What makes a good classical guitar?

[PDASquare]

Was just wondering as I've been playing the CG for a while but i still don't know how to decide which guitars are better from each other while in a guitar shop.

[MegaBrawn]

Another Singaporean I see? I'm always glad to see a fellow Singaporean guitarist on the forum. May I enquire how long you have been playing?

As to your question, it can be hard to decipher the differences between guitars if the guitarist has insufficient ability to maximise the potential of the instrument. Beginners may be hard pressed to tell a $5000 instrument from a $50 one.

I've played instruments a couple of $5000 instruments and I must say, they were to far beyond my tonal capability. The term 'good' is pretty subjective to. There's 'good' in general and 'good for the price range'.

I assume you're asking 'good in general'. I'm not sure if other members here would concur, but some attributes I would look for is volume, response, playability,resonance and a singing bell-like quality in the trebles. The character of the instrument is another thing altogether. I usually like warmth instruments but find bold instruments to be pretty appealing as well.

Are you looking to purchase a guitar?I am familair with most shops and models offered in Singapore.

[PDASquare]

Hi MegaBrawn, thanks for your contributions and your views. Been playing for a little more than a year. Loved the CG more than ever before.

btw, are you a Singaporean too?

P.S Just how many Singaporeans do we have here? (sseow, myself, you?)

[Armando]

Hy Singaporeans

I didn't know that there is a guitarplayer community in Singapore. I went twice to Singapore to learn martial arts and this made me really fit, but it spoiled my hands :? Autsch!

Btw. what about the humidity. I imagine that the high humidity could affect the guitars. I brought once a guitar to the dominican republic where the climate is similar to singapore. After a while the ebonyfretboard cracked and the neck warped. How do you guys prevent your guitars from this?

regards

Armando

[PDASquare]

Hi MegaBrawn, not exactly ... just window shopping i guess. i like the yamaha 201 .. sounds good and loud.

what about the manuel rodriguez ones? what do you think of them?

Hi Armando,

I wouldn't say there is quite a CG community as compared to the rest of the world though there are many other players playing acoustic, bass, etc. I have no experience with the humidity factor so i can't really give my views on this.

btw, will there be much of an effect if i bring my guitar to australia from singapore? and how do you bring your guitar from one country to another? do you check in it or hand carry?

[brian richardson]

PDASquare,
welcome!!!

i've travelled quite a bit with the guitar and i'd offer you this for advice:
1. every airline is different in allowing musical instruments as carry-on
2. every person you meet at check-in is different (w/ luck a fellow musician)
3. flight status ie. full house or lotza empty seats matters.

your best bet is to be early, be polite, very polite, explain that you would rather sit on the wing and give your seat to your guitar.( it means that much to you). if possible, bring two cases- one regular and one flight.
showing up with the regular case may get you a better chance to carry it on.
if they say no, use the flight case and check it. you can also buy the guitar its own seat :shock: .
the airlines have now become more sympathetic towards musical instruments and there was a change with the f.a.a. in this regard. still, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. homeowners insurance covers it (sometimes). i've travelled w/ a mark leaf case, the guitar was always fine, what the case went through was something different(sometimes).
even if you have to check it, usually, now, there is a special place for fragile things, and they are hand carried to the plane and usually kept in a pressurised part of the hold.
all in all it's a crap shoot and i sweat it every time. good luck to you!

[PDASquare]

Hi brian, thanks for your contribution.

Hmm, mine's not an expensive guitar so i don't have a hard case for it (just those standard bags).

P.S I was just imagining myself at the counter asking the guy "Hi, are you a musician?" and have him/her looking at me oddly. LoL!! You just made my day.

Anyway, I'll see what i can do about it.

[sseow]

armando,
tat was a good question....we have a small community here in singapore playing CG. unlike > 20 years when i started learning to play, the standard was much higher then.
the battle with humidity is getting intensify during this heavy raining period in singapore with air humidity above 90%. what i do is i keep all my guitars in a cabinet i constructed for all wood instrument at home....guitars, violin, cello...then i install a de-humidifer and monitor the humidity with a hygrometer... i can keep the humidity low but still very tough to get to safe level.
PDASquare.... can give u some advise on guitar purchase... call me at 96301929.
one point: a good guitar cannot define by its physical attribute... it has to match the player. i have seen too many mismatch of people play a $5000 guitar but sound like a $50 guitar... and someone with a $ 50 guitar play like a $5000 guitar...just some thought...
seow
singapore

[PDASquare]

sseow, wah ... it seems like you're really into it. any chance i might get to see your instruments? was just thinking if you're free to meet this month and go look at guitars or something liddat.

P.S Non-Singaporeans will find some of the above words abnormal so its perfectly normal. It's just singaporean lingo.

[sseow]

pdasquare,
i m leaving for US this weekend.... may b when i m back later next week will b good 2 meet...
because of my job, i get to travel 40-50% of my time to many parts of the world... i use this opportunity to buy guitar books, cd, meet luthiers...in fact this trip to US, i m getting 2 books which cannot be found in singapore... i have good collections of book which u can't find locally. there are all from US, china, taiwan etc...
as for the guitars, i don't buy guitars locally from the shop here. most of the guitars i have are all direct from the luthier's workshop. if u leave your e mail here i can send u some info.
btw, don't mistaken i play all the wood instruments...other wood instrument besides guitars are all belong to my children.
seow
singapore

[PDASquare]

sseow, you're fortunate to be able to do that (travel around on work).
yes, it'll be great if you can email me when you get back then.

btw, my email is c.a.e.s.a.r.i.v (remove all dots) @ singnet.com.sg

All the best!

[Travis_Warner]

Welcome!

To me, a "good" guitar is a CG that fits you at the time. Until recently, I used to play a Yamaha 151C, which was a "good" guitar for me. It was cheap, had respectable volume, tone, and playability for the price. However, as a person plays more often, one finds that he "grows" out of the lower end guitar, as it were. I recently upgraded to a Cordoba 40R, which will be a "good" guitar for me to learn on for the next few years. So, my advice...go to a few guitar shops, play a few guitars, and narrow down the ones that you like. Myself, I narrowed it down to the Yamaha 171C and the Cordoba...obviously, I go the Cordoba. Also, be patient. Finding the right guitar, at least in my case, and take a few months, but never fear, when you finally get the new one, you'll love it.