Classical Suggestion. I'll be in Spain soon.

[jamesrgeib]

Any classical players have any suggestions on classical guitars from Spain for beginners? I'd like to buy a guitar while I'm in Spain this summer. I'll be visiting Segovia, Madrid, Grenada and Cordoba.

 

I'd like to keep it around $500. Any suggestions on what to look for would be great.

 

James

[the-good-way]

To be quite honest - and, as a newcomrr I hope this doesn't ring as unhelpful - with wood, you have to evaluate each instrument as it comes.

 

Surely there are differenves n the lutherie - not only in quality, but in style -- and so you really have to 'connect' -- no -- "commune" (to be overly dramatic) with a single, individual insrment

 

the wood, the design, yup that matters

 

but also, in the end, you have a uy with fingr planes working on "this guitar"

[jamesrgeib]

Thanks for the reply. I'll certainly try out as many as I can.

[the-good-way]

sorry for th typos

 

my ife bought home a laptop with a glidepoint and my thumbd keep causing weird dropouts

 

It may very well be that you might find a smallish shop or luthier or what-have-you with a unit that just "speaks" to you

 

maybe not, but that's part of the adventure

 

 

In a way, it might be better if you find something with more "charater" in terms of a very specific "view" on how a guitar should sound

from a smaller luthier as oppose to a "brandname"

sort of like wines where the smaller operators can have a very strong character in a direction whereas the larger operators of a "brand" can be tasked with consistent middleof-the road delivery of product

 

 

either way - enjoy the experiece!!

[T.B.]

 

Any classical players have any suggestions on classical guitars from Spain for beginners? I'd like to buy a guitar while I'm in Spain this summer. I'll be visiting Segovia, Madrid, Grenada and Cordoba. I'd like to keep it around $500. Any suggestions on what to look for would be great. James

 

 

I'm not sure you'll be able to find a classical guitar a good Student Model even in your price range. Five hundred US currency would be about $370.00 Euros. I went to a couple of shops in Barcelona and Madrid and the cheapest Student Models where going for 850 EURO = $ 1,100 US. Of course I didn't get a chance to really visit as many guitar shops as I would have wished. So, I'm not sure if I got an accurate view of the guitar landscape. Shops selling preowned guitars, something equivalent to our pawn shops, for example or shops that keep the budget conscious guitar-buyer in mind --I haven't any knowledge of. It maybe I was directed to the boutique shops. It will help big time if you're somewhat fluent in Spanish especially in Madrid. I'll check and see if I have any addresses of some shops I visited. I recall a wonderful guitar store close -very close- to the Palacio Real de Madrid/Royal Place of Madrid.

 

Trina

[jamesrgeib]

Thanks Trina,

 

I'll be spending most of my time in Salamanca, but I'll be visiting numerous cities too. Fortunately my wife is fluent in Spanish, so I'll have an advantage. The Euro is high right now, and that definitely doesn't help me as far as price.

[riffmeister]

there are many fine makers with shops in Madrid (Ramirez, Bernabe, Contreras, etc) and Granada is home for many exceptional luthiers (Antonio Marin Montero is the "grandaddy"), so you will have lots to look at in those two cities. however, finding a guitar for $500 may be a bit of a challenge, it will likely be a "factory made" guitar and in fact may not have been made entirely in Spain.

 

enjoy your trip! I've been to Madrid and Segovia and they are both very beautiful (and very different) cities! my wife & I are planning a trip this fall to southern Spain......Seville, Granada, Cadiz, Cordoba.......can't wait!

[T.B.]

Thanks Trina, I'll be spending most of my time in Salamanca, but I'll be visiting numerous cities too. Fortunately my wife is fluent in Spanish, so I'll have an advantage. The Euro is high right now, and that definitely doesn't help me as far as price.

 

 

Madrid Stores:

 

One near the Royal Palace: Esperanza Mendizabal at C. Mayor, 66 and El Flamenco Vive at C. Conde de Lemos, 7. Guitar Brands: Alhambra, Rodriguez, Raimundo, Almansa, Camps, Sanchis.

 

 

Hermanos Conde manufactures guitars used by Paco de Luc

[Jeremy3]

You could get a nice Prudencio Saez for $500. I have a Prudencio Saez model 8, got it for $500 if I remember correctly off of eBay, no stores around here sell them.

 

Prudencio Saez