Best High End Classical Guitar (Jan 2023 Update)

Alhambra is a very premium making that has started making factory guitars, this ones not bad- probably the best beginner guitar I've seen at guitar center. However it's pretty pricey and you basically are paying the price to get it shipped from Spain and at that price there are many handmades from Spain that are better. Still not badDan, I

I just received my handmade Linea Profesional built by Alhambra in Spain. This is perhaps one of the absolute best professional level classical guitars you can buy for the money. It has a cedar soundboard giving the guitar a deep melodious, Spanish tone with excellent sustain. The innovative strut design offers the guitar magnificent projection. It came with two saddles. I use the lower saddle without buzz. The tuning machines are beautiful and compliment the instrument. The rosette, saddle decoration, and binding are all beautifully matched. You cannot find a better classical guitar in this price point. I recommend it without reservation. This is my forever guitar.frona-22

Great guitar for the price point. Tried all of the other classical models in the store at this price point and below, and walked away with this one due to both sound and aesthetics. Particularly good for the Brazilian jazz stylings I was looking to play. Definitely recommended as an entry point into the classical world.Brian

This was a birthday present for my wife and this did not disappoint. She was very happy and loves playing it. Spunds excellentReviewed by guitarguitar custome

I have owned this guitar for about seven months now. Once I got used to it and the controls I became very happy with the instrument. It does take awhile to learn how to maximize the tone for a particular use, but once you spend time with it, just like anything else it becomes much easier to do so. I have run this instrument through p.a. systems, acoustic amps and even through my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and while I find that I can get great tone in all of these scenarios I must say that my favorite tone is through the Deluxe. The tubes on the clean channel warm the tone beautifully and this combination is the closest I've found to an actual concert classical guitar. It isn't feedback proof, despite the hype. If you're planning on playing really loud you'll want to look at one of the ACS models as they have closer to a solid chambered body. This one is a keeper!Chopper62

New off the shelf ithe saddle was to high so i made a new bone saddle… much better….sounded prety good and played easy …. 3 months later the preamp went out… sent it back to Godin….. No problem… for they made it so "perfect" yes perfect….in every way…. intonation is as close as flea speck thurout the keyboard ..WoW! What a "wonderfoul" sound this Godin has… Not only did they replace the preamp electronics but also the strings and the saddle that i trieded to make….with a perfect low off set saddle.. I have had many guitars … Martin… guild … fender… gibson …. well now Godin is the best…..! Godin stands behind their guitars..100 % tom.. very happy Godin ownertom-bLSB0

Semble excellent pour un faux débutant. Son agréable. Jolie guitare. Pas l’entrée de gamme d’Alhambra, mais abordable encore. Et housse pas mal aussi. Merci Woodbrass.MLU

I have a home studio and use this guitar almost everyday. For the money you are getting a very professional guitar here. Well built, great projection, easy to play with great intonation. What I am really saying is, you can't get a better guitar for under 5K. I suggest savarez alliance 540 or 500 AR strings, as they really do a great job on this guitar.Keith M

Ok folks, you may be swayed by big brands like Cordoba and Yamaha. I've played some of the most expensive and rarest classical guitars a dealer can get. Some that were freshly made, and others that have been maintained for over 50 years made with woods that are downright unlawful to use now, and their tone was so good, they may have qualified as illegal. Now, the 9P is one of those instruments that bonds with you. Seriously, it is precious. It is a treasure, it is unique. My 9P shows quality and precision no matter where you look. But the sound is what matters. The tone is blended so nicely and so politely that it makes you want to swoon the instrument each and every time you bear it in your arms. As you play, you can smell the perfume of cedar pumping as you play. Oh how glorious! It has amazing projection. Sweet sweet sweet trebles and every present yet not overwhelming basses. Wow… and i mean…. WOW what an instrument. I am amazed each and every I pick it up. Now, this guitar demands respect. It asks you to be reverent when you use it. It will dish out music even if you play hard, but it will ask you to do it well. It will not let you mess up, but, hey if you want to play classical guitar with mediocre skills, please move on. It will reward you every step of the way, each minute you put into it will not be sewed in vain. I cannot stress how lovely the tone is. All you can do is give credit to Alhambra. Those boys in Spain know what they're doing. Do not look for another guitar. This is the one. Don't go for the well known commercially branded guitars like Yamaha or Cordoba. Get a guitar that carries the heart of Spain. After all, that's where it was made, well made it is.Santino G

