classical guitarist smarties

[sanantoniosooner]

Any suggestions on a guitar for a beginner?

Probably going to have to keep it in the neighborhood of $200 or less.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Target has a nice selection in that price range.

[Howzit]

I don't play classical guitar and am not familiar with makes, but do have a couple of acoustics and a couple of electrics.

Seriously, try not to do the 'or less'. I know it may smart a little, but a cheap instrument may doom the player to failure.

[Mongo]

I don't play classical guitar and am not familiar with makes, but do have a couple of acoustics and a couple of electrics.

Seriously, try not to do the 'or less'. I know it may smart a little, but a cheap instrument may doom the player to failure.

dont listen to him, he is only trained on the skin flute.

Dont skimp on a geetar. It is a piece that can be owned for a lifetime. My pops bought a basic Gibson in the early 70's. The bastard is worth over a thousand smokes now. Even if it doesnt get used, it still can gain in appreciation.

[sanantoniosooner]

I don't play classical guitar and am not familiar with makes, but do have a couple of acoustics and a couple of electrics.

Seriously, try not to do the 'or less'. I know it may smart a little, but a cheap instrument may doom the player to failure.
Well, I've got some decent beginner models for around $150, but I don't know the stuff well enough to distinguish between them. Alvarez and Ibanez both have models for that price.

[Howzit]

Well, I've got some decent beginner models for around $150, but I don't know the stuff well enough to distinguish between them. Alvarez and Ibanez both have models for that price.
Well, those are pretty good manufacturers, but keep in mind that the name on the guitar does not necessarily say anything about the guitar. Fender Strats could be made in the USA, Mexica, or Korea, and they vary in price and quality by orders of magnitude.

Not saying they aren't good guitars, mind you...

[sanantoniosooner]

Well. I know this much. A solid wood top is better than a laminated top for sound. However, I don't know if the lower priced solid tops are better than the laminated tops in the similar price range.

Washburn makes a low priced solid top, but I don't know how good it is.

[TheBobbyTrain]

if you actually get it at a music store, intonation, set ups, repairs, etc... are much cheaper (or even free) than if you buy a guitar from a non-music store. if you get it at a certain music store in norman, there is a chance that the guitar you want will have already been run on the plek machine. for those that don't know, the plek machine is a fret dresser and neck analyzer that will dress the frets to within .005mm of complete and utter perfection. then it analyzes the neck to tell us how to adjust it so that it is perfect. look at www.plek.com for further info on it.

just my $0.02

[Howzit]

Well. I know this much. A solid wood top is better than a laminated top for sound. However, I don't know if the lower priced solid tops are better than the laminated tops in the similar price range.

Washburn makes a low priced solid top, but I don't know how good it is.

You know, I'm self-taught so take what I say with a grain of salt.

On a beginner guitar, I would be more concerned with ease of playing than the sound. Look for one that will fit the players hands and not kill the fingers. If the guitarist sticks with it and wants to take it to the next level, you're going to be looking for a better quality guitar anyway.

[TUSooner]

I ended up getting a Fender something for my daughter, from a reputable guitar shop (Inernational Vintage Guitars in NOLA) I want to say it was in the 186-206 range. (Don't ask me why the sixes, it just stuck in my mind.) As a non-guitarist, I looked at it this way: If I were 100% sure she was gonna stick with it, I would have spent more. Otherwise, I had no need for an expensive conversation piece.
But obviously, if you buy a piece of crap, the player likely won't take to it. We've moved on to electric, but I think we did OK for a 1st instrument.
Sincerely yours,
Igno Ramus :)

EDIT - Since nobody can 100% ignorant about everything, maybe guitars are the one thing HOwzit is not a total idgit about, I'd listen to him. - i.r.

[sanantoniosooner]

this is the one I'm currently considering (http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-IBAGA5?source=froogle)

I think the most important thing is for it to hold a tune for a reasonable length of time. After that, I'm not sure what the most important thing is. The neck on classical guitars is wider than a steel string.

[OUAndy1807]

Are you looking for an acoustic guitar, or an actual classical guitar?

I would look for a good used guitar at a place like Guitar World. I know the guitar world in OKC had 2 Taylor Big Babies for under $200. That's a (somewhat) handmade solid wood guitar for under $200. I played them and they blew away anything else at the price point as far as tone. I almost bought one just on principal because it was such a nice guitar for the price.
http://www.gguitars.com/images/ta0512428/ta0512428_1a.jpg

My current guitar is a Taylor 214 that I bought used for $500 and I love it.

[sanantoniosooner]

classical.

Sorry. I should have made that clear.

