View post (wanna buy a new classical guitar..any advice?)

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James8831
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/01
Posts: 510
James8831
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/01
Posts: 510
03/22/2002 7:40 pm
get a lower end one by a good maker. Electric guitars have more adjustments on them (string height,intonation,etc) so it's easier to get a slightly duff cheap electric to play better whereas with a classical or spanish guitar it's difficult to alter the string height or intonation - and budget makers can get it wrong in the first place.

Check out some Yamahas as they are usually excellent.

Personally, if i wanted a "spanish" guitar - i'd go for an ordinary steel strung acoustic with a single cutaway, so you can reach the higher frets, and replace the strings with classical ones.

My reasons for saying this are that

1.)Classical guitars don't generally have truss rods and you can't use steel strings on them (if you ever wanted too) or you'll likely warp the neck. - if you put classical strings on a previously steel strung guitar you'll probably have to take some tension off the truss rod as the lighter strings won't put enough tension on the neck.

2.) Classical guitars don't seem to come with cutaways, so they are buggers to reach the high frets on.

3.) The tuners on steel stung acoustics seem to be stronger and are closed backed.

This is only my opinion and is based on limited knowledge of classical guitars.
Accuracy,you say? hmm interesting concept..