Does this guitar exist?

Hootsmon · January 2022

A nylon strung mid level acoustic. Cutaway, rock an' roll friendly neck and action and none of that in built plastic controls for stage sound play...a non "electric" version if you will

Have you met this guitar?

KKJale · January 2022

That's a toughie. Taylor come to mind, neckwise, but you can't escape the pickup, not as far as I know.

One idea - and it's maybe pushing both the 'mid-price' and the 'rock'n'roll neck' at probably over a grand and 1 3/4" at the nut - might be the Furch GNc 2-CW, cheapest in the Grand Nylon series.

Cutaway, solid woods, no pickup and a fair bit slimmer than the trad two-inch nut.

https://furchguitars.com/us/instruments/grand-nylon/

ArchtopDave · January 2022

Depends what you mean by "mid price". The obvious brands like Yamaha, Admira, and Alvarez all include electronics with their Cutaway Nylon Guitars. Doing a bit of searching, came across the Hanika BasisCut PC, or PF models - just over £1400 (Hiscox Case or GigBag are extra), but you can spec Nut Width, Neck Shape, Action, with or without Electronics, etc. on the Hanika UK website.

P.S. Never owned, or played, a Hanika myself.

Roland · January 2022

In the late 70s there was a nylon Ovation. I remember reading about it, but never saw one.

Hootsmon · January 2022

Hmmm i guess under a grand....I expect some of the ones you mention could be had for under 1K....used of course

Kittyfrisk · January 2022

Second hand Gibson or Epiphone Chet Atkins CEC ?
Edit. Missed the 'non' electric bit.

Gassage · January 2022

You considered a Godin?

ICBM · January 2022

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Deluxe-Single-Cutaway-Classical-Acoustic-Guitar-by-Gear4music/12I1

OK, I'm not entirely serious

. It does fit the description, but is unlikely to be very brilliant.

The problem is that it's quite difficult to get a cutaway *non* electro-acoustic guitar now - every damned manufacturer thinks the two things go together inseparably.

When I worked for a Taylor dealership I enquired about getting a custom-ordered one. All I wanted was a plain 612C, nothing they didn't already make, just without the electrics fitted. They would have been happy to... for about double the price of the standard model - because apparently they couldn't just pull one off the production line and not fit the electrics, they would have to treat it as a unique order from scratch. WTF?

Roland said:

In the late 70s there was a nylon Ovation. I remember reading about it, but never saw one.

I had one, and it was very good - a nice slim neck, no electrics (I did fit a passive pickup myself) - and a very good sound, the Ovation tone seemed to work very well with the nylon strings... but no cutaway.

Gassage · January 2022

Oh, saw the bit about unplugged

Look at Takamine- they do a couple. Ovation too. Cort or Crafter at the lower end, or, silly money, Rick Turner.

DavidR · January 2022

That's a tough one. I thought Yamaha but I've just checked and all their nylon cutaways are electro-acoustics. Why not try phoning Yamaha London on Wardour St and see if they would make you a NX, NCX or NTX but without the electrics? You'd have to wait a few months.

Tannin · January 2022

How about being sensible and accepting that market forces see to it that pretty much every guitar in your target zone ships with electronics?

Fitting an entire model line with pickups costs very little and adds nothing at all to the price. If they left the electronics out, it would save a few pounds on the bill of materials, but cost a lot because of reduced overall sales (most buyers want a pickup), and thus reduced economies of scale. Most manufacturers simply don't bother making "with-pickup" and "without-pickup" versions of each model these days. It is cheaper and easier just to fit one as routine.

There is no law forcing you to plug the thing in.

And - another dose of reality here - it make no, zip, zero, nada difference to the unplugged sound. Just buy something nice (from any of a dozen manufacturers) and be happy.

BillDL · January 2022

Are you trying to get into Charlie Byrd style bossa nova jazz?

Cordoba guitars do a "Fusion" line that they refer to as a "crossover". These are designed with steel string guitarists in mynd (whoops, thinking of Mr. Byrd there again), and have a slightly narrower nut than a classical and have a slightly radiused fretboard.

Massive Long URL with guitar range filtered to the "Fusion" range.

When looking at Cordoba guitars on guitar store websites look at the ones with "Crossover" and "Fusion" in the name. The higher the model number the better and more expensive they are.

In general I would suggest you avoid nylon strung guitars with shallower than normal bodies. There are probably exceptions, but generally they will have a piezo pickup and are intended for stage performance with reduced feedback. Most slim bodied nylon strings that I have tried don't have a very satisfactory all acoustic sound or projection. I have a cutaway Freshman Manuel Ferrino MFAC Slim Classical with a 70mm deep body. It sounds great through an acoustic amp, but a little dead and boxy unamplified, although still usable for practice.

https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/DISC-Freshman-Manuel-Ferrino-MFAC-SLIM-Electro-Classical-Slim-Body/OEX

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/88395/manuel-ferrino-freshman-mfac-slim

Zoonyboy · January 2022

Ibanez made a handful of Artwood nylon string cutaway guitars as a prototype run for Earl Klugh to endorse, back in the 1980 time zone, but it never happened. Handmade, and great rosewood/spruce etc. but 2" nut. I got one from the original rep. Hard to find but they sound great.

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Does this guitar exist?

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