Decent entry level nylon strung guitar

MartinBush · August 2022

Hi all

Inspired by Davy Graham I'd like to have a go at developing my technique on a nylon-strung acoustic.

I would be looking for something cheap but sound and wondered whether the Yamaha C40II likely to be OK? I have one of their dreadnoughts and that's perfectly good.

I don't expect to be able to play Davy Graham style any time this decade, but it would be handy to have something I can have in an alternate tuning to begin on.

Martin

DavidR · August 2022

When you say nylon stinged acoustic Martin do you mean Classical or one of the more modern nylon string crossovers like e.g. Takamine's recent TC135SC? The tradition and technique of the two types of instrument are quite different.

MartinBush · August 2022

This is where my lack of knowledge comes in. I would say classical, but I do not intend to play classical music.

What I would like to develop is the ability to make some Davy Graham-esque sounds. As well as that I think nylon strings would be easier on my right hand.

digitalkettle · August 2022

Your referenced Yamaha C40II is a standard classical.

The few pics I Googled-up of Davy Graham playing nylon were also standard classicals (but there might not have been as much choice back then)...maybe he'd have killed for a Godin

If I were you, I'd be looking for a reasonable 'student' level classical on the used market...they pop up here now and then.

You don't need to play classical music and you don't need to employ classical technique.

malcolmkindness · August 2022

If you can find one within your budget I would recommend a flamenco guitar for that style of music.

MartinBush · August 2022

Thanks chaps.

I am far less fussy when it comes to accoustics, but also less knowledgeable. My Yamaha is a reliable instrument and I guess I want the equivalent classical/ flamenco type guitar.

Budget has been mentioned. That would really be in the £120 range (hence citing the example of that Yamaha) - new or used is fine. I dont think this type of guitar suffers fret wear so used woukd be fine.

BillDL · August 2022

I was going to suggest the Cordoba "Crossover" range of guitars that are purposefully designed with steel string players in mind and have slimmer necks, slightly radiused fretboards and truss rods ........ but then I saw your budget

If you see a Cordoba classical guitar the model numbers increase with quality and price, for example a C1 is base entry level for around £160 to £200 (see note below), the C5 is around the £260 to £300 mark, the C7 is around £500, and when you get up to C9 and C10 they are upwards of £730. The C1 is really just a school student level and they have bright colours. If you see a cedar-topped C5 2nd-hand for £120 to £150 you will be getting a good quality budget, but serious, guitar.

Don't discount Freshman classical guitars (often branded as Manuel Ferrino to give them a suitably Spanish name) from consideration. I have a slimline nylon string electro-acoustic with a cutaway and it is excellent quality for what it originally sold for (£300). I bought it 2nd-hand for £50, so I got a real bargain.

With steel-strung acoustics, having a soundboard made from solid wood as opposed to laminate will give you a more responsive and generally nicer sounding guitar. This is especially true of classical guitars that don't drive the soundboard as hard as a steel string. At £120 you are fairly unlikely to get a classical guitar with a solid wood top without buying what would have been a more expensive guitar 2nd-hand.

One thing to note is that the Cordoba C1 "Matiz" is one of the few nylon strung guitars for £150 that DOES have a solid spruce top, if you can stand the idea of having one in a refreshing opaque pastel shade and with a light coloured maple fretboard.

From what I remember reading I think the Yamaha C40 is the most sold nylon string guitar, and most of the sales are to schools, for pupils learning guitar at school, and as Christmas presents for young people. They are usually bang on your budget. They are laminate spruce tops and laminated "locally sourced" wood that changes regularly. You will certainly get a tune out of them and it will sound like a nylon strung guitar, and they are consistently well made like all Yamaha guitars are, but don't expect anywhere near as pure and "refined" a tone as you may have heard from classical guitarists playing expensive classical guitars.

If you were able to increase the budget to above £200 you would probably be able to get a nylon strung guitar with a solid wood top and a traditional look.

drofluf · August 2022

Have a look at the Cort range. The CEC series are designed “for steel-string players who love the nylon-string sound”. The base appears to have a laminated top but above that you get solid. I had a CEC 1 that was great value.

