Spanish Guitar For Fun?

[6stringedRamble]

I just play around on guitar. I'm not that good at it, im interested in folk music. I've got two dreadnoughts. And an Epiphone pro 1 classical, fully laminated. I'm considering getting an Alhambra or Almansa nature just for fun. They're pretty cheap Spanish guitars with solid tops, lam b/s. Plus I think they look cool and would so aesthetically look good hanging on the wall. I tried a few at the music store recently. They have a very beautiful sound.

I don't really have a lot of money though. I'm just wondering what are your guy's thoughts on Spanish guitars, and buying one just to play around with?

[mr. beaumont]

I assume by "Spanish," you mean "nylon string classical."

They're a great sound and well worth having around. Yamaha and Cordoba would be the inexpensive models I'd go after first.

[6stringedRamble]

Yes exactly, classical nylon string guitars. Except the ones I'm considering are made in Spain, which I guess has a much more popular tradition with classical guitars than America. I actually don't get what the tradition is. I know flamenco and Spanish guitar are their own music styles. I don't much knowledge about guitars made in Spain, other than that.. But I enjoyed playing around with them in the music store.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by 6stringedRamble

Yes exactly, classical nylon string guitars. Except the ones I'm considering are made in Spain, which I guess has a much more popular tradition with classical guitars than America. I actually don't get what it is. But I enjoyed playing around with them in the music store.

Well, Spain literally invented them!

I think there's a definite charm about a Spanish guitar from the source...if it plays good and sounds good, I say go for it!

[pvfederico]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Well, Spain literally invented them!

I think there's a definite charm about a Spanish guitar from the source...if it plays good and sounds good, I say go for it!

I had a Spanish guitar that I bought from Guitar Center for about $1,000 (laminated box). I went to Paracho, Mexico and bought three more classical guitars (all solid wood). One was a flamenco guitar that I bought for $300. The others were standard (heavier) classicals in the $1,200 -- $1,800 range (with woods & parts from all over the world). The $1,800 guitar was selling (online) in Europe for around $4,000 USD. When I returned to Puerto Vallarta, where I lived at the time, I played the new $300 guitar so much, that I gave the Spanish guitar to my then Mexican girlfriend. The cheap guitar from Paracho (and the other new ones) blew the Spanish guitar away.

Spain makes some great classical guitars, but it also produces some crap. Don't think that all Spanish guitars are high quality.

[DBW]

I was looking around at Cordobas. They sound good to me. I'm not fancy enough yet to play that kind of music. Haha.

[frankmcr]

Here's an interesting discussion of some Spanish guitars that are actually made in Spain. Looks like Admira might be a good bet.

https://www.nylonplucks.com/guitar-b...mous%20one.%20

[rko]

I had an amazing Breedlove nylon hybrid. The hybrid part was a nut width slightly less than the standard 2” for a true classical guitar, a cutaway, and gosh man electronics.
I bought it new for about $600. It was a discontinued Solo model. I loved the guitar, but I just don’t play a type of music that I thought sounded good on nylon, except for some basic jazz pieces.
I traded it for a Breedlove 12 string, which I play a LITTLE more often than I did the nylon. But I felt I needed a 12er in the arsenal.

[rumble]

Cordobas are a very nice sounding and playing nylon. The fusion series guitars offer the more comfortable radiused fretboards and less wide ,17/8”nut,than the traditional 2+” nuts. They all are made with solid spruce or cedar tops depending on your desired flavor choice. The maple 12 fret is very nice as well as the cedar/rosewood CE orchestra. Both under a $1000

[birdsong]

I did this. I went with Cordoba at first then as usual, moved up the food chain.

I played various guitars at some local stores. Yamaha provides a good product; as mentioned, Breedlove; and then many models from Cordoba.

You don't need one built in Spain but, it's certainly fine if you do.

My Cordoba was a flamenco style. I do not play flamenco nor is it necessary to "Match" a guitar to musical styles this way. I wanted a used one, I wanted nylon, and I wanted a "crossover". And that's what I got (50mm nut vs 52; slightly radiused fretboard).

The Yamahas seemed better plugged in vs. acoustic. But if you're just noodling around, these or any number of others I see on our local Craigslist would fit the bill. (I see some Spanish builds, and Takamine, Oscar Schmidt..... ).

If you are not used to a truly "Spanish" style nut width of 52mm, I encourage you to go try one out. For me it was simply too much (I now have a different nylon with 48mm nut). You just have to try one and see how it feels. Many people do just fine with 52 of course (I've had some nerve damages).

I love noodling around on mine. It's fun to take some old classic folk song and recreate it in your own way, on nylon. I also got some tablature for a few classic "jazz" pieces, and Spanish composer pieces, just to hear how they sound on nylon. A lot of folk type songs sound quite nice via nylon....

[mtdmind]

Originally Posted by pvfederico

I had a Spanish guitar that I bought from Guitar Center for about $1,000 (laminated box). I went to Paracho, Mexico and bought three more classical guitars (all solid wood). One was a flamenco guitar that I bought for $300. The others were standard (heavier) classicals in the $1,200 -- $1,800 range (with woods & parts from all over the world). The $1,800 guitar was selling (online) in Europe for around $4,000 USD. When I returned to Puerto Vallarta, where I lived at the time, I played the new $300 guitar so much, that I gave the Spanish guitar to my then Mexican girlfriend. The cheap guitar from Paracho (and the other new ones) blew the Spanish guitar away.

Spain makes some great classical guitars, but it also produces some crap. Don't think that all Spanish guitars are high quality.

I have been to Paracho before. While they make nice guitars, I did not find one that was suitable for recitals. They just did not have the volume

[takamineGD93]

I thought a hybrid would be fun to have as a complement. Bought a harley bemton from thomann but never played it.
It was nice but I didn't like nylons so I sold it.

[Big-E]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Here's an interesting discussion of some Spanish guitars that are actually made in Spain. Looks like Admira might be a good bet.

https://www.nylonplucks.com/guitar-b...mous%20one.%20

I recently purchased a new Admira A10. A fine traditionally built guitar made in Spain with a lightly built solid cedar top. They come up on ebay over in the UK used for £250-300.

[Italuke]

If you don't have much money, buy a Yamaha.

[singlechange]

Go for it, 6stringedRambled.
Recently I saw for sale, for less than $200, an used made in Japan Spanish guitar with Hernandis 1A label from the 1970's. American concert guitarist Christopher Parkening seemed to have toured with a Hernandis Grand Concert or Hernandis 1A guitar.
Good luck.