Looking for a nylon stringed guitar
 

Looking for a nylon string guitar for my wife who's a beginner. She hates my steel strings and currently has an inexpensive 7/8 classical guitar, a Cordoba Dolce. It has a 00 sized body, 12 frets to the body, and a short scale, 24.8”. All those specs are perfect. The one spec that doesn’t work for her small hands is the 2” nut width.

Can anyone suggest a nylon guitar that’s small body, 12 fret, and short scale that also has a narrower nut width? She likes the 1-3/4 on my Taylor.

I'd look at the Taylor nylons in your price range. (what ever that is)

I went thru about 5 decent nylon's (including Takamine, Yamaha, Manual Rodriguez..)

I finally gave in and bought a 514 nylon. Best move I made in this direction. The intonation is very good with outstanding playability and tone.

I considered the Taylor Academy 12N but the problem with the Taylors is the long scale, even on the x12 bodies and even my 812CE 12-Fret body is too large for her.

Realize that a 1 3/4 steel string would feel nothing like a 1 3/4 nylon. The gauges of the nylon strings are much wider and it leaves less room between.

You rarely see any decent nylon string guitars under 1 7/8 or 48mm.

I'd consider one of the Cordoba C9 crossovers - great bang for the buck, but it's a standard 650mm scale.

The C9 parlor has a slightly more narrow 50mm nut, and a much shorter 630 scale length.

Kenny Hill makes classical guitars with shorter scale lengths and narrower nuts. I have a Hill player series in spruce and rosewood, 628 scale, 50mm nut. I’ve enjoyed it. It has made learning easier for me.

If you don't find one that meets all your requirements, then I'll add another vote for one of the Cordoba models.

I have the Fusion Orchestra Pro, and it meets all but one of your specs, that being the scale is 25.4. But otherwise, it is a 12-fret, small-bodied (with big sound), 48mm nut nylon-string crossover guitar.

Good luck in your search,
Gary
p.s. If interested in a sound sample, let me know.

Go and take a look at the offerings from Godin.

Yep. Multiac Slim (which sounds like an old blues guy but I digress). I don’t own one and have not played one, but they look like what she wants.

A flamenco guitar, if you can find one, has a slimmer neck too.

Finding a short scale and narrow nut width classical of good quality is a challenge. One option would be to get one of the fusion style guitars that have a narrower than standard nut width put a capo on the first fret and tune down to standard pitch. That will give her a short scale option and perhaps she will gain comfort enough with the narrower nut and slightly radiused fretboard that will allow her to easily adjust to the standard scale length.

I enjoy the heck out of my Cordoba Mini IIs. No they're not in the same league as my GK Pros. But they're more fun to play and plugged-in, I swear that the SMCE sounds as good as my GK Pro negra. I took both to a swanky museum gig right after I bought the Mini and ended-up playing it for all but a couple of songs. The crowd didn't hear any difference (nor did I), but it was so much easier to play. Not that the GK Pros aren't easy to play... because they're the best playing nylons I've ever had (too many to remember). But my short fingers sure enjoyed the short scale and small neck.

I've been gas free for quite some time now, my Cordoba GK Pro satisfies my need.

But those mini's a re very tempting.

:D:D

They may be slimmer and perhaps there are some with a narrower neck but they are usually on the wide side, akin to classical guitars.

As Red Ladel suggested the Cordoba Mini II is defintely a small bodied short scaled instrument that your wife would feel comfortable with. Another is the Cordoba Requinto, this is classified as a 1/2 size so bigger than the Mini II but smaller than the Doulce that you presently own. Both Mini II and Requinto are 22-7/8" scale length with a 48mm (1-7/8") nut width.

I have very small hands and I am very happy with my parlor size Alhambra. They are a little harder to find than a Cordoba (in my experience,) but it is a very nice guitar, and comfortable for me to play.