The Best Classical & Nylon String Guitars - From $100 to $1000
Author & Contributors
Alexander Briones
I've written about and researched music gear for many years, while also serving as a music director at my local church, in addition to teaching guitar, bass and mentoring young musicians.
The Best Budget Classical Guitars Under $200
Carlo Robelli C-941N Full Size
Street Price:
Manufacturer:
The Carlo Robelli C-941N is a full size classical guitar that you can get at a very affordable price point (there is also a 3/4 size version). As such there's not much to expect in terms of specs, but it still received good enough ratings to secure a spot on our recommended list.
The top of this guitar is made from laminate Linden wood, which is also known as basswood, commonly used in electric guitar bodies. For the back and sides, it uses Agathis wood, which is an affordable alternative to mahogany.
Instead of the usual rosewood, this guitar features black colored maple bridge and fingerboard.
Finally, it comes with single-ply black bindings on the top, back and fretboard.
Features
- Top: Linden
- Body: Agathis
- Finish: Natural Gloss
- Bridge: Maple (Black Colored)
- Neck: Okoume
- Fingerboard: Maple (Black Colored)
- Scale Length: 25.6"
- Nut Width: 2"
Pros
Value for money is its main strength, and understandably so, given that you get a full-size body classical guitar at a very cheap price. Most of the reviews are from beginners who find the C-941N to be easy to play, and they consider it as a good starter guitar.
Cons
With its price, don't expect much in terms of tonewood and materials, but build quality is good enough to merit the kudos of many users.
Overall
We recommend the Carlo Robelli C-941N as a good starter guitar for those with limited funds.
Ibanez GA3
Ibanez is known for affordable and playable guitars, a good example of which is the GA3.
It stays within familiar classical guitar design territory, but uses cheaper alternative tonewood to lower the price, while retaining Ibanez' characteristic easy playability.
The top is made from laminate spruce, while the back and sides are made from laminate meranthi, a more readily available alternative to mahogany.
The neck follows traditional classical specs, topped with a flat radius fingerboard, built to Ibanez standards.
Features
- Top: Spruce
- Body: Meranthi
- Finish: Natural High Gloss
- Bridge: Nandu
- Neck: Nyatoh
- Fingerboard: Nandu
- Scale Length: 25.6"
- Nut Width: 2"
Pros
Owners are pleased at how easy this guitar is to play, they describe it the neck feel as comfortable. And this comfort, together with its affordable price, and big brand backing, make it an easy choice for those who are starting out. Tuning stability is also often commended, while others find its sound to be good enough for its price.
Cons
Speaking of sound, some owners recommend swapping out the factory installed strings for better results. There are a few reports of minor cosmetic and finish related issues.
Overall
If you are looking for an affordable classical guitar with big-brand backing, then this is for you.
Yamaha C40II
The Yamaha C40 has been an extremely popular beginner / student guitar for decades. It gets the most recommendations from teachers, and continues to be the go-to classical guitar for novices.
It has the main characteristics of a classical guitar including the nut width, scale length, and string height.
By Jason Horton:
Features
- Top: Laminated Spruce
- Body: Meranti back & sides
- Finish: Gloss
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Neck: Nato
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 650 mm (25 9/16")
- Nut Width: 52 mm (2 1/16")
Pros
The Yamaha C40 is the perennial beginner classical guitar, it continues to be highly rated by students and their parents for its good tone and comfortable playability. They are also often bought because of recommendations from teachers who for years have had good stories to tell about the instrument. Even those who have more expensive instruments have a C40 in their collection, either as their first guitar or as a grab-and-go alternative. Longevity is another common reason why the C40 remains as one of the most universally recommended beginner guitar. The Yamaha C40 that I used back when I was enrolled to classical guitar studies is still playable after many years of use.
Cons
Much like others in this price range, there are a few reports of string setup related issues like fret buzz or high-action. There are also a few complaints regarding cosmetic blemishes and fretwork. These complaints only accounted for a very small percentage of reviews.
