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Saw a Segovia guitar: somebody heard of this brand???????


Misha

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I was looking for a cheap guitar to carry outside and found one that looks good, plays well, has a solid cedar top and I'm pretty sure it also has a solid back and solid rosewood sides... :confused:

 

I tried to take pictures but only had my cellphone so the pics aren't very clear...

 

IMG-20110323-00005.jpg

 

IMG-20110323-00006.jpg

 

IMG-20110323-00007.jpg

 

 

The guy told me that this brand is made by the same who build the acoustic guitars for Fender. He showed me two identical guitars: one with the Fender logo, the other one with the Segovia logo. I know that Fender acoustic guitars are not very appreciated by acoustic guitarists. The guitar I'm talking about didn't had any Fender twin sister, at least, not in the shop. There is a "F" on the neck, though...

 

I don't know the year of the guitar either. It might be a couple of years old...

 

What do you think about it?

 

If I remember well, the guy was asking 300$ for it. (I'm not sure if it's 200$ or 300$) I could get it cheaper. It's a shop where they like to trade, buy/sell used guitars. He told me it was new, tough... I'm thinking about trying to trade my Boss ME-25 for it and another pedal that I don't use... It sounded pretty good even with old strings and the neck is great!

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I bought an Ovation to take to festivals and other "outside" events. Ignoring the composite bowl, they have really nice straight grained spruce tops and you can set the bowl on wet ground without worry. This was Kaman's idea when he created the guitar. Put the wood where the sound originates. Anyway, IMO the ultimate outside guitar is a Rainsong or other totally composite axe, though they are not cheap. You could probably play one underwater. One of the people I jam with at Winfield has a carbon composite guitar (can't remember the brand right now) and it sounds great along with being indestructible. A guy I met at Kerrville found a great deal on an Applause (Ovation import) that had the composite bowl and an aluminum neck. I think he said he got it for fifty to a hundred bucks at a pawn shop.

 

Just thinking "outside" the soundhole and mahogany.

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OK, here is what I found...

 

The company seems to be this one: http://cnkaiser.en.alibaba.com/

 

The model seems to be similar to NG 1200V

 

which looks like this one: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/284875790/NG_1200V_Acoustic_Guitar.html

 

but with a cedar top and a different neck... Also, it's hard to see in the pics, but the label may say: "NG C1200V" ??????

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It's only my opinion, but I find it really hard to trust guitars with a brand name I've never heard of. I think I would rather put my money down on a Yamaha or Seagull, or some brand that I know has a good rep. That may be a good guitar. I don't know. But I think I would always feel a bit paranoid about owning it.

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It's only my opinion, but I find it really hard to trust guitars with a brand name I've never heard of. I think I would rather put my money down on a Yamaha or Seagull, or some brand that I know has a good rep. That may be a good guitar. I don't know. But I think I would always feel a bit paranoid about owning it.

 

 

I already have a Seagull S6 Folk. I like it a lot but this OM is nice too... What you said is exactly why I'm hesitating... If I can trade something I don't use for it, I won't risk a lot, though and it sounds better than my Seagull. It's a new guitar but probably a couple of years old. Since it's still in very good shape, it might mean that it will stay that way. Well, I keep thinking about it and if I get it for 200$ (without a trade) and don't like it, I'll probably be able to sell it quickly for 100$. I might take a chance... C'est

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It's only my opinion, but I find it really hard to trust guitars with a brand name I've never heard of. I think I would rather put my money down on a Yamaha or Seagull, or some brand that I know has a good rep. That may be a good guitar. I don't know. But I think I would always feel a bit paranoid about owning it.

 

I felt the same way until I found my Sakura 12-string back in 1974. Never seen another one since but I loved the heck out of it for a lot of years.

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Well Misha, the links are to a trading company. That's not necessarily a problem but they aren't the manufacturers, rather distributors of instruments and other goods from various manufacturers. You might contact them to see if they will tell you who is building the guitar of interest.

It does look as if there's quite a lot of hand work done on the guitars so there are going to be variations between individual units with some being good, some better, some not so good and here and there a real treasure.

 

Something to keep in mind about OEMs. The companies they build for will provide to the OEM with the specifications they want for their product and may vary wildly so if they make for Fender those specs may or may not be as good or better than what is spec'd for the Segovia.

 

With the exchange rate almost one to one if you could get the price down to about $150.00C it would be worth a shot and $200.00, for me, would the the tops. But, as you say, it plays and sounds OK with old strings and they will work a trade, so I'd say go for it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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And the end of the story...

 

Well, I went back today and it was gone... :(

 

It's just a guitar, I'll find another one to love! :idk:

 

I'm listening to this to help me with my pain! ;)

 

 

Edit: WTH, can't see the video, just a link???

