So you finally have decided that a classical guitar is your kind of instrument over the steel string acoustic guitar and the popular electric guitar. Or you’re just one of the many guitar players who’s always been wanting to play a classical guitar, but don’t own a nylon string guitar yet for what so ever reason. Well if it is the case, we’re glad to help by providing a list of classical guitars for beginners and veteran guitar players without breaking the bank.
First for beginners, what is the difference between a classic guitar compared to an acoustic guitar? Aside from the set of strings both the guitars use to vibrate sound. You’ll immediately also notice that a classical guitar has a much wider neck profile and fingerboard with no inlay dots as markers most of the time affecting the feel and overall playability of the guitar. Then this is followed by the body shape and size in which the classical guitar looks much smaller to a steel string jumbo, dreadnought style or even to a concert size acoustic guitar with or without the cutaway. Adding more to the differences is the slotted headstock, tuners and bridge design that presents again a change in look and most important on the way you will replace and tune the strings on a nylon string guitar.
So enough now with the introduction and when ever ready. Let us move on to the selection of classical guitars highly recommended for beginners and long time players as well to play and join their growing guitar collection.
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Ibanez GA3 Classical Guitar
- Spruce top
- Meranti back and sides
- C-shape nyatoh neck
- 19 frets nandu fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- Classical tuners
- Maple bridge with plastic saddle and plastic nut
Best known for their shredder guitars with fast neck and to include a superb line of steel string acoustic guitars. Ibanez is now also embark on establishing a huge name for themselves when it comes classical guitars with the introduction of their entry level offering for beginners out there called the Ibanez GA Series of classical nylon string guitars.
The Ibanez GA3 classical guitar is also available in 1/2 size the GA1 model and 3/4 scale GA2 made of the same spruce for the top in amber gloss finish with an agathis back and sides. Neck is comfortable to play constructed using nyatoh wood top of by an 19 frets nandu wood fingerboard. Other appointments on this classical guitar and its smaller versions are the set of chrome classical tuners on a slotted style headstock, maple bridge with plastic saddle, and plastic nut.
Cordoba Protege C1M Classical Guitar
- Spruce Top
- Mahogany back and sides
- C-profile mahogany neck
- 19 frets pau ferro or composite fingerboard depending on the product date
- Slotted headstock
- Gold tuners with pearl buttons
- Pau ferro or composite bridge with composite saddle and composite nut
This highly recommended student classical style guitar offered by none other than Cordoba Guitars has taught and turned many proteges to master players themselves. The Protege Series is crafted in a variety of sizes to fit a player perfectly namely the C1M full size version shown on the picture, C1M 3/4 scale model, C1M 1/2 size and last but not the least its smallest version the C1M 1/4 for kids or as a travel guitar.
The Cordoba Protege C1M classical guitars are made with a spruce soundboard in matte polyurethane finish and has mahogany sides and back. Neck is C-shape with a dual-action truss rod made of mahogany and top of by a 19 frets pau ferro or composite fingerboard depending on the product date. Also part of the important specs are set of Cordoba designed gold tuners with pearl buttons, composite or pau ferro bridge with composite saddles, composite nut and Savarez cristal corum high tension 500CJ strings.
Yamaha C40II Classical Guitar
- Spruce soundboard
- Meranti back and sides
- C-shape nato neck
- 18 frets rosewood fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- In-line classical tuners
- Rosewood bridge with urea saddle and urea nut
Yamaha is another well-known company when it comes to creations of top tier classical guitars and to mention as well other instruments, services and many products manufactured through out the years by the brand. So speaking of such quality product, their offering for a classical guitar for beginners is the Yamaha C Series line that includes the original C40 GigMaker package and newer models the C40II and smaller CS40II 7/8 scale classical nylon guitar.
All models of the Yamaha C40 classical guitar has a body made of spruce for the top in gloss finish with a meranti wood back and sides. Neck is smooth crafted in one-piece nato wood top of by a flat radius 18 frets rosewood fingerboard for sought after classic playability and utmost comfort in long hours of play. On taking care of tuning, intonation and string action, the Yamaha C Series classical guitars are equipped with a set of classical style tuners, rosewood bridge with urea saddle and urea nut.
Washburn C5CE Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar
- Spruce soundboard
- Catalpha wood back and sides
- C-profile mahogany neck
- 19 frets engineered wood fingerboard
- Slotted headstock with set of chrome classic style tuners
- Engineered wood bridge with GraphTech NuBone saddle and GraphTech NuBone nut
- Preamp system plus tuner controlled by a master volume and 3-band EQ bass-mid-treble
The Washburn C5CE is reasonably priced cutaway classical guitar to access the higher frets easily and is equipped with a EVT preamp system plus tuner to plug on an amplifier during bedroom practice, jam sessions or to perform on the on stage.