At the start of lockdown I decided I wanted to start playing a classical guitar but found the neck on my son's student model challengingly chunky. This hybrid or slim neck is much easier to play. I'm also pleasantly surprised at the benefit of a better quality instrument than I'm used to. I'm certainly playing more and, I think, sounding much better.Malcolm J.

I bought this guitar, my opinion is, this guitar is very very very bad guitar, the song is not clear, it's guitar for student, when this guitar is not good when it doesn't electronic system, the electronic system is good, I use two times and I decide to sale directly, IT'S VERY VERY BAD GUITAR but the service to shop fanatic guitar are very very goodalain

This guitar has been very addictive for me. I've never enjoyed an acoustic guitar more than this one. Now that may be because I'm 5'6" and this guitar just fits me better but the tone of the particular one I got is VERY good for a parlor guitar at this price point. I've only had 1 other guitar that I really can say sounded better to me but that 1 cost me 5 times as much as I paid for the Godin Rialto and it was to big for me so I didn't play it much. GODIN DID A GREAT JOB ON THIS ONE !!mike smith

I upgraded from a Yamaha CG162 to this guitar a couple of months ago. The price difference is significant but worth it. With the extra money you are getting a very high quality guitar that plays well, and sounds amazing. The first thing I noticed was how much lighter the GC12 is, and how finely it's put together. The second thing I noticed was how much richer and fuller the sound is. The guitar body vibrates and hums. It's a really big step up in quality. All solid wood at this price is really nice too. The ebony fretboard is really smooth and deep black with no marks or imperfections of any kind. I passed on the spruce top and ordered the cedar based on the reviews here. The cedar is very full sounding, and projects nicely. Very happy I bought this guitar.Tony

This is the guitar for when you're ready to leave all those beginner guitars behind. The guitar is clear and crisp and snaps in the trebles, and has a beautiful tight low end. Quality tuners and built extremely well. I have three pieces of advice if you buy this guitar: 1. Get an arched back hardshell case. The case that comes with the guitar is really nice and lightweight, but I just don't trust all of these zippered polyfoam cases on the market right now. 2. Replace the factory strings with high tension strings. D'Addario 46s are great. 3. Get the cedar top version. You could shell out about twice as much for the GC32, and never have to buy another guitar again, if you have the money. But the GC12C is a really nice guitar on it's own.Green Leaf

Yamaha's equivilant to the Cordoba C9, both with solid mahogany back and sides and solid spruce or cedar top. I've played both. The Yamaha is a much better instrument all around, and sounds and plays like a dream. VERY refined tone. Cordoba likes to put heavy truss rods in their guitars, for some unknown reason. It makes the guitar heavy and awkward, and you will never ever adjust it. The cedar is much nicer than the spruce, by the way. This guitar is NOT bass heavy, or "favor the lower registers" as some reviewers have said. That's a general statement for cedar/mahogany, and does not apply to the GC12 cedar. This guitar sparkles in the trebles, and has a tight, refined tone in the bass. Put on high tension strings and lower the action, which is too high from the factory, as on most guitars. If you can't afford a 5,000 – 10,000 guitar, but want a very high quality factory made instrument, go for this. Another reviewer is right in that the rosewood models (GC22 and up) are not worth the extra money, in my opinion.Arlene