Overall
Whether you specifically want to learn Classical Guitar, or you simply want to learn guitar in general, you can't go far wrong with the world's most popular entry-level nylon string guitar: the Yamaha C40.
Cordoba Protege C1
For a young company that started in 1997, Cordoba has quickly grown to be a major player in the nylon guitar string market, competing against bigger and more established brands. They rose through the ranks by utilizing modern production techniques while retaining traditional Spanish guitar quality standards.
The Protege C1 is an excellent specimen that showcases the company's balance of build quality and affordability. It is a mass produced entry-level classical guitar that sports Cordoba's quality standards and attention to detail.
It follows traditional specs and tonewood components, having laminate spruce for the top and laminate mahogany for the back and sides.
Finally, it is bundled with a gig bag that comes with shoulder straps for portability.
Note: It also comes in a 3/4 size option - this is the full size version.
Features
- Top: Spruce
- Body: Mahogany
- Finish: Gloss Polyurethane
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25.6"
- Nut Width: 2.04"
Pros
Beautiful and well made are common sentiments found in owner reviews, they find its overall build quality to be much higher than what they expected for the price. As expected, good construction results in good tone and playability, which are reflected in reviews. Many consider the Protege C1 as a high quality student-friendly classical guitar.
Cons
There are some who caution that this guitar is prone to humidity changes, but this is a common issue found in most wooden instruments and is prevented by using a Guitar Humidifier. There are a few who needed to make minor adjustments to the string setup to achieve their preferred playing feel.
Overall
If budget is limited but build quality is of high importance, then definitely check out the Cordoba Protege C1.
The Best Classical Guitars Under $500
Yamaha CG102
The CG102 is a step up compared to other entry-level guitars, but it retains a price tag that is still meant for novices.
It is similar to the popular C40 MkII in terms of specs, but it comes with some build quality improvements, and minor tonewood and cosmetic distinctions.
It uses laminate spruce for the top, albeit with a lighter finish while the back and sides are made from more affordable and accessible nato wood, both of which are common in this price range,
Other features that set it apart from other beginner guitars include its rosette graphic, prominent black bindings, improved hardware and a lighter finish.
Features
- Top: Spruce
- Body: Nato
- Finish: Gloss
- Bridge: Rosewood Bridge
- Neck: Nato Neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25.56"
- Nut Width: 2.05"
Pros
Owners are pleased with the Yamaha CG102's playability and tone, and they credit their high ratings to its good build quality, which many consider to be above its price tier. Most of the thumbs up are from beginners who find this guitar fun and inspiring to play. There are also plenty of good feedback regarding its sound, which many consider to be better than their previous, usually cheaper, classical guitar.
Cons
Some experienced musicians report string buzz and other action related issues. Other users recommend swapping out the default strings to improve its tone.
Overall
Yamaha is always a safe pick for beginners, even more so when you choose their top rated offerings which include the CG102.
Lucero LC235SCE
The Lucero LC235SCE is a solid-top acoustic-electric nylon-string guitar with specs that more closely resembles steel-string guitars.
It has a scale length of 25.5" and 1.6875" nut width, which will be familiar for those who play acoustic steel string and electric guitars. This crossover configuration allows electric and steel-string acoustic guitar players to utilize the unique sound of nylon strings with minimal technique adjustments.
The top is crafted from solid red cedar wood, which is a premium specification considering its price.
Other noteworthy features that make it standout from the competition include having a cutaway, and the use of exotic zebrawood for the back and sides.
Finally, it comes equipped with a Fishman Clasica III pickup and preamp system that has 3-band EQ control, volume control, phase switch and built-in tuner.
Features
- Top: Solid Red Cedar
- Body: Zebrawood
- Finish: Natural Gloss Finish
- Bridge: Indian Rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Nut Width: 1.6875"
Pros
Reviewers describe the Lucero LC235SCE as pleasing to both the ears and the eyes. It impresses with its clean tone and unique appearance, and it does both while retaining a reasonably affordable price tag. The use of solid cedar for its top, together with its good build quality, gets a lot of thumbs up, while the Fishman Clasica III adds to its already good value. As expected, it gets a lot of praise for its thinner nut width and familiar scale length.
