Best Cheap Nylon String Guitar (2024 Update)

I bought this for my friend that wants to learn how to play the guitar. I chose this for him because it's a nylon string so it wouldn't hurt his fingers which I noticed that most beginners easily gets frustrated when the steel strings hurts their fingers and then stops learning how to play the guitar. The guitar is well made and it looks like that it will last a long time of course with proper care. It's very light weight and compact so it's easy to maintain and store this guitar and also good for traveling.Rome

This Yamaha classical guitar is sold as a 'student' guitar but it's also a great travel size instrument. It's affordable, stays in tune, intonates well and has a great full body sound even though its a 3/4 size guitar. The nylon strings are easier on the fingers than steel strings and are great for someone just starting out. This one arrived with smooth fret ends and played perfectly right out of the box. Yamaha is one of best quality guitar brands, this one proves it.bascorulesright

This was my first time trying out Musiciansfriend. I must say I wish l had I known about them sooner. I bought a guitar for my daughter's lessons. The guitar came well protected in the box. The shipping was super fast and it arrived on time. The color of the guitar is gorgeous – my daughter loves it. The price too was very good compared to other sites. I also bought a case separately and the foot stool which I am happy with. I will definitely be shopping here for all our instrument needs. To top it all off. I received a purchase follow up call from the team at Musicianfriends. It's important to make sure your customers are happy with their purchase or address any questions or concerns.Noma N

I purchased this instrument on a whim. I figured it would spend it's time in the back seat of my truck. I had the itch to buy something new and this guitar was a cheap way to scratch it. I've been impressed with it. It is small and lightweight. It stays in tune well(for a nylon acoustic)and sounds pretty good. I've found myself in bed falling asleep with it on my chest. I've enjoyed it that much. Does it compare to an upper end instrument? No,of course not. Then again I wouldn't dare fall asleep playing one of those either. If you are looking for someting smaller for yourself or a student that you are not afraid to abuse this is by far worth the money.Sean488

You might need to shave some off the bottom of the nut, but otherwise this is a great guitar for a small beginner; well made and sounds good for its price and size.soulmath

Used to mess around with my brother's acoustic guitar many, many years ago. Decided to renew my interest but wanted a smaller (3/4) size acoustic with nylon strings, as I have small hands. After much research, chose the Fender MC-1. Was pleasantly surprised at the lovely, mellow sound which is what I wanted. Would highly recommend.Eli's Mom

This is a great value package. The guitar sounds absolutely awesome, deep clean sound. I bought it for my son as an upgrade from 3/4 size to full size Instrument. The bag is high quality and protects the guitar very well. Thank you PitbullAudio.maxim118

I use my C10sp mainly to study and play classical music at home. I own another classical which I use for gigs. I don't want my C10SP to get bumped up and scratched. The sound is well balanced with excellent bass and crisp trebles. The intonation is perfect across the fretboard. The action was standard so I lowered a bit to my taste. The wood is beautiful, the spruce top has a nice color with bear claw marks that makes it unique. The rosewood back and sides has a nice color with a beautiful rose/brownish grain. The tuners are beautiful as well and functional as it keeps the guitar tuned very well all the time. The C10SP is an excellent classical guitar at an incredible price.Guitarmonsterz

I've been mostly a rocker and jazzer for over the past 30 years or so, but I've always had an interest in classical guitar and have played and taken lessons. When recent opportunities gave me a chance to study classical guitar in greater depth, I figured I needed to upgrade from my 1988 Alvarez student guitar. I wanted solid woods, but didn't want to pay a ton of money, which put me in the Cordoba C10 category. I played guitars by Kremona, Roderiguez, Yamaha, all in the thousand dollar range and found the Cordoba the best fit for me. It certainly played the best: everything felt smooth, nice, comfortable … hm, how else to describe. And it sounded simply beautiful. Nice volume, full expression, and very responsive to my touch. It's also beautiful to look at with some lovely details and borders, I haven't picked up my archtops in a while, and I think they're going to be neglected. At bottom: I LOVE to play this guitar, don't want to put it down, and am tempted to neglect everything else in my life!Scott