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  • 1 year later...
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Misha, I have a Segovia Dreadnaught I bought in a pawn shop brand new. It is a composite sitka spruce top with mahogany composite back and sides. Saw it hanging there played it , loved it, and bought it. So glad I did. Had a bone nut and bridge installed and it sounds beautiful. Put a shadow sound hole pickup in it. It is like heaven to me. Played it one night after a guy played his new Martin, people loved the sound of my guitar. And it was only $120 out the door. This was in the late Eighty's. Later on I received as a gift, it's fender twin, exactly the same guitar except for the headstock. I love my Segovia. Don't see them anywhere, so glad it came into my life

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Right on

Thank you, i only have cell phone internet and it is slow going on sites like this.

Just found it looking up info on Segovias.

I'll be hanging around, not sure how this all works, but I'll figure it out.

I have been playing and rebuilding guitars for quite a long time.

Much easier then the car collection I used to have.

I can get a lot more guitars in my garage than cars.

 

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  • 11 months later...
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Ahhhhhhhh, yeah, I know what a Segovia guitar is. I accidently ran across this website and your question, “Saw a Segovia guitar: somebody heard of this brand???????,” and was so taken aback I created an account for the sole purpose, of responding to your question.

The “BRAND” you speak of is actually the name of the father of “ALL” modern classical guitarists of today. In fact, if you ever take classical guitar lessons you can rest assured that you are taking lessons from someone who either learned from Andrés Segovia personally, or form one of his students, or from one of his students, students and so on.

Prior to Andrés Segovia the guitar was a folk instrument and was shunned by the classical community as an instrument for the uninitiated, low class, dregs of society. Andrés Segovia spent his entire life transposing the classics and creating new masterpieces and transforming this lowly instrument into one of culture and refinement. He single handedly created the concept of classical guitar – PERIOD.

As far as the instrument you asked about that bears his name, you should be honored to poses such a fine piece of craftsmanship. It was handmade in Spain from the best wood available and by the hands of masters craftsmen. It was also built for next to no profit.

WHY – You may ask, would he go into business building guitars and not even attempt to make a profit? The simple answer to that question is, because he wanted everyone who had the desire to learn classical music, and more specifically classical guitar, to be able to learn it regardless of their economic situation. He wanted everyone to have the benefit of a high quality instrument with rich, true, tones and professional playability and the only way he could accomplish this goal was to sacrifice profit. Fortunately, by that point in his life he could afford to do so. He was recognized the world over as the father of classical guitar by then.

In short I would say, “if you have an opportunity to acquire a Segovia classical acoustic guitar – Jump on it with both feet.” That is a truly excellent, handmade, guitar and if you live to be 110 you will never regret the purchase.

 

Here is a link to the information that Wikipedia has on Andres Segovia:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_Segovia

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wylde1 wrote:

 

As far as the instrument you asked about that bears his name, you should be honored to poses such a fine piece of craftsmanship. It was handmade in Spain from the best wood available and by the hands of masters craftsmen. It was also built for next to no profit.

 


 

Wylde1, welcome to the forum and thank you for creating an account just to answer this long dead topic.   Misha hasn't been around for years, and if you read the thread, would realize that she missed the chance to buy this fine guitar.

Andre' Segovia is well known to anyone who loves classical guitar and I don't dispute anything you say about him and his playing - he truely was the Master.    However, he never built any guitars nor authorized his name to any builder.   He was quite vocal about the best classical guitars - the '37 Hauser that he played for much of his career is still the gold standard that many luthiers aspire.   

As you saw in the thread, assuming you read it, people reported having "Segovia" labeled dreadnaughts (which of course the Master never played) and the common opinion is that this was a cheap knock off that tried to capitalize on the Master's name (kind of like the Loar line of instruments that has recent come in from Asia).     Please cite any links to information about Segovia's connection to any builders (your Wiki link doen't), otherwise please get facts straight before entering this kind of discussion.

 

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  • 4 months later...
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Yesterday I walked into a small town guitar shop and started playing some used instruments. With a smirk on my face I picked up a Segovia D70TS. The inside label said "We pride ourselves on our vast experience and the use of the latest technology to manufacture the highest quality instruments. Made in China." I found that statement quite amusing.

 

But I was surprised at the low action and decent sound it had. The shop owner shouted over, "That was a trade in, and its really not a bad guitar. And it's older than you think." It was marked 89.99, but he added "You can have it for $75."

 

So what the heck, I bought it. How could I lose at that price? And unlike other cheap guitars I've bought in the past, I have no buyer's remorse. I think its a real fun instrument and I'll definitely get my money's worth. At $75 it won't take long, because it's a joy to play!

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I paid $50 for and old Segovia 3/4 size 6 string from a friend in Boston. It was a really decent beater that saw a lot of camping and such... served me well for 5 or 6 years and then was handed down to one of my sons for similar duty..

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