Cons
Since it strays from traditional classical guitar specs, it will not appeal to purists.
Overall
The Lucero LC235SCE is a high quality acoustic-electric nylon guitar that's highly recommended for those who aren't into traditional classical guitar playability.
Cordoba C5
The C5 is one of Cordoba's top-selling nylon-string guitars, and rightly so given its impressive specs for the price and slightly modified classical body design.
Its main draw is its solid cedar top, which works well with its slightly bigger body and smaller sound hole, giving it good projection and clarity.
This particular model is a step-up model compared to their C3M.
Specifications
- Top: Solid Western Red Cedar
- Body: Laminated Mahogany
- Finish: Gloss Polyurethane
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 650mm (25.6")
- Nut Width: 52mm (2.04")
Pros
The price of this guitar is still accessible for students, and this accessibility combined with good specs makes it very appealing for experienced guitarists and teachers who recommend it as a great starting guitar or couch guitar. Market sentiment is quite positive concerning tone, some even comparing its sound to more expensive classical guitars. It also gets a lot of thumbs up for its sustain.
Cons
There are a few older reviews that report minor aesthetic and fretwork issues, thankfully these are mostly from older reviews.
Overall
If you're looking for a premium looking and feeling nylon string guitar in the sub $400 price range, then this is your best bet.
Kremona Soloist S65C
Kremona began life in 1924 founded by Dimitar Georgiev; a gunsmith-turned-luthier after his apprenticeship at Markneukirchen, Germany.
Handcrafted guitars like this are usually not associated with affordability and demand prices above the $1000 mark.
But even though the Soloist S65C is Handcrafted in Bulgaria by Kremona, it does retain a student-friendly price.
Features
- Top: Solid Red Cedar
- Body: Sapele back & sides
- Finish: Natural
- Bridge: Indian rosewood
- Neck: African Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
- Scale Length: 650 mm (25.6")
- Nut Width: 52mm (2.04")
Pros
With its lively and open tone, owners of the Kremona Soloist S65C are impressed with what they got for their money. Some even compare it favorably over more premium instruments in their collection. Experienced musicians hail it as a great baseline nylon string guitar to develop preferences for tone and feel.
Cons
The neck shape is said to be a hit or miss depending on the player, but it should be a non-issue if you are used to traditional classical guitar necks.
Overall
The Soloist S65C is a great pick whether you're starting out or want a backup guitar for your collection. It is also a great starting point for learning about construction, tone, and feel before moving on to guitars costing several times as much. Note: Be careful not to confuse this with the similarly named, but cheaper Kremona S65C GG.
The Best Classical Guitars Under $1000
Taylor Academy 12-N
As the name implies, the Taylor Academy 12-N is a nylon string guitar meant for students.
It strays away from traditional classical design, rather it goes with Taylor's distinct build, having a grand concert body with a beveled arm rest, and a narrower neck that makes it more comfortable for those who are used to acoustic-electric and steel string acoustic guitars.
It has a solid spruce top paired with layered sapele for the back and sides.
The neck is crafted from mahogany, and is topped by a 17-fret ebony fingerboard. The neck doesn't follow traditional specs, with its narrower 1.875" nut width, and 25.5" scale length.
Finally it features modern TUSQ nut and saddle.
Features
- Top: Solid Lutz Spruce
- Body: Layered Sapele back & sides
- Finish: Varnish
- Bridge: Ebony
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Nut Width: 1.875"
Pros
Easy playability is the main reason why many rate the Taylor Academy 12-N highly, some even describe it as a good crossover nylon string guitar - the electric guitar player's classical guitar. Many appreciate its narrow neck and the beveled arm rest that makes playing this guitar very comfortable. It also gets commended often for its good tone, to the point that some users have made this their beater guitar at home, even when they have more expensive guitars lying around. Interestingly, while this guitar is marketed for students, there are plenty of experienced guitarists who gave their thumbs up. It also helps that it looks premium and well built, especially with its slotted headstock design.
