Classical Guitars: Buying Guide for students, enthusiasts and even performers.
Though most teenagers like the sound of an electric guitar, there are many other music enthusiasts who prefer the mellower, melodious and soulful sound of classical music.
Usually, guitar students have their first encounter with classical pieces while preparing for music exams. Experienced players, in their quest to learn more, come across classical at some point of time.
Irrespective, it does come across as a breath of fresh air, because they’re usually soft and soulful.
Here’s a video of Moonlight Sonata being played on a classical guitar:
The Classical Guitar
A classical guitar is actually an acoustical, wooden guitar with six classical guitar strings as opposed to the metal strings used in acoustic and electric guitars designed for popular music.
The classical guitar body style is also smaller than most other acoustic designs, which make the instrument easy to handle and feel.
How is the Sound Produced?
Classical guitars transmit the vibration of the string to the soundboard via the saddle and bridge. The combined resonance of the strings, saddle, bridge and soundboard are, in turn, amplified in the sound-box or body of the guitar.
The design and quality of the body, saddle, bridge and soundboard have a major impact on the guitar’s sound. The fingerboard provides room for intricate finger picking.
Classical Guitar Strings
Nylon produces a round, mellow sound and is the preferred sound for classical. The strings are usually available as low, medium, normal and hard tension strings.
The less string tension makes a classic guitar easier to play, whereas the longer string (from saddle to nut) enhances the bass response and sustain.
Read more here on classical guitar strings.
Tuning machines on classical guitars.
About the Guitar Action
Each guitar is usually unique in feel due to the variations in neck thickness and shape. If the neck is comfortable, the guitar will be easier to play.
The string height above the fingerboard (known as the action) also influences how easy it is to play. The action may vary according to personal taste and playing style.
High action is difficult to play but allows buzz-free high volume playing.
Low action is easy to play but buzzes during aggressive playing.
A compromise between the two is best for most players. Fortunately, the action can be adjusted to suit your needs.
If you are a steel-string player, remember that classical action is higher than steel-string action due to nylon’s lower tension.
What Do you Want to Play?
Buying a new guitar is always exciting, be it for the beginner or for the experienced guitarist. However, a basic knowledge of the instrument and knowing about your musical tastes will help you make a wise purchase; a purchase that you can enjoy for years or perhaps even a lifetime.
Is playing guitar a serious hobby or are you majoring in music? If so, buying the best solid top guitar that you can afford makes more sense.
An inexpensive guitar is a good choice if you’re on a really tight budget or if you’re in it only for casual enjoyment.
Do you need amplification, so that you can play in the church or on stage? If so, an acoustic-electric classical will be a better option.
Read more on classical guitar pickups.
Listen carefully to the timbre (tone color) of the guitar. A balance between dark and bright is best and also the most versatile. However, it’s also more of a personal choice and depends on your playing style.
If your right hand technique is on the bright side, a dark sounding guitar will help balance your tone. If you play without nails, a brighter guitar will help bring out the upper frequencies.
Play single notes throughout the guitar’s range and listen to how they sustain. Listen to the relationship of the bass notes to the treble. The bass should be firm with a long sustain. However, the treble notes must be able to stand out in relation to the bass so you can project the melody.
Finally, have someone play the instrument so you can judge the projection. What’s the difference in sound between a $300 guitar and a $3000 one? Budget guitars are less resonating and have a smaller tonal and dynamic range than expensive guitars.
How’s the Workmanship
Whether you are a beginning or advanced player, a quality guitar is crucial to your success and enjoyment. A fine instrument is easy to play, exudes workmanship, and sounds resonant and responsive.
A quality instrument inspires you to practice and excel as a musician. Buy the best guitar you can afford and it will greatly enhance your learning and enjoyment.
Note the quality of workmanship in the seating and polish of the frets, the binding between the top and sides, and in the finish.
However, in all fairness, you normally get what you pay for.
Budget guitars cost less because cheap materials and lesser workmanship are used to trim costs. Budget guitars should be playable but will have unpolished frets, messy glue joints, unsounded bracing and poorly adjusted action (a good dealer will adjust the action if needed).
Premium quality guitars will have a near perfect fit and finish of all components. Even the interior bracing will be neatly glued and sanded smooth!
Before purchasing a guitar, make sure that the tuning heads turn smoothly and allow reasonable pitch control. Fortunately, cheap or broken turning heads are relatively easy and inexpensive to replace.
Effect of Temperature and Humidity
Always remember, when buying a handmade guitar, you are buying a instrument made of wood.
Temperature and humidity are the main factors to ruptures and instrument deterioration if not cared according to the maker’s instructions.
Price Ranges
Most beginners are looking for an inexpensive guitar. However you need to bear in mind that most guitars retailing for under $100 are usually not fun to play (they do have their use though).
You can read reviews of some of the best classical guitars here.
So if you’re really serious about playing classical, it makes sense to spend a bit more and get a quality guitar. Fortunately, there are several factory-made classical guitars costing from $200 to $300 and they are reasonably good.
See Also
Beginning classical guitar lessons & exercises
classical guitar tabs for beginners
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