Student guitar or label? Exploring the minefield!
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
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www.classicalguitar.online
www.kentguitarclassics.com
Today there is a bigger range of classical guitars available than ever before. When you go to choose a new instrument what should you look for? What should you listen to? What are tap tones, body resonance, action, intonnation? Should I go for spruce or cedar? Should the guitar have a mahogany or rosewood back and sides? You'll know the answer to these questions by the end of this video.
Is a label guitar always better than a student guitar costing four times less? You may be surprised to hear the answer, especially as it comes from a guitar dealer.
I hope this helps you choose your new instrument. I certainly wish I knew these things when I was a student.
This is the third in the series of short tutorials. Lots more to come, check the others out below.
• How to play faster sca...
• Classical Guitar Onlin...
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I've easily watched 20-30 videos on how to find my next guitar and what to look out for and hands down, this is the most detailed, most down to earth explanation on what you need to consider before purchasing your next guitar.
Make no mistake, the things he says are not for beginners. If you can tell the difference between a guitar and the next, just choose the lower end one
This has been a delight to watch. Thanks for taking the effort!
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Absolutely fascinating, thank you for this!
Hope you found it useful.
Great video. I am just starting my journey into classical guitar and found this video extremely informative. Many thanks
Nice to hear, Robert. Enjoy your journey!
These are hands-down the most useful videos on practicing and guitar in general I've ever come across on youtube! My playing greatly improved thanks to you and your guests. These videos really feel like actual lessons with teacher rather than simple demonstrations. Also, you sound so professional I'm automatically accepting everything you say. Seriously, you could sell me a guitar with no strings.
Thanks! Hopefully more to come
Totally concur with your comment !
.
I'm on the hunt at the minute for a new guitar...thank you David & Miles...this video is an incredible wealth of knowledge,advice and information in what certainly is a minefield ..absolute legend😍😍👏👏👏
Glad you found it useful 😊
I believe that this channel will benefit ALL musician/guitarists of all stripes and genres. Thank you for all that you do. I have just subscribed.
Thanks for watching Roland. Lots more coming soon!
Really great thankyou David. So simple - not necessarily easy - but you present ideas which most people don't advise.
👍
Utterly Brilliant discussion and in-depth tutorial info. Thank you both so much.
Thanks for watching 👍
@@davidjaggs My pleasure.
Terrific interview with Miles Roberts. This guy really knows his stuff & teaches it well.
Useful, enlightening instruction in how to select a guitar.
Thank you!
😊👍👍👍
Invaluable knowledge passed on here, excellent video for beginners and seasoned pro's alike. Thank you for sharing 🙏❤
Glad you got something out of it. 🙏🙂👍
This kind of information demystifying the classical guitar market is sorely lacking on youtube. Thanks for the fantastic video.
Thanks for watching. 👍
Phenomenally good! I've been playing guitar for decades and still learned "a lot" about my instrument from this video. Thanks!
Thanks!
Most interesting .Thanks to you both.
Thanks Geoff. PS. I'm playing RHS Malvern next month!
Man I learned so much on guitars from this video! Thanks for sharing this knowledge ❤️
Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks to both of you for sharing in this video such valuable knowledge on guitars. I can see it is expert knowledge acquired from speaking with builders, and discening guitarists.
👍🙂
A fantastically useful presentation. Thank you so much! I found none of the mentioned makes (Altamira and Paco Castillo at least) available in the states, which was a bit of a sorrow. But fascinating and valuable stuff. Much appreciated.
Glad you got something from it, Jay.
I made my own. It was the most interesting thing I've ever done in my life. The only power tools I used was a drill and router. It doesn't sound bad at all
Excellent video - some really useful advice.
Thanks SS.
What an great informative video. Excellent tips. I'll go check the fundamental frequencies of my classical guitar right now. Ha ha ha. It was very affordable of a local workshop here. It lacks a bit on the detailing and finishing, but it has a good projection and volume and have received some compliments from friends, about how it sounds. This video just explains the reasons for that.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Very comprehensive. Thank you so much for the valuable insights !
Since I know there is much more to learn about this subject I would love to see a sequel to get even more in depth of what to look for in a guitar helping to make informed choices.
For instance I would like to know and hear about the difference between fanbraced and latticebraced guitars; the difference in sound between different wood choices; which guitars produce the best and most clear (artificial and natural) harmonics; double top vs single top models; difference in characteristics between traditional classic guitars and flamenco guitars (and what to look for when comparing them); how to best check for string balance; and even maybe do a comparison of qualities and recognizable characteristics between different brands.
I did a film like that years ago... It's for sale on my classicalguitar.online site for about 3 pounds. Thanks for watching 👍
Thank you for such detail.
😊👍
Thx for this nice instructions and information about choosing a new guitar! I will have it on my mind …
Thanks for watching 👍
Great Video!...thanks so much. Myles is a very knowledgeable source on the subject. I did a tap tone on my old late 50's Hofner Flamenco...it was a C!!.....and yes it is trebly.......Still its a family heirloom and has still given me a lot of pleasure over the years. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for watching!
