Esteve 1gr07, what can you tell me about this guitar?

[Rordog]

I know very little about classical guitar manufacturers. I know much more about steel-string acoustics and electrics.

I however am looking for a quality classical guitar; mostly for studio session work, pop/country music, not legit classical music. I can buy one used with a hardshell case for $450. First, is this a good guitar, and second, is it a good price? Apparently the guitar does have a couple small scratches..

 

What other brands of classical guitars should I be looking into? Don't want to spend much over $600. I will use it infrequently, but I don't want a piece of junk that doesn't intonate well; and yes, I know that nylon strings do intonate somewhat differently than steel strings; more sensative to finger placement/pressure.

[narada jim]

I'm not any kind of classical player, but I walked into a pawn shop a couple years ago and saw what looked to be a nice little guitar, immaculate. Looked at the label, went back and checked manufacturer and model, ran back to the pawn shop and bought a brand new Cordoba 50R, which was selling at Guitar Center and online for about 800.00, for 150.00, case and extra strings. Traded it and a hundred dollars for a used guild d-30 a week later. The experience made me do some research though, and last year my kid decided to take classical lessons and I was able to put that research to good use. In the U.S., at least, used classicals are definitely a buyer's market. You should be able to find that same Cordoba for the kind of money you're talking about, and it is one sweet and gorgeous guitar. Look at the Ramirez too. If you really want a steal, check Ebay. Some of the old Yairi classicals are tremendously respected for tone and playability, hand made with the best woods, and can be had for a song, well, a song and a coupla hundred. I think they will outplay what you're looking at, and like I say, they're very nice to look at.

 

The disadvantage to buying on Ebay is that guitars are individual things, and playability and tone, even between the same model by the same manufacturer, vary wildly. I think what we pay for when we buy a gibson or a martin or a Cordoba is the sense of consistency. Your chances of getting a "great" middle of the road yamaha are much slimmer than your chances of getting an equivalent Martin D-18, and you pay for that security as much as anything else. I've bought guitars on Ebay, and some have been wonderful, and a couple of the sure things just disappointed. Might be safer to play what you buy first, but I doubt you could go wrong if you can find a twenty year old Yairi in the price range you're talking about.

 

My fear would be this. If it really is what it says it is, that Esteve is worth about what a car is worth. I would question the chances of finding that guitar for that price on the open market That would be one helluva bargain, but the chances aren't great.