Guitars up to $4,500

[TjereB]

I am in the market for a new guitar, the most I intend on spending is 4,500. I am kind of new to the whole concert level guitar thing so does anyone here have any advice? Best luthiers for my price range? I just want to know other peoples opinions on guitar purchasing.

[Brian Feeny]

4,500 what? Euros? US Dollars? (it makes a difference)

(mod note: fair question - details now added to title)

[TjereB]

Sorry for lacking specificity....... US dollars.

[simonm]

I think it would be worth your while to read the second post in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=107&t=55301&hilit=isaacs It is a repost of a useful overview of classical guitars written by a now deceased member of the forum.

In essence the fact that you state that you are "new to the whole concert level guitar thing" suggests very strongly that not only do you not need a concert instrument but that you would very likely not like one anyway as it could be harder to play than whatever you have at the moment.

Whatever you decide to buy, the same rule applies. Play as many as you can. Ideally bring a friend along whole can play so you can hear what it sounds like as a listener. Buy when you hear one that "talks to you".

I think you would find a lot of useful info if you did a search here.

[Florian Vorreiter]

I think there are some good points in the thread linked to above, but I disagree with the assumption that beginners are not able to judge sound properly. The proper judgement of tonal qualities is immensely subjective, and I have seen even very skilled musicians choosing an instrument with pretty bad sound (and the opposite as well). If it sounds good to you now, there's a good chance it will still sound good to you in a few years. And of what use is a guitar that sounds good to the expert but that you don't enjoy to play?
But I do agree that experience is very helpful when you choose your next guitar; for example if you have a few pieces that you can play without fault, and sufficient technique to hear the guitar instead of your fingernails.
Also, I don't see how an instrument up to $ 4,500 should be harder to play than what you currently have. From a luthier's perspective, I see many cheap guitars that are "unplayable" to me but have been fine for my clients for years. When I do eventually get the chance to improve their setup and playability, they are often surprised that such comfort during guitar play was at all possible.
But on some points I agree with simonm: Bringing a friend (or teacher) along is very good advice! I would also suggest to bring your own current guitar for comparison, to make sure that your purchase decision isn't overly based on psychoacoustics (another extensive topic).
To sum it up:
- develop sufficient skills for making a sound decision
- bring someone along to give you counsel
- bring your current guitar as reference
- listen and enjoy

Good luck!

Florian

[Les Backshall]

...Also, I don't see how an instrument up to $ 4,500 should be harder to play than what you currently have...

A couple of additional points which may possibly be relevant.

A a concert instrument shouldn't be necessarily harder to play, but many professional players do prefer a high action, which in turn allows them to get more out of the instrument than an amateur might. I've heard amateurs and then a professional play the same guitar one after the other on a number of occasions, and they might well have been different instruments.

Another factor which can be important is that good guitars are usually very resonant and have good sustain. For a player used to a 'dullish' factory guitar, it can seem like there are all sorts of extraneous noises happening while they're playing and it can sometimes take quite a leap in technique to control it. I recently had a player tell me she was sure there was something wrong with her guitar (made by a top UK luthier) because of this.

Les

[guitarseller345645]

Sorry for lacking specificity....... US dollars.

Glad to see you are taking guitar so seriously.

Most people I know, feel a $200 guitar is good enough for the little ditties played on it.

But I really think 1/3 of your budget will get you a fine enough guitar.

[Cary W]

Definitely check out Jason Wolverton on this forum...very fine instrument in that range.

Cary

[TjereB]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies/suggestions.

I am currently a guitar student at Florida State University. I have talked to Bruce about getting a new guitar and wanted all of your advices as well. I currently play an Augustino Loprinzi student guitar. I certainly understand the benefits of having a concert level guitar as I have played many concert level guitars including one of Thomas Humphrey's Hauser model guitars (which I adore). I am not new to playing fine concert instruments.... just purchasing one.

The two luthiers I am currently interested in are Rafael Granados and Stephen Walter.

[TjereB]

Definitely check out Jason Wolverton on this forum...very fine instrument in that range.

Cary

Will do. Thanks!

[Florian Vorreiter]

It looks like you aren't as new to the "whole concert level guitar thing" as I initially assumed. I hope some of the advice here has been helpful to you, anyways.
Florian.

[TjereB]

It looks like you aren't as new to the "whole concert level guitar thing" as I initially assumed. I hope some of the advice here has been helpful to you, anyways.
Florian.

Very much so, thanks! I really need to give a little background or reread my post before I add something on the internet.

[simonm]

With the background info you have given, my approach would be totally different. I assumed you were a total beginner.

One option would be to search out a couple of reputable dealers and tell them who you are and what you are looking for and the kind of budget you have and look for a used instrument they might have something in stock. The other thing you should do is keep and eye on the guitars for sale here. There have been a lot of interesting things passing through recently. Look at the for sale archives.

[Taloy54]

Yup...seems like very few of the guitars posted are being purchased. Economy is really hurting.

[gitgeezer]

I agree that one should try as many guitars as possible before deciding. When I was ready for my first quality guitar, I selected about a dozen from the listing of Maple Street Guitar in Atlanta and spent several hours playing them all. They ranged in price from about $2000 to about $10,000. At the end of the session I walked away with a new Cervantes Signature IR for $4500, which I note is the top of your budget. This was Alejandro Cervantes’ best guitar. There are other luthiers who offer their best for similar bargain prices. When I began collecting used classical guitars, I found that Craigslist was a surprisingly good way to find good, reasonably priced guitars. Sellers are happy to let you try them. If you live in or near a good-sized city, you may find some promising offerings this way. For example, if you lived near Atlanta, as I do, you would now be able to go and try a Traphagen, a Ramirez R2, and a Loprinzi International Concert. A Thomas Rein was also recently listed.