The gloss finish cutaway body of the Washburn C5CE has a spruce top with quartersawn sitka spruce bracing for better resonance and paired with a catalpha wood back and sides. For the neck up to the slotted designed headstock, it is a combination of solid mahogany and engineered wood use for fingerboard with 19 frets for playability. While for tuning, intonation and string action, this classical guitar with electronics on-board is given a set of chrome classic style tuners, engineered wood bridge with GraphTech NuBone saddle and GraphTech NuBone nut.
Cordoba C3M Classical Guitar
- Solid western red cedar soundboard
- Mahogany back and sides
- Solid one-piece mahogany neck with adjustable truss-rod
- 19 frets rosewood fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- Silver tuning machineheads with pearl buttons
- Composite bridge with real bone saddle and real bone nut
A gem of a find and arguable one of the best if not the very best classical guitar in the market today under the two hundred dollar budget range is the Cordoba C3M classical guitar. This full scale handmade classical by Cordoba sport a solid western red cedar top with laminated mahogany back and sides to produces crisp tones which will only get better as the soundboard age.
The truss rod adjustable neck of this classical guitar is crafted in solid mahogany and has a 19 frets rosewood fingerboard to compliment the delivery of tones by the tonewood body. Other particulars on this awesomely built guitar to get excited about and keeps the instrument in perfect pitch are the set of Cordoba silver tuning machineheads with pearl buttons, composite bridge with bone saddle and real bone nut.
Fender CN-60S Nylon String Guitar
- Solid spruce top with scallop X-brace
- Mahogany back and sides
- C-shape mahogany neck
- 18 frets rosewood fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- 3-in-line tuning machines with amber pearloid buttons
- Rosewood bridge with plastic saddle and plastic nut
Develop your skills in playing and eventually bag all of your favorite songs as you get better on each passing day with the Fender CN-60S nylon string guitar. This easy to play Fender made nylon instrument is crafted with a scalloped X-braced solid spruce top to fully deliver distinct nylon string tones and has mahogany wood for its back and sides.
The mahogany neck and 18 frets rosewood fingerboard on this somewhat classical guitar plays and feels differently when compared to a typical wide neck classical guitar and is more like playing a steel string guitar because of the narrower neck profile and string spacing. Then completing this guitar and keeping it in precise tuning is a pair of 3-in-line tuning machines with amber pearloid buttons on a classical style slotted headstock, rosewood bridge with plastic saddle and plastic nut.
Takamine GC1-NAT Classical Acoustic Guitar
- Fan braced spruce soundboard
- Mahogany back and sides
- Solid one-piece mahogany neck
- 19 frets laurel fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- Chrome tuners with white pearl buttons
- Laurel bridge with synthetic saddle and synthetic bone nut
The affordable GC1-NAT model of Takamine is an attractive looking classical guitar that can deliver the easy playability and beautiful warm sounds of a nylon string guitar. It is carefully built together by artisans using a fan braced spruce for top board and has a mahogany back and sides for tonal balance as well offers the kind of robust construction that could last you in years to come.
Neck of the Takamine GC1-NAT classical acoustic guitar is comfortable and has a great feel made of solid piece mahogany and top of by a 19 frets laurel fingerboard. Other notable features included on this nylon string guitar is a dovetail neck joint, inlaid mosaic rosette, synthetic bone nut, laurel bridge with synthetic saddle, chrome tuners with white pearl buttons and an elegant gloss finish.
Yamaha CG122MSH Classical Guitar
- Solid spruce top in matte finish
- Nato back and sides
- Traditional C-profile nato neck
- 18 frets flat radius rosewood fingerboard
- Slotted headstock
- In-line classical tuners
- Rosewood bridge with urea saddle and urea nut
Like we have mentioned earlier, Yamaha makes a lot of great products especially when it comes to their guitar line. So if you’re already beginning to like the popular Yamaha C40II for a beginner classical guitar you just saw a awhile ago. Put it aside for now because here’s another offering of the company worth considering and to take a good look at, but this time around with a solid top for a little extra money to spend, the Yamaha CG122MSH classical guitar.
This CG Series classical guitar by Yamaha has a solid spruce soundboard in matte finish with nato back and sides to produce an articulate and boomy sound. Neck is traditionally wide but comfortable to play top of by an 18 frets flat radius rosewood fingerboard. The Yamaha CG122MSH classical guitar also features a lower string action using a set of chrome tuners, rosewood bridge with urea saddle and urea nut.
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