Left handed classical buying recommendations.

[imk]

Hello,
I used to strum a few cords when I was a teenager but haven’t played since, but I am retired now and want to add guitar to my modest piano skills.

For three weeks I have been bothering people, trying out a few acoustic (steel & nylon) guitars and watching/listening to endless youtube videos and I have finally made up my mind to go for a classical nylon guitar.

I have £500 to spend or maybe £700 if it was a really that much better a guitar. Sound and quality is more important to me than mother-of-pearl inlay.
(From my listening I kind of like the sound of spruce more than cedar)
The only handicap I have if that I am left handed, very left handed.

So what to buy please?

Many thanks in advance Ian

[AlVal]

Not sure what is avail in your part of the world
Two of my lefty friends recently both bought Ahlambra crossovers which appear to be well made as well as play and sound good
They have budget models
A few of my students have bought these and again have a good balanced sound

A general observation is admira are disappointing and have some quality issues ( heel of neck unglued from body )
La patrie rattle bracing .., and one split top

Might be worth looking at Spanish factory builds
The katoh brand is also a surprisingly good Chinese build http://www.katoh.com.au
Think these are part of the Kenny hill workshop for aust/pacific market
They maybe relabeled as something else in other parts of the world
A real surprise on build , playability , sound and price ..

Sure there will be other suggestions but found the Ahlambra's consistent
They also have budget flamenco models

Good luck

[imk]

AlVal, many thanks for the reply.
Alhambra SP was one of the guitars I was interested in as sold by a local business that is run by two classical guitarists, so I guess they must have good experience of them. The other was the Cordoba GK as they seem to have good reviews on this forum and on the youtube reviews it sounds nice to me.
Again many thanks ian

[brad4d8]

Most classical guitars have the saddle strait across the bridge, not angled like a steel string. The bass side is a little higher, but it's easy enough to turn it around. There may be some difference in the bracing patterns on the bass and treble side, but probably not enough to make a difference in sound, especially on a mid-price instrument. Of course, might be hard to see how it plays and sounds before restringing and turning the saddle.
Brad

[WaddyT]

It totally depends on the construction of the guitar. If it has a flat saddle, and the fingerboard is not tapered on the bass side for a right hander, they all you might need is a new nut and saddle, tapered in the opposite direction. I wouldn't even consider the internal bracing. Makes no difference whether it's symmetrical or non-symetrical, as to the output/tone, if you turn the guitarn around.

[brucefulton]

Are you looking for a cut-away? If not, with almost all nylon string guitars, there would be nothing more to do than flip the saddle and cut a new nut. However, if the instrument does have a compensated saddle, then you will need to see how it is compensated. Almost all classical guitars are symmetrically braced so there wouldn't be any issues there, but there could be exceptions in higher-end instruments.

If you are looking for a cutaway, you'll need to see if the model you are looking for is offered in a left-handed version.

[lunchie]

I don't see why you couldnt look into righties and turn it into a lefty if need be. Just don't get a cutaway.

The best classical I have ever played is my Guild GAD GC-2 that runs about $900 new. It beats out some of the expensive classicals I have played. I'm not up to date on the conversion rate but i would think it would be in your budget. All solid wood. Cedar top, Rosewood back and sides, Hog neck and Ebony board. Its got a nice satin finish on the neck, the body is glossy though. It also comes with a HSC which is always a plus.

I have probably put 400 hours on mine over the last year and it is breaking in nicely. Its getting warmer and warmer every day.

A close second are the Takamine's C132S. Wonderful inexpensive classicals as well right at the $1000 mark. Pretty much the same woods but rosewood for fingerboard. I'm not sure if it has solid wood sides either.

I have a factory second C132S that is on loan. I plan on keeping it around for my daughter if she ever gets the bug.

I'm not sure if your going to find classical guitars with a spruce top without going into some sort of a hybrid. You kind of want the warmth of Cedar imo. Plus they smell so good when you take them out of the case.

