My lad is 12 and plays classical guitar. His teacher tells me he merits a better guitar now he is studying for grade 3. I’m don’t know anything about them but wonder what I should be paying for something decent. I’ve looked at Yamaha and they seem very good value. Any advice welcome.

Hi Jools, Yams are good bang for the buck. Probably the best bet is to know how much you’ve got to spend and then let him go try a load out. Bit difficult to explain (tried countless times to Mrs Waller when she wants rid of mine) but they are pretty personal things in sound but also feel.

I’m guessing he is using a nylon strung classical?

Really can’t go wrong with a Yamaha tbh

IME of buying classical guitars you cannot tell that much by price. Basically classical guitars have certain wood and build techniques that give different tones.
Factor in the fact some are hand built [ some builders are better than others even for the same make]and some are machine built* with just as much variability
Some materials ar ebetter
Some us plastic machine heads [ Deore] and some use metal XTR and some use bone or whatever Yuayayah [ spell?]
Some do inlaid frets some dont – it adds nothing to the sound IMHO but does to the price

I know what I like but when ever i go i play them and decide on the sound not price. Its a bit like a bike I guess feel is as important as price. Yo may prefer the ride of a cheaper bike

Personally I think you need someone with an ear

I like Spanish* ones but you pay a premium for them being Spanish that is not always there in the sound

* I have simplified here

I suppose £150 is about the most I’d want to go to right now but I am happy to buy SH if that will get him something better. His current is 6 string nylon 3/4 size classical but his teacher did re-string it with better quality strings recently. It goes out of tune quite easily and he the lad says it lacks dynamics and sounds wrong! I’ll take him up to a couple of shops and have him try a few out then, I really appreciate the advice.

Yamaha have been the standard folk guitar for donks, the old FG180 steel-strung was pretty much the de-facto starter guitar for anyone doing the clubs, and their nylon-strung guitars are just as good, but less commonly seen, because they’re quieter. Second-hand is fine, it’s unlikely that a nylon-strung guitar is going to be abused. Just try a bunch in the shops to find out what your lad is most comfortable playing. As said above, it’s a very personal thing.

My lad is 12 and plays classical guitar. His teacher tells me he merits a better guitar now he is studying for grade 3. I’m don’t know anything about them but wonder what I should be paying for something decent. I’ve looked at Yamaha and they seem very good value. Any advice welcome.

Why not ask his teacher how much better a guitar he merits, and what sort of money you need to spend?

As others have said…YAMAHA.
Though personally, for me, although Yamaha guitars play great they lack character…I know nothing!

I have an Aria guitar. Nothing too fancy at all, but my guitar tutor loves the sound of it and am not to argue with that, but he wont swop it with his Martin, sadly. Where I got it from, the rep would turn up to the little shop and the guy would play a few the rep brought in and reject most of them, even the same model. So even the same model can play good or bad, so worth having a strum on a few different makes. My mate bought a Takamini sp? . To me its too bright sounding, but he loves it. Everyone has their own impression of it sounding nice.

Yamaha have always been good value. Crafter and Simon and Patrick, and maybe a bit less consistently Takamine and Art and Lutherie, all do sanely priced acoustics that will go the distance. Of all the guitars that passed through my hands my little Crafter’s the one that’s been most loved.

Acoustics can make for great used buys, fwiw, by and large as long as they look good and play well and feel well put together, they’re fine. And even today, most guitars get better with age.

Yamaha are bombproof. I’ve had mine for 7 years its been knocked about and dropped and rarely even needs tuning

I had to get a similar sort of guitar for my daughter last year. Looked at and played a whole bunch but ended up getting a Hudson as couldn’t find a Yamaha at that price point. The Hudson is a lovely guitar and I’m very happy with it. If you don’t play yourself then see if you can take someone along who does as even two identical models can play very differently

Are you lot discussing acoustic guitars here or classical guitars?
They are not the same thing but most of those named are primarily acoustic makes not classical ones

Ask teacher. What’s wrong with his current one? Action too high? Sound a bit meh? Best take him to a shop, set a budget and let him choose. I know he is young, but I would not like someone else choosing my guitar for me.

What Junkyard said

Acoustic or Classical?

I think Takamine do nylon-strung, classical guitars, as well as Yamaha, and I’m sure Aria do as well.
Just found this one, that might be interesting:
http://www.dawsons.co.uk/blog/classical-guitar-affordable-amazing
This is an American blog, but worth reading some of the comments:
http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Acoustic-Guitars/What-is-the-best-inexpensive-classical-guitar/td-p/13624472
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-211773.html

Just had a chat with Teacher as he lives over the road. Plan has changed a bit as I’m told I should be dropping around 500 quid, he was very apologetic but swears blind the lad is worth spending the money on, apparently I ought to be looking at something really decent like a Alhambra. London Guitar Studio is where I should go I’m told.

So good news and bad news I suppose.

