Need help deciding on a first nylon stringed guitar

[efg]

Hello, So I have been playing a steel sting my whole life, never even picked up a classical. The other day my buddy bought one, and I have been having alot of fun with it. Anyway now I want one I dont have alot to spent so Im looking for a decent entry level, that will do the job. Any advice would help, Im pretty lost in this department.
Thanks

[rbbambino]

LaPatrie... Cheap, well built in North America.. If you need a crossover (narrower neck) classical, then look at some of the Yamaha crossovers. I suspect that you will find a 2 plus inch nut a little wide, but if you have big hands, perhaps not. I personally do not like Takamine nylons. FWIW.

[efg]

Thanks I tried some La Patrie at the Godin dealers yesterday and really liked them, but so far they are the only ones I've tried.

[GuitarVlog]

What's your budget?

[dosland]

As a piece of unspecific advice, I'd suggest playing as many as you can get your hands on, then buying the one you like the most. The more you enjoy playing your nylon-string guitar, the more you'll want to play it. You have to decide whether you'll be playing unplugged or electrified more often, because the crossovers (with electronics, usually) don't normally have the sound quality of more traditional (classical) guitars. They may be easier for someone used to a steel string to play on, but that will depend on how accurate your finger placement is: nylon-stringed guitars traditionally have wider nuts than their steel-stringed counterparts because the strings are fatter, especially on the treble half of the nut. I've never really understood why I'd want a narrower nut, but I grew up playing classical guitars, not crossovers, so maybe I'm missing something there.

Things I watch out for when I'm shopping around for classical/nylon-string guitars are: intonation (especially the g-string as you wander up the neck), sustain/resonance (I might check this by hitting a note and watching to see how the other strings respond, and for how long), and then construction quality ("cheap" guitars are poorly constructed, no matter what the price tag says, and some, like some of the lower end Yamahas, are well built despite the low price). Things like projection, action height, and so on will depend on the type of guitar I'm considering - a classical needs a lot more projection, unplugged, than a crossover, and usually the action will be higher on the classical to allow for this.

Have fun shopping for a guitar you'll love, and don't be surprised if you start losing your love for the steel once you've settled on a new nylon-string!