[imk]

lunchie

I had a look for Guild guitars but can't find a uk seller and buying in from the USA + shipping+ taxes comes close to double my budget. Also I guess if there is ever a warranty issue I am stuck. As for the Takamine's C132 I can find only one uk stockist and by the time it makes it here it is twice the USA price so out of budget again.... Maybe as friend is in DC I could try to talk in to bring one back for me...

However I think I have got it down to three guitar now that I can get in the uk:
Cordoba GK Studio (US I think but imported here)
Camps M6 (made in Spain)
Alhambra 5P (made in Spain)

Many thanks for you input anyway (makes me wish I was still living in the US)

Ian

[lunchie]

Originally Posted by imk

lunchie

I had a look for Guild guitars but can't find a uk seller and buying in from the USA + shipping+ taxes comes close to double my budget. Also I guess if there is ever a warranty issue I am stuck. As for the Takamine's C132 I can find only one uk stockist and by the time it makes it here it is twice the USA price so out of budget again.... Maybe as friend is in DC I could try to talk in to bring one back for me...

However I think I have got it down to three guitar now that I can get in the uk:
Cordoba GK Studio (US I think but imported here)
Camps M6 (made in Spain)
Alhambra 5P (made in Spain)

Many thanks for you input anyway (makes me wish I was still living in the US)

Ian

That is crazy, its not like either of those brands are obscure.

I've personally never heard of Camps or Alhambra, but that doesnt mean anything. Cordoba either now owns guild or in the process of taking it off of Fenders hands. I've never picked up a Cordoba in your price range, only seem to find cheap ones around these parts. The cheap ones seem on par with the cheap Takamines, hell they could be made in the same shops.

There is one that comes to mind that I have heard nothing but great things about but never have picked up. Kremona, they are made in Bulgaria. They are suppose to be budget friendly as well. Surely you don't killed in shipping and taxes when buying from other European countries?

Another one that comes to mind is the Yamaha NTX line. I had the 700 for a while and it was a great guitar. Its bigger bodied almost dread in size but thinner with a cutaway. It had a slightly thinner neck at the nut as well which really helped me transition into a full 2" neck. I got small fat fingers, so jumping from a strat to a classical was a nightmare. Now it doesnt bother me in the least bit. I don't remember if its set up in a way that you can flip the saddle but I would imagine they come in lefties.

[jjtrain]

My second guitar is a Yamaha Classical. The model I have now is no longer in production, but for about $200-$300 you can get a great, sturdy, guitar that is basic in design and yet produces great sound (for the price)

For the price seems to be the words that always end a guitar's description. Seeing that you have played a musical instrument before, what sounds great to a beginner like myself may not sound that great to you. Despite that, I still say that you should look into Yamaha Guitars. My particular guitar, the CG122MCH, and for $220, has a solid cedar top, laminated back and sides, plus a great set of tuners. The action also seems to be just about perfect for me.

And on a note about lefty guitars... I'm left handed as well, but when I picked up the guitar, I decided to go with being right handed. We lefties have a great advantage over righties when playing a right-handed guitar, the muscles in our left hand are already developed enough to play many different chords without much practice, or at least that's my observation. So I say, if possible, try to learn right handed if you can. It will save you money and time. Of course, everyone is different, one lefty might prefer a right handed guitar, another will prefer a left handed guitar, and even some right handed people prefer left handed guitars.

If you want to know for sure, go to the nearest guitar store and try playing a right handed guitar. If you can play one or two chords on a right handed guitar even half decently, going with a right handed guitar may be better than spending extra time and money searching for a left handed guitar.

And everyone else makes a good point as well, if the guitar you chose is a classical, you can more than likely just restring it backwards, put a new nut and bridge on it, and you'll have a left handed guitar.

Regardless of what you chose for a guitar, we all can't wait to hear about your progress, ideas, and information so keep us all posted.

Thanks

--James