Looking for guitar recommendation

[Vaillant75]

Hi!

I am considering buying a (ideally used) classical guitar, around the 3k mark. I have a limited knowledge of the market, so any recommendation would be welcomed.

Thanks all for your help!

Best,
Tom

[fitness1]

Lots of possibilities - obviously!

To help you decide, here are a few things you may want to define:

Lattice or fan braced (or other)?

What style (Hauser, Rodriguez, etc)?

Cedar or Spruce top?

Traditional 52mm nut or crossover and what saddle spacing?

Scale length?

Dark Spanish sound or something leaning toward the brighter side of the spectrum?

What have you had in the past that you've liked?

These are just a few of the variables that may help determine what it is you are looking for.

[Paraclete]

Also, what style are you planning to play? Are you pursuing actual classical guitar or just wanting a nylon string for something different? Have you ever played a traditional classical? Some people who are strictly acoustic players and are just looking for the nylon sound struggle with the wide and flat fretboard and prefer a crossover.

[Dogsnax]

Hi Valliante,

Sounds as if you have a healthy budget for a classical guitar, and as the posts above indicate, there are many factors involved in your selection process.

Back in 2007, I made the complete transition from steel to nylon strings because of a health issue. Like many, I started with a "crossover", but quickly learned a traditional classical guitar was no problem at all. You'll adjust to the flatter fret board and wider nut width in no time at all. For me, I didn't feel nearly as cramped when I started playing an actual classical guitar.

I see you're located in New York. You have a fantastic guitar seller in close proximity (Long Island). Reach out to Rich at Savage Classical Guitar. He's quite knowledgeable when it comes to the subtle differences between classical guitars and his selection is amazing. I've had nothing but great help from Rich over the years. See if you can schedule an appointment and maybe you can test drive some really nice guitars in your budget range. Good luck and have fun!

[Cedar51]

Ramirez guitars are good. Shouldn't be hard to find a really nice one within your budget. I've found that they tend to sound best with high tension strings.