Cons
Entry-level for Taylor can be beyond the budget for some guitarists. This is not recommended for those who prefer traditional classical guitars.
Overall
If you're looking for a premium and easy to play crossover nylon string guitar, then check out the Taylor Academy 12-N.
Cordoba GK Studio Negra
The Cordoba GK Studio Negra is a flamenco style nylon string guitar with a soft cutaway and built-in Fishman Presys Blend electronics.
It is essentially an acoustic-electric guitar for flamenco, with a thinner nut, reduced scale length and lower action, all of which contribute to making the instrument great for flamenco playing techniques.
It sports premium specs that include solid European spruce top supported by Spanish style fan bracing along, and what separates it from the standard studio version is the use of rosewood for the back and sides.
Specifications
- Top: Solid European Spruce
- Body: Rosewood back & sides
- Finish: High gloss PU
- Bridge: Indian Rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 650mm (25.6")
- Nut Width: 50mm (1.96")
- Electronics: Fishman Presys Blend with 4 Band EQ + phase, undersaddle piezo and internal microphone with blender, built in digital tuner
Pros
While this guitar is said to be designed for flamenco, there are many guitarists who have put this guitar to good use in other styles, including jazz, blues, folk, pop and even classical. The sound it produces is well loved, be it when unplugged or plugged in. American Songwriter reviewer Jake Kelly is just as impressed, stating that "Just about anything played fingerstyle on this guitar sounds classy and elegant." There are also plenty of positive remarks regarding its build quality.
Cons
Aside from this being a non-traditional classical guitar, there aren't any notable complaints about its design and performance.
Overall
The Cordoba GK Studio Negra is a stage ready acoustic-electric nylon string guitar for fans of flamenco and even for use with other styles of music.
Things to Consider When Buying a Nylon String Guitar
This section explains some of the terminologies that you will come across when you look at nylon string guitars and discussions about them - this along with a few tips will help you work out which guitar characteristics will suit your playing style. If you are unsure about what the different parts of a guitar are called then the diagram at the bottom of this blog post will explain them to you.
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Flamenco Guitars are generally built to have a more punchy sound and are intended to be played in a more percussive style including tapping on the top soundboard - in fact, they usually have a protective plastic cover called a golpeador to facilitate this without damaging the finish. They have a smaller nut width which means the strings are closer together than on a standard classical guitar, and a lower action (aka string height). They are often made with spruce tops and cypress or sycamore back and sides to enhance volume from their thinner bodies. Their tonal characteristics are designed to cut through the sound of dancers loudly clapping and tapping their feet.
Classical Guitars usually have deeper bodies, wider nut widths, and higher actions than flamenco style guitars. They usually have thicker spruce or cedar tops and rosewood or mahogany backs and sides which tend to give them a more mellow or rounded tone roughly covering the frequency spectrum of an orchestra. They are primarily intended to be played solo or in very small ensembles.
Spanish Guitars are a sub-set of classical guitars traditionally made in Spain with bracing, construction techniques, and tonal characteristics which experts say vary by region.
Concert Guitars are high-end classical guitars made by luthiers usually following centuries-old traditional methods and use of expensive materials. A typical luthier may only produce 4 to 6 guitars per year or in a larger operation perhaps as many as 20. A lower-priced concert guitar will usually cost between $2,000 and $3,000 with higher-end models going well into the 5 figure range.
Nylon String Guitars include all of the types of guitars above in addition to many modern hybrid guitars which can combine characteristics of many different types of guitars including steel-string acoustic and electric guitars as well as some that come with pickups and electronics built-in. Due to the price range that this guide covers, most of the guitars here are considered to be Classical, Flamenco, or Hybrid guitars.