Hmm. 12 is a bit young to be dropping 500 on a classical guitar I think. He’s bound to change what type of music he wants to play and a classical kind of limits things a bit.

Having said that, if he’s worth it, you get a decent one and look after it, then selling on later would be an option

Get him playing some in a good shop and buy the one he loves.

It’s only money – no other better way to invest it than in a kids talent.

(p.s. make sure he plays some, a good range of prices too. I was set to drop about £650 last weekend and after a bit more research i went in at £350, guitars like bikes, vary massively in playability/ride fit)

I thought it was a bit much to invest but the teacher was quite adamant that he has a gift worth investing in, as has been said I can always sell it on later if things change. I’ll go and have him play a few and see what comes of it. Really appreciate the advice, much as I love music I never learned to play so all this is daunting.

Sheesh, my Aria was £350 and is lovely. You can buy a serious guitar for £500 notes. Best to try a few before committing to that sort of money. The Yamaha can be got for half that. If you are in London, then a pop out to the Guitar Village in Farnham is a fantastic shop to look around and try. They are all on display, grab a seat and have a play and see what you like.

I’d start to wonder just what the teacher is getting from London Guitar Studio for regularly recommending £500 guitars for 12yo students, no matter what their talent*. If professional musicians are happy to pay less than that for the right instrument, and they are, then I’d be politely suggesting to the teacher that I’d let the lad make up his own mind what feels right for him, irrespective of price, but with a maximum of £500. Read again the comments and suggestions from adult guitarists on those two blogs; it’s down to playability and sound, a high price doesn’t always mean a guarantee that those two match up to a player’s likes.
*Probably just my suspicious mind, but you never know.

I think his point was that £200 or so would not be a significant advance over current and that £500 ish would be a big step up and see the lad through to grade 8 and beyond, cheaper being a false economy long term. He recommended an Alhambra and I’ve seen what looks a good one of those for £350 so he may have just been out with his prices.

Around this time last year, I was considering getting a classical guitar. Someone suggested I consider a Picado direct from the factory (Spain).

Buying direct, the models 49, 53 and 54 cost 490, 595 and 750 Euros respectively (plus shipping and case). Also available at the London Guitar Studio.

I went into a guitar shop with $500 US, came out with a guitar and $200. It was the one I liked best..! They must be played before purchase.

You can obviously get a playable, enjoyable guitar for less, but I’d have to agree that below £500 you won’t get anything “serious”. From speaking to any of my friends who are pros, they comsider £3k to be the minimum for a professional grade classical guitar.

It all depends on how good your son is. My advice would be to buy used, and get some help so that you buy reasonably well. I’ve bought most of my guitars used and am usually able to sell them for as much as I bought them for, or hopefully more. That means that if your son doesn’t turn out to be Julien Bream Jnr, you can always get your money back on the guitar.

Most of the really good store have used depts. places like GuitarGuitar and Coda Music both have good selections of used instruments on their websites.

Get to GuitarGuitar – they do a buy now pay later, should ease the pain.

the teacher was quite adamant that he has a gift worth investing in,

MMmm depends on the teacher then in that case if he has a gift is the teacher gifted enough to teach? Do they say that to keep you paying for lessons – no idea tbh just being suspicious

I think his point was that £200 or so would not be a significant advance over current and that £500 ish would be a big step up and see the lad through to grade 8 and beyond, cheaper being a false economy long term.

Depends if he sticks with it or not though and you can offset this risk by buying second hand.
IMHO [ using bikes] it is like arguing that your son has a talent and therefore he needs an Orange 5 as a Boardman will not enable him to progress. The cheaper one has limitations ,certainly, that your son may take years to reach. Personally as long as it is in tune all along the fret board it will do as , at £200, it will still sound ok. Mine was £350 though I had £800 in my pocket at the time but that was th eone I liked the sound of.
Second hand ?? Used to be loads of cheapish good classicals as folk bought them then did not play due to high action/wide fretboard etc
Dont get a a cutaway either please just dont

Spent an enjoyable afternoon at the London Guitar Studio today. I was amazed at the difference in sound between the different models and price points. The expensive solid body guitars seemed so much better sounding than the others but were way out of my price range, it was good to hear them nevertheless. In the end my lad settled on an Alhambra with a solid top and rosewood veneer sides that was a little over my notional budget but he loves it and I suppose that’s what matters. I’m assured that will see him through to grade 8.

Good to hear, glad your lad has an instrument he likes, which is the most important thing, and just a bit over your budget as well. One thing that’s worth keeping in mind, guitars, along with most stringed acoustic instruments, sound better as they get played, and get older, so long as the wood and construction is quality, especially solid top instruments. Even good laminated top guitars can improve; Yamaha SG180’s in particular seemed to improve with age, which is why folkies loved them.
Good luck to him.

Good choice. Good to hear he is happy with it.

I still have all of the guitars I had from when I was a teenager. That was 20 years ago. So while it can be an expensive outlay, they do last.