For the Serious Classical Guitar Player - Review of Advanced and Concert Guitar Options
For the Serious Classical Guitar Player - Review of Advanced and Concert Guitar Options
Why Upgrade? Which instrument Should a Classical Guitar Player Chose?
You already have a guitar so what are the reasons you would be looking to upgrade?
The answer is one of two factors:
You have an exam looming and you really need the extra firepower.
You want to “more” to enjoy your practice more and get more out more pleasure out of your playing.
A guitar is an investment in both a work of art and in making the most of your practice time. Consider that the guitar you are purchasing is hand built and the cost of the tone woods is a large part of the final cost the old maxim ‘you get what you pay for’ really does apply to an expertly hand build guitar. I received an email from a man who had become a classical guitar student as an adult, asking as to what his choice of guitar should be.
Obviously, it was hard to generalise - players have different musical experience and talents as well as greatly differing budgets. As I did not know him well, I wanted to provide an answer that would suit a range of different possible circumstances.
It is better to play an instrument that is a bit too good for you rather than one that is "just right". The better instrument stretches you, rewards you, and inspires you.
This is what I said, ‘I am not absolutely clear from your email how many years you have been playing so I will make a number of suggestions depending on the number of years and your budget’ (see the summary box below)
Budget $700
Years playing : Up to 1 - Alhambra College, Alhambra Z, Alhambra 1 or 2C
Years playing : Up to 2 - Alhambra 2C
Years playing : Up to 3 - At this level, there is a very wide choice of instruments available at a very wide range of prices
Budget $1400
Years playing : Up to 1 - Alhambra 4P
Years playing : Up to 2 - Alhambra 4P
Years playing : Up to 3 - Alhambra 4P
Budget $1900
Years playing : Up to 1 - Alhambra 5P
Years playing : Up to 2 - Alhambra 5P
Years playing : Up to 3 - Alhambra 5P
Budget $2000
Years playing : Up to 1 - Alhambra 7C
Years playing : Up to 2 - Alhambra 7C, Prudencio Saez Model G-9
Years playing : Up to 3 - Alhambra 7C, Alhambra 7P Rosewood, Prudencio Saez Model G-9, Prudencio Saez Model 28 Rosewood
Budget $2700
Years playing : Up to 2 - Raimundo Thu Le, Tatyana Ryzokova Signature
Years playing : Up to 3 - Alhambra 7P Prudencio Saez lattice range
Budget $3500
Years playing : Up to 3 - Alhambra 10P , Vicente Carrillo Estudio. Angel Benito Aguado Marizapalos, Camps M16, Camps CL18. Teodoro Perez Estudio, Teodoro Perez Madrid
To summarise your options:
The better you play, the greater your choice of instruments.
A good player with three or more years’ experience with a limited budget will get great pleasure from a 7C, for example.
However, if their budget stretches slightly there are advanced/intermediate student instruments that would suit going on up through the $2500 mark.
And, the fact is, many adult students like to treat themselves to a really good quality semi-performance instrument and pay much more than this because these guitars are a quantum leap in playability, volume, string separation and tonal beauty.
For those looking for something really special we currently have over 300 Spanish and Australian handmade Luthier concert guitars in stock
Recommended Strings
If you have a good guitar with a solid top, it really needs decent strings to power it, preferably high-tension strings.
Few stores in Australia stock a full range of quality classical guitars and even fewer a full range of strings that will give voice to your guitar.
So, we have set up a special area of guitars online devoted to all the strings that players love.
https://www.guitarsonline.com.au/stringsonline
Where to Buy in Australia
Specialist nylon string guitar dealers are few and becoming less so every day due to the rising inner-city retail costs.
Therefore, many retailers fall into the box-moving trap and become generalists selling everything from harmonicas to electric guitars to steel string guitars to ukuleles.
Classical/ Flamenco nylon string guitar lovers became a casualty in the war for display wall space.
This is why I have endeavored to build a network of specialist dealers.
Please see the updated dealer listing on www.guitarsonline.com.au or contact us on 03 9395 5055.
Advanced and Concert Level Players Guitar Options
Guitar building techniques are advancing constantly and staying abreast of the developments on the part of guitar builders and trends on the part of concert performers is a full-time job. It certainly keeps me busy!
There are three main contenders at this level of guitar building.
Traditional Spanish Fan Braced
Lattice braced.
Double tops with either Fan bracing or Lattice.
Advanced/Concert Level • $5000 - $7500
At this level, the guitar options are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Some options I would typically start with when showcasing guitars at this level are:
Vicente Carrillo Primera 1a
Margarit and Mengual Ziricote (Lattice or New Torres)
Paulino Bernabe Model 15
High End Concert Level $7500+
Paulino Bernabe Model 20, 30, 50 Torres, Especial, Royal
Manuel Adalid Cathedral Double Top
Vilaplana NT
Vicente Carrillo Gabriela II
Vicente Carrillo Herencia
Elias Bonet Concierto Aire
Yunah Park Concierto
Why the prices and what are the differences?
Normally when showing guitars, I do not dwell on the technical differences until the player likes the guitar and wants to know more. Why? The player does not usually care about how the maker achieves the tone, ease of playing etc. until they can hear/feel the difference and like the way it performs in their hands.