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Instead of being a distinct type like the ones listed above, this refers to nylon string guitars designed with specifications that make it easy to transition from steel-string guitars, and as such many of the types above can be made with crossover characteristics. The main one is that they typically have smaller nut widths so that the strings are closer together than on a standard classical guitar. Traditional classical guitars also have flatter fingerboards (a larger fingerboard radius) than regular acoustics while crossover guitars can have curved fingerboards. Some crossover models also feature a cutaway to make it easier to reach the higher frets - particularly with acoustic-electric models.
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Just as with other types of guitars, there are ongoing discussions and debates about which species of wood produce superior tones or tones better suited to certain styles of playing. There are two main types of wood used for the top or soundboard of nylon string guitars: Spruce is generally considered to produce a crisper tone with more definition while Cedar is regarded as having warmer or darker tones. However, many luthiers will tell you that the thickness of the wood, types of bracing, and other construction techniques can be just as important as the materials in determining the tone. One thing that pretty much everyone agrees on is that having a solid wood top instead of a cheaper laminated wood top will provide better projection (they'll be louder) and lead to richer tones over time as the wood grains open up, with a caveat that on cheap guitars under about $200 a laminated top will have a more consistent tone between individual guitars of the same model than the variations in grain that come with cheap solid woods. Similar discussions take place about the woods used on the rest of the guitar, but the top or soundboard dominates in terms of tone.
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This is essentially the distance measured between the saddle and the nut, or more accurately described as double the distance from the nut to the 12th fret plus some "compensation" added by the position of the saddle. A longer scale length requires higher tension in the strings and results in a brighter tone. A more detailed explanation with examples is presented quite well by Stewart MacDonald and a good description of the implications of different scale lengths can be found on Guitar Player.
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This is the main thing that determines the distance between the strings, although the width at the saddle plays a small role too with the strings usually being closer to each other at the nut than they are at the saddle. The nut width and action height are the things that most influence the 'playability' of a guitar with smaller nut widths better being suited to guitarists transitioning from steel-string guitars.
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Guitars with a low action allow for faster runs and the use of playing techniques such as tapping on the fretboard and hammering on/off. This comes at the expense of introducing some fret buzz which is considered a feature of flamenco style playing. Beginners and those transitioning from steel-string acoustic or electric guitars generally find a lower action easier to play. For a more in-depth discussion on this topic see this thread on the Delcamp Classical Guitar Forum.
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Acoustic-Electric models come with pickups and other electronics such as preamps and EQ installed, while the straight-forward acoustic models don't. These additional components may have subtle effects on the tone or resonance of the guitar, but the most practical differences are that they cost more but can be amplified.
The Different Types of Classical Guitars
Crossover Nylon String Guitars
Tonewoods
Scale Length
Nut Width
Action / String Height
Straight Acoustic or Acoustic-Electric?
Best Nylon String Guitar Selection Methodology
The first edition was published in 2016 and the current edition was published on February 15, 2022.
To be considered for inclusion in this guide a guitar had to meet the following criteria:
- Must have nylon strings
- Priced from $99 to $999.99
- Only 6 string guitars were included
- Must be available from major online retailers in the USA
- Must have upper and lower bouts consistent with a full-sized body
- Types of guitars with nylon strings that were excluded: Travel & Silent Guitars
With these criteria in hand, we looked at the individual guitars that the major retailers in the USA listed as their most popular models and selected the most promising 57 guitars to process for their Gearank rating scores. The Gearank Algorithm processed more than 7,300 reviews and ratings during this process, including the most recent ones up to mid February of 2022, in order to produce the rating scores out of 100 that you see above..
Finally, we selected the highest rated options to recommend in each of the price ranges above.
For more information about our methods please read How Gearank Works.
About the Author and Contributors
Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide's production - click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds.
Lead Author & Researcher
Alexander Briones
I've written about and researched music gear for many years, while also serving as a music director at my local church, in addition to teaching guitar, bass and mentoring young musicians.