This was my first venture into the world of classical guitars and I'm very happy. My first impressions on taking the Cordoba C10 guitar out of its nicely made plush velvet lined and lightweight polyfoam case, was its high quality fit and finish. Four types of wood ; Canadian Cedar top, Indian Rosewood sides and back, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. Excellent book matching to the Rosewood on the back of the guitar, complemented by a wood purfling stripe down the middle and base, and further purfling to the top and sides. The finish is beautifully even and highly glossy. Faultless in fact, and the neck heal joint and headstock carving is lovely. Another reviewer here states it is a heavy guitar, but I actually found it a very lightweight guitar and it plays beautifully too. A very warm sound with excellent resonance and good sustain from the evenly fitted frets. The action is possibly set a little high, but I intend have this adjusted for me. It also holds tune very nicely once the Savarez strings are fully stretched, so the prettily decorated gold Cordoba tuners are certainly doing their job well. It's a joy to play. One thing of note : The rosette in NOT made from mother of pearl as stated in the Cordoba C10 specs list. I asked Cordoba about this directly, and they said they made an error in their specs and promised to change it, so I hope they do. So I have to give 4/5 because of that, because they shouldn't be misleading their customers. Here is the official reply to me from Cordoba on Dec 3rd 2015 : "Thank you for your interest in Cordoba Guitars! The rosette on our Luthier Series guitars actually use pearloid instead of Mother-of-Pearl. Thank you for bringing this to our attention! I will have our webmaster edit the specifications to accurately reflect what the rosette is made of."James

Bought this mainly as a travel guitar. My go too guitars are a Taylor 12en and a Córdoba orchestra CE nylons along with a selection of steel stringed instruments. Compared to all those guitars the Yamaha is a disappointment and it serves me right for buying a guitar on line I'd never played. The action is high, even for a nylon, and makes playing tiring. Try to lower the action and there is buzz from the D string. The sound, either through quality headphones or an acoustasonic amplifier is really "synthetic". It is difficult to really pick out the ring of individual strings when playing relatively fast. So it doesn't help much during practice – the sound is just too "blurred". The much talked about STR electronics are not very useful in improving the sound. I'm debating taking it back to guitar center and trading it in. But it has its uses when I need to be quiet like in a hotel while traveling. But that's all it will be used for, because I never enjoy the sound it makes compared to a real nylon acoustic. It's really expensive too, worth $300 at best.Graeme A

I've played classical guitar for 40 yrs and fingerstyle jazz/blues for 25 yrs. Most of the guitars in my collection are expensive collector's instruments: Taylors, Gibsons, and a handmade classical guitar by the Spanish Luthier Ricardo Sanchis, to name a few. While I don't play publicly much anymore, I have performed classical guitar in concert. I'm no pro, by any means, but a good Saturday still includes at least 4 hours of playing. As for the SLG200NW, I am ALWAYS amazed at how great this guitar sounds. I run it through a Fishman Aura (get one), and the sound is nothing short of SPECTACULAR. When run through a good pre-amp (or imaging), it sounds like a VERY expensive instrument. This guitar is super responsive to touch, producing both delicate nuance and big sound without a hint of string buzz or hiss. Most remarkable for me is how playable it is. The fingerboard, action, and frets gives me the feeling of "glide" that I do not get with any other guitar. The machine heads are also very responsive, and the guitar stays perfectly in tune. Clearly one of the most obvious benefits (aside from the above) is the ability to play silently without disturbing anyone nearby. This is ESPECIALLY helpful when practicing scales or repeating passages hundreds of times; we all know how irritating this is to others. Slip on headphones and get lost, undisturbed and without disturbing others. This aspect (even without great sound) would've been enough for me. For true classical purists, get the wide neck. The feel is exactly like a good classical guitar. The version with the smaller neck is just too cramped for classical playing. Again I suggest using it with a good pre-amp. It's worth it. Final note on Yamaha classical guitars: Many years ago, I was in a master class at the Royal Academy of Music in Madrid. I had Yamaha classical (my first guitar). EVERYONE else had a Ramirez. My teacher, a pupil of Segovia, heard my Yamaha and could NOT believe his ears!Indigo

Two design flaws: The strap buttons screw in and out to attach the top of the "body." They loosen over time as the strap moves making it easy for them to fall out and the guitar to fall on the floor. Also the upper part of the "body" is very "sharp" and digs into my forearm much more than any other guitar leaving a lot of red creases. Aside from these flaws the quality is good but I just don't enjoy playing it possibly due to the action or the lack of tone/authentic feel. I also dislike it when I see people perform with this guitar. People should play real guitars in performance IMO.Christopher

I have been playing classical since age 12, I am now 72. I have found this instrument to be most comfortable and responsive to my needs. I still have my first guitar that was purchased by my parents in 1954. As I play for my own pleasure and an occasional recital, I have found much satisfaction with this product. My son gave it to me 2 years ago for a birthday present. This instrument "fits" me perfectly. The neck is of perfect dimension for my left hand and fingers. As I transitioned from my first guitar to this one, I found it to be so comfortable. As I do not use much, if any, amplification, it is nice for large rooms like church buildings or recitals. The most expensive is not necessarily the best. The instrument must compliment the human body. Thank you for allowing me to comment on this instrument.Sounds of the past

I have several classical guitars, and this was the least expensive. It has become my go-to guitar for gigging, including a few spots for TV. At home, this Ibanez is the one that was always out of the case on a stand, ready to pick up whenever. So it became comfortable, but then noticeably reliable. It stays in tune. The electronics sound better than the Fishman on another that I have, particularly the bass response. The tuners (particularly the low E) have withstood routine changes to drop D a few times while playing, without obvious sign of wear. When I first started gigging I used another great sounding guitar but then changed to the Ibanez to protect the other(s) from bumps, weather, people, and other hazards. If something terrible happened to my guitar collection, probably the first replacement might be this Ibanez.Tim - ATL

This is an inexpensive, decent-quality, full-size classical style of guitar that's aimed at getting more people to play guitar by addressing the more frequent complaints as to why they don't – hurt fingers from no callouses or too small hands or hand fatigue or arthritis or injuries, etc. Steel-string acoustic guitars require a level of hand and fingertip pain for a fair amount of time before any gains are noticed. That's probably why so many people become turned off to playing them. Epiphone shrewdly addressed that with this series of easy-to-play guitars. This is not a classical guitar that's designed for use by professional musicians, on stage or for learning serious classical styles but rather a full-size guitar that encourages more people to learn to play one or for guitarists to just have fun with sitting on the couch, songwriting, learning new songs, etc. And, given its low price, few if any tears might be shed should it one day get lost, stolen or damaged. The 1.75" width nut gives fingers – short, weak, thick or hurt – a bit more room to maneuver on the lower portion of the neck without the unwanted rubbing of adjacent strings and the lower tension strings it comes strung with make fretting clean sounds much easier without hard pressing, squeaks or buzz. This additional room is helpful for learning finger-picking, too. The two strap buttons, although not typical of a classical guitar, are a nice feature as they add greater flexibility for the guitarist as to how he or she prefers to play it. The sound is clean, I'd say very good, and although I'm surely no classical guitarist, this PRO-1 is what it is and what it was designed to be – an easy to hold, easy to play, affordable guitar that should encourage more people to play in spite of hand size, age, injury, physical limitations, etc. While there are many 3/4 size classical guitars out there that also offer easier playing, this Epiphone PRO-1 is a full size model that does the same at a great price.Old guy with a new guitar

When shopping for a first guitar for your child (or yourself) it's confusing. The sales staff will usually direct you to the solid top Yamaha FG or FS series. Tone and quality wise, those are great guitars but they also come out of the box in need of a good setup to be playable up the neck. With the PRO-1 line, Epiphone has worked hard to deliver a reasonable factory setup on one of their most inexpensive models. I can not overstate the benefit this brings to the player! A few other things that stand out for this price range: We also get NuBone nut and saddle on all pro-1 models (this is the material Taylor and other top of the line builders use on their models). The NuBone nut makes a big difference in tone. Also it's a short scale which I think makes it easier to play, the neck is a slip D profile which makes it easy to get your hand around. Tuners at 18:1 ratio not 14:1, that's a first for a guitar in this price range and you get a humidifier and free lessons. If you play the least expensive PRO-1 model against anything in the budget acoustic room at Guitar Center (for those floor plans that separate budget from high end) you notice it's easier to play than anything else…. There is a solid-top version that comes with electronics if you must have a solid top, the truth is having a solid top is overrated on most budget guitars. All solid wood construction does sound different, but when you mix a solid top with the laminated back and sides, it's just hit and miss. If you stick with playing your first guitar won't be your last, and you're more likely to keep playing if you have an instrument that sounds good that is also very easy to play. For that the PRO-1 is your best bet right now.Jeremy

For the price this is a very nice sounding and playing guitar. I have owned higher end acoustic guitars in the past, and just needed something to do some occasional acoustic recording and playing when friends came by. It isn't quite up to the Takamine that I had (but it was also well over 10x the price of this one!), but it sounds great! I did swap out the strings, but that's to be expected. Overall, it is a good looking and nice playing/sounding guitar for a very, very reasonable price.Dave