For this reason, I would recommend that if interested you stop reading this article and just give me a call and I’ll show you the differences (I love what I do but I promise not to be boring).
Summary
However, for the purposes of summarizing this article and the sake of completeness I feel I should briefly explain the differences using the Good/Better/Best Guitars framework I use to think about guitars to compare and contrast guitars and then buy them.
Better: Advanced Spanish Guitars RRP $600 - $3900
Higher grade solid top, very warm open and loud improved dynamics over the College
For the committed player- High Quality Cedar top for improved projection and musical performance, great dynamics.
Great clarity and volume, larger range of tonal possibilities
Beautifully crafted, very loud and playable with wonderful tone
High grade cedar top, with Ziricote back and sides giving it rich resonances and projection. Asymmetric neck makes it easy to play
Alhambra's biggest selling model at the mid-range, resonant and precise, with real presence
Higher grade soundboard, 7 fan bracing and tone bars deliver musicality and a cascade of notes
Prudencio Saez 2-M (Cedar top Solid Rosewood) $1890
All solid tone woods easy to play with rich and colorful sound
Powerful and detailed sound, easy to play neck, enhanced internal bracing.
Prudencio Saez 3-M $2490 (Cedar top Solid Rose)
A step up in quality and performance over the PS 2M with rich sound, very detailed and nuanced delivery
Raimundo Tatyana Ryzkova Signature $2500
Signature model - It is clear, deep and well balanced for the demanding guitarist at a reasonable price.
Raimundo Thu Le Signature $2500
Signature model- a collaboration delivering traditional and powerful acoustics, high treble levels, deep and warm basses with rich harmonics.
Solid quality Cedar top, superb Ind Rose back and sides, 7 fan bracing deliver deep resonant bases, crisp tone and projection.
Prudencio Saez 1 Lattice all solid Rosewood $2790
Built with lattice bracing for power and performance while retaining all the colour and flavour of the best Spanish guitar.
Entirely handcrafted, very responsive, the sound is rich. Clear and extremely versatile.
2-PS Lattice all solid Mex Granadillo $3099
The Granadillo gives it a very special sound with great power and projection.
3-PS Lattice all solid Spanish Walnut $3099
The select solid cedar top with lattice bracing system enhances the professional sound of this guitar.
Vicente Carrillo Estudio $3600
These are top-of-the-line student/entry-level concert instruments in every way. Sounds great and plays easily.
Entirely handcrafted, superb tone woods, painstaking lacquering give this guitar a warm, loud and refined sounds
The tonal colour palette is huge on this guitar and the dynamic range second to none, perfectly balanced with excellent sustain.
Best Spanish Guitars: RRP $4000 plus
4-PS Lattice all solid Pau Ferro $4290
Lattice with a traditional Spanish sound distinguished by its great power and projection, long sustain and rich harmonics.
Angel Benito Aguado (Marizapalos) $4300
Easy to play, boasts 1AA grade aged tone woods. Offers superb clarity and musicality with real concert presence.
Very comfortable to play, has a superbly balanced sound, open in all registers and is fast responding.
The action is perfect, bases, mid and trebles are well balanced and powerful, string separation and voicing are easy.
5-PS Lattice all solid Rosewood $4670
A great choice for advanced students or professional guitarists. Full of details, with plenty of volume and very well balanced.
Extremely playable - the sound is full, romantic with depth and warmth.
6-PS Lattice all Solid Madagascar $4990
Madagascar Rosewood providing a very rich sound, full of colour and nuances.
Perfect set up, it has the classic qualities of the Madrid style – roundness of tone, depth and warmth, with great power and projection.
Vincent Carrillo Concert 1A $7500
First class guitar with an excellent and balanced sound; sweet and bright trebles with deep basses and great balance and clarity
M&M 50th Anniversary Luthier Ziricote $7500
Truly a concert performance level guitar, visually stunning delivering a tonal punch with great string separation and tonal light and shade.
This model is aimed at guitarists who are immersed in the dynamics of competitions and who need an instrument which is more powerful and easy to play, and which will give them confidence on stage.
Offers a great harmonics richness, an immediate response and very good power and projection - unusual in a guitar built with traditional Spanish system.
Javier Mengual Vilaplana Serie NT $17,600
Winner in the Tarrega and International Segovia Competition. It has presence, delivering excellent sound quality, a result of the dedicated search for the sweetest sonority and the lightest but firmest touch.
How Can I Help?
If You Have Questions?
Please give me a call at any time if you have questions about any of our guitars, or if you would like me to offer you some suggestions.
Pierre Herrero
m: 0410 708 338
e: pierre@guitarsonline.com.au
Expert Playing Style Assessment and Guitar Fitting
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So, unless you are an experienced, expert player, who has spent decades travelling the world, testing guitars, how do you know what specific guitar, is best for you, the individual player?
You don't have to - that is what we do. It's this service that helps make GuitarsOnline so unique.
Our Expert Guitar and Playing Style Consultation Service is a unique offering, whereby we do a complete analysis of you and your playing style - your physical characteristics and objectives.
You then have the opportunity to play a range of guitars, all perfectly suited to your specific playing requriements.
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If you would like to book a style assessment and guitar fitting, please contact me on:
pierre@guitarsonline.com.au
m: 0410 708 338
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https://www.guitarsonline.com.au/product-enquiry