder. If you want to go this route, I would try to find a store that specializes in classical guitar, and go and try out as many guitars as they have in your range. The Spanish makers are very inconsistent from guitar to guitar, so always try before you buy.
One more thing: I usually buy $125 Montana CL80 guitars (I think that company is a Kaman affiliate) for my school, and a private school down my street bought similarly-priced Arias, and they were both fine for their purposes. I still love my first Aria classical guitar, which was probably all of $75 when my dad bought it in the late 70's/early 80's. A lot of cheaper models can do pretty well if they are properly set up. The big quality leap is when you go to all solid-wood factory guitars, and then the leap after that is to hand-made guitars from one-man shops.
Hope this helps, Mrid.
GuitarGuy503
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
Dang Texas beat me to it! :smack: :laugh2:
texasguitarslinger said:
Dang Texas beat me to it! :smack: :laugh2:
GuitarGuy503
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
Glad to hear that. My step dad just bought a 4 string Yamaha Bass. Good to know that he didn't purchase a worthless piece of firewood. :dance:
Kent S. said:Yep, anything that Yamaha makes, they are made well, sound great, have good to great action, and intonate extremely well, which is rather hard for a lot of *other* guitar companies to get a classical to do.
Glad to hear that. My step dad just bought a 4 string Yamaha Bass. Good to know that he didn't purchase a worthless piece of firewood. :dance:
Last edited:
sooperunkn
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
So what's the story with Gibson Classical guitars anyway? I often see models from the 60's for very fair prices compared to their other stuff. Were they just to chunky and the tone sucked? Did they use crappy wood? I always wanted to know this????
TwofacePimp said:
So what's the story with Gibson Classical guitars anyway? I often see models from the 60's for very fair prices compared to their other stuff. Were they just to chunky and the tone sucked? Did they use crappy wood? I always wanted to know this????
TwofacePimp
New member
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
To tell you the truth, I've never played one, heard one, seen one, or heard of anyone playing one, so I'm the wrong guy to ask. If they were made in the 60's that explains why they are so rare now. I know that Martin made a few classicals throughout its time (including copies of Thomas Humphrey Millenium guitars), but those are similarly rare. Most of the concert classical guitarists from the 60's probably played Ramirez guitars (like Segovia did) or others from one-man shops that are meticulously built, to much closer tolerances than a large factory ever could.
So my guess would be that Gibson classicals (and probably Martins) weren't the most prized from their time, so they never caught on and faded into obscurity. They are also coming from fatories that really specialize in steel strings, so they couldn't possibly sell as many classicals or advertise them as much. Again, I'm just making an educated guess, so if anyone knows more please chime in...
sooperunkn said:
To tell you the truth, I've never played one, heard one, seen one, or heard of anyone playing one, so I'm the wrong guy to ask. If they were made in the 60's that explains why they are so rare now. I know that Martin made a few classicals throughout its time (including copies of Thomas Humphrey Millenium guitars), but those are similarly rare. Most of the concert classical guitarists from the 60's probably played Ramirez guitars (like Segovia did) or others from one-man shops that are meticulously built, to much closer tolerances than a large factory ever could.
So my guess would be that Gibson classicals (and probably Martins) weren't the most prized from their time, so they never caught on and faded into obscurity. They are also coming from fatories that really specialize in steel strings, so they couldn't possibly sell as many classicals or advertise them as much. Again, I'm just making an educated guess, so if anyone knows more please chime in...
Re: Good Beginner Classical Guitar?
I really should read all the replies first ...Two Faced Pimp has some great info, I still stand by my choice of anything by Yamaha (glossy or not) as you generally can't go wrong, and you'll get you moneys worth ... again good overall quailty and precision. Now for something a bit different, if anybody has a small child that needs a 3/4size classical (they have a 1/2 size also, but once you start getting down that small, well never tried those, and most childern will take a 3/4 anyway, they'll out grow a 1/2 size in no time at all) ... There is a jobber called Midco that has a line of guitars (European made ... Maybe Spain) called Amigo, there are two of interest, they are ...
#AM30 ... solid spruce top, beech back and sides, matte finish ...circa $120
#AM31 ... spruce top, mahogany back and sides, matte finish ... circa $130
5 year warranty ... Never did ever have a problem with any of them, and the placed I worked at (yes they had a REAL classical guitarist teaching classical) had some students that had been with him for for a long time, and had passed those guitars down to family members, he said he never had heard of any problems reported with them. Very good tone, intonation, and action.
A good basic, no frills guitar. ... :fing2:
I really should read all the replies first ...Two Faced Pimp has some great info, I still stand by my choice of anything by Yamaha (glossy or not) as you generally can't go wrong, and you'll get you moneys worth ... again good overall quailty and precision. Now for something a bit different, if anybody has a small child that needs a 3/4size classical (they have a 1/2 size also, but once you start getting down that small, well never tried those, and most childern will take a 3/4 anyway, they'll out grow a 1/2 size in no time at all) ... There is a jobber called Midco that has a line of guitars (European made ... Maybe Spain) called Amigo, there are two of interest, they are ...
#AM30 ... solid spruce top, beech back and sides, matte finish ...circa $120
#AM31 ... spruce top, mahogany back and sides, matte finish ... circa $130
5 year warranty ... Never did ever have a problem with any of them, and the placed I worked at (yes they had a REAL classical guitarist teaching classical) had some students that had been with him for for a long time, and had passed those guitars down to family members, he said he never had heard of any problems reported with them. Very good tone, intonation, and action.
A good basic, no frills guitar. ... :fing2:
