Classical for dummies FAQ

ToneControl

Littlejonny said:

I just want to add to this…like many I started on classical and eventually got a Diploma. I did it second study at music college too. 

As someone said above, cheap classicals can sound beautiful- just not as loud as the professional ones.

I encourage my students to buy from London Guitar Studio as their cheaper guitars have been consistently excellent in recent years. The little all-laminate 615mm ‘Rodrigo’ guitars are absolutely lovely: so well-made and sound great. We actually bought three for the school and they get used by children who either forget to bring their guitar, can’t bring it, or just have a rubbish guitar!

Anyway, you should get a classical…FB marketplace? Admira are usually ok. 

true LGS is great. Also used classicals can be very cheap on ebay, or the forum: https://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/
https://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/viewforum.php?f=3

There are also a small number of classical guitar brokers scattered around the UK

The problem is he lives in Van Diemen's land, so about 24 hours flight from London.

GTC

I think the tonal variations an flexibility available from a classical guitar are wider than with a steel strung. I've got quite small hands but feel quite comfortable with a full-size classical. However, I generally do not have a problem switching between a 52mm nut  classical and a 45mm steel-strung. To get the best from  a classical, at least a nod to good technique and playing position is needed.

If you can afford it (and you've got a Brook, so why not) have you tried looking at the offerings from William Faulkner, in Australia. He has some lovely more affordable guitars (but not cheap) which he imports from China, I believe made by Youlang Guo trained luthiers.

Tannin

Cheers @GTC, good very useful advice. What you say about technique makes a lot of sense and the suggestion of even wider tonal variations being available intrigues me. 

I need to get out and get hands-on with a few classical and flamenco guitars. Tasmania is well-supplied with steel-string guitar dealers, but the range of nylon-strung guitars I see here is very weak. I'll be on the Big Island next week for a while, I'll try to find time to slip down to Melbourne and try a few out. 

I won't go with a William Faulkner though - we don't buy Chinese products if we can possibly avoid it. When they stop massacring rainforests and threatening peaceful neighbours with their military we will reconsider. 

(Question: will Mrs Tannin notice if an extra guitar just happens to come home with me? Answer: yes she bloody will!)