electro classical/nylon string advice
 

Have any of you hot tips on makes/models of electric nylon string guitars? I'm developing a band that plays bossa/jazz standards/latin with two horn players, & want that nylon sound. At the moment I'm using an Aria Sinsonido, but it's only really a practice guitar, & can have a rather cheesy "quacky" sound, so I want to upgrade.

Are the Godin multiacs any good? They look cool, but how do they sound? Do they sound ok without the amping? The Takamines seem pretty good too. Line 6 Variax (don't like the idea of needing an adapter, though)? I want something that can be played unamplified, but with a decent amped sound. Other desiderata: cutaway, relatively narrow neck (I can manage my Admira ok, but bar chords get tricky at the top range), and dot markers (I never did understand why they aren't included on classical guitars, though I've got used to not having them). Willing to spend up to a grand US$.

welcome to the forum
for a good natural sound, get a nice reasonable classical(manuel rodriguez,alhambra) and then add a k&k pickup.
i have a classical 8 string with the k&k plus a external beyerdynamic mic.
i am happy with the sound.
Eblen Macari

I've owned a Gibson Chet Atkins solid body nylon string guitar, a Kirk Sand, Brazilian rosewood/cedar Kirk Sand nylon string electric guitar and a Taylor NS72ce-LTD nylon string guitar. The day I bought the Kirk Sand I considered buying the less expensive Godin but I much preferred the Kirk Sand. Jose Feliciano uses Kirk Sand guitars.

http://www.sandguitars.com/home.htm

My favorite of the three mentioned above was the Taylor which was made of Brazilian rosewood and cedar.

The Godins pretty much make no sound without an amplifier. There are two models, one a solid body and the other a thin hollow body.

I like the sound of the Gibson Chet Atkins solidbody better than the Godin. But that's just me.

If you're playing with a band, a solid body may be what you need to be heard over the other instruments and not get feedback.

I have a Godin ACS SA (Nylon solid body) and its sound quality is poor in my humble opinion. I thought perhaps it was just mine, but I have heard a few super pros playing them and they sound the same. Just no depth or color to the sound.

I have a Line6 300 Nylon and love it. It has great sound for what it is, does not feedback, etc.

I have an Alvarez AC60 which I play an hour plus each and every day. Even though its pickup is so so, it sounds great, especially when amplified. It does not have much projection otherwise.

Jack

Takamine TH5C
 

This is more than your budget (and mine as well), but it is probably the last guitar I am going to purchase, so decided to invest the extra money after testing it for the past couple of days.....

I just purchased a Takamine TH5C ($1600) and am really impressed. I have two Sanchis flamencos with PUTW/1 meg resistor mod, and until the TH5C was the best sound (and I thought it couldn't get better.)

I ordered the TH5C after checking other nylon alternatives at Guitar Center, and discovered that pickkup/preamp quality has come a long way. But I ordered the TH5C with the intention of returning it, since my Sanchis were at least as good or better than those a GC. I was determiined not to like the TH5C and return it after A/B'ing it with the Sanchis guitars.

But the TH5C was markedly better than my best guitars, and plays well into every amp I own, including special effects......

In short, there is no way I am returning the TH5C (and I would assume the other upper end Hirade models are as good); it isn't the best unplugged guitar I have ever played (comparable to my Sanchis), but plugged into an amp it is extraordinary in my experience......

I've had a TAK TC132SC for just over a year now, and I still think it is one of the best playing and sounding guitars in my stable. It has the same basic build of BuleriaChk's TAK Hirade TH5C and also has the cool tube preamp. From what I understand the basic difference is the TC132SC doesn't have solid rosewood sides and the ebony fretboard. Both are great guitars.

Until recently, my goto guitars were Takamine TH-5C (not very flamenco, but fantastic sounding for other genres), and my special order Flamenco TC-132SC (cypress sides, spruce top) which really does sound Flamenco except that it is built like a tank. For a long time I have also used a Sanchis Flamenco guitar with a Palathetic/Cooltube 2 pickup/preamp combo professionally installed locally.