Alhambra is a very premium making that has started making factory guitars, this ones not bad- probably the best beginner guitar I've seen at guitar center. However it's pretty pricey and you basically are paying the price to get it shipped from Spain and at that price there are many handmades from Spain that are better. Still not badDan, I

I just received my handmade Linea Profesional built by Alhambra in Spain. This is perhaps one of the absolute best professional level classical guitars you can buy for the money. It has a cedar soundboard giving the guitar a deep melodious, Spanish tone with excellent sustain. The innovative strut design offers the guitar magnificent projection. It came with two saddles. I use the lower saddle without buzz. The tuning machines are beautiful and compliment the instrument. The rosette, saddle decoration, and binding are all beautifully matched. You cannot find a better classical guitar in this price point. I recommend it without reservation. This is my forever guitar.frona-22

Great guitar for the price point. Tried all of the other classical models in the store at this price point and below, and walked away with this one due to both sound and aesthetics. Particularly good for the Brazilian jazz stylings I was looking to play. Definitely recommended as an entry point into the classical world.Brian

Been playing it for a couple of weeks. My feedback. 1. Bajaoo Service The delivery and packaging was to my expectations. 2. The guitar Ideal for someone who has relatively less longer fingers. I used to play on a yamaha c40 which has a std 52mm nut size, whereas this comes with a 46 mm one, so the stretching is comparatively smoother. 2. Retuning of strings is a must before each session, but after a few days the strings seem to retain their tone, which is the case with all guitars. 3. Due to the thin soundboard, the sound is not very projecting but good enough for soloing in a medium sized room. However, the tone for me is acceptable. 4. The preamp works well after connecting to my kustomsound amp if one really needs amplification. There is no on/off switch, so the battery may have to be removed if you are not using the amp. 5. It is artfully finished in terms of its looks. 6. Would be a good buy for someone playing the steel guitar which usually have a 43mm nutsize and wanting to move to a nylon guitar. My overall experience with this guitar has been good so far.Nikhil D.

I have really enjoyed this guitar so far. The tone is great acoustically and the extended range low-end sounds rich and natural. I especially have been appreciative of the Fishman pickup system. It has the ability to blend between the mic and piezo as well as fine-tune the EQ. I will be playing my first gig with this guitar in a week and am sure it will be a fantastic instrument to perform with.Jared

This has become my go to live axe and I use it constantly. I had it set up a bit by my luthier and had the action adjusted to my touch which is a bit lower that standard classical guitars are set up. This is the most comfortable nylon I have owned (I could not even guess how many I have owned but this one is my main money maker of live playing). I own another Kremona that I record with because it has a full size body. For live however, this is the ticket. The body width is unbelievably thin but sounds like a full sized instrument when plugged in and is much more natural sounding then some of the solid body Nylons out there (I have tried about 15 in the last 5 years to settle on this). please be aware that nylon/classical/Flamenco guitars have wider nuts than steel and electrics!!!! That is because 1) The springs are MUCH thicker and require more space in the nut and to vibrate and 2). It is largely a finger style instrument which requires right hand/finger independence- more space between strings for fingers. It is not the same in that regard as an electric guitar which has a narrow nut. This particular instumt has a more narrow spacing than most classicals. Some reviewer suggested 43mm!!! That is not going to work, sorry to say! I have been playing over 50 years and know a lot about it. Classical guitars (which is what most Nylons are basically) wont be under 48mm and are usually 52mm at the nut. This one is 50mm and that is a perfect width for most crossover players but will also work for classical players, Latin/Flamenco, etc.Mr. Nylon Dude

This was not my 1st choice but my search led me to this European-made rare beauty. the sound proved as lovely as the looks and the electronic blending of sounds made me a true believer. I feel lucky to have chosen a more obscure company and discovered such a fine instrument. The great padded tweed-like gig bag included made me sure I had gotten a real bargain compared to the other similar priced nylon guitars I had pondered. Slightly smaller guitar(but not thinner) with slightly narrower neck (but not too narrow) delivered a full beautiful sound right from the first strum!Jimmyjammer