@@davidjaggs Thanks for posting...its well worth it. I have been looking for a new classical guitar for a while now and looked at hundreds on you tube and various sites. it is a minefield and for those of us who can't get to the £2000+ bracket it's very tricky...especially at the moment when we can't walk into stores and try them. I have ordered an Esteve model 11 which my gut tells me is the right choice after two months of searching...I hope its going to be good...will have to wait and see.
I again thank your comments on the 3rd string! I always hear a flatness! Maybe I should trust my ear more. Thank you very much for this video you explain so much.
It's a pleasure. If you want to hear what an amazing 3rd string can sound like watch my "how good is a Hauser?" video!
Wow Myles knows his stuff , a walking encyclopedia ! He can play too !
We all crave that ultimate sound , John Williams on his old fleta does it for me and bream ,segovia , but they had the real expensive guitars did nt they !
Great video ,I would go to Myles to buy a guitar
Excellent video! The sideswipe at Australian lattice top guitars at the end was amusing given how beautifully those makers have dealt with balance and wolf note issues that the video warned against. It seems to be a UK/ Spanish romance thing.
Maybe! Thanks for watching 👍😊🙏
Exceptionally useful video. Thanks so much.
Thanks for watching 👍
Very very useful ! Big thanks !
Thanks for watching 👍😊
So interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Pleasure! Glad you got something from it.
wonderful and full of surprisingly helpful information Thanks a lot
Pleased to hear that.. thanks for watching!
Wonderful man & info!!
Thanks for watching.
Wonderful. Very cool. Thank you
Thanks Stephen, glad you found it helpful.
Excellent vid. Very informative.
Glad you liked it 🙂
Best video I’ve seen on this subject!
Thanks Matt.
I appreciate this very much! I want a guitar, but one to be proud of. The sound is most important. And I find it to be a mine field!
It is indeed. Thanks for watching.
I learned a lot from this video. Very helpful indeed.
I'm pleased to hear that.😊
brilliant video, thanks for sharing it
Thanks Haz!
Gosh, that was really interesting thanks
Never knew that much about tap tones etc... Tested on my factory handcrafted guitar which yielded a Bb, and my Kim Lissarague guitar which had a nice F#
B flat is high!!! F sharp lovely
Great stuff, this was great for me to tackle the shops of Berlin with my budget of 5, but now stretching translucently towards 700. Best
The Castillos are great for 3 or 400. Thanks for watching 👍
Great video David. A really honest review I thought. Good to know what to look out for. Been tapping my 2 CGs for last hour and humming into the sound hole. My wife thinks I'm mad 🤣
We're all mad us guitarists! So what's the body resonance then!?
I think the one I play most has a tap tone around G#. It's not a very expensive guitar. Bought it about 20 years ago in Bristol Spanish guitar shop when Chris Gilbert ran it. It is a second hand Prudencio Saez mod 26, paid about £600 for it. It smelt a bit cigar smokey at the time and he said a professor of music used to own it who did indeed smoke cigars. I reckon he was some Villa-Lobos character 😂
And furthermore, thanks to this great video I am now the proud owner of a Paco Castillo 203, purchased from KentGuitarClassics with super advice from Miles Roberts, I love it !
Wow! How does it compare to your previous guitar?
Previous was cheap entry level. The 203 feels like a real step up, have to work hard now to do it some justice !
innumerable thanks for this video and especially mentioning my name and questions in the beginning too... ❤️❤️❤️
You're welcome! Hope I pronounced it correctly!
DPJFILMS absolutely...😇😇😇
Wow that was super informative
Thank you so much for putting this out 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for watching, Lee. Hope you find a nice instrument.
@@davidjaggs
I’m a beginner guitarist of 56yrs, lol
I have some steel acoustic’s but I fine myself drawn to the nylon sound. I must be honest here, I’ve been looking at the crossover nylons that have slightly thinner necks and cutaways.
AN amazing and unique video. I wish I'd bought my guitar from Miles - I bought a dear P Bernabe - but want to sell it already. This was great advice thanks so much.
Thanks for watching Vernon.
This was sheer joy
Thanks... if you are in the UK I can... where are you based?
Great video, super useful!
Thanks for watching 👍
Really informative.
Thanks Barry.
"Short tutorial" and I just watched a 45 min video... Haha! Well anyways that was super interesting and informative. Thanks David and Miles!
Glad you enjoyed it! They won't usually be that long!
Very cool.
Thanks Christopher.
Great video to introduce yousellf into finding you guitar. My advice additional advice would be a) look for specilized guitar shop with a larger selection of models, b) take your teacher with you to check for the technical part, c) play and listen to the guitars your mind will nearly instantly tell you what sounds good, d) test from the lower to the higher price range and again at certain point, depending on your skill you will start hearing less differences and then you now were to stop, e) every couple a yaers when you fell the next level then „get rid of the old one“ and look for the next level. I did this over the last ten years and did this 4 times, but every new guitar took me months to find, but luckily there shops like the one of Miles around were you get great advice and nobody pushes to a must buy. Thanks a lot for this video, I hope many students take the chance to find guitar which siuts them from sound and price.
