Comments on: The Best Classical Guitar?

By: Edwin Estrada

Edwin Estrada — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:56:59 +0000

I have always thought the best classical guitars are from Spain and Italy although i’m well aware there are exceptions. I have a 1965 eko p12 made in Rencanati Italy and it’s a spectacular guitar beyond belief. what a sound and so easy to play. It’s a delight in my musical life.

By: Jonas Burman

Jonas Burman — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:36:37 +0000

I would like to recommend guitars from the italian guitarmaker Renato Barone, Valtellina.
http://www.renatobarone.it
I now play his new Grandconcert model “Amaranto” from 2010 with spruce top and satinwood back and sides. It´s almost perfect! Like the sun! Barone also build instruments in cedar top in combination with brazilian and indian rosewood etc. I know several swedish and italian guitarplayers who has recently changed to Barones instruments.
I promise – that guitarmaker is a true alchemist! The sound turns to silver and gold!

By: JAMIE

JAMIE — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:22:57 +0000

I NOW, ALSO OWN A JOSE RAMIREZ “CENTENARIO”

By: Philip Conrad

Philip Conrad — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:13:48 +0000

After 50 plus years of playing, I have played and owned many fine classical and flamenco guitars. Today I own Ramirez 1a’s, Kohnos, a german Armin Hanika of the 80′s, and others. Each has its own particular sound quality that I find very pleasing. Some have beautiful singing trebles, some are cannons in the basses for example. But recently, I took delivery of a flamenco negra built for me by a luthier named Johnny Walker who is located in the US state of Oklahoma.. This guitar is of rosewood with a spruce top. The top design is from the 1951 Marcello Barbero instrument used by Sabicas to record his album of 1957 called Flamenco Puro. Even being brand new, it is absolutely superb. It incorporates every quality of all my other guitars rolled into one. It may be classified as a flamenco negro, but to me it is an enormously responsive classical. Its price?, $2500.00. Unbelieveable? To me, yes, absolutely. But most important, the materials used to create any classical guitar by a master luthier only cost so much. Above and beyond that, very high prices are only a reflection of what guitarists will pay. I don’t believe for example that Mr Walker only has 1/4 the talent of another luthier charging $10,000.00, or 1/8 of another charging $20,000.00, and so on. If some of you log onto his website, contact him, and perhaps eventually buy from him, I am sure you will be amazed.

By: Freddy

Freddy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:42:49 +0000

Oh and just to say it very truthfully: you can get world-class guitars for 8000 US Dollars, and often even lower prices than that.
But for that you have to look at instruments from luthiers who are not all of the following 3 points:
*well-established
*well-known
*very-in-demand

By: Freddy

Freddy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:37:06 +0000

That’s a rediculous comment that you make about other instruments…
Because in reality it’s exactly as with guitars. You can get great violins for around 10K.

But if you by a violin from a well-established, well-known and very-in-demand luthier… of course they will have very high prices. Same for from guitarmakers that are well-established, well-known and very-in-demand.

The bottom line: your statement “A crappy fiddle might be 10-20K” is just a plain unfounded, shortsighted, flippant comment.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:43:39 +0000

For good players… only guitars that are “Made in Germany” have the highest standard of quality in tone, volume and playability that will meet your highest needs, in my opinion.
Luthiers such as Fritz Ober, Christoph Sembdner, Dieter Müller, Hauser, Armin & Mario Gropp, etc.

As was stated previously: Segovia also favoured German guitars and called his German Hauser: “The Guitar of our Epoch”.

By: Thu Le

Thu Le — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:04:15 +0000

I know you all talk about very high-end and expensive guitar, but to a newbie like me, some idea about mid-range? I personally prefer Cordoba guitar, with price range from $300-$1000. With $400 i bought a C7 Cordoba and it’s solid cedar top with laminate Indian rosewood back and side. And the sound to me is very good and the guitar is responsive. I came from Viet Nam and I tried some hand-made vietnamese guitar, but i have to say the quality of those guitar are not very consistent . If lucky you can find some for cheap enough price and good enough quality. But after 1-2 year the sound goes bad. That’s my experience

By: John

John — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:06:44 +0000

The angst on the expense of a quality classical guitar has often ammused me. For the record – I would also suggest a good look at the Australian makers – though their more modern, clear voices tend to turn some off. On to the price point – Classical Guitarists are still struggling to compete as classical musicians (ie. bad readers, bad at playing with other people, etc.). I’ll add one other slighted perspective – the cost of our instruments.
Oh sure, if you buy a Ruck, Hauser, or Fleta, etc. – especially if somebody famous touched it – you might break $50K. But you can as a rule – outside of flavors of taste, get a truly world class instrument for around $10K. Compare this with a violiin. A crappy fiddle might be 10-20K and then a modest bow will run another 15K. World respected violins routinely break six figures – really exceptional instruments are hundreds of years old and in the millions. Pianos are also very expensive. So relative other classical instruments of professional grade, guitarist get out cheap.

By: Mike Ankin

Mike Ankin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:19:04 +0000

I bought a De Jonge Chelsea guitar ( a Candaian Luthier) last year and the sound is beautiful. Each string can be distinctly heard and it’s a very well balanced guitar with ample volume. I’ve had people listen to it and in their opinion sounded as good as a Smallman. But as is said above there are 100′s of varying opinions.