1st time guitar buyer, advice?

[Carbontunes]

So I'm a 1st-time guitar buyer. I inherited a Yamaha C40 nylon strings from a friend, but that sits in another city. I recently bought this: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...21#post7263721

I've read too many threads on here and the classical guitar forum that I'm lost and its information overload on which guitar to buy.

Criteria:
1. I really like Nylon strings and have a strong preference for classical guitars (the tone is so nice and rich to me), though I'm fine with hybrid neck/not tied to 2" nut width
2. Sub $1k ideally

The Carbon Fiber Journey I bought (and wondering if I should return) is collapsible into overhead luggage and is small enough to fit in my hands while sitting on an office chair with side armrests. Here are 2 videos of that guitar:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1riY...StephanieJones
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTyg...RamziElRumbero

I find if the guitar is not that small, I don't pick up and play it as much. Any recs for similar size nylon string? Any suggestions of what to try this weekend/buy? For this first main guitar I'd probably strictly stay away from Luthier, mass-market and returnable are key for me. Emerald CF is too expensive $3k+. Anything sub $1k, that I wouldn't feel that bad if I got rained on if playing in the park? (or should I really stick to carbon fiber then?)

Guitars I've tried:
1. Taylor Academy 12e-N sounded terrible? Or maybe it was just not setup well at the shop.
2. Cordoba C9 was okay? nothing amazing
3. Yamaha CG-TA sounded the best, but its large like C40... would get exhausting to hold.

Guess I'm trying to solve for ease of playability, trying to cross that hump of picking up the guitar enough to move to amateur and then hopefully advanced. I also don't strictly play classical music. I'll play pop, movie soundtracks, music from other cultures even, etc. on the guitar. I'm just learning/playing for me (and maybe friends) to unwind from workday, no recitals etc. But I do have an ear for sound (I've played piano), can tell the carbon fiber classical sounds not as rich as the wood guitars (Cordoba C9 and Yamaha CG-TA). But the offset is durability, can breakdown into overhead luggage.

Any thoughts or advice on keeping/returning the Journey CF and/or buying another classical guitar would be helpful, thank you!

[Rudy4]

The Cordoba C5 is an often recommended "first classical guitar".

I recently posted a topic on my purchase of a Cordoba Cadete 3/4 size classical. This guitar is a nice small instrument, particularly after a bit of setup work. It's around $350, so it's a small amount of money for a guitar that really is quite nice. You can purchase a semi-soft Gator case to fit this and I thik it's stow-able in an airplane overhead.

NNGD... Cordoba Cadete 3/4 Size Nylon Strung Guitar

As you are only just delving into guitar you should decide what type of music you want to pursue and don't be overly concerned with getting something for the long haul.

Buy something and start learning.

[TRose]

If I were you and could make it work financially I would keep the Journey guitar. It is the one that you can play in the park when it might rain. A wooden guitar will not do well in such circumstances. An all laminate guitar might withstand the elements but probably won’t sound better than the carbon fiber one.

I picked up a used Kenny Hill New World Player guitar that has a 628 scale and 50mm nut used for less than 1K. The body size is like a 00. It’s an all wood instrument. They also make a 610 scale guitar with a slightly smaller body. The Etude series are laminate back and sides with a solid top and can be found for less than 1K new.

Another option would be the Cordoba parlor classical. Made with rosewood or mahogany back and sides that have been well received. Here is a review:

https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.co...parlor-guitar/

https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.co...ssical-guitar/

If I did not already own a similar instrument I would have purchased one of the parlor models.

Good luck with your search.

Best,
Tom

[btbliatout]

I'd stay away from nylon carbon fiber unless it's truly dedicated to being just a rugged practice instrument, or you intend to play it amplified. Acoustically they are quite quiet, as I'm sure you've realized with the Journey you have.

I have an Emerald nylon, and it stays out in my living room all year. During the winter and the summer it's my go-to practice instrument (heat is on in the winter, AC is on in the summer). Very handy to have, but alas, it's not nearly loud enough for me to play with anyone acoustically.

As for wood guitars, the trick is to be willing to drive around for hours on end to every guitar shop you can get to, and put every last nylon guitar in your hands. Factory guitars, AND WOOD, are so inconsistent. My favorite sounding wood guitar is a cheaper $400 Yamaha. It's not a looker, I can see the poor craftsmanship (irregularities and asymmetries), but the top really resonates, and after getting it setup, the intonation is great. Lucky piece of wood? Or a determined man willing to drive hundreds of miles to find the right cheap guitar? Maybe both? I figure there's a lot here who share my experience though.

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The Cordoba C5 is an often recommended "first classical guitar".

I recently posted a topic on my purchase of a Cordoba Cadete 3/4 size classical. This guitar is a nice small instrument, particularly after a bit of setup work. It's around $350, so it's a small amount of money for a guitar that really is quite nice. You can purchase a semi-soft Gator case to fit this and I thik it's stow-able in an airplane overhead.

NNGD... Cordoba Cadete 3/4 Size Nylon Strung Guitar

As you are only just delving into guitar you should decide what type of music you want to pursue and don't be overly concerned with getting something for the long haul.

Buy something and start learning.

That sounds like pretty good advice to me! However, if you're a frequent flyer, and must have it with you, check out size limitations for carry on first! I suspect the case may be too long?

Don

[Jeffreykip]

I understand you want to be able to pick up and play… my advice is get an armless desk chair, not a different guitar. It’s annoying to play any guitar in a chair with arms. You could switch to a ukulele if you really wanted to (not joking or sarcastic, ukes are great, and nylon stringed). However I’d suggest another C40 and a different chair. The C40 is what our school gets for guitar students and what I recommend to people learning. And you can definitely take it to the park, the beach, the camp fire - it’s not carbon, but it’s not going to melt. To jump to spending a thousand or thousands of dollars does not make sense to me for what you are describing. Beware of shopping rather than playing.

[thefsb]

Read my topic here https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=663665

I tried a C9 and didn't like it. I loved the C5, bought it and I still find it very pleasing, inspiring responsive, really. You can see from my .sig that I'll pay for quality under circumstances but the C5 really does the job well. If I get to the point with the classical guitar that I want something better I think I'll need save a lot and to travel to one of the salons and try lots of them.

[Carbontunes]

Thanks all, I ended up buying a Kremona wood guitar and returning the Carbon Fiber.

It's a sizeable guitar, but I've managed to get used to it, and I still play it in an office chair with arms some adjusting happens.

The Cordoba's C5/C7/C9 and Yamaha's in person didn't sound as great as the Kremona, which sounded like a dream. It gets played almost every day!

[nikpearson]

That’s all that really matters. If an instrument encourages you to play then it’s the right one for you.

I’ve found that you can usually adapt quickly to a new instrument even if it feels a little different or awkward at first; it just takes a little perseverance. Getting used to a full-size classical instrument shouldn’t take long. They’re still a relatively small guitar, similar in size to a OO model in steel-string terms.

Keep up the daily playing.