I spent $129 for my first Little Martin and I do not consider that to be a "child's instrument". Do you?

As I said earlier, there are guitar police - who seem to want to dictate how someone else spends their money. And on this forum there appears to be considerable snobbery regarding anything less than $3k guitars.

I bought the Yamaha because I wasn't looking to buy any instrument that day but the sound of the 103 caught my ear. Now, if you wish to insult my hearing or my taste next, we'll go from there. But I would assume the moderators of the forum will quickly shut this down if it proceeds too far.


I am interested though, why does this bother you so? In deciding just to insult me, you failed to answer the question regarding what will happen if someone plays the "wrong" size instrument. You made a flat statement this was wrong and you've decided it best to insult what I choose to own. Please back up your claims in a way that clarifies why you are so adamant that I have a sub-standard guitar in your estimation. I suspect this still has some relevance to the op's questions and subsequent education.

from yamaha site:
The shape and feel of this 3/4 sized guitar makes it appropriate for most beginning students.
This is Yamaha's smallest instrument. Its 21" (535mm) scale length and 3-3/4" (94-100mm) deep body provide a perfect fit for the beginning musicians.

if you like it play it!
nothing more to say

For the third time you have ignored the basic question your poor attitude raises. Since you have nothing to say other than you disapprove of my selection and my budget, I can only assume you have spoken out of ... "preference" (not really but I'll get an email from the moderators if I go any further) rather than out of any reasoned or factual result to playing the "wrong" sized instrument.

Paikon, you have insulted me simply because you have inserted your nose somewhere it doesn't belong. A gentleman would apologize. A true gentleman would do so without being asked.





"so you spent 125$ for a 3/4 guitar and you think that isn't a kids instrument?
have it your way"




Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

I am going to have to disagree with you on this. I play just about every kind of guitar there is, professionally. Been doing it for over 4 decades. There are nylon Folk strings, because I use them all the time. La Bellas. They are a little beefier and higher tension than classical medium tension strings, but not as high tension as flamenco strings. They are actually a nice compromise between the two extremes. The sound is nice and warm on the low-end, with well defined highs on the 1-3 strings. They really shine when strumming chords...something most classical guitars do not do well.

The steel string 'folk' strings would be the various Silk and Steel sets that just about everyone puts out now. They are very effective at taming overly-bright guitars. My Martin has always been a screamer on high frequencies, but using Silk and Steel strings on it tames it nicely, and evens out the frequencies. Now it sounds more warm, almost like a Gibson J-45.

Why do you have to settle on one or the other? Get both steel and nylon string guitars, and be versatile. There is no such thing as too many guitars.

You're joking, right? You can't be serious. Do you even play a guitar? Any size guitar that feels good, plays good, and sounds good is the right size for you. Gibson has been making Parlor guitars since the 1902, and I can guarantee you that they are not all played by children and short people. Robert Johnson, and Jimmie Rogers were particularly fond of Parlor guitars, as is Leon Redbone. I play a Parlor sized guitar every week, and carry a Baby Taylor around with me wherever I go. The Luna Muse 3/4 also nice. I play it at the lake and river a lot. The LX is one of Martins best-selling guitars. I have the Koa version, and it is one of my favorite guitars that I own.

I don't know where you are getting your information, but whoever told you that was pulling your leg, big time.

Don't let it bum you out. People get weird ideas sometimes... I am certainly not a guitar snob. I've been playing long enough to know better. Price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. I have 2 Recording Kings, one A6M Concert with a beautiful slotted headstock, and an RPH "Dirty Thirty" Parlor model, both of which are all wood and bone, and I paid less than $100.00 for each of them. I would put these up against any Gibson or Martin as far as sound and playability. I also have a Yamaha 3/4 Classical that I paid $35.00 dollars for at an antique shop, threw a new set of strings on it, popped in a Fishman Presys 301 pickup system, and I play concerts with it regularly. It has a beautiful, mellow aged sound to it. Yamaha makes some great instruments for the money.

Perhaps JanVigne does not understand....You don't pick the guitar. The guitar picks you. :)

No way that I would recommend this.

Less inspiring is the large neck profile of a classical guitar in my opinion and I think the sooner you can get callouses on those fingers the better.

back to the OPs basics
 

Enough sidetracking on 3/4 vs 4/4 size. It's what he feels comfortable with, not one of us.

My feeling is that he needs to decide what kind of music will dominate his playing and choose appropriately from there. You can play either on either. My feeling, however, is that classical played on a steel string guitar is interesting, even good, but still doesn't sound quite "right". Less so with other music played on the classical guitar. I have heard folk music, jazz, flamenco played on a classical and it can sound pretty darn good.

The bigger difference to me is the width of the nut and the action. That requires some adapting when switching from one to the other. Nylonish strings will make similar sounds whether on a classical or folk guitar. I had a high quality classic that was at least as loud as my loudest steel string. It amazed me and sure turned around my thinking on that. I eventually sold it as I did not like the transition between wider and higher strings of the classical from the guitars where I spent most of my playing time. If I played mostly classical, I might have sold a steel strong instead.

Here's child's/beginner's instrument (yes, that's how it was marketed), I'd sell my granny for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdD-HTLjr0

IT'S ALIVE!
 

Original post was in 2012, y'all. He's probably decided by now.