Best Acoustic Baritone Guitar (2024 Update)

I am an intermediate player. I was looking for a parlor guitar in part due to the guitar lessons on Active Melody, where the instructor, Brian, uses a similar model, which sounds fantastic. I bought a "scratch and dent" to save some money, but it is verydifficult to see the blemishes. MF described the cosmetic blems perfectly, but they were much more minor than I expected. My wife could not find them. The set up was perfect right out of the box. I put on new strings when it arrived, and have not put the guitar down since (about a week ago). I use it mainly for finger picking, and it sounds great. It is amazing to be able to purchase such a beautiful instrument for so little. I have several more-expensive guitars, including a 15-year old Martin D16GT and a newer Seagull S6, but I am drawn to this Alverez's warm sound and projection. It is also easier to play than the Martin. I had a bit of trouble finding a case that fits, but eventually bought the Luna LLFP. It much more sturdy and padded than the standard gig bag, and the guitar fits nicely. It is also much lighter than a hard shell, and about half the price. (But the case also arrived with a nasty chemical smell inside, but I guess this will fade.) In summary, I am very happy with the Alverez AP70, and I would highly happily recommend it to my friends. I wish I had this one when I was just starting out.rabbitt

Bought this model to get back to playing after a bad accident stopped me playing at a time when I owned a seriously expensive guitar. Didn’t want to spend too much in case I couldn’t get back into playing but I can’t praise this guitar too highly. The tone is outstanding and it’s playability is second to none. The guitar is set up perfectly, no need to have it set up at your expense as with a lot of guitars out there. The build quality is superb and as it sits it the stand encourages you to get it off and play it. This model belies the price you pay because in my opinion it it a 400 to 500 pound guitar in all respects. It is delivered ‘mummified’ in bubble wrap to ensure safe passage and was delivered as promised. Can’t thank PMT enough for their advice. Great people to deal with. Need to get back to playing now.Mal H.

I wanted a small, inexpensive guitar that sounded good and played well. I pick up and play a guitar every night while I watch TV. The Takemine dreadnaught I was primarily using was carelessly broken and unremarkable. After reading about this AP70 and listening to Alvarez promotional and YouTube videos, I decided to buy this. It seemed like the thing to do, especially because of the low price and apparent sound quality; it seemed like the best value. It was on back order and wasn't supposed to ship until Feb 9, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it on Feb 2. It was packed well and mostly in tune already. The construction quality is fantastic, and the sound was pretty good, but not as good as I expected. One of the other disappointments was that it wouldn't stay in tune and the intonation seemed off. After close inspection it seemed that there were not enough wraps of string around the tuners, the quality of the strings used were sub-par and more of a medium than a light gauge, making it difficult and frustrating to play. I immediately replaced the factory strings with Elixer bronze 80/20 nanoweb strings and that made all the difference in the sound, intonation, stability and playability. It's now an enjoyable instrument to play and a great value, in my opinion.The Deeski

I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ACOUSTIC BARITONE GUITARS FOR A WHILE AND THEN FOUND THIS IRRESISTIBLY PRICED ALVAREZ ABT 60 SHADOWBURST INSTRUMENT FROM GC. UPON ARRIVAL IN A VERY WELL PACKAGED BOX , MY INITIAL IMPRESSION WAS THAT THIS WAS A VERY WELL CONSTRUCTED , BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT, ESPECIALLY TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ITS SALE PRICE BELOW $ 250. THE SET UP WAS VERY GOOD AND DID NOT REQUIRE ANY ADJUSTMENT. TUNED AS IT SHOULD BE FROM B TO B , THIS GUITAR IS MAGICAL. IN THE LOWER REGISTERS, THE TONE IS DEEP, DARK AND CLEAR AND CHORDS STRUMMED OR FLAT/FINGERPICKED CREATE A HAUNTING BEAUTIFUL SOUND. IT MADE ME RETHINK THE WAY I PLAYED OLD SONGS AND PAY MORE ATTENTION TO CREATING A BASS LINE ALONG WITH THE MELODY. INSTANT DUO. ONCE I STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH ALTERNATE TUNINGS , IT WAS HARD TO PUT DOWN. THIS GUITAR INSPIRES YOU TO REDISCOVER SONGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT YOU MAY NEVER HAVE THOUGHT WERE POSSIBLE. IT HAS ITS OWN LANE . IF YOU ARE A GUITAR PLAYER, YOU HAVE TO TREAT YOURSELF TO HAVING ONE OF THESE INSTRUMENTS. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.GUITARDOC