It's exactly what you expect. Not quite a classic guitar but will get the job done. I was thinking the smaller neck would be easier to transition to from electric but I'm thinking it may be a little too narrow for me now. I guess I'm use to the feel of a real classical guitar neck and with nylon strings this neck feels too small. Not the manufacturer's fault, the guitar is exactly as described. I could see this being good for someone who's never played a classical guitar though. Tuner and electronics work great and it's a great guitar for the price but if you've played a real classical guitar the neck may feel a little cramped.GT6L6

Following is the email I sent after ordering a new guitar and a hard case to match. Hi Sean, I just received my Tourtech APX case today, which arrived on schedule and in perfect condition. Although there was a breakdown in email communication between us about the availability of the case and compatibility with the guitar, (it does seem only just slightly big for the NTX-1 guitar) however I am confident that it will protect it adequately, I wasn't expecting an exact fit and am so grateful. I would like to personally thank you and your team for the professionalism and more importantly the honesty I received from you throughout. Your kind gesture of a discount and complimentary delivery on the case was greatly received. I am extremely happy with the guitar, the case and the end result, and would not hesitate to order from you again and recommend your services in the future. Thanks again to all involved. Best regards, Colin BrownColin B.

This is the entry level NTX model. The SDOTD price was a genuine and honest discount. But, the product description was confusing and possibly misleading. It describes an "A.R.T. System61" that is not installed on this guitar. The pickup system on this guitar is the System73. The System73 is a common under-saddle piezo strip configuration. The System61 is the Yamaha proprietary technology that is installed on all other NXT models. There is a noticeable 'runout' effect between the top halves of the sound board. Otherwise, the seam between the halves is impossible to discern. In fact, there were no seams, joins or gaps visible anywhere on the outside of this guitar. The neck and head stock are a work of art. To reiterate, the top is two spruce planks, the back and sides could be Okume or Nato. Yamaha does not list these woods as being laminated. Okume is an African hardwood and Nato is from South America. Both are considered acceptable mahogany substitutes. My guitar was made in China and sounds good enough given my untutored ear. The guitar has a truss rod, the 'urea' saddle is angled and uncompensated. My intonation and string height did not need adjustment. The NXT500's 'Slim' neck and nylon tones make this guitar hard to put down. Its also very light. I have several other steel string acoustics but I played this guitar exclusively for over a week, mostly unplugged. It plays well in my living room with a Fender Acoustasonic 15. The on-board tuner and rear-pointed tuning keys were convenient and comforting. I used them both a lot… btw, do nylon strings ever break in? The SKB-30 Deluxe Thin-Line guitar case fits this guitar perfectly. Also, choose the next model up if you want the System 61 electronics, fancy sound hole surround, sound hole cover and a solid spruce top.Rockme Allnite

This guitar is a lot of fun. I have played for a long time, and owned many guitars including some higher-end Taylor acoustics. Due to issues with my elbow, I didn't think that I would be able to play an acoustic guitar again. This nylon string guitar, however, doesn't aggravate my elbow and is super fun to play. It has a great sound for the money. Highly recommended.Dave S.

It's not cheap but it also doesn't feel cheap. Quality materials and construction. Sounds beautiful with the included steel strings but also with nylon strings. Intended as a learning guitar.dcchristopher

I feel confident that I was recommended the right guitar for my level of experience. I was also given time by myself to make a decision, which was helpful. Someone was always available for questions and I didn't feel overwhelmed. The quality of the guitar is excellent.Megan

The looks of the instrument are gorgeous. When I was buying there were very few reviews for this instrument on internet. I took a leap…. This guitar will not give you real classical sound unplugged. When you plug it in you can play with the sound settings depending on what you have available. I play classical guitar in an ensamble and can add some reverb and even a bit chorus. Being a classical musician I wanted depth and warmth, so you need a good EQ. I use just a bit of piezo and a lot of inside mic but right off the bet with such set up you have feedback issues with volume on the guitar all the way down. So there is the need for anti feedback feature. During live concert I had no choice but to bring the Low frequency down and it was very uncomfortable. The guitar is hot. Despite all of it I like the guitar and I suspect there is a lot of potential with this instrument. When you finally set the sound to your liking it's very rewarding! This combo of under the bridge Pic up and inside mic gives you a lot of room to explore the sound. I took the guitar to my Luther to try to eliminate some bazz especially on 4th string, he was able to somewhat do it via bridge and he said that the freeboard is done quite good and does not need adjustment. I like the playability as well. I have another Yamaha trans acoustic that is absolutely amazing and deep but wanted to expand the range of sound variations. Hope this info helps those on the fence about buying it. I was looking at this instrument ever since it came out and am glad that I got it.Natasha

