I love classical guitars. In fact, my first guitar was a nylon guitar. And even to this date, to me, nothing can match the fun, joy, and satisfaction provided by a good classical guitar.
When I was a young teen, there were not many guitars. A few classical guitars, a few acoustic, very few electric – and everyone knew what the best guitar was in each of those types.
Nowadays, there are so many guitars on the market. Yamaha, Cordoba, Taylor – the list goes on. And on the top, each of these brands has several guitars. And this is what makes it daunting for a person to get into guitars – even I would be intimidated to pick a good guitar if I hadn’t kept my eye on them.
Nevertheless, I have done the hard work for you. In this read, I have compiled all the best nylon-string guitars you can get in 2020. I have made this list in such a way that there is a guitar for everyone.
Our Top 3 Picks
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Personal Favorite
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Best for new Student
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Best Guitar
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$249.00
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$139.99
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$249.99
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Our List At A Glance – Top Classical Guitars
A Few Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Guitar
Before you read the following article, I want you to ask yourself a few questions. Those questions would help you to find the best classical guitar you are looking for.
- First of all, who are you purchasing the guitar for? Is it for yourself, or a friend?
- Then you need to look at yourself and check how big are you. Do you have small hands, or big hands or are they average? If you are buying for someone else, then check how old is that person.
- Then, you need to look at how often you or the person you are buying for plays the guitar. Are you a beginner, a hobbyist, an experienced, or a professional?
- Then you need to look at your actual budget.
Now once you have asked yourself these questions, it would be much easier for you to decide and buy the guitar.
Cordoba C3M – My Personal Favorite
In my opinion, Cordoba C3M is the best classical guitar out there. Do not think that just because this is a cheap guitar, it is going to be average – Cordoba produces one of the best guitars in the market these days.
The thing I like most about this guitar is that everyone can play it. It is not too technically advanced for beginners, nor this is it a bad guitar for experts – in fact, it is a pretty good one. It has a rich sound, which makes you feel beautiful while playing it. If there was one guitar I could have, then it would be this. You can pick this guitar as a beginner, and you can take this till the end. For experts or advanced players, you will find everything you need in this guitar. When I first bought this guitar, I was surprised at how well it played – and it is so cheap!
What I Love About Cordoba C3M
Me, I love the price of this guitar, and what we get out of it – the value of this guitar is amazing. It does not make me feel like a show-off guitarist, or cheap.
- Scale Length 650mm
- Nut Width 52mm
- String Spacing at Saddle 59mm
- Nut/Saddle Bone
- Number of Frets 12 to body, 19 total
- Overall Length 39″
- Top Solid Canadian cedar or European spruce
- Back & Sides Solid Indian rosewood
- Binding/Bridge Maple binding / Rosewood bridge
- Finish High Gloss PU
Cordoba C12 SP – Best Fusion of Tradition and Modern Elements
The second guitar on this list is also from Cordoba, and this is an excellent full-size classical guitar. This is the best nylon string guitar you can get. Although it is somewhat expensive and I do not recommend this for beginners. They may play it for a week, a month, or a year – then put it down for good. Therefore, I do not want anyone who is just “trying out” to make this kind of investment. However, if you have the means and the commitment, then go for it.
Cordoba C12 is a hand-made nylon string guitar. This classical guitar is a fusion of the best modern elements of a guitar with the best traditional elements. You’ll love the rich, full tone of the Cordoba C12’s premium tone woods. This guitar has solid Indian rosewood back and sides with a flame maple center and with a solid European spruce top, it gives you the perfect balance of warmth and brightness.
The playability and sound quality are superb. The reason is that the neck is solid mahogany. It allows the maximum transfer of string energy to the spruce top and that is what makes this guitar sound so beautiful.
In the end, we can see an ebony fingerboard and an Indian rosewood bridge which is simply the icing on the cake for me. This guitar is perfect, but the only reason I do not have this as my number one guitar is that it costs over $1500. However, it is one of the best classical guitars in the market right now.
What I Love About Cordoba C12 SP
All of it. Literally all of it. The sound quality is great, the hardware is perfect – the look, the feel, everything is perfect with this guitar. This is an incredibly beautiful guitar with a true warm sound.
- Scale Length 650mm
- Nut Width 52mm
- String Spacing at Saddle 59mm
- Nut/Saddle Bone
- Number of Frets 12 to body, 19 total
- Overall Length 39″
- Top Solid Canadian cedar or European spruce
- Back & Sides Solid Indian rosewood
- Binding/Bridge Maple binding / Rosewood bridge
- Finish High Gloss PU
Antonio Giuliani Classical Guitar – Best Value Guitar
The third in our best classical guitar list is another high-quality guitar – in fact, all Giuliani guitars are. The neck is made up of a high-quality mahogany neck, with a solid rosewood fingerboard, and the top is made up of Canadian cedar.
The thing about I love this guitar is its wood, most of the guitars are constructed with laminated wood. To me, laminated wood does not feel right. I like to feel the wood of my guitar when playing it – laminated wood just feels fake. But this build, at this price point – makes this guitar unmatched in terms of quality.
The playability of this guitar is great as well. What I love about Giuliani is, that they build all of their nylon string guitars by hand – which makes them sound really good.
What I Love About Antonio Giuliani CL-6
The fact is that this guitar is made with so much care and precision. If you are looking for a high-end guitar that feels good without selling your car, then this guitar is the best for your buck.
- Scale length is a standard 650mm
- 12th fret with 2.75 mm of clearance on the treble
- 3 mm on the bass side
- Solid mahogany neck
- Solid rosewood fingerboard
- Canadian cedar top
Kremona Solea Artist Series Nylon String Guitar – Best Premium Guitar
This guitar has the best sound quality of the entire list. There is a long history in this beautifully handcrafted Bulgarian guitar. This brand comes in the premium category – which has been in the market for the past 80 years. Making it one of the best nylon string guitars on the market.
If you are the type of person who wants high-end products then this is the guitar for you. It is not made in China like most guitars are these days. The company is privately owned and operated in Bulgaria. It has 100 craftsmen to build all of its guitars. Just take a second to think about how premium this brand is, and how carefully was this guitar made.
The top is made up of high-quality cedar, but to me, the back and sides are the winners in terms of the body. They are made up of solid cocobolo – which is a tropical wood and it gives it a stunning vibrant look. It is one of the most stunning classical guitars on the market.
The cocobolo sides give such a rich sound to this guitar. It is not too different from rosewood, but not exactly the same. The cedar top also gives it a very crisp, consistent sound with good bass response.
What I Love About Kremona Solea
It is a beautiful guitar. For me, it is too premium and I am the rustic kind of guy – but if you want the ultimate classical guitar, the best in the market, then this one is for you.
- Top wood: Solid Cedar
- Back & sides: Solid Cocobolo
- Body finish: Thin Polyurethane
- Orientation: Right handed
- Fingerboard: Indian Ebony
- Neck wood: Honduran Cedar
- Scale length: 25.6 in.
- Number of frets: 19
Cordoba C5 Iberia Series Classical Guitar – One for the lefties
This is the third guitar by Cordoba on this list. The thing is, this company makes the best classical guitars and Cordoba C5 is no different. Cordoba C5 is a full-size beginner guitar with nylon strings.
In terms of construction, this guitar has a solid Canadian cedar top with a Mahogany back and sides. The fretboard is made up of rosewood, and it has a glossy finish to it. This guitar not only looks good but plays well. Due to its cedar top, the guitar produces a crisp clean sound.
The reason why I say this is for beginners is that it has a slightly larger neck than compared to an acoustic guitar. That allows the guitar to hold easily and comfortably and gives you a lot of body estate. Which makes it perfect for fixing your guitar posture and position as well.
Why I love Cordoba C5
One of the biggest reasons why I like this guitar is that not only does it play well and looks good, but you can get a model designed for left-handers as well.
- Both for Left and Right Handers
- Top is made up of solid cedar
- Mahogany back and sides
- Rosewood fretboard
- Glossy Finish
- Scale Length: 25.6"
- Number of Frets: 12 to Body, 19 Total
- Profile: C Shape
Yamaha C40 Classical Guitar – The Budget Guitar
Yamaha C40 is one of the cheapest full-sized nylon classical guitars on the market. This is an excellent guitar for people who want to learn the guitar. You could say that it is the best classical guitar for the money!
Although the price of this guitar is around $150, it has great sound quality. The hardware of this guitar is that it has a spruce top, meranti back, and side along with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
This simple guitar is made for people who want a quality guitar on a budget. And want to have an instrument that can lay a good foundation for their guitar learning. Furthermore, it comes with a kit that has everything a beginner could need. If you are completely new to guitars and do not want to spend too much but get the full experience, then this is your guitar.
Why I love Yamaha C40
The reason why I like this guitar is that it is the best full-size affordable guitar available on the market.
- Solid Spruce Top
- Rosewood Bridge and Fingerboard
- Meranti Back and Sides
- Superb Playability and Tone
- Excellent Cost Performance
- Comes with a complete kit.
Yamaha CGS103AII – The Student’s Guitar
The CGS103AII is another budget-friendly guitar by Yamaha, however, this one is a full-size classical guitar targeted at students. This is another beginner guitar. To be honest, this guitar was my trusty old sidekick for a long period of time.
This nylon string guitar has a spruce top, and the back and sides are made up of Meranti. The neck is nato while the fretboard is made up of rosewood. However, this guitar has no finish. In general, if you read ‘natural’ finish somewhere, it simply means that it has no finish.
Furthermore, this is a full-size guitar, so if you have small hands then I would not recommend this. However, for its price, and what it provides, this is an excellent entry guitar.
What I love About Yamaha CGS103AII:
The most attractive feature of this guitar is that it is cheap, but does not sound like one, and for its price, it is a great guitar.
Scale length: 25.6"
Top: Spruce
Back: Meranti
Sides: Meranti
Neck: Nato
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Rosewoo
Frequently asked questions about classical guitars
What is a Classical Guitar?
A classical guitar is a wooden made instrument that has strings attached to it. It is a musical instrument that produced music by the vibrations of the strings attached to it. Normally, a classical guitar is played with fingers, however, you can play with tools called picks -these picks are used instead of fingers to play the instrument.
Classical guitars are also referred to as Spanish Guitar because today’s classical design was adapted from one developed by Spanish luthier Antonio Torres Jurado.
What Is the difference between classical and acoustic guitars?
This question is asked by people who usually are new to guitars. I will not be talking about the sound difference, but the physical difference among them as they are easier to recognize.
The biggest difference between a classical and an acoustic guitar is the type of strings. Classical guitars always have nylon strings, while acoustic guitars have steel strings. Other physical differences are that classical guitars are wider, while acoustic guitars are larger. Another clear difference is that the tuners on an acoustic guitar are placed on the fretboard, while classical guitars have them placed perpendicularly.
Brand summary
Cordoba
Cordoba is a brand that I really like.
This brand is not aimed at being “cheap”. In fact, it is a very high-quality brand. Their guitars are aimed at everyone. May that be a beginner or an experienced player. Their quality is amazing, and it is a perfectly balanced brand.
They have a guitar for almost everyone.
Giuliani
Guiliani is a brand aimed at people who want something more than a Yamaha guitar. Their guitars are not the cheapest in the market but are affordable.
A thing that I love about their brand is their customer service. They provide a lifetime warranty on their guitars with a 45-day money-back guarantee. That alone says a lot about the company.
Kremona
Kremona is what I would call your ultra-premium brand.
These guys know what guitarists want and love, and they make the best of it. Their guitars are not cheap – quite the opposite. However, this brand is not for everyday guitarists. It is for the elites who like spending money on their guitars and want perfection.
La Patrie
La Patrie is another premium brand. This brand is aimed at more experienced players. Their guitars are exotic and expensive. If you want your guitar to be handmade with perfection and a lot of care, then this is your go-to brand.
This brand is for the people who not only want the perfect sounding guitar, but the perfect guitar to hold as well.
Yamaha
Yamaha guitars are usually cheap and aimed at the beginner, in the student category. Therefore they are not aimed at full adults, however, you can make it work if you have one.
However, if you are an experienced player, you would want something more than what Yamaha can provide. But if you are starting out, then they have everything that you need.
Conclusion:
In the end, there are several things you need to consider while buying a classical guitar. Your skill level, budget, and how committed you are.
Also, I know many people who own expensive guitars but never clean them – and that is very bad for the health of your guitar. Therefore, once you buy the guitar, take care of it, and know how to clean your guitar.
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