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  #1  
Old 01-23-2022, 11:44 AM
soma5 soma5 is offline
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Default Nylon-string guitar for beginner

I've been asked by one of my wife's friends to recommend a nylon-string guitar for her. She is a complete beginner. She doesn't want to spend a lot of money, and I wasn't able to get any price range information from her. I am thinking about a Yamaha, maybe a C40. What is the experience of others here? What alternatives might there be in the same price range (I'm seeing around $130 used on Reverb)?

Thanks in advance.
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  #2  
Old 01-23-2022, 12:00 PM
Gitfiddlemann Gitfiddlemann is offline
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Simon Powis runs an on-line Academy for Classical Guitar. I think he's based in NYC.
He's often asked this question, i.e. which guitar would he recommend for someone just starting out?
He has no affiliation to any of these guitar makers, but he recommends the following two:
- Yamaha C40
- Cordoba C5

He feels that these offer the best value for a beginner, with the Yamaha being the best bang for the buck.
So, you're on the right track!
Personally, I would also recommend the Yamaha. They make quality guitars for the money imo.
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  #3  
Old 01-23-2022, 12:13 PM
soma5 soma5 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreF View Post
Simon Powis runs an on-line Academy for Classical Guitar. I think he's based in NYC.
He's often asked this question, i.e. which guitar would he recommend for someone just starting out?
He has no affiliation to any of these guitar makers, but he recommends the following two:
- Yamaha C40
- Cordoba C5

He feels that these offer the best value for a beginner, with the Yamaha being the best bang for the buck.
So, you're on the right track!
Personally, I would also recommend the Yamaha. They make quality guitars for the money imo.
Thanks, Andre. I appreciate the guidance.
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  #4  
Old 01-23-2022, 01:12 PM
CoastStrings CoastStrings is offline
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IMHO, the choices are rather easy:
  • Yamaha C40 for $180 <- All-laminate but consistently well-made. I have one and still practice with it despite having higher-end guitars.
  • Cordoba C3M for $275 <- A matte version of the C5. Solid cedar top.
  • Cordoba C5 for $370 <- Good serious student guitar particularly for those that might focuse on classical music. Solid cedar top.
  • Yamaha CG172SF $400 <- A flamenco guitar that has long been the go-to for entry level students on a budget. Solid spruce top. I have the older CG171SF and still love it.

Cordoba also makes the Protege C1M ($170) which is an all-laminate in a matte finish, but I haven't played or inspected enough of them to form an opinion.

I'm more inclined to go with the Yamaha C40 even though the C1M has a truss-rod. I feel that Yamaha's quality-control is better for their lower-end instruments despite those not having a truss-rod. Nylon-string guitars were typically built without truss-rods because of the lower-string tension. They seem to have become a recent addition for some factory-made models due to these instruments being built in regions where the humidity might be notably different.
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Old 01-23-2022, 01:26 PM
soma5 soma5 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CoastStrings View Post
IMHO, the choices are rather easy:
  • Yamaha C40 for $180 <- All-laminate but consistently well-made. I have one and still practice with it despite having higher-end guitars.
  • Cordoba C3M for $275 <- A matte version of the C5. Solid cedar top.
  • Cordoba C5 for $370 <- Good serious student guitar particularly for those that might focuse on classical music. Solid cedar top.
  • Yamaha CG172SF $400 <- A flamenco guitar that has long been the go-to for entry level students on a budget. Solid spruce top. I have the older CG171SF and still love it.

Cordoba also makes the Protege C1M ($170) which is an all-laminate in a matte finish, but I haven't played or inspected enough of them to form an opinion.

I'm more inclined to go with the Yamaha C40 even though the C1M has a truss-rod. I feel that Yamaha's quality-control is better for their lower-end instruments despite those not having a truss-rod. Nylon-string guitars were typically built without truss-rods because of the lower-string tension. They seem to have become a recent addition for some factory-made models due to these instruments being built in regions where the humidity might be notably different.
Thanks for the detailed response. It is beginning to look like the Yamaha C40 is a winner.
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Old 01-24-2022, 12:08 PM
CoastStrings CoastStrings is offline
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It's worth mentioning that Yamaha has solid-tops in roughly the same price range as the Cordoba C5. A direct competitor is the Yamaha CG162C with a street price of $400.

In the $350-$400 price-point range, Yamaha has a clear edge in quality and workmanship whereas Cordoba has and edge in tone and volume. Because the latter qualities tend to be of greater focus in the selection of a guitar, I'm not surprised that most teachers favor the Cordoba.

That said, if a student couldn't get their hands on a Cordoba C5, they would still be well-served with a CG162C.
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  #7  
Old 01-24-2022, 12:26 PM
pentaprism pentaprism is offline
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I think for beginners, the quality of the guitar is not as important as the setup.

For the first year or two, the player will be struggling with making the guitar to sound right. Whether it sounds good or not is secondary.

So whatever guitar she gets (I myself recommend a used Yamaha CG-170 or similar), make sure the guitar is correctly setup by a good luthier. This will significantly reduce the frustration of any beginner.
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Old 01-25-2022, 08:44 AM
Always Learning Always Learning is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pentaprism View Post
I think for beginners, the quality of the guitar is not as important as the setup.

For the first year or two, the player will be struggling with making the guitar to sound right. Whether it sounds good or not is secondary.

So whatever guitar she gets (I myself recommend a used Yamaha CG-170 or similar), make sure the guitar is correctly setup by a good luthier. This will significantly reduce the frustration of any beginner.
I 2nd what Pentaprism says....

That said, any used Yamaha or Cordoba would be a good choice... Both the low-end Yammies and Cords are made in shops (factories) in China. One plus about the Cordoba is the truss-rod... Makes it easier to adjust the action.

Also suggest light or medium tension strings to begin with, easier to fret notes
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  #9  
Old 01-25-2022, 09:11 AM
soma5 soma5 is offline
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Thanks for all the information, everybody!
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  #10  
Old 02-06-2022, 06:40 PM
D4nm6n D4nm6n is offline
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you dont really have any options in that price range, besides the lowest possible quality new and used guitars.

Id happily recommend what I thought was best for beginners + if you have goals even(I'm a conservatory level guitarist whos competed on national level and pros etc.).

but at the price range what you mentioned is what you got
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  #11  
Old 02-11-2022, 09:23 AM
JERZEY JERZEY is offline
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I see a lot of young players being saddled with classical nylons for a first guitar by parents. Outside of the tension its not any easier imo to start out on a nylon especially a classical with a giant neck/nut. Nearly no current music translates over to the average starter nylon either.

There are so many good short scale steel string guitars that can be had for under 500$ set up.
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  #12  
Old 02-11-2022, 02:05 PM
rollypolly rollypolly is online now
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I played a used Cordoba C5CE that was priced around $230 at Guitar Center. It was a really good player as it has a thinner nut width and neck profile. Maybe that isn't something desired if someone was learning traditional classical guitar, but I really enjoyed playing that guitar over the traditional 2" chunky necks on most classicals.

There's also the Lucero brand. You can get a solid top model for around 150 used, maybe new if it's on sale. very good quality for the money (all wood binding, etc.).
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