Q&A about me before I buy

[Mikeleric]

I might or might not ever buy another guitar but in case I do, it might or might not help to answer some questions. In another thread, I don't remember where I saw it, the poster was in a hurry to buy something and somebody replied and wrote that, no you can't be in that much of a hurry, you have to answer some questions first. But I am making up my own questions.

Who is the guitar for? Me.
Age range? 25 -35.

Profession? Nothing to do with music or guitar playing (I am a librarian).
Experience level?: intermediate-advanced beginner?? I am only a hobbist ormcasual player. I started setting a teacher at a small guitar store to learn classical style playing in March. I can play short pieces from the book he has been having me use, called "Renaissance music for guitar" mostly ok if I ask questions and practice well first.
Will I play in public? Not soon. Perhaps at some future time if I am feeling bold I'll sign up to be a busker at eastern market in Detroit.

Current guitar? A washburn c5ce classical guitar with a cutaway, which is typical sized (2.04 inch wide neck and 2.59 inch string length) and made of all laminates, which I bought only because it was the cheapest model. But I like the cutaway even if I can't justify it. I had strap buttons and a neck strap put on it so that I can play standing because my rear end started hurting when I sit. I use the neck strap at all times to support the guitar.

Playing style? Currently short classical style pieces the teacher picks that will help teach certain techniques. I pluck the strings with my fingernails without using a pick.
Will I play popular songs? Not necessarily. Only if the melody is complex and only if arranged in a classical guitar style. I'm not into singing and I want the melody and other supporting notes to all come from the guitar, I don't want to do the style where you strum chords or pluck a few notes and the melody is supposed top come from your mouth.

Neck width I want? I started on a typical steel stringed guitar but I haven't touched it since I bought the washburn classical model. After reading about people who started on a steel stringed guitar and want to play a nylon stringed model but think the neck of classical guitars is too wide I almost feel stupid for not wanting a crossover guitar with a 1-7/8 inch wide neck, but I am a man and i am only in the 10th percentile of height for generic non-ethnically marked American men, yet the 2.04 inch wide neck doesn't cause me any conscious mental problem, I am not bothered by it but I am unable to say whether I would be better off with a 1.96 inch neck.

Budget? I am not going to give a dollar amount, because this is a rather difficult question to ask. My grandfather gave me a certain number of thousands of dollars, if I really wanted to, in theory I could go out and blow some of it on a guitar, but i the more I spend, the more guilty or stupid I will feel. What would my grandfather think if I told him I spent some of his money instead of investing it like he wanted me to? He is actually still alive and mentally well functioning. And my insurance costs and basic living expenses are several times higher than average due to reasons which are too much information.

[BernebeM50]

I too like classical guitar and that is what I started with so I am used to the wider 2" neck. I find it much easier to play classical pieces on a classical guitar than on a steel string. It is more difficult to make chords on a 1 3/4" neck for me but I am getting better with practice. I am enjoying the different sound of a steel string compared to classical plus it gave me an excuse to buy more guitars.

If I could have only one guitar it would be a classical guitar as it allows me to more easily play the style of music I like the most and sounds the most authentic to me. Steel string acoustics sound too bright to me for classical or Spanish pieces. My first guitar was a Yamaha G-231 II guitar that I bought used for $200. It has a laminated top but still sounds surprisingly good. The notes aren't as clear as played on my other guitars but the tone is rich and has good volume. This was my only guitar for the first 25 years.

Using a different brand of guitar string also changed the sound of the guitar. I tried gut strings at one time so that the guitar could sound more like a lute and they sounded quite nice but didn't last very long. Right now I prefer Saverez red card (high tension).

[Dave T]

Since you find the 2.04" neck of your current guitar comfortable, why on earth would you feel compelled to get a narrower neck? Just because steel string players, used 1-11/16" and 1-3/4" necks don't want to go wider than 1-7/8" doesn't mean you have to do the same thing. You like classical music and classical playing according to your first post. Stick with classical guitars and necks of at least 2".

To be honest I can't tell if you are looking for another guitar or not. Just in case you are, I'd recommend considering the Alhambra line. They make beginner and student models that are pretty nice, some of solid woods and all made in Spain. Just a suggestion.

Dave

[Mikeleric]

A percentage of what I wrote above and in other threads is drivel I didn't need to write. You may delete any or all of the other threads I started.

I may infrequently try some guitars and if I find something that seems significantly "better" than what I have now, I'll decide whether it is worth the cost at that time and not until then. I went to a small store that had 6 classical guitars. I had never tried playing any guitar with a price tag of over three hundred dollars, before today. None of these guitars had the pure, clean, airy, piercing, dripping nylon guitar sound I heard in some youtube videos of people playing on classical guitars. (Other videos of guitar players have clunking, heavy sounds but this must be due to distortion from bad webcameras). The 6 guitars I tried all had twangy sounds or dark, muddy overtones. The guitars were all too shiny. Wood is not shiny, they all have too much polyurethane finish, I prefer mat finishes in general in paint and anything but I can't justify it.

I don't want to sound like a glue sniffing guitar snob, but in theory I want the "best" (I know there is no such thing as "best") classical guitar which does not require a luther who makes only a few hand-made models a year and which has a cutaway, a 2.04 inch wide neck, 2.59 inch (650 millimeter) string length, non shiny appearance (if such a thing exists), typical body size (mainly I just care that it is not much thinner than traditional sized), I am indifferent toward electronics or pickups - I expect never to use it but I won't complain if it has it. Also I have to have somebody screw two strap buttons into the guitar - I use a strap to support the guitar. Thus this eliminates any Córdoba or Jose Ramirez model. Certain Manuel Rodriguez models might be acceptable. What else?

[BernebeM50]

I bought a 1968 Taurus model 56 guitar this year for $450. It sounds almost as good as my $3000 Bernabe M-50 guitar. The tone isn't as rich but notes are nice and clear all the way up the neck and has very nice sustain. The Bernabe has better action and just has that classic spanish guitar sound. I read that the Taurus sounds as good as the Ramirez student models at the time as Taurus used to make them for Ramirez.

If you look at used guitars you can sometimes find something really nice for not a lot of money. A better guitar will allow you to play easier and better and you will advance more quickly. If I hadn't developed GAS I could have been very happy to have just played the Taurus.

I have found that different brands of strings sound quite different. My favourite brand is Savarez strings as I find the basses to be more in balance with the others and clearer overall. New strings can be a cheap upgrade.

[creamburmese]

For me the most important thing (in tandem with playability) is the sound the guitar makes - it has to suck me in and encourage me to play more and work harder to get a beautiful tone out of it. Once you find a guitar that does that for you, then buy it (budget permitting). My teacher gets some lovely sounds out of a Yamaha guitar he found in a pawn shop, so it's not always necessary to spend a lot of money. (Though to get the sounds you hear from the professionals on youtube it certainly may be necessary, together with many thousands of hours of practice).

[k_russell]

If you are happy with how your guitar sounds and how it plays, I don't see a reason to buy another. I played a Washburn classical guitar for about 15 years. Because, I decided that I wanted a different sound, I sold the Washburn and bought a different guitar. Your tastes may change with time and you may want another guitar.

I must admit that I enjoy collecting, buying, selling and trading guitars almost as much as I do playing them. I think of it as a separate hobby. Someday you might get involved.

If your happy with the one guitar that you own, keep enjoying it. If someday you decide to collect or trade guitars let me know. I might have a deal for you.

Also, once in a while, try a different guitar. You might find a sound that you like better.

[Michael D Bryce]

Tone is significantly a result of right hand technique, besides the woods and construction of the guitar.