[apusooner]

go to a store that sells, repairs, sets up etc... and they will help you out. in my opinion, I wouldn't go to a place like target because if something goes wrong, they can't and won't do anything about it. a music store sometimes won't touch a guitar they dont sell. if they do, they charge more. so go to the local store nearest you that sells the brand you want, and they will help. they usually match internet and competitor prices too. also, most music stores have players working for them, some are good, some aren't, and they can help you get started. wow, i didn't even plug the famiy store in that one.

[tbl]

Perhaps the thread title should be "Classical classical classical guitar smarties that know classical guitars b/c I'm going to buy a classical guitar, not a regular guitar... classical".

Don't skimp too much. The main thing you need to make sure is that the neck is straight and that it's intonated right. If the string is in tune open and not in tune fretted, it's a pain in the butthole to play and a constant frustration.

[sanantoniosooner]

There's a smaller place called "House of Guitars" near my house.

I'll probably buy there unless something else jumps out.

[tbl]

Guitar Center is the place to go. It's chaos going in there, but most of the dudes in there know how to play and know instruments. They'll try to upsell you, but you'll probably find a guy that's honest enough to help you out.

[proud gonzo]

I'm totally not a good person to give advice. I wanted an acoustic guitar and went into a used guitar shop in wichita and picked out the one I thought was prettiest. :D I actually wanted a classical guitar rather than a normal acoustic, but the dudes in the shop advised against it for some reason.

[GottaHavePride]

this is the one I'm currently considering (http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-IBAGA5?source=froogle)

I think the most important thing is for it to hold a tune for a reasonable length of time. After that, I'm not sure what the most important thing is. The neck on classical guitars is wider than a steel string.
Any guitar, you're probably going to want to re-tune it every time you take it out of the case to play. Tuning isn't just something you do once and leave for the next few months. A lot of things can pull a guitar out of tune - changes in temperature, humidity, being bumped around by being carried in a case, and so on. Heck, just the act of playing a guitar will slowly work the strings looser. One of the first things you (or whoever is playing the guitar) will need to learn is how to tune the guitar.

In short, the guitar staying in tune is probably going to be way down the list of things to look at. Unless there are just serious mechanical problems that a string won't stay tightened, it's probably ok.

EDIT: and you'll need a case for the guitar. Not all guitars come with cases - you might want to be aware of that.

[Ash]

For a beginner, you don't need anything extremely fancy but don't go totally cheap *** either. IMHO, unless you are an experienced player who KNOWS exactly what tone and resonance you want, some of the details are not important.

As someone else said, go for something that is comfortable to play and decent quality (i.e., don't go buy the one for $20 off the messican street vendor down the road...but if you happen to know a messican family of guitar makers, like the Pimentels (http://www.pimentelguitars.com/), and they'll give you a good price...go for it).

Strings will run the gamut for classicals, you can go as cheap as $5 to gawd knows what. Make sure you either know a place that can restring it well, or be prepared to learn it yourself (depending on the type you might need instructions if you've never restrung a classical).

As far as brands go, I can't help you there. I play an electric Ibanez and it RMFO. My classical is a handmade from the aforementioned family. I've played steel string acoustics of different types but I'm not sure that compares directly to classical.

If I haven't confused the issue more than before, I'll try better next time.

[TheBobbyTrain]

classical.

Sorry. I should have made that clear.


anything i said before still holds true with a classical guitar. trust me. i work at a music store that sells them AND fixes them. something will go wrong with it and it will need fixing. save yourself the trouble and get whatever guitar you want from an actual music store. it will save many headaches in the end as well as helping out the local music shop by not giving your money to some big corporation.

also - the plek machine will still work over a classical guitar to perfection. those wacky Germans did their typical overengineering job on it to make it work on any stringed instrument that has frets on it.

[1stTimeCaller]

Have you sent Mr. Sooner Boy a PM? I think he's a band director at an SEC school.

[william_brasky]

http://www.doney.net/aroundaz/celebrity/DA_esteban.jpg

[SoonerTerry]

this is the one I'm currently considering (http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-IBAGA5?source=froogle)

I think the most important thing is for it to hold a tune for a reasonable length of time. After that, I'm not sure what the most important thing is. The neck on classical guitars is wider than a steel string.


I can't tell if that one has a truss rod. That is something you will want the guitar to have. It is a rod that runs the lenght of the neck and is used to keep the neck strait.

T

[sanantoniosooner]

Have you sent Mr. Sooner Boy a PM? I think he's a band director at an SEC school.
I'll ask him when we do lunch.