Recently I had a windfall (walked into my local music store to get some strings after a 12 year absence, and found I had a $500 credit from 12 years ago, which, together with a number of trade-ins, allowed me to purchase a Cordoba GK Pro. At first I was skeptical, because the earlier Fishman pickups/preamps didn't sound good (as I remember from 12 years ago), but the Pro has an excellent sound out of the box (with the mic turned all the way off), and together with a Behringer TO800 is all I need going into any FRFR amp (no "acoustic" tweaking necessary). My two current amps are an iLoud (where there is no electricity) and a Fishman Acoustic 100, but I have tried the GK Pro into many other amps into the Aux In if I don't want the effects (e.g., the Katana 50/100) - recently, almost any amp with an Aux In is useable - even the mini amps like the Fly 3 or Katana Mini.

The Cordoba GK Pro is fast becoming my goto Flamenco guitar (not only that, but I don't think there is much difference between the Studio and Pro models if plugged in....) but I wanted one of Cordoba's best models if it was going to be used for my main guitar....)

And the Fender Passport Mini works well also, with the amp set on the tube amp....

Technology has come a long ways in 12 years....

IMO, YMMV, FWIW, etc....

You'll have a lot of problems with feedback and difficulty cutting through the mix with full-bodied guitars in a band setting. I would highly recommend a solid body (or chambered) like the Godins or Gibsons as they were made for this purpose. Obviously they won't sound anywhere near a full-bodied guitar acoustically but that's not their purpose. They don't make the Gibson Chet Atkins anymore so you'll have to search one out on EBay but they run about $1,500 used. You can get the Godins for around your budget---it's worth trying them out. I have a Godin Duet Ambiance which I love; it has mic imaging which really adds to the character of the nylon sound. I regularly play it in trios and occasionally in bands and it cuts right thru! It also has enough acoustic volume for practicing in my living room, etc... I got mine as B-stock (only a tiny nick that you can't see) for $728 including shipping from MF and it's now my main gigging guitar.

FYI, Kirk Sands are beautiful and top-notch but run about $4k used.

Never tried the Line 6 but they do make great products.

Not necessarily true.

The Godins made for synth access are yes, pretty darn quiet. But a model like the duet ambiance is not.

The synth access guitars have a very quack plugged in sound--they're really made for the synth. The duet ambiance is the best acoustic pickup system I've ever used...but no synth. That may not matter to you (it didn't to me)

Here's what the guitar sounds like unplugged.

Nice playing Jeff!

Yamaha's Silent Nylon guitars are nice, check them out!

I can recommend what I have :)

It is Camps 2000 equipped with Fishman Prefix Premium Blend.
Great acoustic sound (solid spruce and rosewood) as well as plugged-in sound.
Piezo with internal mic on a gooseneck.
Perfect string-to-string balance due to 6-element bridge saddle.
I have two more Camps guitars - also great value for the money.

http://www.guitarrascamps.com/en/gui...-camps/11/2000

http://www.guitarrascamps.com/en/highlights

Regards,
Marek

I've owned a Godin Multiac SA for..... I'd say at least ten years. I absolutely LOVE it! It sounds phenomenal and I receive nothing but compliments when I play it live. In fact I just played the prelude music at a wedding with it this past weekend. It sounds so beautiful amplified.

I understand there are differences in the Godin nylon range, but the only Godin nylon I've ever played is the one I own, so I can only speak to my personal experience with this one guitar. I've played many other nylons, Córdoba, Taylor etc., but would never even consider making a change. My Godin is just that exceptional. It's not a guitar you own to play acoustically. I play it unamplified to practice and it's fine, but it doesn't have the projection to compete with an acoustic body.

That's my two cents. I'll be keeping my Godin for life.

Welcome to the board. I was playing with a band in Vegas a couple months ago and the music-director/lead guitar had one of these. Fabulous sound especially when the cost was realized. Try one. You can find them on Reverb.


Angel Lopez Electric Solid Body Classical Guitar - Natural