Cordoba or Godin Classical Guitar

[William2]

I am considering purchasing one of the above instruments. I play left-handed and am interested in a Cordoba C-10 or a Godin Concert. Between the two brands, which is preferable?

[TBman]

I have 4 Cordobas, their fit and finish is good and the guitars sound very good. I have read nothing but good things about Godin guitars here. I think it's your choice.

[William2]

Thank you.

[airborne1]

I have no experience with the Godin.

I just received a Cordoba C10 Crossover 3 weeks ago and am very happy with it.

This is my first nylon guitar and the workmanship is remarkable along with wonderful tone.

Good luck in your search.

[CoastStrings]

Are either available as lefties?

[airborne1]

Originally Posted by CoastStrings

Are either available as lefties?

A google search may be helpful.

Good luck!

[airborne1]

A quick search shows that yes, they are available.

[Lee Fontaine]

I have a Cordoba C12 spruce top that I like very much. Intonation is good, sustain up to around the 9th fret is satisfactory, and in general it's very playable. When I received it, the action was a bit high for my tastes but there was plenty of meat on the saddle to make adjustments. The nut is perfect. The timbre of the spruce top has matured nicely over the time I've owned it. I've read a number of comments on various forums where players have said the C10 sounds and plays as well as the C12. Both instruments use solid wood construction. One significant difference that will affect the sound is the bracing pattern, latice in the C12 vs 7 fan in the C10. And as is with almost every well built classical guitar, the right strings will make it shine. While I can't speak to the Godin, I don't think you'll be unhappy with the C10.

[William2]

Originally Posted by Lee Fontaine

I have a Cordoba C12 spruce top that I like very much. Intonation is good, sustain up to around the 9th fret is satisfactory, and in general it's very playable. When I received it, the action was a bit high for my tastes but there was plenty of meat on the saddle to make adjustments. The nut is perfect. The timbre of the spruce top has matured nicely over the time I've owned it. I've read a number of comments on various forums where players have said the C10 sounds and plays as well as the C12. Both instruments use solid wood construction. One significant difference that will affect the sound is the bracing pattern, latice in the C12 vs 7 fan in the C10. And as is with almost every well built classical guitar, the right strings will make it shine. While I can't speak to the Godin, I don't think you'll be unhappy with the C10.

Thank you for this reply. I haven't played nylon string instruments since I was young, and those instruments were hand made. On another site I participate in, the subject of classicals came up. One of the commentators stated that on classical sites he has seen that there was a big interest on the double top classical instrument but that classical players are now returning to more traditional instruments because they perceived a greater amount of nuance in these instruments. I have heard a demo of the lattice braced Cordoba vs a traditional braced Cordoba. I thought I preferred the lattice instrument. It seemed more powerful but the player really had no sense of nuance. Are players returning to the fan braced system over the lattice system because of a perceived increase in nuance? I don't think this instrument will be my main instrument. I simply want a nice sounding classical guitar. For me, sustain is a big issue and one of the reasons I left the nylon string instrument. The other is the limited number of keys the repertoire is played in. If Bach's Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro were written in Eb, why not play it in Eb?

[Lee Fontaine]

Originally Posted by William2

Thank you for this reply. I haven't played nylon string instruments since I was young, and those instruments were hand made. On another site I participate in, the subject of classicals came up. One of the commentators stated that on classical sites he has seen that there was a big interest on the double top classical instrument but that classical players are now returning to more traditional instruments because they perceived a greater amount of nuance in these instruments. I have heard a demo of the lattice braced Cordoba vs a traditional braced Cordoba. I thought I preferred the lattice instrument. It seemed more powerful but the player really had no sense of nuance. Are players returning to the fan braced system over the lattice system because of a perceived increase in nuance? I don't think this instrument will be my main instrument. I simply want a nice sounding classical guitar. For me, sustain is a big issue and one of the reasons I left the nylon string instrument. The other is the limited number of keys the repertoire is played in. If Bach's Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro were written in Eb, why not play it in Eb?

Regarding guitar construction, latice braced instruments tend to be louder. I also own an Esteve Adalid cedar with latice bracing. It's considerably louder than my Cordoba C12 spruce. That said, I'd bet there are any number of more conventionally built instruments that could match or surpass my latice braced instruments. Double-tops? I have no experience with them. They seem to be gaining popularity however. That said, we buy a guitar for the way it sounds and how it plays. The way it's built? Meh! Regarding sustain, my Yamaha Silent Guitar (SLG200NW) sustains like crazy over the entire fretboard. If sustain is what you're after you ought to check them out. Very well built instrument. While it's built to play like a classical guitar, that's where the similarity ends. It's an electric guitar first and foremost - with nylon strings of course. Regarding repertoire and keys, a guitar's range and differences in tonal qualities over its range may be a factor. A piano for example has 88 unique notes with more or less uniform tonal characteristics. A conventional guitar has 6-strings and 19-frets making 114 possible notes but only 44 unique notes. Furthermore, for example, the note E played on the open first string sounds different than the note E played on B5 and different on G9 and again different on D14. And notes on open strings have different tonal characteristics than fretted notes. I think guitar repertoire, and the way a guitarist approaches and plays a given piece tend to take this into consideration.

[mr. beaumont]

The Godins used to be made under the name "La Patrie." They are nice, well constructed guitars. They have a few things about them that traditional classical guitars don't have-- different bracing, a truss rod, a different heel. They are, in my experience, not as loud or bright as a traditional classical. They sound great for various styles, but if you are looking for a strictly "classical" guitar, the Cordoba may be a better choice.

[William2]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

The Godins used to be made under the name "La Patrie." They are nice, well constructed guitars. They have a few things about them that traditional classical guitars don't have-- different bracing, a truss rod, a different heel. They are, in my experience, not as loud or bright as a traditional classical. They sound great for various styles, but if you are looking for a strictly "classical" guitar, the Cordoba may be a better choice.

Thank you, Mr. Beaumont.