Best Classical Guitars
Classical guitar playing is like the fine wine of alcoholic beverages. Dignified, layered, and beautiful to those who understand it.
So whether you’re just getting into classical guitar playing or you’re a seasoned veteran looking for a new guitar, this is the place to be. Here are nine of the best classical guitars currently on the market.
Cordoba C5
Cordoba is one of the most trusted names in the classical guitar world. And the C5 is one of Cordoba’s best.
This handmade guitar has a mahogany back and sides, a cedar top, combining to deliver a rich tone and a presence that keeps the room alive. And it’s got great sustain, thanks to the solid mahogany neck.
Because of the Spanish-style fan bracing, which is the best type of bracing for classical guitar because it allows the top to vibrate more, it has a very balanced sound.
And on top of being built well, it just looks beautiful.
Some guitarists who own this guitar have found that the fretboard was somewhat sensitive to dry air and weather changes. This is sometimes common, so you should invest in a guitar humidifier, regardless of the acoustic guitar you have.
Specifications and features:
- Canadian Cedar top
- Mahogany back, sides, and neck
- Fan Bracing
- Indian Rosewood binding, fingerboard, and bridge
- Scale Length: 25.6″
- Gold tuners with pearl buttons
- Nut/Saddle Material: Bone
- 2-inch nut width
- Overall Length: 39.5″
- Body Width: 14.75″
- Body Depth: 3.7″-3.9″
Yamaha C40II
Yamaha is another reliable name in this market, and their C40 guitar stays true to that reputation. It’s a full-sized nylon-string guitar that can work with nearly any budget.
It’s clear and resonant sound will hook you. And then you’ll realize the two-inch-wide nut lets you play with classical guitar techniques just like the pros. This is the perfect guitar for those who are stepping up from a three-fourths sized guitar and has all of the aspects you’re familiar with.
The spruce top allows for a bright and poppy sound while the rosewood fingerboard and bridge support its wonderful sound.
This guitar may be more geared toward beginner to intermediate classical guitarists and may not be fit for more experienced guitarists.
Specifications and features:
- Spruce top
- Meranti back and sides
- Nato neck wood
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- Scale Length: 25.56″
- Classical Style tuners
- 2-inch nut width
- Body Depth: 3.31″
Godin MultiAc Grand Concert
This classical guitar is an acoustic-electric, which is not common with these types of guitars. And in many ways, it kind of feels like you’re playing an electric guitar.
The MultiAc Grand Concert SA is playable like an electric but built like an acoustic. The mahogany body and the solid cedar top gives it a warm sound, like a classical guitar should have, yet the neck action and the electronics of the instrument harken to an electric guitar.
Thanks to the Synth Access hexaphonic output, you have near complete control over the tone you put out when plugged in. It also has a three-band EQ to let you further customize your sound, whether you’re onstage or in the studio. Although some people have complained that the EQ can take some getting used to in order to get their desired sound.
And get this: you can easily transcribe the notes you play. The internal technology converts every note you play into MIDI (works with any notation or sequencing software).
Specifications and features:
- Mahogany top, back, sides, and neck
- Richlite fingerboard
- Ebony fretboard
- Scale Length: 25.59″
- Nut/Saddle Material: Tusq nut
- 2-inch nut width
- RMC Polydrive Electronics
Cordoba C3M
Just because the Cordoba C3M is ridiculously cheap, don’t underestimate it. Remember, Cordoba is a name you can trust.
This guitar works for beginners up to experts, mainly because of the rich tone. And like its sibling, the Cordoba C5, it uses fan bracing for the best vibrations possible. It’s a very playable guitar at a very affordable price.
You may have to adjust the action as you may find it set a bit too high. You can easily do that with allen wrenches or by taking it to your local luthier.
Specifications and features:
- Solid cedar top
- Mahogany back and sides
- Spanish-style fan bracing
- Nato neck
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- Scale Length: 25.6″
- Nickel-plated tuners with pearl buttons
- Nut/Saddle Material: Bone
- 2-inch wide nuts
- Overall Length: 39.5″
- Body Width: 14.75″
- Body Depth: 3.9″
Yamaha CG122MSH
The Yamaha CG122MSH offers rich, warm tones through its solid Engelmann spruce top and matte finish construction.
This classical guitar features a unique 3-ply neck design that prevents warping and allows for lower string action, making it comfortable for beginners and experienced players alike. Its rosewood fingerboard and bridge contribute to the instrument’s resonant qualities, while the specialized bracing pattern efficiently transfers string vibrations throughout the body.
Players seeking a reliable nylon-string guitar with excellent playability will appreciate how this model balances quality craftsmanship with affordability. The matte finish on both the neck and bridge serves dual purposes: it allows for smoother hand movement and enhances the overall resonance. This classical guitar delivers professional sound characteristics without the premium price tag.
Guitar students and budget-conscious musicians will find the combination of sound quality and playability particularly appealing.
Specifications and features:
- Solid Engelmann spruce top & neck
- Rosewood back
- Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge
- Scale Length: 25.6″
- String material: Nylon
Taylor 814CE-N
The Taylor 814CE-N is on the more expensive side, but there are plenty of good reasons you’ll pay a little extra for it.
The Grand Auditorium body shape gives you the larger size and projection of a dreadnought while keeping a narrower waist. This body style helps define every note a little more — each note you play is a little sharper and more precise.
The end result is an acoustic-electric classical guitar with crispy highs, full mids, gut-busting lows, and an overall great guitar.
One potential con to this guitar is that it doesn’t sound great strummed, as some users have mentioned. But it’s tough to know for certain if that’s the case with every Taylor 814CE-N or a defect in the process of making these guitars.
Specifications and features:
- Sitka Spruce
- Indian Rosewood back and sides
- Ebony fingerboard and bridge
- Unique performance bracing
- Tropical Mahogany neck
- V-carve neck shape
- Scale Length: 25.5″
- Classical gold tuners
- Tusq Nut and Saddle
- Nut Width: 1.875″
- ES-N electronics
Yamaha SLG200NW
The Yamaha SLG200NW, known as the Silent Guitar, is meant to be played through an amp, speakers, or using headphones. It’s purposefully made to be quiet when played acoustically and to sound great when played plugged in.
As far as the body, there’s not much to it. It’s mainly just the frame and the section that holds the electronics. That’s the whole thing about this guitar — it’s meant to be quiet.
But because of the strange body design, it can be uncomfortable to play. It can feel unnatural to have a guitar that’s essentially body-less.
Specifications and features:
- Plugs into amps or can be used with headphones direct in
- String Scale: 650
- Maple body
- Ebony fingerboard
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