My first guitar was a nylon-string classical guitar made in Spain. The neck was wide as expected, but that wasn't an issue for me when I was 11 years old. However, this guitar's neck is thinner and that's one of the reasons I went with this model. The action is also low right out of the box which I like. It is a joy to play. The sound when unplugged it's good, but the guitar really comes alive when using an amplifier. The built quality is great. And the case that comes with it is very, very good as well. If you want that nylon-string guitar sound with a friendly neck profile and low action, then this is a great choice.Carlos

Excellent instrument . It takes a while to get used again to a wide fingerboard but very good for finger style. I particularly liked the strap button near the heel and first class protective gigbag.. Very good tone and upper sring accessibility with cutaway. Refined appearance and a relief that batteries are easy to fit.John C.

I bought this guitar so my wife and I would have matching guitars to play Ol' Time Gospel in Church on Sundays. I bought her the Fender MC-1 3/4 size guitar. When I first tuned the guitar it sounded absolutely horrendous. Nothing like the MC-1. So I switched the strings for a pair of La Bella No.830 Folk Singer nylon strings. WOW, what a difference. Now I have a great sounding nylon string guitar. The La Bella strings are Item #J239110 right here on MF. It puzzles me why Fender would make such a nice guitar then sell it with low quality strings. If you buy this guitar you will be very happy with it if you get a set of strings with it. The stock strings is why I deleted a star.RickB

Excellent value for the money. Tuning a little unstable at first whilst the mylon strings stretch. East playing neck and pretty good set up out of the box.Andrew

Poorly setup, not to Flamenco standards. Absolutely terrible, worthless tuners. Must be replaced if you have any intention of actually playing the guitar.KungFuJosh

I'm not usually big into classical guitar but this one is just too pretty looking and sounds excellent. Plays great right out of the box too.Big d

I was looking for an affordable entry-level classical guitar but I wanted one that was quality made and I knew I wanted an instrument with a solid top. I looked at other manufacturer's models and in my opinion they did not come close to offering as much as Cordoba does with this C3M model. With the C3M you get a solid cedar top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fret board and bridge plus a bone nut and saddle. These are great features for the player and you really don't expect to see them on a guitar in this price range. The C3M has a terrific, warm tone. I find that the playability and intonation is excellent all the way up the neck. The guitar plays well right out of the box. My only criticism is that the pictures of this guitar on the Musician's Friend website don't really match what the guitar actually looks like. The guitar is much darker in appearance. However, this is not a deal breaker for me and shouldn't be for you either. It is still a beautiful looking and playing instrument with a very nice matte finish and nice appointments as I already mentioned. The folks at Cordoba have done a great job with this guitar. You'd be hard-pressed to find another guitar of this quality in this price range.Wayne T.

The C3M is an amazing value. Classical guitars I've owned: 1984 Ramirez 1A, 1974 Alvarez Yairi (modeled on 1A), and this Cordoba C3M. This is 650mm scale, (standard length, the 1A is long scale) but with perfect, wide string spacing on the 2 inch nut. A full size instrument ready for performance, no adjustment necessary. The resin nut and saddle are dense like bone with great tone. The solid cedar top produces a clear lovely sound. It is not as loud, but clear, good for counterpoint. There is a lot of break over the high saddle which must help set the top in motion but will bend over time. The intonation is perfect. The action is within spec, higher than a high end guitar but very playable. There is no buzz, except on the A string 9th-12th fret. The bracing and solid cedar top are strong enough to support the stock Savarez high tension strings, no distortion of top visible. High tension is necessary to produce as much volume with the standard (shorter than 1A) length. The construction is flawless. Again, because the tension is high on the normal 650mm scale, pitch changes are considerably on the trebles as the guitar warms up. The tuners have a solid feel. After 30 hours of playing, the original Savarez D string wore through at 3-5th frets. Another characteristic of high tension strings; the basses are under more stress and wear faster. Maybe that's just the brand, but I'm switching to a different brand hard tension that measures a little less tension than the Savarez. Cordoba understands what is required to make a performance ready instrument, even on this entry level guitar.Darien

My family had a music store when I was growing up which specialized in classical guitars, so I had more than enough chance to play different kinds when I worked after school at the store. That said, this guitar has the best tonality you can buy for $200. I got mine for $140 on SamAsh online which was marketed as a "used" one, which to this day I am convinced it was brand new because it did not have a single show of use. I am incredibly happy with my purchase. The only thing I did was lower the action which is easily possible on this guitar because it has a rod in the neck which is super unusual for a classical but so freaking convenient! I love it!Kaco