[OU4LIFE]

You know, it's hard to go wrong with a Classical AIR guitar.

[jk the sooner fan]

Any suggestions on a guitar for a beginner?

Probably going to have to keep it in the neighborhood of $200 or less.

man i wish i could remember the location of the guitar shop i bought jk3's guitar from in san antonio......

dont go to china though, bad news

[Mjcpr]

Too bad you don't like __________ well enough to spend top dollar on them.

[jk the sooner fan]

some kind of parent he is ;)

[sanantoniosooner]

I'm burning a candle for all those that would lead me astray.

[Mjcpr]

Have you checked Ebay?

[jk the sooner fan]

there's a local owned music/guitar store in san antonio....not one of the chain stores.......for the life of me i cant remember the name of it, i can have jk3 check his guitar bag tonite for the name......but its a good store

[sanantoniosooner]

Have you checked Ebay?
I look at it this way.

If I'm buying something I know a lot about, I don't mind ebay. Then I know the right questions to ask and what should be typical for an item.

But if I'm a novice, I would rather spend a little more locally and have a better shot at getting it right and having recourse if there is a problem.

[landrun]

uh... what's the difference between a 'classical' guitar and a standard 'acoustic' guitar?

I thought classical was a style of play rather than a type of guitar?

Someone please explain, I may talk the bride into buying me a guitar for my b-day. :P

[sanantoniosooner]

uh... what's the difference between a 'classical' guitar and a standard 'acoustic' guitar?

I thought classical was a style of play rather than a type of guitar?

Someone please explain, I may talk the bride into buying me a guitar for my b-day. :P
Classical has nylon strings and a wider neck.

Steel stringed guitars have a more narrow neck.

The nylon strings are a bit easier on the fingers of the beginner.

The neck is a toss up I think. The wider neck give you more room to work on the fingering positions, but it also mean reaching further.

There are probably other differences, but those are the most obvious.

[Howzit]

Classical guitars generally do not have fret board markings, also.

[OU4LIFE]

you know, air guitar strings are in perfect position for everyone. They never need tuning either.

[jk the sooner fan]

i think i had classical and acoustic guitars confused......

[sanantoniosooner]

http://www.folkofthewood.com/images2/epigranada.jpghttp://www.guitarwiki.com/images/b/bf/AcousticGuitar.JPG
You'll notice the pick guard, slight shape difference, headstock is different and for some reason the acoustic guitar is crooked.

[OU4LIFE]

Acoustic guitars are more political, hence the lean.

[Mjcpr]

Are you looking at balsa wood?

[OU4LIFE]

and seriously, I thought classical guitars were smaller than acoustics.

maybe I was imagining that.

[sanantoniosooner]

and seriously, I thought classical guitars were smaller than acoustics.

maybe I was imagining that.
The body is slightly smaller due to the shape. More figure 8 like. Other than that they are pretty comparable in size.

[OU4LIFE]

So i WAS imagining that.

excellent.

[sanantoniosooner]

Are you looking at balsa wood?
I'm not 100% in love with your tone right now.

[Howzit]

Acoustic guitars are more political, hence the lean.

Acoustic guitars have an agenda.

[sanantoniosooner]

Well I found an Ovation classical today. New it went for around $900, $1000 with the hard case he has(I'm pretty sure that is a list price though. After reseaching, maybe not). It appears to be in very good used shape and he wants about $350

Similar to this one, but classical.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0002GMX7U.01-A2C6L56YNN7GI8._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1092423359_.jpg

[landrun]

I was looking for the exact same thing but couldn't find one.
I gave up guessing that Ovation didn't make classical guitars.

$350 is a heck of a deal. Did you get it? If not, where is this guy? :)

[OU4LIFE]

still should have gone with the classical air guitar.

[sanantoniosooner]

I was looking for the exact same thing but couldn't find one.
I gave up guessing that Ovation didn't make classical guitars.

$350 is a heck of a deal. Did you get it? If not, where is this guy? :)
The Ovation may not be technically a classical.

It has the nylon strings and headstock of a classical, but it has the narrower neck of a typical acoustic. It also has the pick-up built in for amplification.

If you are seriously interested send me a PM.

[landrun]

So really, it is a standard ovation with nylon strings? Is that correct?

I was thinking about doing that but thought it might be considered goofy by real guitarists. :O

[sanantoniosooner]

So really, it is a standard ovation with nylon strings? Is that correct?

I was thinking about doing that but thought it might be considered goofy by real guitarists. :O
I has all of the parts of a classical, except it has a narrow neck. You couldn't simply put nylon strings on a standard guitar and get the same thing.