Recommendations for high quality nylon string/crossover guitars

[s2y]

Originally Posted by bigignatz

I'd consider one of his guitars (you're being facetious about it sounding "OK", right?) but he's taking orders for 2025/26 now and given I've come close to croaking twice in the past couple of years...my patience is limited.

I will however seriously consider having him build something if I get really serious about this "crossover" thing. Again, dealing with nerve damage from an injection injury and arthritis, and my interests are shifting towards W. African music, e.g. Kora transcriptions like what the brilliant Derek Gripper plays.

Also, as for what a "crossover" guitar is, yeah, that's a slippery definition, isn't it.

Thanks also to the respondent who mentioned the "high E" problem. I have played a couple of the cheaper "crossovers" and this was a serious problem, leading me to up my price range, once my other guitars are sold...if they ever do sell in the present ridiculously flat market.

Yes, Michel builds outstanding guitars. Dream Guitars seems to have the occasional crossover in stock.

[Rolph]

I've been through quite a few crossovers. The Cervantes I is Excellent, great projection.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by bigignatz

Thanks also to the respondent who mentioned the "high E" problem. I have played a couple of the cheaper "crossovers" and this was a serious problem, leading me to up my price range, once my other guitars are sold

Note that this isn't so much a problem of high vs. low end but purely one depending on neck width and string spacing. I think this is also 1 area where a radiused fretboard doesn't help, for reasons that are probably obvious.
Be aware however that this edge problem will be much more noticeable if you don't have experience with the low tension of nylon strings, or on the contrary, if you're used to playing on a wide, flat classical fretboard.
I can confirm that a classical with a 48mm nut will be playable (with/after some practise) in that regard but that I still get the problem from time to time on the 50mm almost-flat fretboard of my Cabaret.
So take that into account when you go trying guitars!

Does that store of yours stock "kids'" classicals? AFAIU the 7/8 models have a narrower fretboard, maybe even 48mm, so they'd be good as demo instruments to see how they work out for you. And maybe even cheap enough to take one home for more in-depth evaluation if it's even worth to pursue putting much more money into one?

[jseth]

Kirk Sand, at the Guitar Shoppe in Laguna Beach... has made them for Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Earl Klugh, Jose Feliciano and many more... he builds marvelous instruments.

I have no idea of what his "rate" is these days... but, rest assured, it will be well worth the money!

[RJVB]

Shall I parrot some more of the obligatorily positive demos and state that I am usually about just as underwhelmed by what I hear of Taylor nylon-stringers as I am with that other brand that shall not be named anymore?

Much less with the x12ce-n models though - probably not surprisingly because they are roughly the same size as a standard classical so there's less top surface to drive by the so much lighter nylon strings which could mean they'll not just sound nice but also have a proper dynamic range. Currently they list only a 312ce-N (sapele B&S) and 812ce-N (rosewood B&S), both all-solid but from what I can tell there has been a Koa-backed 312ce-n and a 612ce-N (maple B&S).
The only pity here is that Taylor didn't see fit to add a little fretboard extension over the soundhole on their 12-fret grand concerts; 17 frets total isn't very generous but I guess no one would use this kind of instrument for demanding classical repertoire.

I see that the current *14ce-N models have V-class bracing, which is a bit of a surprise; the other models have a Taylor version of traditional fan-bracing.

Another EU brand that hasn't been mentioned yet and that will build in the OP's price range is Dowina. The best demo of their hybrids is by Steve Cooney, apparently not very chauvinistic in his choice of instruments O:-)

[Vol46]

I like my Lowden S32 J.