8 Best Classical Guitars Under $200 Review

Let’s face it, not all of us can easily afford a five hundred to a thousand dollar classical guitar in an instant. But if you’re just looking for an entry level sounding and budget friendly classical guitar to already enjoy playing in no time, and has the kind of quality to help you develop your skills on the guitar? All you will need for now is to spend at least two hundred dollars on your savings to purchase yourself a good beginner model.

Speaking of such classical guitars. We have arrange a few models as our top pick for best classical guitars under the two hundred dollars range. These nylon string acoustic guitars are coming from household name guitar brands that you might be already familiar with, and are all well built using the finest solid and laminate tonewood combinations. So when ever you are ready, here are the affordable classical guitars we highly recommend.


Affiliate Disclosure

constantinecruz.com is a participant of Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. It is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide websites a means to earn money by advertising products by linking to Amazon.com.

This post contains paid links: If visitors of the site uses the links to buy items. “As an Amazon Associates I earn from qualifying purchases” at no extra cost to you. Learn more


Ibanez GA3 Classical Guitar

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

The GA Series by Ibanez is a complete line of superb entry level classical guitar models that ranges from the GA3 full size classical guitar on the picture, 3/4 scale GA2 and 1/2 size GA1 model for kids or as a travel size guitar. All of the GA Series are made of the same spruce for the top with an agathis back and sides in amber gloss finish to produce awesome tones and eye catching beautiful aesthetics.

The C-shape neck is traditional wide with a flat radius but comfortable to play made from nyatoh wood and top of by an 19 frets nandu wood fingerboard. Then to take care of tuning, intonation and string action this classical guitar and its smaller versions are equipped with a set of chrome classical tuners on a slotted style headstock, maple bridge with plastic saddle, and plastic nut.


Cordoba Protege C1M Classical Guitar

Best Classical Guitars Under $200
  • 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

Highly recommended by almost all classical guitar teachers and considered by many as one of the best student guitar you can buy in the market today without breaking the bank is the Cordoba Guitars Protege C1M Series. These line of classical guitars by Cordoba is offered in different sizes to choose from namely the C1M full scale version, C1M 3/4 size model, and the smaller C1M 1/2 and C1M 1/4 scale to fit kids who shows a keen interest on learning to play the guitar.

The Protege C1M classical guitars are all constructed using spruce wood for soundboard in matte polyurethane finish with a mahogany back and sides. Neck has a C-profile and comfortable to play made of mahogany and placed with a dual-action truss-rod before topping it of by a 19 frets pau ferro or composite fingerboard depending on the product date. Other important parts that also contributes to the overall sound and playability of these guitars 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

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 a well-known multinational company that manufactures a wide range of instrument products and their offering for a classical guitar for beginners to learn well with and eventually go out there and play is the Yamaha C Series of nylon string guitars that includes the original C40 GigMaker package, the full scale model C40II and smaller CS40II 7/8 scale classical nylon guitar only.

The C Series models of Yamaha are all built with a spruce top in gloss finish and has a meranti wood back and sides. Neck on these classical guitars are easy to play crafted in nato wood top of by a flat radius 18 frets rosewood fingerboard for traditional comfort. Then completing the Yamaha C Series classical guitars are a pair of in-line classical style tuners, rosewood bridge with urea saddle and urea nut.


Takamine GC1-NAT Classical Acoustic Guitar

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 GC1-NAT classical guitar model of Takamine is an attractive looking and beautiful warm nylon string guitar that features a fan braced spruce soundboard and has a mahogany back and sides. Neck up to the headstock of the Takamine GC1-NAT is traditionally designed for a great feel and playability made of solid piece mahogany and top of by a 19 frets laurel fingerboard.

For other features, this nylon string guitar has a dovetail neck joint, inlaid mosaic soundhole rosette as garnish, synthetic bone nut, laurel bridge with synthetic saddle, chrome tuners with white pearl buttons and an elegant gloss finish to protect and enhance the aesthetics of the guitar.


Washburn C5CE Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar

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

If you are looking for an affordable classical guitar with electronics on-board to plug on an amplifier for practice and to perform on stage, the Washburn C5CE is the classical acoustic electric guitar is the right one for you. The Washburn C5CE offers a cutaway style classical guitar to access the higher frets made of spruce with a catalpha wood back and sides.

For the neck, it is a combination of mahogany and engineered wood as fingerboard with 19 frets for playability. Other appointment on the guitar to get excited about are the set of chrome classic style tuners, engineered wood bridge with GraphTech NuBone saddle, GraphTech NuBone nut and EVT preamp system plus tuner controlled by a master volume and 3-band EQ bass-mid-treble.


Oscar Schmidt OC11CE Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar

Oscar Schmidt OC11CE Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar
  • Spruce top
  • Mahogany back and sides
  • One-piece solid mahogany neck
  • 19 frets engineered wood fingerboard
  • Slotted headstock with gold classic style tuners with pearloid buttons
  • Engineered wood bridge with NuBone saddle and NuBone Nut
  • Active preamp with 3 Band EQ

Another reasonable priced and good sounding classical acoustic electric guitar under the two hundred dollar price bracket for beginners and veteran players alike on a budget is the Oscar Schmidt OC11CE model. This classical guitar with a cutaway and electronics on-board gets the job done using a select spruce top with mahogany back and sides.

Neck on this classical guitar offers a traditional feel and playability made of one-piece solid mahogany top of by a 19 frets engineered wood fingerboard. Part of the highlight and keeps the Oscar Schmidt OC11CE classical acoustic electric guitar in perfect pitch are the gold classic style tuners with pearloid buttons, engineered wood bridge with NuBone saddle and NuBone Nut.


Fender CN-60S Nylon String Guitar

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

Own a acoustic guitar having a Fender logo on the headstock with the Fender CN-60S acoustic guitar. This Fender made nylon string guitar is carefully crafted with a scalloped X-braced solid spruce soundboard and has laminated mahogany wood for the back and sides to deliver tones that only gets better as the solid top board age.

The C-shape mahogany neck top of by an 18 frets rosewood fingerboard on the Fender CN-60S offers a different feel and a kind of playability similar to a steel string guitar because the neck profile is not wide and the string spacing is a lot closer when compared to a traditional classical guitar. Then holding the strings together and keeping it in tune 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.


Cordoba C3M Classical Guitar

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

This under two hundred dollar handmade classical guitar by Cordoba is a gem of a find made with a solid western red cedar top with laminated mahogany back and sides to produces the sought after crisp and articulate tones when played strumming, flat picking and finger style.

The C-profile neck of this classical guitar is truss-rod adjustable crafted in one-piece mahogany and has a 19 frets rosewood fingerboard to compliment the tones produced by the tonewood body. Adding more value to this and keeps the instrument in precise tuning are the set of Cordoba silver tuning machineheads with pearl buttons, composite bridge with bone saddle and real bone nut.

Related Topic: