Starting Out On the Road of Classico

Classical guitar is very attractive to people due to its traditional, natural, old Spanish vibe. It can be considered as the ancestor of the oldest guitar that ever existed. So, you kind of get the idea of its origin. When you are a beginner, making a choice is tough. There are so many well-promoted instrument options available on the market. You cannot differentiate actual good guitar from a crappy one, created to trick inexperienced players. Well now you do not need to worry, as we have researched this matter very accurately and made a list of the best beginner classical guitars. Get ready, you are about to uncover all the secrets. Here goes the list.

Top 5 Best Classical Guitar for Beginners

ImageGuitar Model
Rating
Check Price
Cordoba Cadete 3/4 Size Acoustic Nylon String Classical Guitar4.9 out of 5 stars (4.9 / 5)Check on Amazon
Yamaha CGS103A 3/4-Size Classical Guitar Bundle 4.7 out of 5 stars (4.7 / 5)Check on Amazon
Squier by Fender SA-150N Beginner Classical Acoustic Guitar4.6 out of 5 stars (4.6 / 5)Check on Amazon
Hola! Music HG-39GLS 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)Check on Amazon
Stagg C547 4/4-Size Nylon String Classical Guitar4.4 out of 5 stars (4.4 / 5)Check on Amazon

The world of the acoustic guitar is riddled with options, all of them viable all of them interesting to pursue. The problem is, such a vast variety of options tends to paralyze those trying to chose. So let me be clear about one thing – despite all of the options available you probably have one type in mind when you think of acoustic. The steel-string, wooden dreadnought. Despite this, I’ll explain some of the others as well. You never know, you might be convinced to pick up something entirely different and much more fitting to what you want to do.

Cordoba Cadete 3/4 Size Acoustic Nylon String Classical Guitar

Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.9 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.9 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.9 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon

Full Review

Cordoba Cadete 3-4 Size Acoustic Nylon String Classical Guitar

This guitar has solid Canadian spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. The Traditional (Classical) Style Neck makes long-lasting practice easy as your hand will glide like a breeze on a rosewood fingerboard. Cordoba Cadete 3/4 Size Acoustic Nylon String Classical Guitar is not a full-size instrument, but ¾. That makes it perfect for beginners as well as children. The instrument can be considered as a good companion for traveling. Simple and easy playing is also provided with a bit thick nylon strings, so you will not be in pain while getting into the groove. The sound of this instrument has clarity and warm tone to it. All in all, this is a perfect beginner instrument.

Pros:

  • Great tonewood
  • Good hardware
  • Full sound

Cons:

  • Strings are not that great
  • Might be a little more pricey than other ¾ models

Yamaha CGS103A 3/4-Size Classical Guitar Bundle

Build Quality:4.6 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.7 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.7 out of 5 stars
Value:4.8 out of 5 stars
Average:4.7 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon


You know what I love the most about beginner guitars? The bundles! I’ve always been a person who gets excited when a typical package includes some extras. And even though I’m considered an adult now, I still seem to enjoy such things. I’ll try to be unbiased here and tell you honestly – if you’re a beginner, bundle is always the best way to go. Yamaha CGS103A ¾ size Classical Guitar Bundle is a wonderful option for those, who are searching the market for their kids. The guitar itself is smaller in size (scale length is 21” here), which makes it extremely easy to hold and play. Your children or younger siblings will undoubtedly enjoy its smoothness. This bad boy features spruce top, meranti back and sides, nato neck and rosewood fingerboard. The bundle we’re talking about also comes with many essentials, such as a gig bag, tuner, strings, etc. It can be quite a headache to purchase all those things separately, so it’s definitely nice when they are included in the package. In short, CGS103A bundle is a really affordable option for everyone who’s looking for their first guitar.

Pros:

  • Great value for money
  • Perfect size for kids
  • Includes some of the essential accessories

Cons:

  • Included gig back has a poor quality

Squier by Fender SA-150N Beginner Classical Acoustic Guitar

Build Quality:4.6 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.5 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.6 out of 5 stars
Value:4.7 out of 5 stars
Average:4.6 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon


What about some Fender at an extremely affordable price? We already know that they maintain decent quality regardless of the price tag, which means we can easily trust the models they provide us with. Their Squier SA-150N is definitely worthy of your attention. Its price will surprise you more than once, and the features you get will do the same. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t expect anything extraordinary or sophisticated here, but I’m sure you already know that. Everything comes at a cost, my friend, but luckily that cost is really low with this guitar. Its top is made from Lindenwood, while the back and sides are mahogany. These laminated woods seem to be pretty durable and can withstand the abuse any beginner will cause to their guitar inadvertently. What makes it suitable for beginners? – you might ask. The answer would be its size, smoothness and lightweight body. The sound SA-150N emits isn’t saturated with complicated harmonics, yet it has richness and character to it. What else could we ask for in such an affordable package?

Pros:

  • Extremely affordable
  • Decent quality
  • Amazing sound

Cons:

  • Requires frequent tuning

Hola! Music HG‌-39GLS

Build Quality:4.4 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.4 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.5 out of 5 stars
Value:4.5 out of 5 stars
Average:4.5 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon

Full Review

Hola! Music HG-39GLS

Hola! Music HG‌-39GLS is a very budget-friendly classical guitar. It has a Spruce top, Mahogany back, sides and neck.  The instrument is very comfortable to play as it is small, compact and lightweight. It has a beautiful, delicate, natural glossy finish to deliver nice style. It surely sounds as good as it looks. Nylon strings give it a sound perfect for musical genres like jazz and classical music. The tone that it produces is pure and powerful at the same time, so you will be satisfied. Overall its performance is much better than you would expect for this price. It is a perfect companion for those who are just starting out and seek for an affordable, yet solid instrument.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Comfortable
  • Great looks

Cons:

  • Does not stay in tune that well
  • Not the highest quality material

Stagg C547 4/4-Size Nylon String Classical Guitar

Build Quality:4.4 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.3 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.4 out of 5 stars
Value:4.5 out of 5 stars
Average:4.4 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon

Full Review

Stagg C547 4-4-Size Nylon String Classical Guitar

Stagg C547 4/4-Size Nylon String Classical Guitar is one more instrument that will not make you rob a bank, even though it has a pretty decent quality. It has spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Its neck is made of mahogany as well and has rosewood fingerboard. Your hand will easily play on this comfortable neck for hours nonstop. The instrument has a stunning natural dark color. The workmanship is pretty high quality. The sound that it delivers is excellent, especially for this price. This guitar is ready to play once out of the box, as it is perfectly set up. You will be satisfied with its performance due to rich sound with good bass and clarity. Stagg C547 4/4-Size Nylon String Classical Guitar is perfect for beginners.

Pros:

  • Good strings
  • Comfortable
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • Okay hardware
  • The sound is good but not the best

Why Classical Guitar?

Well… You are the only person that can answer that question. We just can help you in the process of making decision, but in the end, it is up to you and your personal tastes. First of all, most people go for the classical guitar because it is relatively cheap, especially those who are nice, solid beginner instruments and not created for pros, or concerts. This instrument usually has softer strings, and this feature makes it very attractive. If you are just trying to learn, you will need to practice a lot and you obviously are not used to finger peaking kind of moves so softer strings is truly a nice advantage. Last but not least, who would not want to start playing with the instrument that has such a big history? Am I right?

The Origin

Well, to be short guitarlike instruments have been around since pretty ancient times. They were developing and changing shapes day by day. So finally, at the beginning of 19th century, its final shape became similar to the ones that we see nowadays. However, it must be said that the instruments sounds, styles and even designs differed a bit in every region.  At some point, the whole Europe discovered one guitar made by Spanish luthier Antonio de Torres Jurado. The musician that played this guitar was also Spanish-Francisco Tárrega, so it is not a surprise that traditional – Classical guitar is also called Spanish guitar as well.

Now when you know a bit about the history, let’s get into some good tips that you have to keep in mind before the actual purchase.

The first thing that you need to check is how it fit. You are the one that will have to play it and spend lot of time practicing. Make sure that the neck is comfortable. Your hand should easily glide on instruments smooth neck, unless that will be an obstacle in playing. Also choose the one that fits your whole body perfectly, not only sitting but standing as well. Due to your long hours of interaction, find a guitar that is light. Even if the instrument has the most wonderful sound possible, you will not be able to make the most out of it and use it properly, if it does not feel right in your hands. Make sure to pick the one with great playability for you.

Secondly, choose the sound that you want. Every instrument has its own, unique sound, due to different craftsmanship. So, make sure to get the most out of it. Decide on the material that you want it to be made of, also if you prefer laminated or solid tops. Of course, there are some rules about what is better, for example Spruce is considered as one of the top materials for guitars, but you may like the one that is made of Maple because they all have different sounds. At the end it all comes down to your personal preferences. Choose the sound that you like and that caters perfectly to your personal tastes.

Do not forget the look. Sometimes we get so caught up in the specifications that we forget how important aesthetic is. The full satisfaction from playing is provided when everything is the way you want and in the most perfect way possible. So, the look is surely a thing to have in mind.

Conclusion

All in all, we have given you the list of best beginner classical guitars and some “behind the scenes” of classical guitar playing experience. That kind of instrument needs a lot of dedication and practice. You need to be patient and motivated. It has a different feel than other kinds of guitars, so make sure that its unique features are attractive to you. Try not to stress too much about it, because at the end you are doing it for the pleasure, so there is no room for anxiety. Hope you will find this article useful. Good luck on your instrument hunt.

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