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#1
03-20-2015, 05:57 AM
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Classical Confusion
Recently, I have become intrigued with the idea of purchasing a classical guitar and am now incapable of chasing the idea from my head. I've done considerable online research and have come up with a multitude of opinions on the good, the bad and the ugly; however, the true test is how does the guitar feel, play and sound while sitting on your lap.
I have been playing acoustical, steel string guitar for more years than I care to count and would like to start out with a used classical guitar in the $500 range. I have tried several guitars at the local retailers...Cordoba, Ibanez, Yamaha to name a few....but haven't found one with the sound and responsiveness that I probably can't expect to find in that price range. Having said that, even the Cordoba C10 for roughly $1,000 was unimpressive. Yesterday, I found a Manuel Rodriquez Model D at the local GC, priced around $900, that had a significantly better quality of sound and tone than anything else I've tried, but the 52mm nut width was painful to my hand after only a few minutes of play. I was also disappointed to find that the back and sides of this model are laminated rosewood. I was hoping that it would be solid wood at that price range. I've been reading the pros and cons of the La Patrie Collection and Presentation models. Both offer solid wood sides and back and come with a thinner neck and nut....50mm I believe. The price range of these guitars is $600-$700 new. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a La Patrie dealer anywhere within a hundred miles or so, and I don't want to buy anything until I can actually play it myself. So, there's my problem. I want a guitar with good tone and response, one that is easy on my fat, stubby hands, is made of solid wood, that is affordable and that I can actually get my fat stubby hands on for a try out. Can anyone offer some advice based on their experience? Thanks for your help. 
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#2
03-20-2015, 06:22 AM
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PM sent...
__________________
Martin 000-28EC '71 Harmony Buck Owens American Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-45 Gold Tone PBR-D Paul Beard Signature Model resonator "Lean your body forward slightly to support the guitar against your chest, for the poetry of the music should resound in your heart." -Andrés Segovia
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#3
03-20-2015, 07:01 AM
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Quote:
1) In a classical guitar, string tension is generally under half of a steel string, so the guitars are much more sensitive to "overbuilding" than a steel string and will exhibit a greater tonal deficit due to overbuilding. Hence, you usually don't find a classical guitar with a decent sound unless it is over a thousand bucks or so. 2) Rodriguez guitars - I myself identified Rodriguez guitars as having great value for money circa 1997 when I first got to play one. In fact, I really loved the guitars, but their fretwork left a lot to be desired. Hence, my friend and former boss, John LaRocque, wrote to Manuel Jr. and Manuel invited my boss and me to their factory in Spain to work as fretwork advisors, showing their employees how to bring up the level of fretwork. 3) Laminated sides on classical guitars is not a bad thing. Some of the most expensive classical guitars are built with laminated sides. Laminated backs... This will limit top tonal production somewhat, but for a sub-1000 dollar guitar that sounds good, it is certainly not a deal breaker. 4) Regarding the left hand - 52 mm nut is very much within standard range. You could easily have a skilled luthier make a new nut with a narrower string spacing. I usually bias my string spacing towards the bass side (ie: treble E is a mm or so further from the fingerboard edge than the bass E), but in your case, you could get both E's set just as far from the fingerboard edge. This would likely rectify any problems you are feeling with a 52mm nut. 5) La Patrie guitars are decent in the sub-800 or sub-500 dollar range. But, they are what they are. They will not sound like a Spanish classical guitar. Rodriguez will. Or you could buy one of mine... ;-) (However, likely a bit more than what you'd need right now, and likely more than you'd want to pay.)
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---- Ned Milburn NSDCC Master Artisan Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Last edited by Ned Milburn; 03-20-2015 at 10:46 AM.
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#5
03-21-2015, 12:32 AM
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Hello,
over here in England we can get a series of instruments under the "Martinez" name, I'm not sure whether they are available in the US. They cover a range of Spanish-type guitars from classical to flamenco which are spread over the price range you mention (and a bit more). The higher end ones are all solid wood but the cheaper ones have some laminated parts. In the case of Martinez, higher end is around £1000, down to £250. I've played quite a few of their models and all are a good "bang for the buck." With regard to the wide neck, as Ned has mentioned, 50mm/2" is the norm in classical guitars, as is a flat fingerboard (often with no markings!) but you may find this quite easy to adapt to. In fact it has a lot of comfort advantages to my mind, not least of which is the fact that there is plenty of room for your fingers. I hope that is of help to you. As an aside, I have nothing to do with Martinez guitars or their distribution.
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#6
03-21-2015, 10:21 AM
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PM sent.
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