DavidR · August 2022

If you are already playing the guitar but want to explore the classical tradition and pieces played by Davey Graham you might want something more than a Yamaha C40 which is a starter guitar for students recommended by many teachers as perfectly adequate for a beginner. But you are a student. Explore the Cordoba and Alhambra ranges and pay a tad more for a slightly better instrument.

BTW, although Davey Graham studied classical under Oliver Hunt, his music was thereafter mainly acoustic so you might be going up the wrong tree. He never played a crossover! He probably never played a flamenco either which is a subdivision of the classical instrument with a different construction and a lower action set for flamenco players. His main guitar was a Martin D1 and he owned a Gibson too I think. He is famous for promoting DADGAD tuning. His Anji (sometimes wrongly attributed to Bert Jansch) is one of the first pieces I tried to master in the 1970's. It's not easy but it can be mastered once you can do the Am hammer on/pull off/ hammer thing on the 2nd string C in the main phrase. I spent absolutely hours trying to master it and in the end got fed up with playing it but it really helps to master finger style and has a non-alternating and highly addictive baseline which helps you to master thumb/finger separation of base and treble lines. There's lots of different sections and its very different to a lot of the 1940's blues/ragtime music many people were playing at the time. There's a fine tab of Anji available for free on the musicnoteslib.com website (my favourite for free tabs if you search out the guitarpro .pdf's).

Have fun.

MartinBush · August 2022

Thanks chaps - much to consider and lots of helpful stuff in the responses.

The more I listen to DG the more I realise there's more to his playing than I first thought. Of course I don't expect to reach his level, or anywhere near, but there's things I hear that I know I can do, but every now and then I hear something and wonder how on earth he does it.

@DavidR I may look that tab up and see if I can make a go of it. Nothing ventured...

Stratavarious · August 2022

Yamaha…

malcolmkindness · August 2022

MartinBush said:

Thanks chaps - much to consider and lots of helpful stuff in the responses.

The more I listen to DG the more I realise there's more to his playing than I first thought. Of course I don't expect to reach his level, or anywhere near, but there's things I hear that I know I can do, but every now and then I hear something and wonder how on earth he does it.

@DavidR I may look that tab up and see if I can make a go of it. Nothing ventured...

Davy Graham played such an eclectic range of music that I don't know what period you are listening too, but despite what has been mentioned above, he certainly did play a flamenco guitar later in life. Like most guitarists in Britain in the 60's he played any guitar he could get his hands on when he was younger.

Perhaps you know of him already, but if not, have a look for Duck Baker, he plays a great variety of music on a flamenco guitar. He is hugely knowledgeable and also gives lessons.

earwighoney · August 2022

malcolmkindness said:

MartinBush said:

Thanks chaps - much to consider and lots of helpful stuff in the responses.

The more I listen to DG the more I realise there's more to his playing than I first thought. Of course I don't expect to reach his level, or anywhere near, but there's things I hear that I know I can do, but every now and then I hear something and wonder how on earth he does it.

@DavidR I may look that tab up and see if I can make a go of it. Nothing ventured...

Davy Graham played such an eclectic range of music that I don't know what period you are listening too, but despite what has been mentioned above, he certainly did play a flamenco guitar later in life. Like most guitarists in Britain in the 60's he played any guitar he could get his hands on when he was younger.

Perhaps you know of him already, but if not, have a look for Duck Baker, he plays a great variety of music on a flamenco guitar. He is hugely knowledgeable and also gives lessons.

I'd always associate DG with an early 50's 000-18. He had a signature OM 28 as well.

It's a shame DG seems to go a little under the radar at times, I think he's up there with the very finest.

GTC · August 2022

"Angie" was made very popular with the general public through Paul Simon's recording. I dined out on it for ages in the 70's! I'm not sure about DG's recording but the descending walking bass background (A, G, F, E) is most typically played on a steel string guitar with the left-hand thumb fretting the F on the 6th string. This could be a bit of an ask on the wider classical guitar fretboard. It is quite easy to adapt to fretting the F with the first finger though, with a bit of thought.

The same background walking bass line features in many other arrangements - including Mason Williams' "Classical Gas".

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Decent entry level nylon strung guitar

Comments