I wanted an acoustic-electric baritone for some acoustic gigs coming up and saw this was on sale for a price I could not pass up. I also know that Alvarez is a quality brand. I saw a demo video and noticed that the sound seemed a little thin but as I would be electrifying it it wouldn't matter. The bad news is that the pickup is quite lame. If I want to use this live, I will have to invest in a better pickup. Also the notes are not consistent. The second string seems quieter than all the others. The tuners could be better. They seem cheap with a low gear ratio but the guitar does stay in tune reasonably well. Overall I am satisfied. It feels like a solid guitar, the action is reasonable and the intonation is perfect.Most Cowbell Guy

Having never played a baritone guitar before, I am truly amazed at the great sound and play-ability of this guitar. Some reviews on YouTube complain about the electronics are poor, while they are vary basic they work just fine in carrying the signal to the amplifier. I am very happy with this great guitar it is already boosting my creativity!Nicholas

This guitar sits on its stand in my Music room always ready for a quick play. I love the rich deep tone that this guitar puts out. Stays in tune and sounds great! Baritone guitars are few and far between and most cheap baritones just dont cut it. This one is the exception. You wont find a better Baritone at this price point!John

I've owned the Alvarez, the Ibanez and a Taylor GT-8. What you usually get with the cheaper baritones is muddiness and in the case of the Alvarez, mine had a funky neck and fret job. I wasn't expecting this to be so nice at this price. But having bought a Guild D-55 and F512 recently, I've become somewhat of a Guild convert. This guitar makes me even more so. Nicely made, straight neck, tunes well and the intonation is almost right on. Just a shade off at the 14th fret, but I think I can work that out. Balanced tone with a nice cohesive sound that you usually get with more expensive guitars. In the low ranges this had a really nice distinct sound, instead of the mud I had with both the Ibanez and Alvarez. The Taylor was great but it was too much of an investment for a specialty guitar like this. If you are thinking of toying with a baritone, this is a great option. The electronics sound good as well on this. It would work well on stage and the unpluggedl tone would work well for recording. All in all a really nice guitar at a very reasonable price, as guitars go these days.Lenny

I just took delivery of my Guild Baritone, and I already love it! It came well set-up right out of the box – though a couple of the string pegs did need to be pushed in all the way prior to tuning. It has a beautiful, deep sound that carries well when unplugged. I can't wait to try it out plugged in!Jason

Sound: Gentle guitar. Needs light touch or it will muddle up on deepest strings. Features: Love the clear pick guard. It is pictured here with a black pick guard I think, but on the Alvarez site with clear. So glad mine came with a clear guard. Ease of Use: Very playable. Will need a bit more hand strength. Will need to learn how to transpose on the fly to play with other musicians. Not a problem. Quality: Extremely well made. Most impressed. Like the lack of fret dots on the fretboard. Very simple clean lines. Value: Very much worth the $1400. I suspect the laminate version at $400 is also well made. Manufacturer Support: Incredible. Immediate response from Tom. Most impressed. The Wow Factor: Just adds a different tonal aspect to my mostly solo playing. Overall: Very impressed with this guitar and zZounds. Guitar: I have 3 Taylors so high quality is expected. For $1400 I think this in an incredible value. The sound is great. The workmanship and finish is perfect. The tuners may be better than what is on my Taylors. Incredibly smooth. The neck is perfect. The saddle may be 1/32" too high for me, but I will adjust this after the guitar settles in a bit. I find that it needs to be played gently or the sound just muddles a bit, thus lowering the saddle will help my playing style. I contacted Alvarez a couple of times with questions and Tom was immediate and accurate in his response. The only drawback, and maybe not really a drawback, is that the case is very lightly made. For me, carrying it occasionally to a buddy's house to play, this is a plus. My Taylor cases are very. very heavy. For someone needing protection when touring this case might be a bit light. Highly recommend this guitar. A great buy for the price for sure. Would do it again.Ron

I have the Chinese ABT 60, love it. Mahogany. Thought the Japanese YB70 Rosewood might be a nice pairing–different flavors/sound. Makes it nice when a guest comes over to offer them a baritone. No muss no fuss transposing. While that is a good skill to work on with the baritone. The YB is an 1 11/16ths nut. The ABT 1 12/16th. Otherwise they play very similar, sound just a little different. I tune standard baritone B to B. Puts many songs effortlessly in my vocal register with the fine tuning option of capoing as many as 4 frets and still being below E to E standard. When capoed at the fifth fret in E-E they both sound good and you can think in the key others are playing. While the baritone sustain is cool, it is the support and ease of singing that draws me to the baritone. Very happy with my reasonably priced Yairi. Both were made much more enjoyable with a good technician setup.Beau

Beautiful tone. Unique guitar. Had some initial issues with the set up but this was quickly resolved by PMT team in a professional and timely manner. All great.Nikki E.

Beautiful tone. Unique guitar. Had some initial issues with the set up but this was quickly resolved by PMT team in a professional and timely manner. All great.Nikki E.

I told my wife of 46 years that I fell in love all over again…not only with her…but with my new Alvarez ABT60E! (BTW…I love living in the garage now! Just kidding! HA!) I was able to play one of these a few weeks ago and after playing, decided to purchase one of my own….one of the best purchases I have made in my 50+ years of performing, recording and of buying and playing guitars! SWEET, mellow sounds both acoustically and electric that can't be described! Love it in live performance and the studio! Thanks!Country Boy

Overall: I decided on the ABT60E after looking at every Baritone acoustic I could find. It seemed to have all the features I wanted and the price was very reasonable. I was concerned that the specs on the zZounds website were not the same as the Alvarez website, which showed some up-dated features on this model that I wanted. (LR Baggs Pickup, 1 3/4" nut). I placed the order and was approved for the "pay as you play" financing, which really helps ease the burden of buying a new instrument. The guitar arrived in two days! Everything on the guitar was perfect out of the box! I was relieved see it did have all of the up-dated features as shown on Alvarez's website. The build quality on the guitar is outstanding for a guitar in this price range! The gloss finish on the solid Sitka top is flawless, the satin finish on the B/S is a smooth as can be. The bound neck and fret work are super-smooth, and set-up is perfect, nice and low with no fret out's or buzz. Neck angle is perfect, and the neck is straight. Intonation is spot-on! As for tone, it is very full and rich with lot's of low-end and mids. The size of the guitar is a bit daunting at first, and the 27.5" scale neck along with 16-70 baritone strings take some getting used to for sure! The ONLY complaint I have with this guitar is that I hear some buzzing inside the guitar on some of the low note overtones. I can't quite place where they are coming from, but I suspect the electronics. This is annoying but doesn't affect the amplified sound at all, just when played acoustically. I'll have to take it to my luthier to fix if I can't solve it myself. zZounds did a great job on this order! This is my second purchase from zZounds, and I am sure there will be more. I also ordered the Gator Jumbo Hardshell case zZounds recommended and had it shipped in it. ( I never ship an acoustic guitar without being in a hard case). The Gator case is very nice, good, tight fit and seems well made. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend this ABT60E to anyone looking to add a little "depth" to their guitar bench for not a lot of money. I really had a hard time putting it down, it's a lot of fun to play! This guitar is a great value! Thanks zZounds!Mike

I've been playing guitar for almost 15 years and I was looking for something different. I read up on the Alvarez baritone and saw on many sites that users were more than impressed with it, so I waited patiently for my store to order a unit. I took it off the rack, dropped to one knee, positioned it on my leg and gave it a strum. I froze momentarily and then uttered : I'll take it. It literally is that good. My friend, a pro musician playing on a $4500 Taylor 600 series had exactly the same reaction after I strummed the guitar once. It has a super deep, rich sound, well manufactured – a real beauty. I read on several sites that this guitar was "perfect right out of the box". I have to say that once I tuned the strings on std baritone tuning it was … well, a little bit unplayable really. I suppose due to the very high string tension the neck was taking some heavy strain and I noticed that the saddle was pretty high as well. Taking this one for a decent setup is a must for sure. Also, the salesmen didn't really have any idea which case would go with this big boy, but luckily I read up that the Gator Jumbo case worked well, and sure enough it was a perfect fit. For the price this is a joke – it's worth much more.Kiepa

I told my wife of 46 years that I fell in love all over again…not only with her…but with my new Alvarez ABT60E! (BTW…I love living in the garage now! Just kidding! HA!) I was able to play one of these a few weeks ago and after playing, decided to purchase one of my own….one of the best purchases I have made in my 50+ years of performing, recording and of buying and playing guitars! SWEET, mellow sounds both acoustically and electric that can't be described! Love it in live performance and the studio! Thanks!Country Boy

Overall: I decided on the ABT60E after looking at every Baritone acoustic I could find. It seemed to have all the features I wanted and the price was very reasonable. I was concerned that the specs on the zZounds website were not the same as the Alvarez website, which showed some up-dated features on this model that I wanted. (LR Baggs Pickup, 1 3/4" nut). I placed the order and was approved for the "pay as you play" financing, which really helps ease the burden of buying a new instrument. The guitar arrived in two days! Everything on the guitar was perfect out of the box! I was relieved see it did have all of the up-dated features as shown on Alvarez's website. The build quality on the guitar is outstanding for a guitar in this price range! The gloss finish on the solid Sitka top is flawless, the satin finish on the B/S is a smooth as can be. The bound neck and fret work are super-smooth, and set-up is perfect, nice and low with no fret out's or buzz. Neck angle is perfect, and the neck is straight. Intonation is spot-on! As for tone, it is very full and rich with lot's of low-end and mids. The size of the guitar is a bit daunting at first, and the 27.5" scale neck along with 16-70 baritone strings take some getting used to for sure! The ONLY complaint I have with this guitar is that I hear some buzzing inside the guitar on some of the low note overtones. I can't quite place where they are coming from, but I suspect the electronics. This is annoying but doesn't affect the amplified sound at all, just when played acoustically. I'll have to take it to my luthier to fix if I can't solve it myself. zZounds did a great job on this order! This is my second purchase from zZounds, and I am sure there will be more. I also ordered the Gator Jumbo Hardshell case zZounds recommended and had it shipped in it. ( I never ship an acoustic guitar without being in a hard case). The Gator case is very nice, good, tight fit and seems well made. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend this ABT60E to anyone looking to add a little "depth" to their guitar bench for not a lot of money. I really had a hard time putting it down, it's a lot of fun to play! This guitar is a great value! Thanks zZounds!Mike

I've been playing guitar for almost 15 years and I was looking for something different. I read up on the Alvarez baritone and saw on many sites that users were more than impressed with it, so I waited patiently for my store to order a unit. I took it off the rack, dropped to one knee, positioned it on my leg and gave it a strum. I froze momentarily and then uttered : I'll take it. It literally is that good. My friend, a pro musician playing on a $4500 Taylor 600 series had exactly the same reaction after I strummed the guitar once. It has a super deep, rich sound, well manufactured – a real beauty. I read on several sites that this guitar was "perfect right out of the box". I have to say that once I tuned the strings on std baritone tuning it was … well, a little bit unplayable really. I suppose due to the very high string tension the neck was taking some heavy strain and I noticed that the saddle was pretty high as well. Taking this one for a decent setup is a must for sure. Also, the salesmen didn't really have any idea which case would go with this big boy, but luckily I read up that the Gator Jumbo case worked well, and sure enough it was a perfect fit. For the price this is a joke – it's worth much more.Kiepa

Loved the guitar from the first minute I played it. Sounds great, feels great to play. Being a baritone it has a deeper, rich tone compared to standard tuning. The action is great. I can't find any fault as yet, hope I never do.jhoala73

never thought would buy a baritone am not a metal player but this is so different such a great sound, sonically unlike anything else i have played i love itReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I like Alvarez instruments. This one is a total disappointment. The first one arrived with four cracks on the tone board. There was no sign of damage on the delivery boxes, so it must been affected by the weather or other things. The finish was dull. The very reason I chose this instrument was the reason for which I sent it back. Advertised as having a solid spruce top, it turned out to be a very cheaply put together piece of wood. It was not book matched, just a solid piece with all the flaws of the wood very obvious. The sound was cheap. I sent the first one back and received another just to make sure it was a fluke. It was not. The second arrived before the first was picked up so I had a chance to compare. The second had a crack ready to start on the top and obvious other weak points that would crack soon if there was any stress at all. Oddly enough the second unbroken instrument did not sound as good as the first broken one. It may work for you, but it was useless to me. Both were sent back.CaballoRojo

I was looking for a travel guitar to take along with me for easy practice. I didn’t expect much from this when I bought it, and was fully ready to return it if it didn’t suit my needs or meet my standards. I was pleasantly surprised. It sounds REALLY good for its size and the price. It’s chime-y and projects well. I ordered from Amazon when this model was still available through them. Now, about a year later, I’m seeing that many retailers are no longer carrying. If you can get your hands on one, it’s worth it. My biggest complaint is the fret sprout that it came with. Not sure if it was shoddy craftsmanship or if it happened as a result of sitting in a warehouse for who knows how long. I filed the frets down a bit as it was uncomfortable to play with all the sprouting. It’s fine now. I would humidify the hell out of it when you first get it, as it helped with mine.Rachel

Had to return twice because of buzzing and ended up buying a different uke somewhere else. Aside the buzzing, the uke had a nice warm sound and was surprisingly loud. Too bad I had to return.Uncle Bus

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

Guitar works great and so do the electric components of the guitar (the tuner and volume). Would recommend. The guitar i received is a right-handed guitar.Michael

Bought this a couple of weeks ago and I'm so glad that I did. I've now got the sound that I have been searching for. The ukulele itself is a beautiful instrument and the electronics work really well. No hesitation in recommending it.;lSteve C.

As what I would consider a mid range ukulele I have no complaints with this product, appearance and overall finish is attractive, action and intonation are good, nice overall sound. Fishman pickup gives excellent result through my Fishman amplifiers and the built in tuner is reasonably accurate. A nice addition to my ukulele family.Raymond P.

Love it. Right out of the case, it is perfectly set up and ready to go. Love the feel and sound of this uke and plugged in it sounds just as good. Cannot recommend it highly enough.Keith R.

For what it is – a very cheap, small, travel guitar, this is great. You'll need a strap as it doesn't sit high enough on your leg to be comfortable to play. Also – the action was high, but a bit of adjusting with a belt sander on the saddle and that came down well. The scale length is short, but plays OK – takes a bit of getting used to from my full-sized acoustics. Putting a capo on it and making chords further up the neck is tight, but OK. Sound is very good for a travel guitar of this size. This would be a great kids guitar or even for an adult beginner. I did put 11s on it – sounds a bit weaker, but is fine, and that's what I use on my other acoustics. I had a washburn rover before – this is better, though not as small, but worth the extra size, I think. I have a GS Mini, which is much better, but a good bit larger, and much more expensive. Tuner works good, haven't tried plugging it in yet. Bought this for the boat – seems pretty sturdy.Alexander

I bought this guitar because I have chronic pain and am a small lady and found that even smaller acoustic guitars are too big and bulky and unplayable. I like to play high up on the neck so wanted a cutaway and occasionally perform so having an electro-acoustic version means it ticks all the boxes. When play acoustically it does sound really tinny, there's not getting away from that. It also tends to be unbalanced toward the neck end, so I need a strap to keep it in place. But it is much more playable for practice and I am almost managing to play bar chords again. Not chance on a normal size guitar. It has a full fret board just smaller but not too small.Michelle S.

I ordered this for my pastors wife who wanted to learn a new instrument. She is tiny ( less that 5 ' tall) and a full size guitar would not fit her body type. I was shocked when the guitar came in. The photos on line do not do the finish justice. I was even more shocked when I played it. Most student guitars in this price point have horrible action. The set up on this from the factory was great. It was very easy to play and the sound was extremely good for a thin body acoustic . Then we plugged it in. I could not believe the sound quality of the electronics in this guitar. On Sunday, I pulled out after church and let the music team take turns with it. Everyone that played it raved about every aspect of this little guitar. The instrument also came with a quality gig bag. The material was thick, padding was good, the zippers and hardware appeared to by sturdy. Even more importantly, she loved the guitar. I highly recommend that you consider this one for your beginner or intermediate guitar student. Both Children and small adults should be pleased with this one.Greg H.

I bought this guitar from a local shop strictly as a worship instrument for Sunday mornings. It absolutely destroyed every other guitar at the music shop +/- 500 in either direction. I still hold that it is likely the best guitar in its price range for the quality of its construction and sound quality. There is virtually not a single flaw this instrument possesses… But can we talk about the electronics? The guitar is super odd… I mean, if you are odd too, it is probably your dream guitar. It has a poor-man's tone wood amp build in. When you turn it on, it runs 90's sounding special effects out the soundhole, which is pretty cool. Here is the problem, the controls are super minimal. So minimal that you can't tell whether this bad boy is on or off. We found out the hard way that when this guitar is plugged in, the battery is always draining, even when the sound system is off. This is not atypical, but it gets weirder. The guitar won't turn off when plugged in, but sometimes needs to be turned on (?) when the batteries are dying. There is no indicator to tell you when it is running low on power, so you might find out on stage halfway through Glorious Day. There is actually no indicator for anything electric on this guitar, except for a sliding piece of plastic that sits under the dials that might be useful if it didn't look like you were supposed to cut it out and throw it away. The whole control setup is just annoying and unnecessarily vague. Long story short, with an electronics upgrade, this guitar would be unbeatable. It has more power than it deserves, almost like the guys a Yamaha are professionally sound-profiling the tops, which is something you would expect only on guitars above the 2000 range.Benjo

Where to start with this… Out of the box, once tuned the guitar feels like a quality product. The fitted Elixir strings (I'm guessing a 0.12 brass or bronze set) give the guitar a very bright, clear tone, exactly what I wanted. It is a bright sounding instrument, so others may want to experiment with other string sets. The action is good and low, although compared to the guitar I was playing the fretboard is very flat, not much of a camber at all, a minor complaint which may not apply to everyone and I got used to it quickly. The neck itself is comfortable with a slightly matte finish which I find aids playability, somehow. The design is conservative with small inlays and a transparent scratchplate; I may replace the scratchplate with something more interesting one day but not while it's so new. All in all, a great, solid instrument for its price bracket. Oh yeah, it's also got this on board soucery which applies reverb and chorus through the body of the guitar. These effects are awesome but their real benefit is to make you want to play for longer, simply because you sound better. These effects also apply to the line out; this is also a fully-fledged electro-acoustic. The only drawback here is that the preamp lacks any kind of equaliser, but who cares about that when any amp or sound desk has these functions? That all makes this guitar an all-rounder. A solid acoustic instrument with on board tricks for busking or practicing (your buddies will be jealous if you're having an unplugged jam on the beach, too) as well as being the electro-acoustic you want if you're gigging. I swear, I am not being paid by Yamaha. Check it out on YouTube – some great demos of this guitar on there.Adam W.

Every time I pick this guitar up, I get more joy out of than the last time I picked it up. As others have noted: this guitar sounds amazing even without the transacoustic sound effects! IMO, it sounded better than much more expensive Taylors! So, yeah, not only does this guitar "sound great," but it's price is absolutely reasonable too! What's even more amazing: reviewers who pick this guitar up, on YouTube, seem to gush over it! I'm so happy to have one!Michael

This was my upgrade from a Lucero 150se and what a difference it made. In terms of playability there's no comparison, the Cordoba is superior in every way. Start with the tuners/nut which are perfectly smooth allowing you to make small adjustments even on steel strings. Playing the Cordoba is simply easier and there were things I could not do well on the Lucero due to the thickness of the wood neck. Mind you I'm not talking about the nut width which is 50mm on both, I'm talking the actual thickness of the wood neck itself below the fret board. The slimmer profile of the Cordoba meant reaching certain chords easier, changing chords faster, and giving my hands the ability to put pressure when needed. The factory strings on the Cordoba appear to be superior as well although I would still upgrade them if you can afford it; the steel strings on the Lucero wore out at about 85hrs. No fret noise of any kind on the Cordoba (so long as you play the chord right) whereas on the Lucero I would get buzzing on frets 5 & 6 from both 5th and 4th strings with anything other than light strumming, even with perfect finger placement. The sound of the Cordoba is more sharp, crisp, and clear than the Lucero. My only con is that the shallower body does create a slightly more "twangy" sound than I'm used to but its a negligible difference I quickly settled with in exchange for the other qualities. You get what you pay for. This is a very solid guitar for the price. I would recommend nothing less for serious beginners.Joe T

I mostly play rock/popular music gigs but wanted a classical nylon guitar for that particular sound on home recording projects. I researched intermediate level guitars and thought I'd found what I wanted when I chanced on a review of the Cordoba C7 and decided to spend a little more and go with that. I haven't been disappointed. The build quality and tone have been worth that little extra. It would have been nice if a gig bag was included to give it some protection but it wasn't a deal breaker.David

I had a misconception regarding this brand. The only Cordoba's I noticed in stock at the store were inexpensive ukuleles. So when I began the search for a proper classical guitar, Cordoba was nowhere on my list. I ordered a used european built guitar by a reputable brand. It arrived with a bad up-bow in the neck. That's when I learned that traditional classical guitars have no truss rod. (Just my opinion, but wood isn't what it used to be, and you aren't going to get an instrument built with old growth timber under several thousand dollars.) So began my search for a "traditional classical guitar", but with a truss rod. That google search led straight to Cordoba. (All their models have truss rods.) I ordered a C7 (built in China) and a 45CO (built in Spain) to see what this brand was about. It would be a battle royale for build and sound quality. The loser is… my bank account, because I'd like to keep both. The two have a different build and likewise a different feel and sound. (see Cordoba's website for details.) Fit and finish is impeccable on both guitars. The C7 projects more, while the 45CO has perhaps a slightly more refined tone. My past experience has been that nylon string guitars are difficult to play, have poor intonation and need to be tuned more than played. None of that is the case with these two. My steel string acoustic and electrics are collecting dust while I obsess over this genre of guitar. My conclusion is… classical guitars are awesome, and Cordoba should definitely be on your test drive list. What I received are well priced instruments that are not only well made but intoxicatingly fun to play.JRH

So I hesitated on buying this Guitar because I just didnt care for the finish. Well It looks nothing like the pictures. Beautiful 3D flames in the top.Am Very pleased. So that brings me to what I expected from a PRS and didnt get, a playable set up. I know its an SE but the action shouldnt be 6mm at the 22nd fret. How QC at the factory allowed it to leave puzzles me. The pick ups are good for Drop C but even at B standard get really muddy on the lower strings. I put in a Nazgoul, Sentient set and these in another standard guitar. They sound really nice in standard E to drop C. IMOTwayne72

I have used this guitar with my band, live and in rehearsals… Plays fantastically once I set it up to my desired specs (Std D tuning, 10-52 strings, FU Tone brass block), but these PRS stock pickups have no grunt and snarl to them, so I plan to add an SD Black Winter set like in my EC Black Metal FR (dropped C). I have reverted back to using my Kramer Assault Plus which came loaded with the SD Alternative 8 set. Will likely use Custom 24 as primary D guitar again after replacing pickups. For this pickup issue alone, I'm giving it 3 stars, otherwise, it would be 5, as spending over 200 bucks more is a bit off putting after spending over $1100 for this plus a hard shell case for an import.Steve