While I've mainly taught steel string guitar, I did three semesters of classical guitar training at music school progressing to their advanced tier. Although I didn't push through to becoming a formal classical guitar teacher, I have taught many young students on nylon string guitars and I usually recommend starting this way unless the student specifically wants to learn electric or steel string guitar.
Contributors
Alden Acosta: Product research.
Raphael Pulgar: Supplemental writing.
Jason Horton: Supplemental writing, Editing and Illustrating.
Media
Main/Top Image: Produced by Gearank.com using photographs of the Taylor Academy 12-N, Cordoba GK Studio Negra, Kremona Soloist S65C and Cordoba C5.
The videos have been embedded in accordance with YouTube's Terms of Service.
The individual product images were sourced from websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation provided by their respective manufacturers.
Comments
The following guitars came
Submitted by Jason Horton on
The following guitars came off the recommended list for this Edition, but you can still see our analysis of them:
We have removed the Yamaha
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We have removed the Yamaha CG102 from the Under $200 recommended list above due to a price increase putting it above $200.
Publication of our June 2021
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Publication of our June 2021 Edition resulted in the following guitars coming off the recommended list above, but you can still see our analysis of them:
The following guitars came
Submitted by Jason Horton on
The following guitars came off our recommended list above as a result of our August 2020 update, however you can still see our analysis of them:
We have removed the Cordoba
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We have removed the Cordoba C3M from the list of recommended nylon string guitar under $200 due to its price going up above that level.
As a result of the June 2019
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of the June 2019 update for this guide the following guitars came off the recommended list above, but you can still read our analysis of them:
the Cordoba Fusion 12 with
Submitted by Doug in VA, USA (not verified) on
The Cordoba Fusion 12 with spruce top and rosewood back/sides at $500 barely used was a DEAL from a pal in another state. I am delighted with it for a modest price and it helps a primary steel / electric player stay with some intermediate classical pieces (Sor etudes, Guardame las Vacas, Alman by R. Johnson, etc.). And I owned 1 and played several built by pro luthier Thos. Rodriguez. For normal play a good mid-range Cordoba is hard to beat and easy to re-sell.
I’m on my second Córdoba c5
Submitted by Bruce Campbell (not verified) on
I’m on my second Córdoba c5 and the first one the bridge came off and now this second one is beginning to do the same. You mentioned that was the only negative but unverifiable however I can’t imagine this not happening frequently. Not a well built guitar.
Taylor Academy though
Submitted by Jim (not verified) on
Taylor Academy though
Thanks for mentioning it -
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Thanks for mentioning it - the Taylor Academy 12e-N is on our short-list and will be considered for recommendation when we next update this guide.
As a result of the December
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of the December 2017 update of this guide, several guitars were removed from our recommended list above, but you can still read about them here:
This is an exceptionally well
Submitted by Gil Gaudia (not verified) on
This is an exceptionally well-written and informative article about nylon string guitars and I enjoyed learning about the nuances and main differences among the several varieties. As a writer myself, I feel compelled to point to one tiny, nit-picking correction you could make in order to make it a near-perfect piece.
Near the beginning, under Methodology, you say, "With this criteria in hand . . . " It should be "these criteria." Although in your case, because of the high quality of your writing, I would assume it to be a typo, many people are not aware that "criteria" is the plural form of the singular, "criterion."
Thank you for pointing out
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Thank you for pointing out the error - I've corrected it now. If you look at our other guides you'll see we do usually refer to 'criterion' in the singular and 'criteria' in the plural. BTW - We really do appreciate it when our readers help us to improve these guides!
Santos Martinez SM150CEA. My
Submitted by Phil Woodworth (not verified) on
Santos Martinez SM150CEA. My go-to practice guitar. £147 UK price. A real gem in my opinion.
That looks like an
Submitted by Jason Horton on
That looks like an interesting guitar, but I couldn't find anyone selling it at that price - here's the Amazon UK price.