Probably not very high. Otherwise you'd have realised they were fobbing you off.

Either that, or this flamingo guitar stuff is new on me.. Is it anything like Flamenco?

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

So I'm looking for a better classical/nylon guitar(than my £180 admira sevilla) for no more than £600. The features I would like are probably (can change when I try guitars, may prefer different features):

rosewood neck
cutaway
low-ish or medium action
solid body woods(not laminated)

I am not looking for an electro, but if the best nylon strung guitar I can find has electro parts then thats fine.

For doing grade 6, 7, 8 and beyond, would I need a classical guitar over a normal nylon strung one? What are the differences? I would rather have a nylon strung guitar with cutaway etc I think, so I can play other styles on it, and do harmonics and notes higher up the neck. But would I still be able to do classical on that?

Also, I would like a hard case for it. Can anyone recommend a good value classical hard case? and would that work with a cutaway acoustic(like a nylon strung cutaway acoustic) too?

All help is appreciated

Thanks

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"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

All solid wood on £600.00 is going to be tough. Solid cedar or spruce top, no problem, but any sort of solid tone wood back and sides, you'll struggle. Maybe second hand..

I hear you on the cutaway, but it will be a compromise instrument if its pure acoustic. But you can buy them, although you'll lose some tone and volume because of the reduced size of the top. That's why most cutaways are electros. An electro cutaway will be even more compromised if just played acoustically, because the control panel and input jack will cut out even more timber - this time on the sides.

When I did my grades (Trinity School, stopped after 7) 35+ years ago, examiners were a bit sniffy about non-traditional style classical guitars. But I believe they're a bit more modern age now. However, they're still listening for you to demonstrate good tone, tonal variation and good projection, and this is more easily done on a traditional style instrument obviously. A cutaway shouldn't be a complete deal breaker on your grades though.

Good quality classical guitar case? "Hiscox Light Flight cases". Steel framed, high impact plastic. They say you can park your car on them, but i'm not brave enough to try that! I've stood on it though - several times - and I weigh 190lbs. Good quality padded velour lining. (Tip: Put your guitar in a linen pillow case, then put it in the case. Just a bit more protection from movement in the case, and a nice dust jacket.)

As for a nice playing action, don't worry about it. A good quality classical will already be set like this. It's the very cheap ones that sometimes have prohibitively high action.

As you quoted the cost of your Admira Seville in ££s, I assume you're in the UK. I'm going to post you a link to the website for The Birmingham Classical Guitar Centre - so, so well worth a look..

Here it is: http://www.classicalguitar.co.uk/index.html (I see they're selling a new Raimundo 130 with solid rosewood back and sides for £620.00..)

Adey

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Thanks very much. That is a very good website, the buying advice is quite useful. Despite where I am in learning classical(grade 6), I've never known as much about classical guitars as electrics.

I'm in Britain, but in the south, so Birmingham is quite a drive unfortunately. There is a shop in devon I found out about just now-http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk/ I can probably go there.

what is your opinion of these guitars? They are on the classical guitars plus website.

http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk ... +tap-plate

I know it has a laminated back and sides, but I realise that perhaps that is over my budget.

Can also select a hiscox liteflite case with it for £78(standard) or £107(pro).

I also like this:

http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk ... cal+Guitar

Same special offers list on cases etc.

and this:

http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk ... cal+Guitar

There are lots of guitars there, I've only seen some of them.

About using the guitar for grades, I will ask my teacher what the attitude of the examiners is now. I would rather have a guitar I can use for classical and for other types of music, done on nylon strings. I have gone up to where I am now using my fairly cheap Admira (solid top, everything else laminated) and got distinction each grade. The tone on my admira can't be much good compared to the more expensive classicals, but I've done fine so far. Maybe it wouldn't matter so much then if I had a cutaway classical?

Thanks for all the help, this is quite a learning experience for me.

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

Hi again..

Grade 6 all distinction - you've achieved a lot on the classical guitar. Cool. let's play a few duets next time I'm down South!

That first guitar is a flamenco guitar - hence the tap plate. Different set of tonalities - bit brighter and edgier.

The £500 Estevez(?) looks like a great buy. You're compromising with the laminated sides and back, but you're getting the cut away shoulder shape you want. The electrics look good too, not the best of course, but the Fishman systems are very good indeed.

Unless you're touring the world and you've got 30 stone roadies called Igor throwing your instrument on and off tour busses and rigs, you should be absolutely fine with a Standard model Hiscox case. Here's a link to the Hiscox site. They've got a video which shows 6 burly blokes from the Company standing on the Standard case without any harm to the guitar inside:


http://www.hiscoxcases.com/products_hiscox.htm

_________________
Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

nice topic!!!! for now it's my only acoustic guitar (thinking on getting a t bucket since i need a nice electro-acoustic for church) but right now i'm using my galicia nylon string (it's actually my first guitar)

Ha, I wish. One day maybe...

I didn't do grade 2 or 4, because it would have been a waste of time. But all the others, yes. Once, they wouldn't let me warm up very much-got through 2 scales and half a song, that was it. Went in cold, both literally and in terms of my playing that day. Admittedly it was quite a low distinction, but hey!

I think I know which case to get then. Just a case of deciding which guitar.

_________________
"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

It's a no brainer.. Here's my cheap as chips, Chinese Ibanez Salvadore electro classical (brilliant value guitar) laying very happily in my (dusty ) Hiscox Lite Flite Standard case..






Welcome to the discussion ralfcaetano!

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

thanks adey

And just by way of a bit of conceit , here's me in action with the Ibanez..



photo by Kev Corry

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Thanks for posting Rhumba, so fun playing along with the vid, I got very Christmasy, lol.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Thanks Solid, glad you had a good time, a bit of early christmas spirit and to show the young guys and beginners that not everything played on these guitars is technical and difficult.
There is room for fun everywhere.

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Cool guys. Carols are ideal early performance tunes - especially at this time of the year obviously. I still play a version of the Coventry Carol from my very early days..

Classical playing doesn't have to be elitist or too formal, and you don't need to have tons of advanced technique to play something worthwhile. A few nice studies and tunes should be in every players repertoire!

_________________
Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

I've never heard of Galicia guitars - but thats not unusual. There's a whole host of Spanish luthiers making nylon string guitars. You could never keep up with them all..

Maybe you could post a pic sometime ralf..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Bumping this thread one more time.

Just to see if any other nylon/classical players want to decare themselves, and join the conversation..

_________________
Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!