Absolutely love this guitar! As with all SE Custom 24 models, the feel and balance on the strap and also on the knee are prerfect. The action is fast and smooth, and the whole guitar just oozes quality. The roasted maple board is a really nice variation from the mahogany or ebony boards, which are usually found on Custom 24 models. This particular guitar has the most amazing and deepest "3-D" effect quilted maple veneer that I've ever seen on a SE series model. I believe that PRS would probably rate this as a 4A (AAAA). The sound is as good as you'll get from stock pups in a sub- 1000 guitar and the way that PRS wire the coil tap gives a convincing single-coil tone. What upgrades would make this even better? Probably locking tuners, and maybe a satin neck. After- market pickups, if you want to change the tone.kentishkeith

It's hard to find a high quality affordable nylon guitar with a 48mm neck. I have both the Cordoba Orchestra CE Crossover and the Kremona Verea. I like the Cordoba CE a lot more. I'm surprised that there aren't more favorable reviews for the Cordoba compared to the Verea. I admit that I took the Cordoba to a luthier and had the action lowered. They told me high action was normal for nylon, but I convinced them to lower it, now it's really nice; low action and no buzz. Maybe if I did that to the Verea I would like it more, but it seems like the neck on the Cordoba is better. The Verea is fatter with a flat finger board, while the the Cordoba is thiner and maybe a slightly rounder finger board. The Verea looks a little better and the tuning pegs are nicer, but all that stuff is somewhat superficial. The bottom line is that I find myself playing the Cordoba all the time and when I pick up the Verea it just doesn't do it. To me, the Cordoba design and craftsmanship is superior but maybe that's why it cost a little more. That's ok because at the end of the day you want a guitar that you're going to keep forever, and not sell back to Guitar Center.CY

Having always been a steel string/electric player I wanted to add a classical/nylon string to the collection and after a lot of trials and research I ended up with one of these. Appearance and feel wise, it could easily stand up against guitars twice the price in my opinion and sound wise I'd have to say the same. It's got a wonderful rich warm sound but the highs just cut through beautifully and that's before plugging it, as it truly comes to life then. The pickups sound ace and the blended mic/pick up makes it sound absolutely mind blowing giving an airy clear sound, but with lows that resonate. Definitely recommend checking one of these out, especially if moving from steel strung.T M.

First I should say this is my third Martin, the others being a D18 1934 GE and an OM-H28 VTS. I've wanted a 00-sized guitar and after having played several I chose the CEO-7. Boy, am I fortunate. I'm having more fun with this guitar than I really thought possible. First, it looks so cool. More Gibson L-00 than Martin (hence the "My Favorite Marti(a)n" nod in the title). But it plays and sounds just like a Martin–and that's a great thing. I've often said that if American history and culture had a soundtrack, it would be played on a Martin. And if I were doing the playing, it would be on my CEO-7. It fits like a glove and the sound rocks my soul. When played softly, it produces a sweet and delicate sound. But when you lay into it, it becomes gritty and bluesy. I've swapped the plastic bridge pins for bone and I'll probably upgrade the tuners at some point, but everything else is tops–addy top; mahogany back and sides; looks like a mahogany neck; ebony fingerboad and bridge; 1 3/4 bone nut. It's a lot of value for the price. Honestly, hands down THE BEST guitar I've ever owned. No regrets. I'll have this one forever.ScottyJ

I have been deliberating on getting a Martin D28 for a decade. I finally bit the bullet and spent the money but opted on the CEO 7. I couldn't be more happy. First off its gorgeous with the sunburst top and choice mahogany back and sides. The size drew me in because of comfortability and I play a lot sitting and lounging. To me it is way more comfortable than the dreadnot while not loosing any (or significant) volume. Plays like a dream. I shouldn't have have waited so long. I did opt to add an ivory arm rest and I think it just increases the big sound of this little guitar.Jon

This guitar is comfortable in my hands…it just feels good. Finger picking, flat picking, strumming…whatever style you prefer…it'll be fine. Clear and crisp and rings like a bell. Small but mighty. I've played (or tried to play) a bunch of guitars over the last 50 years. I'm a ham and egg player. Electrics and acoustics – Fenders, Gibsons, Martins, Gretschs, Epiphones, Guilds, Dan Electros and on…and this Martin CEO-7 is among the sweetest ever. This one makes me want to play it, and, most important, makes me want get better at playing it. This one makes me lose track of time.Hroogar