Buying a new classical guitar?

[Sthit]

Good evening folks,
I'm in the market for a new classical guitar with a budget of $350-$650, full size classical, with nylon strings
I was wondering if any of you had some recommendations, or know any good stores in the cheshire region that i could check out.
I've been playing for 11 years now, at grade 7 standard, along with some flamenco.

[stubbsonic]

I have a La Patrie guitar that has a nice sound, and plays really well. The intonation is also very good. It's made by the Godin Company in Canada. La Patrie is one of their brands.

My only gripe is that it doesn't stay in tune. I know this can be a feature of nylon guitars, and I have had several. This one always has to be tuned several times during playing. (This has stumped two experienced luthiers in my area). Still, it is worth recommending, as I think this is just a fluke about my specific guitar.

I think the Yamaha classical guitars in that price range are pretty nice. I've also tried some Alvarez Yairi series guitars that sounded good and played well.

If you can find a shop with guitars to play and good after-purchase support, that's worth the trip & added expense.

[Gravity Jim]

Another recommendation for Yamaha. Their student model classical guitars are a standard in college guitar programs, because they play nice, sound good and don't break the bank.

[mhschmieder]

Yamaha has some brand-new models that look to be good value and well-made.

I love my Bulgarian-made Kremona Fiesta FC-7, and actually prefer it to their higher-end models as those sound and feel more to me like standard flat-top folk guitars due to different woods, bracing, etc.

I paid $870, probably during a holiday sale. It comes with an excellent arch-top case though, so factor that in. And though it's a bit over your budget, it is going to be hard to get even 3/4 of that quality at 3/4 the price, as there's a certain "base" cost that means the little bit extra YOU spend actually is more like a 2:1 factor at the luthier end.

I don't know the pricing on the new Yamahas, or their relative quality to the Kremona, but don't forget to take into account whether the top (especially) is laminate or solid wood. As exchange rates and duties differ considerably by country, it's hard for me to predict the relative price benefits of these two brands in your area.

My first classical was a Yamaha and it was awful as it couldn't stay in tune. That was $150 in 1983 or thereabouts. Pre-internet, so I depended on not-so-knowledgeable locals in small towns. But I have heard that the higher-end Yamahas even from that era, were good value and well-made. And these days, due to CNC etc., even the lower-end Yamahas are probably way better than what I bought in 1983.

Kremona is a long-established brand and is NOT a "cheap factory with cheap labour" doing knock-offs of other guitars. They have their own tradition, and it isn't quite the same as the Spanish traditions (there are several different traditions within Spain itself, regarding bracing and other factors). But I find its neck (not quite as wide) to be more comfortable and playable, than most else in the "under $2000" price range, and it has a lovely tone and very rich harmonics.

The next model down, is a laminate as I recall (probably Sycamore). Pretty good for a laminate, but as someone who is experienced and who also plays flamenco (where a laminate would spell death ), I doubt you would be satisfied for long and would regret the price savings.

There are some other worthwhile budget brands, but I don't know what's available in your area and many of these brands are very narrow in distribution. Cordoba has good construction but don't really sound authentic to me, or feel quite right (I owned one for many years). But they have a lot of models and they don't all follow the same design (though many do), plus they're easy to find used.

The Canadian brands owned by Godin -- especially the La Patrie mentioned above (made in Quebec) -- can be pretty good also, but distribution is a bit funny and I retain a strong recommendation for the Kremona if it is available in your area and at a good price. I went through dozens of brands and models before settling on that one, and have no regrets, even after recently spending twice as much on a flamenco -- but those are harder to do a good job on, in the budget to intermediate range, than classicals are.

Another brand that is no longer easy to find around here, but whose affordable classical guitars have impressed me (when I come upon one) within the given price range (and others as well; they get good word on specialty forums), is Takamine.