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Given To Fly · 07-16-2007, 01:57 PM

Good to hear your getting into classical guitar/flamenco music. I have played classical guitar for a long time and am currently going to school studying guitar performance. So hopefully my experiences can be of some use hear. First I will go over what options are generally available and what the differences are. There are many different kinds of guitars but I will just stick with what is in your price range.

Woods

- Tops - For the soundboard of a guitar you basically have two options: cedar or spruce. (Flamenco guitars use different woods but I am no expert on those. I also do not suggest getting a true flamenco guitar and I will explain later.) Cedar has a brown/reddish color and usually a wider wood grain. The sound is darker and warmer then spruce and has a short break in period. (This is a period of time in which the guitar's sound starts to open up and reach it's full potential.) Spruce has a golden color and usually a thinner wood grain. The sound is brighter then spruce and typically a little clearer. Since spruce is a harder wood it takes longer to open up as well. Neither wood is better then the other, it just comes down to preference. So, if possible, play different examples of each wood type.

- Back and Sides - At the price range your looking at Indian rosewood is pretty much the only wood manufactures use. Some might use mahogony but that is rare. (Actually Indian rosewood is more or less the standard on guitars in all price ranges now.) I do not have much advice as to what the sound characteristics are because I can not recall playing any guitars that were not either Indian or Brazillan rosewood. Brazillan is better but it is usually only on high end guitars and now that it is illegal to cut down, it is much rarer and thus more expensive.

- Fretboards - Ebony, almost exclusively used for fretboards. Some guitars will have rosewood fretboards but since it is softer it can warp easier, so do not recommend a guitar with a rosewood board. (Electric guitars are different)

- Neck - This where I fall short. I kind of embarressed to say this but I really have no idea what the necks are made out of. I think it is either rosewood or mahogony but I'm not sure. However, like fretboards and back and sides, you really do not have much choice.

Scale length

The standard classical guitar has a scale length if 650mm. This is fairly close to the standard electric scale length of 25 1/4 inches I believe, but a quick conversion can be made to be sure. Again, not a whole lot of choice available.

Laminated vs. Solid

This is probaby the most important quality of a classical guitar and it can be sumed up by saying solid is simply better.
Laminated wood is two thin pieces of wood glued together to make the top of back and sides. It is a cheap process to do and requires little in terms of care. However, these guitars have a weaker and overall lower quality sound.
Solid tops are much better because the wood is a single piece which allows for a louder, clearer, and more defined sound. Solid top guitars are more expensive but I think they are definitely worth it.

Why not to get a flamenco guitar

The reason I do not think you should get a flamenco guitar is because they are not as practical or versatile as classical guitars. For example, a true flamenco guitar will require different strings and the sound is typically only used for flamenco music. A classical guitar uses standard classical guitar strings (more brands than I can count) and has a tone that can be used for flamenco as well as classical music. I have nothing against flamenco guitars, it's just for your purposes you might be happier playing a guitar that can do many things well, as opposed to a guitar that only does one thing well.

Now as to your price range, I would like to make a suggestion: Get a guitar with a solid top. You will have a much better instrument and it would be a better investment. I'm not sure about the exchange rate but for around $500 US you can get a solid top guitar. This would but you in a position where wouldn't have to spend that much more money, and you wouldn't need to upgrade as soon if you decided you really liked it.

That is the end of my little report. I hope it helps.

07-16-2007, 01:57 PM	#2
Given To Fly ss.org Regular Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 9 Thanked: 0	Good to hear your getting into classical guitar/flamenco music. I have played classical guitar for a long time and am currently going to school studying guitar performance. So hopefully my experiences can be of some use hear. First I will go over what options are generally available and what the differences are. There are many different kinds of guitars but I will just stick with what is in your price range. Woods - Tops - For the soundboard of a guitar you basically have two options: cedar or spruce. (Flamenco guitars use different woods but I am no expert on those. I also do not suggest getting a true flamenco guitar and I will explain later.) Cedar has a brown/reddish color and usually a wider wood grain. The sound is darker and warmer then spruce and has a short break in period. (This is a period of time in which the guitar's sound starts to open up and reach it's full potential.) Spruce has a golden color and usually a thinner wood grain. The sound is brighter then spruce and typically a little clearer. Since spruce is a harder wood it takes longer to open up as well. Neither wood is better then the other, it just comes down to preference. So, if possible, play different examples of each wood type. - Back and Sides - At the price range your looking at Indian rosewood is pretty much the only wood manufactures use. Some might use mahogony but that is rare. (Actually Indian rosewood is more or less the standard on guitars in all price ranges now.) I do not have much advice as to what the sound characteristics are because I can not recall playing any guitars that were not either Indian or Brazillan rosewood. Brazillan is better but it is usually only on high end guitars and now that it is illegal to cut down, it is much rarer and thus more expensive. - Fretboards - Ebony, almost exclusively used for fretboards. Some guitars will have rosewood fretboards but since it is softer it can warp easier, so do not recommend a guitar with a rosewood board. (Electric guitars are different) - Neck - This where I fall short. I kind of embarressed to say this but I really have no idea what the necks are made out of. I think it is either rosewood or mahogony but I'm not sure. However, like fretboards and back and sides, you really do not have much choice. Scale length The standard classical guitar has a scale length if 650mm. This is fairly close to the standard electric scale length of 25 1/4 inches I believe, but a quick conversion can be made to be sure. Again, not a whole lot of choice available. Laminated vs. Solid This is probaby the most important quality of a classical guitar and it can be sumed up by saying solid is simply better. Laminated wood is two thin pieces of wood glued together to make the top of back and sides. It is a cheap process to do and requires little in terms of care. However, these guitars have a weaker and overall lower quality sound. Solid tops are much better because the wood is a single piece which allows for a louder, clearer, and more defined sound. Solid top guitars are more expensive but I think they are definitely worth it. Why not to get a flamenco guitar The reason I do not think you should get a flamenco guitar is because they are not as practical or versatile as classical guitars. For example, a true flamenco guitar will require different strings and the sound is typically only used for flamenco music. A classical guitar uses standard classical guitar strings (more brands than I can count) and has a tone that can be used for flamenco as well as classical music. I have nothing against flamenco guitars, it's just for your purposes you might be happier playing a guitar that can do many things well, as opposed to a guitar that only does one thing well. Now as to your price range, I would like to make a suggestion: Get a guitar with a solid top. You will have a much better instrument and it would be a better investment. I'm not sure about the exchange rate but for around $500 US you can get a solid top guitar. This would but you in a position where wouldn't have to spend that much more money, and you wouldn't need to upgrade as soon if you decided you really liked it. That is the end of my little report. I hope it helps.