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  #16  
Old 10-27-2014, 09:42 PM
Dafiryde Dafiryde is offline
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Any thoughts on La Patrie guitars, made in Canada
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  #17  
Old 10-28-2014, 05:30 AM
ewalling ewalling is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crowyote View Post
I agree. Unless you have the hands of Segovia, a brand new Ramirez is just as difficult to play out of the box as a Martin is.

If you want the Taylor of Classicals (relatively easy to play out of the box), try a Cordoba.
Big Cordoba fan here. I currently own two: the C9 Parlor and the C10 Crossover. I've been through a lot classical guitars and crossovers in the $1,000 to $2,000 category, and these Cordobas are the best of all of them for my tastes. All-solid woods, ebony boards, great construction, and lovely sound. Most of them go for less than $1,000, which is quite something.
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  #18  
Old 10-28-2014, 05:31 AM
ewalling ewalling is offline
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Originally Posted by Dafiryde View Post
Any thoughts on La Patrie guitars, made in Canada
I like them, particularly the parlor-sized Motif. They're very solidly built, have a good action, and have an excellent sound. Like Cordobas, they have a truss rod, which a plus for me.
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  #19  
Old 10-28-2014, 09:14 AM
87Standard 87Standard is offline
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Originally Posted by dosland View Post
Ha, so we're looking for an over-hyped brand that people will pay anything to own? But seriously, I kid.
The OP never asked what are the 'best' classical guitars out there, he asked what company is most similar to Martin, an over-hyped brand...

And while I agree that a luthier-built concert guitar is arguably 'better' than a Ramirez, the same could be said about luthiers like James Goodall in the steel-string world versus a factory-built Martin...

I own a Ramirez 2CWE, and while I have no illusions that is equal to a concert guitar, it has a sweet, rich, distinctive sound, and it is a beautifully crafted instrument, equal to a Martin in the steel-string world IMO.

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  #20  
Old 10-28-2014, 09:18 AM
87Standard 87Standard is offline
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Originally Posted by Paikon View Post
Ramirez is a company that is around over a century so ....
A guitar from the early years of the Ramirez family, late 19 century,is at Metropolitan museum.
And the Met currently has an exhibition of early Martin guitars as well....

The comparisons just keep on getting closer
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  #21  
Old 10-28-2014, 06:11 PM
Steve P Steve P is offline
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Quote:
Any thoughts on La Patrie guitars, made in Canada
I bought a La Patrie concert classical recently and am really enjoying it. I wanted an inexpensive, but well-constructed guitar with high-quality solid wood, good tone and minimal extra "bling", and this guitar was to my ears better than others in a similar price range. I thought it compared well to guitars that were nearing the $1000 range.
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  #22  
Old 10-29-2014, 07:48 AM
Hillster Hillster is offline
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I don't think Ramirez is a good comparison at all. Ramirez is more akin to a small shop builder like Santa Cruz or similar. I beleive the Ramirez shop employs under 30 people. Their in house built guitars start at $12,000 +. Their lower line of factory guitars are outsourced and built by various factories. Equating them to Martin in insulting as is equating Martin to outsourced Ramirez factory guitars. Martin builds high quality mass produced guitars.

A good comparison would be someone like Alhambra.
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  #23  
Old 10-29-2014, 12:30 PM
dosland dosland is offline
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Doesn't Ramirez outsource their lower range instruments to other factories (like the one in Muro de Alcoy, for example)? And don't those shops similarly employ a relatively small number of people? I don't know how many people are hanging out in the Martin or Taylor factories, but given the raw number of guitars sold worldwide every year, I'd be surprised if we're talking hundreds of people each. I have always suspected that Yamaha has the biggest production line of any guitar building company, but that's just because their instruments are in every shop worldwide, unlike most other brands.
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  #24  
Old 10-31-2014, 07:03 PM
Watt Watt is offline
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The short answer is, there really isn't any. Martin, though a "factory" guitar, has a special place among flat top steel strings. It originated many of the designs that dominate the market and remains the first choice for many professional players. Ramirez is perhaps the closest in the classical world, but Ramirez production is split between factory made guitars produced by other makers and a small number of luthier built nstruments made in the Ramirez shop. I think it's safe to say that most professional steel string players play factory made instruments, whether Martin, Gibson, Takamine, Taylor, or whatever. Professional classical players don't.
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  #25  
Old 11-02-2014, 06:42 PM
imc2111 imc2111 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nkatsonis View Post
The short answer is, there really isn't any. Martin, though a "factory" guitar, has a special place among flat top steel strings. It originated many of the designs that dominate the market and remains the first choice for many professional players. Ramirez is perhaps the closest in the classical world, but Ramirez production is split between factory made guitars produced by other makers and a small number of luthier built nstruments made in the Ramirez shop. I think it's safe to say that most professional steel string players play factory made instruments, whether Martin, Gibson, Takamine, Taylor, or whatever. Professional classical players don't.
Very, very interesting comment. Thanks!
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  #26  
Old 11-02-2014, 07:15 PM
DJ in FL DJ in FL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roselynne View Post
I'm partial to 70s-vintage S. Yairis myself, but would love to try a Ramirez one day.
10-4 on another vote for Yairi...
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  #27  
Old 11-02-2014, 07:19 PM
GHS GHS is offline
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After purchasing a Cordoba Fusion and checking out their product line I think they would be as close as possible to Martin in the classical guitar line. They offer many types from starters to limited run models that have a lot more attention given to them and a price, ( which I think is reasonable) to match. Check their site and see.
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  #28  
Old 11-03-2014, 12:35 AM
Crowyote Crowyote is offline
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What's the highest priced Cordoba available?

What's the highest price Martin available?

Clearly they are not the same. Also it goes back to my original statement . . . Martin does not care about setup for practically any model under $2k. If you got one new and it was setup well, you either have strong hands/(feel no pain) or the tech at your store worked on it (extensively).

Same thing with the affordable line of Ramirez . . . high action, rough frets (a lot of times) poorly cut nut, etc.
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  #29  
Old 11-17-2014, 09:06 PM
Trevor B. Trevor B. is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 87Standard View Post
Martin is to steel string as Ramirez is to nylon string

This is as close as you're going to get!
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  #30  
Old 11-17-2014, 09:35 PM
wcap wcap is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 87Standard View Post
And while I agree that a luthier-built concert guitar is arguably 'better' than a Ramirez, the same could be said about luthiers like James Goodall in the steel-string world versus a factory-built Martin...
Speaking as a huge fan of both Goodalls and Martins... while Goodalls are spectacular, unique guitars, and incredibly consistent guitars, I view some of the better Martins as being in the same league (not the same as Goodalls, but comparably impressive). Not all Martins are like this, and not even all of a given high end model are necessarily like this, but the really good ones are really knock your socks off instruments. The reputation of Martin guitars is certainly not just hype, and they are not necessarily inferior just because they are made in a factory (though they might be less consistent, and there are many lower end and midrange models that are great but not necessarily spectacular guitars, of course).

Sorry for the digression.
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