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I am relatively new to flamenco but have been playing guitar for a few years. I have a cheap student guitar right now and I want to upgrade to something a little better for flamenco playing. I am looking to spend somewhere between $300-$400 on a new guitar. I'm not taking lessons or anything, just been self teaching for fun ever since I got my first guitar. I went to my local music shop and inquired about some classical guitars there, but it didn't look like they were too knowledgeable about classical guitars, let alone flamenco.
Are there guitars that would cater to my flamenco playing needs while being in the price range I suggested? Keep in mind, I'm a college student and I don't have thousands to spend on a guitar. I'm looking for a new guitar because the one I have now is difficult to play, especially when barring chords. I first discovered my guitar sucks after playing on a friends and seeing how much nicer it felt to play on it. His was only $150, but he did buy it fairly recently compared to mine. Just a note, I did change the strings on my guitar thinking it would be easier to play, but it was practically the same save it sounded a little nicer at first.
I was tempted to get a $300 one at the music shop I visited, but I restrained myself and decided to do some research first. Are there specific things I should look for that are better for flamenco playing? Maybe even specific brands or places online you'd recommend to me?
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to rombsix)
Very nice! You make that Hohner look amazing! I have the same one, but I can hardly do anything close to that! Thanks for sharing, I think I'm going to go ahead and get the Yamaha though. I've stuck with the Hohner for 4 years, I think I deserve an upgrade :D
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to haruto)
quote:
I've stuck with the Hohner for 4 years, I think I deserve an upgrade :D
I had the Hohner for 3 years before I got the Ramirez. At about my 8th or 9th year of playing, I switched over completely to the Ramirez after having been using both equally. Been playing for 10 years total now.
Interestingly though, the strings on my Ramirez are CRAP now, and I'm too unmotivated at present (with studies) to change them, so I went back to playing a bit on the Hohner, considering its strings are still in quite good shape.
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Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to haruto)
oh yeah everyone goes with the good ole Yamaha CG171SF I got one myself .....I had the same problem as you a year ago, and read all about them , and you know I never found anyone who said anything bad about them . Only good stuff, I got one and now i say only good things about them.
For the price , then I say you really cant get better. for the price...
the problem is the middle guitars as you have paid quite a bit for one and it may not be what you want ....so go cheapish for a Yamaha or go all the way for a good hand made A1 ..avoid the middle ground Besides your new to Flamenco so you dont have to make a decision for years to come... time to save up as well..........
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to Lucerom)
quote:
La Sonanta has a cheap Vicente Sanchis. Check it out:
A bit above my budget
quote:
Yamaha CG172SF Bundle with Case, Stand, Strings, String Winder, Tuner and more for $389 and FREE SHIPPING.
Awesome! I'm not sure if the bundle is worth the extra $60 though, as the lone guitar costs $330 on amazon. I already have a stand, string winder, and tuner. The shipping is only free though the 24th of this month as well. I guess I'll decide soon though. It'll either be this one, or the one from amazon. Thanks for sharing!
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to haruto)
I don't have the experience of many but, through my research at the Foro and elsewhere, I came across the Yamaha. This was a little over a year ago and the 171SF was still available. I bought one and my time with it was more than enough to convince me that I could see investing in another flamenco guitar. I did purchase a second guitar, a Navarro, again with help I got from researching the Foro.
I still keep and play the Yamaha often. It sounds good, if not as good as the second guitar, plays very well, and has a more durable finish (compared to the Navarro's french polish) that allows me to worry less about damaging it. I played a 172SF recently and found that it seemed to have decent quality similar to the 171SF. I'm not as fond of the satin finish, but that is personal taste.
RE: Cheap guitar for Flamenco? (in reply to haruto)
Hi, Haruto- You can read my recent (last week!) experience finding and ordering a Yamaha CG-171SF. Guitar Center bought out the last of Yamaha's stock and is closing them out at $299.99. I had to call around to several around the country to find one that wasn't banged up... you can read my experience here: http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=174497&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1. Ramzi- I learned in my research that the Yamaha CG-182 number was finally changed to the CG-172 when they went into production on them. There doesn't appear to be an actual production model 182. I read a lot that said the 171 was the better guitar- then I started finding a lot of people that said they preferred the newer 172, so I am not sure which is the better guitar. I can only say I am happy that I found a good 171, as the quality is outstanding for a $300.00 guitar. The gloss finish is well done, and the guitar setup is satisfactory. Good luck! Wes
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