This guitar has a lovely tone. It’s a starting point for my son-in-law, as a Christmas gift. Very reasonably priced too.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

While this guitar is inexpensive and the finish is very nice the problem is the neck width. Unless you have some super long fingers it is hard to get your hand around it. The capos I have would not cover the all the strings! I bought this for a friend to start learning and feel it will be very frustrating, it will probably be passed on to the children to bang on for fun.dugeefresh

Wonderful 'beginners' guitar. I am taking it up again after a 45 year absence. I really like the feel and the sound. Very well made and lovely to look at as well as play! It arrived the day after I ordered it. Perfect service. All I have to do now is learn to play it!Paul

I was looking for a good beginner's guitar, and I wanted something with nylon strings. I did a pretty extensive search in order to find an instrument that was relatively inexpensive yet had some degree of quality. I read reviews on this particular model, and most seemed to be pleased. I was able to purchase one that, I'm guessing, had been returned, and I was very pleased with both the reduced price and the condition/quality of the guitar. The guitar itself has a very beautiful and mellow tone. It stays in tune, only requiring minor adjustments from time-to-time. I would not recommend this for young people or those adults with smaller hands, as the neck is somewhat wider than one might expect. All-in-all a very fine instrument for the price.Swewpa

This is the best beginner/student classical guitar there is bar none. It's full size and the intonation is spot on, the tuners (whilst basic) are fully functional and consistent. The bridge saddle has 3rd string compensation and is set to a low-ish action. Putting a new set of EJ45's opens up the sound considerably (don't play with the crappy strings that are on it). Great second or studio guitar for the experienced player. Stick it in a half decent case and you'll have a fantastic holiday guitar for around £150. The spruce soundboard already sounds good and will improve with age. Buy, play it – chuck it about. – it's very well made and robust. Finish is shiny and cleans with a wipe. Buy it today.Warwick M.

We purchased two of these for my pre-teens, who have been studying guitar in school. Both loved the instruments, which match the model they use in school. Nice, clean, warm sound, and clearly well-made instruments.Amy Beee

OK, I got mine 5 or 6 years ago, because my arthritis was making steel string acoustics too difficult. The slightly wider neck and nylon strings have extended my career. I use it two ways, first, it's great for solo work, fingerstyle. I also play it with a pick, for jazzy and Willie Nelson country style. There's little feedback at normal volume, and it has a great tone. Just played out with it, and got many compliments on the sound.TGB

The picture on the AMS website doesn’t do the guitar justice, as it’s much more beautiful than that! The tuners are typical Godin proprietary, as they look good, and are smooth and stable in operation. I play with many alternative tunings, and am very happy with their smooth use. When running straight through my Roland Jazz Chorus 40, I can get any sound I expect from it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a GR-55 soon to experiment with all the synth sounds! With the exception of the heavy total weight, this guitar is perfect for my use.John K.

I've been Jonesin' for a nylon string guitar to add to my arsenal. I tried several, but the thing that I kept coming back to was the intonation issues inherent in a traditional design. So, I started looking for a nylon string that had different compensation on the saddle pieces. I came across this Godin, and since I already have two 13-pin synth access guitars, this seemed like a perfect match. When it arrived, I was surprised to find that it's actually a solid body guitar with some chambering. I mean, I knew it was a slim body, but I thought it was a slim hollow body. In retrospect, this has some advantages and some disadvantages… First of all, this is NOT the guitar that you're going to grab to sit around the campfire with your friends. It's as loud as a normal electric guitar that's not plugged in. The advantage, of course, is that you can jack this up as loud as you please in performance without worrying about body howl type feedback.Doug

I love this guitar, especially for the price, my last guitar was a Godin which cost $900.00. My Angel Lopez is equally as good if not better.stewarcohe0