[niko-time]

Well, I will probably spend about £300 on it including a case, maybe more maybe less. Thing is, I only know people who know about electric ones so, basically, what are some good makes and stuff to get? I love buying used, eBay smells nice.

 

[F107plus5]

My post here is probably a waste of your time to read since it really doesn't begin to answer your question, but what happened to me was I wanted to get a new classical guitar and was planning to fly to Spain on a long weekend and pick one up. A friend of mine who was into craftsman type projects suggested I make one. So I did tons of studying on guitar manufacturers and guitar building and decided to become a one-time Luthier.

I bought some plans for a Manuel Ramirez classical, like Segovia used on occasion, and took about two years building it. Well; maybe not that long, but I finished it in '87. It still plays quite well. And it was fun!

 

[niko-time]

Sounds fun, I would love to build me a guitar but I am awful at that sort of thing, I was also wanting something in more like 2 days not 2 years ^^

And no, it wasn't a waste of time

 

[Davesrose]

I would avoid E-Bay for getting an instrument. Don't ever buy in instrument unless you can pick it up, inspect it, and try to play it (even if you haven't learned how to play yet, it's good to try to strum a few random notes to see if you like "the feel").

With a budget of 300, you probably could find a nice used guitar from a shop in your area. If you're lucky, you might find a handmade guitar for that price....but it's going to be iffy, and it probably won't be any better then a machine made guitar. You could also get a new manufactured guitar: just make sure they have a solid top. The best intro classical guitars are from Yamaha, Takamine, Alvarez, and Ibanez. I personally like Yamaha's student guitars.

 

[gdeth]

if you're serious enough about it, you should make sure you get a solid wood top (spruce or cedar - cedar sounds a little warmer but up to you).

japanese makes that have entry level guitars include takamine and yamaha. lots of spanish and french makes of course.

here's my local guitar shop's website which has some good info regarding classical guitars; you may be able to get some more info including euro makes of guitars:
http://www.classicalguitarstore.com/...rs/guitars.htm

couple of other sites you may want to check out:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...coustic+Guitar
http://www.benelly.nl/Scripts/default.asp

--
as for Ebay, i did get mine thru ebay (and have made other guitar purchases) w/out any problems. i did make sure to buy from reputable sellers.

 

[niko-time]

Well, I kind of bit the bullet and ordered the B40 on this page: http://www.highlystrung.co.uk/acatal...isco_Bros.html

...but from eBay as I got a decent case with it... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=008

According to the guitarist magazine it is 5 star and its cedar and solid top which I read was good

I bought some instruments in the past from eBay without a hitch and if I don't llike it I will simply sell it again, there aren't that many shops with many classical guitars in my area...I don't think.

I contacted the seller and he seems like a decent chap.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by niko-time /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought some instruments in the past from eBay without a hitch and if I don't llike it I will simply sell it again, there aren't that many shops with many classical guitars in my area...I don't think.

You'd be surprised. On a whim, I googled Nottingham.....and believe it or not, you have a BIG classical guitar center in your area! Well if you already have a guitar, at least check them out for accessories and lessons:

http://www.spanishguitar.com/guitar/gtrindex.htm

I'd go with local recommendations and stuff.....guitarist magazine is commercial and not focused on classical guitar.

 

[niko-time]

We do? Haha, my mistake. My piano teacher teaches guitar as well so he will give me the run down on alternate weeks, I'll be sure to head over there.

And I prefer things which people havent heard of I don't know why, but back when I played the bass I bought the burns bison which isn't hugely well know which sounded nice...just the bass wasn't melodical enough for me.

Did the google search reveal any shops that I have missed?

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by niko-time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did the google search reveal any shops that I have missed?

Well having not ever been on your side of the pond....I'm not sure how close these places are to you

But here's another that looks nice:

http://www.spanish-guitar-bristol.co.uk/

What's more, that person has been "taught" by Segovia (what probably happened was that Segovia listened to him and then told him what he thought). But he would at least know proper guitar method.

The sticky thing about classical guitar is that it's a totally different method then regular finger picking accoustic. Finding a teacher who knows the difference is key. I started by getting lessons from a guy who was primarily a violinist. I then had to unlearn what I learned from him to learn correct classical guitar. So I'd at least pick up a book on classical guitar or try to try down a teacher who you know will know classical guitar.

 

[niko-time]

I'm afraid that is a 3 hour drive away

I'll speak to my piano teacher about what he thinks

 

[infinitesymphony]

Looks like you picked a good choice. The cedar top will give it a warm sound, sort of "Spanish," but still classical. Don't worry about uncommon brand names... Most truly excellent guitars are each made by one man or a small team, not mass-produced, which is why brand names aren't common for good classical guitars (or other classical instruments).

I have a 2005 "Granados" that was made by a team of luthiers in Mexico, with rosewood sides and back with a cedar top. My college guitar professor had a friend who'd been raving about the Granados guitars, so he decided to pay the $100 shipping fee to audition one. He knew I was looking for a guitar, so I was the first to audition it the day it arrived. I'd been using a super-cheap Yamaha student classical guitar until then, and the difference was massive. The look, feel, projection, and most importantly, the sound quality was all-around better to my ears. I absolutely loved the dark sound of the cedar top.

Before that, I had spent a lot of time auditioning classical guitars, including true high-end guitars at a dedicated classical shop, and also the classical guitars common to music stores (Yamaha, Alvarez, etc.). The guitars at the high-end store were nice, but the only one of them that I wanted to own was a $4,000 Kenny Hill Hauser '37, a beautiful and balanced guitar that was simply too expensive for me. All of the regular music store classicals had significant problems with either tuning stability, intonation, frequency balance, or projection--even though they were less expensive, they were overpriced.

So, the moral of the story is, develop your technique, discover what you like, and audition. But that comes later... Either way, I think you made a good choice for a first guitar.

Regarding lessons, I agree with the previous posters. With classical guitar, playing techniques are fundamental. If you don't want to experience roadblocks later, learn from a proper educator. You might have the best luck taking lessons from guitar professors at a local college or university.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif The guitars at the high-end store were nice, but the only one of them that I wanted to own was a $4,000 Kenny Hill Hauser '37, a beautiful and balanced guitar that was simply too expensive for me. All of the regular music store classicals had significant problems with either tuning stability, intonation, frequency balance, or projection--even though they were less expensive, they were overpriced.

I lucked out by finding a well known guitar teacher who also sold some guitars.....he sold me a prototype Kenny Hill double cedar top Rodriguez. Love that Spanish warmth and the unique projection. I haven't seen too many double tops around....so I guess Kenny didn't decide to make it a regular option.

IMO, a warm Spanish guitar is a great pairing with a Hauser. The Bream/ Williams duets are still my favs!

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif I lucked out by finding a well known guitar teacher who also sold some guitars.....he sold me a prototype Kenny Hill double cedar top Rodriguez. Love that Spanish warmth and the unique projection. I haven't seen too many double tops around....so I guess Kenny didn't decide to make it a regular option. IMO, a warm Spanish guitar is a great pairing with a Hauser. The Bream/ Williams duets are still my favs!

Very cool. I've never seen or heard a double-top classical in person (knowingly). I like the sound of cedar with a medium to heavy gauge string, and my nail profile tends to give a brighter sound anyway, so it's a good match. My instructor actually bought the high-end shop's Hauser as a practice guitar. Not fair.

All of the Hills sounded and played well at the store, and a lot of my fellow students had the Munich model. One student's guitar in particular sounded amazing. But, after playing the Hauser, I was spoiled. The particular Munich at the shop just wasn't as impressive.