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 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

I'm a beginner, but I expected more from this guitar. It's very beautiful, all details are really elegant. But technically, it seems for.me that this guitar presents distortion on some strings, that when vibrating, they touch the steel part of some other threads. The feel when plugged sounds much better than unplugged. It's comfortable to play with it. As I said, consider this as a review from a beginner.henricgouveadasilv_0

Very good. Biggest surprise was how it sounds unplugged, considering the thin profile sounds better unplugged than some full sized acoustic electric unplugged. I’m going to try some different strings, would like it to sound a little more pluckier. I couldn’t wait for the black finish to restock, mines still good to look at but black would look mint.Edward M. P.

I wanted a smaller acoustic electric thats a little better than a starter guitar, something I could enjoy as my skills grow, and keep for years; something I can play by the campfire on weekend trips and not worry about having to pamper it. I read many, many reviews and listened to experts on YouTube play and compare. I bought this Ibanez and have been really pleased. All the reviews were on target and there were no surprises. The factory strings arent terrific but deliver a decent sound; there is no manual or even a gig case that comes with the guitar, but I found the perfect sized used hard case on Letgo for $20 and a used starter amp as well. I am all set up for under $360. Dont spend good $ on new cases and accessories. There is a huge local market to tap into through Letgo and OfferUp. I didnt want to buy the guitar used since Im still a beginner and wanted to play right away and be able to return if not satisfied. I think I made a good choice. The sound is good, better than expected for a thin instrument on the non-amplified setting, and think it will only improve with usage and better strings, which is what many experts say. Amplified, the sound is crisp, clear and delivers as promised. Its a lovely guitar; the dark finish is deep and beautiful, not atall a factory look like the ubiquitous blonde Yamaha starter guitar of my youth. I am not crazy about the gold-look hardware, which I think cheapens the otherwise excellent quality of the build… but that can be upgraded to chrome if I still dislike it next year. (Ill make it a goal reward for myself when I reach my next skill level). Otherwise, the look and feel of my guitar is outstanding, and Im playing regularly (which is, after all, the mark of a successful guitar purchase, no?)caroly-98

I noticed, while shopping for this guitar, that there are a number of very similar models out there. Most were more expensive, with different woods and very subtle differences. But, what kept me coming back to the Ibanez was the sound plugged in. Nothing else, regardless of cost, sounded as realistic as this does. I wanted a guitar that sounded "classical" amplified. and this did just that. Throw in the excellent fit and finish, this thing is beautiful, and you have a winner all the way around.D.Munson

Light weight guitar that sounds pretty darn good with an amp. It boasts a rich beautiful color in the light with really nice detail. Pretty decent sound for a streamline guitar. Your not going to get a deep sound but this a great piece to travel and practice with. Having a built in tuner is awesome! Also has bass and treble controls. I hooked it up to my home stereo through the stereo's amp and it really sounded sweet. I would highly recommend this guitar for anyone at this great price!TRACY

I have played guitars in this price range and have never been impressed until this guitar came out. I played it because I know Yamaha will not put their name on just anything. Wow was I amazed! My first guitar, which brand shall go unmentioned, was priced around $330-350. No way did it even come close to the warmth of the low strings or the snappy nylon sound of the high strings like this one does. My guitar also did not come with a bag or any sort of instructional items. Such a great buy! I am hands on reviewer, Sam Ash #41Wingman

I have several guitars of diffent styles but was lacking a nylon acoustic. I wanted to study some classical and flamenco music. I didn't want to make a huge purchase on something I wasn't going to get extremely invested in, so my guitar teacher recommended the Yamaha C40 Gigmaker. It is perfect! It's been several months now and still plays and sounds great. An amazing value for the dollar. So every now and again when I get the itch, it's there and ready for me. Whether this is for a beginner, a student or someone like me who just wants to add a nylon to the arsenal, there's no need to look further than this.Douglas

Fantastic for anyone younger showing interest in guitar. This Yamaha pack has everything for the beginning classical guitarist. Tuner and DVD are sure to get you on your way. Fantastic product at a great price that only Yamaha can offer. Does include Gig Bag, providing immediate protection from the elements. Great for beginners, but also anyone needing a spare classical at home. Included tuner makes sure you're always ready to play. This is a real hands on review from Christian @ Sam As.h ColumbusThe Riffer

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