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Hello mates, can you help me choose one of these guitars ? I went through the site and I understand that those are cheap not good guitars and probably neglected among guitarists , but they are all I can find around and AFFORD at the moment I have Alhambra 3F .. it is a cool guitar but I really need another guitar for daily practice (i.e to destroy ) and nop unfortunately I can't ship a guitar from abroad due to some reasons (country problems). so simply choose the best guitar from the worst cheers and thanx for help.
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hi elie avoid the admira at all costs....!!!!!...have one of these at home which my daughter uses....not a good choice for your level of playing... or anyone playing flamenco...the set up is all wrong...very unresponsive...paid $300 for it.
i had a 4F as a 2nd guitar [ used it in professional settings, as i put a condensor microphone in it and worked better in that context than my ramirez] and was pleased with the tone and feel...[bit of shaving of the nut and saddle and viola!]..moved it on to one of florian students...they both seemed pleased and impressed given the price.. don't know much about the rodriquez but going by the specs i think the alhambra is better all round...ebony fretboard etc....
Forget the Admira. I feel that the Alhambra is considerably better than the Rodriquez. If you can stretch a little, and might be interested in a Negra, the Alhambra 5F also comes in a Negra, and has a traditional blanca color top, not orange.
I have the 7fc from 1985 (same year I was born). It has good sound and it can keep up with other guitars that were hand build by fancy builders. For me the only thing is that this 7f I have has a little curve in the neck, that make it play a little heavier. But since I got used to that, I find it better than guitars that play very light
thank you so so so much guys .. I will go for the alhambra thank you for the encouragement AlVal much appreciated and Prominent I will check the 5F and get it if possible thanx for the advice -------------------------------------------- but the funny part which will make most of you guys laugh and which made me feel like a dump is while reading threads about guitars I came across comments by "Anders Eliasson" made about the good setup of guitar ( saddle , bridge ) and my setup is totally wrong , my strings are so high for those measurements ... hmm I feel like a total beginner, guess I will file down the saddle .. hope I don't ruin the guitar .. I am glad I didn't injure my fingers , or maybe I did
so this is my new Alhambra 4F a real nice guitar , way more better than my previous one (Alhambra 3F) it is lighter and the sound is much more powerful ... when I first tried it I thought it was smaller than mine, but it was same size ... it is more playable I really feel it is small between my hands , really easy to play ... the action is lower than the previous one but I think it could be lowered even more. the only disadvantage is that the guitar arrived without the golpeador I'll provide videos once I get the my golpeador . over all I think it is a good purchase , thank you guys for your selection the Alhambra 5f was a nice guitar but little bit expensive, and surfing the internet I found better reviews for 4f than 5f.
I was wondering what happened to this model (Alhambra 4F)..
The current one has a different headstock (thats ok), a different rosette (the old one was way cooler) and a bland generic sticker inside that doesnt even have a serial number nor the model (wait.. this cant be right).
I have the 4F - bought it about a year ago - mine looks very similar to the photos Elie posted in 2011 and the ladel does have the model and the serial number it that helps?
There is no reason to buy any cheap flamenco that is not the new yamaha 172. I've played a lot of cheap laminate back and sides, and cheap all solids, that were encased in a thick polyurethane finish and all sounded like plastic crap without volume, growl, or sweetness. They feel like a flamenco guitar but never sounded right. The new matte finish yamaha is amazing for the price. It is super loud, earthy, and has a lot of growl and attack amplification. So much flamenco sound and volume for so little money. It is fairly light and very comfortable to play on. The only weaknesses are the plastic nut/saddle and the binding is kind of cheap and sharp at the edge. But man for the sound, feel and price i can deal with it. It even looks really nice. The lack of a cheap finish is what makes this guitar so great. More of the cheap Chinese manufacturers should be doing this. Also because of Yamaha quality control they are much more consistent than Cordobas or Albambras, which are me second choice among the cheapies but its a distant second. I also have a Andy Culpepper negra, Maldonado Sr 1A so I do have a good frame of reference.
In my opinion the only guitars worth looking at are the Yamaha and Luthier made primeras. Everything in between is a waste of money.
And the first time I heard this very same advice it was from Jason McGuire and I didn't believe him either. Then I tried one and he was absolutely right. It's advice because I did waste time on the mid priced factory made guitars and they are just not worth it. And I still haven't played a factory guitar that sounds as good as the yamaha. Sure the others may look better but as you get better this will matter less and less till you're trying guitars with your eyes closed. A lot of beginners think they need something made in Spain, or even with a Spanish sounding name on it. It's a trick your brain plays when it has little other info to go in.
Well one of these days you'll try the yamaha and I'll be around so you can tell me I was right ;)
Thats exactly what Ive wondered. What are your conclusions based on? Are you constantly trying every factory made model?
I understand that in America your best bet might be the yamaha because the guitars we have here for 200€ are sold over there for 500 dollars. I know for instance that I wouldnt enjoy the yamaha because I just dont like rosewood fingerboards and even if the yamaha sounded awesome I know I wouldnt be happy.
There are many factors involved and I dont believe we can just blindly follow a statement like "this is great at this price range, everything else sucks".
I think around $3k is where the really good used stuff starts. I guess I should've been clearer. But yes I firmly believe based on a lot of my own trial and error and the experiences or others I respect that getting a Yamaha and saving up at least about $3,000 while you study and learn is the best advice a new player can get. Andy Culpepper makes guitars for less than $3k that sound as good as many $6k guitars if not better. It's not always about price but yea it seems that about $3k is the entry point for a top quality guitar that will reward all the hard work we put into this.
And yes I concede this advice is most applicable to American guitarists. If you're in Spain and can try out a number of the student models I'm sure there are absolute gems to be had at good prices.
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.. I am glad I didn't injure my fingers , or maybe I did 
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