Great advice.. how about testing the guitars before you know the price.. anyone tried this!?
Thank you for posting such wonderful videos. There are no stores with any selection in Colorado, so I had to take a chance and order. Already returned one and hoping the next one does better.
I hope so too 🤞
This was highly valuable.
Glad to hear that, 🙂
incredibly useful video! I'm looking for a new classical student guitar and i came across a second hand hermanos camps GL-18 spruce top from 2020, in good condition. I must admit that i know very little about guitar manufacturers and luthiers. Therefore i was hoping if you could tell me if the hermanos camps guitars are worth buying, more particularly the GL-18?
I wouldn't know that make.... Anyone care to advise?
Extremely Choi’s video thanks!
Thanks for watching 👍
This is a invaluable video for anyone looking to buy an instrument..it is certainly a minefield, as you say. A good classical guitar is way more difficult to come by than other guitar types, mainstream guitar stores only tend to stock very low end classical guitars as they won't fly of the shelves like your big name acoustic folk instruments or electric guitars, which is a great shame because without realising a newbie is often unaware that for the same, or often less cost than the ones likely to be found in your typical guitar shop, a much, much better instrument could be got..... In my limited experience if a guitar hasn't a lot to offer, you don't tend ask much from it...this guy from Kent guitars advice here is pure gold, he certainly knows his onions! Just out of interest, & excuse my ignorance but when you say student or label what is the difference?
Thanks for your comments. I asked Miles how he wanted me to describe the guitars under £800 that we feature... budget.. starter.. early. ..??? He used the term student. I think he's referring to this level guitar and just above produced in factories or workshops in places like Valencia. When you get above this you're into the handmade known maker territory. I'm pretty sure this is what he meant.. there are "label" guitars that you can't be too sure who has made. . But I'm not going to mention them as agreed!
Gotcha.......the market for classical guitars is kind of a lot more niche than going to buy a regular guitar where you go in to a shop & try out the vast array of guitars hanging up within the budget & choose the one you like..it's just not that easy, because they'll just have a handful of classical instruments of which, in my experience tend to be, let's be honest, rubbish,,, so a specialist dealer is the only way to go, if you want a decent instrument I'd say,,trouble is here in the UK there aren't that many of them, I mean literally one or two........new players are largely reliant on this kind of info, so it's really great to see a specialist dealer being honest & sharing his knowledge,,,I like him he's a top bloke! 😊
And to reiterate his point... one can select a best instrument from several guitars of the same model. Thanks for your feedback!
Just a heads up Miles is now retired and sold out of these guitars. I emailed him after seeing this regarding a possible purchase of an Altamira and he pointed me to the UK importer Paul Gregory at Maestoso Music Brighton who supplied him.Paul also sells direct and seems a really nice guy and is pro player and teacher as well. I ended up buying a Paco Castillo 203 from him and he said he’d try all the 203 he had and send me the best of them. I’d normally not buy a guitar without playing it first but we are in lockdown. I haven’t been disappointed the 203 is a lovely guitar. I had an Alhambra 3C before and this is much better. Apparently the Paco Castillo guys were formerly top men at Alhambra before parting ways to go on their own after some falling out with other board members. They also trained the Altamira guy and Paul said his guitars are very similar to the PC as a result but Chinese made.
So sad that Miles is retiring. Paul is a very good player by the way which helps.
Gosh I can just listen to myles talk forever!
very informative thanks. must admit it would be painful spending thousands on a guitar but then again if the right one ever came along, can never say never. what's the piece at 13.10 called? nice, haven't heard that in a lot of years.
Thanks... it's Tarrega Mazurka in G
Has this dear man been awarded a knighthood yet for the expert and honest advice, guidance and services he provided to the guitarists of this nation and further afield? I think he certainly deserves to be a Knight. Just listen to him, he's clearly Sir Miles Roberts
Arise Sir Miles...! Indeed. Shame he's retired. I miss trying the best guitars around!
@@davidjaggs I'm sure you do David just to have a wee look at some of the guitars sir Miles had go through his emporium over the years would be heaven enough for me, you got to play them and hold them. Talk about dreams come true. I think I'm going to be writing a letter to Her Majesty she's bound to give him an invite to the Palace and wave her big sword at him and you could play Francis Cuttings variations on Greensleeves as background music. Be a good day that would. Best wishes to you David.
David, I have left a comment for Miles. Could you inform him and thank him for making a reply to my previous comment. I absolutely love this video. I only ever dealt with the great man by email etc and this video is exactly the image I had of him. Would trust him with my life.
Hi Edward... I just forwarded your message to Miles... this sounds like a Hollywood story!
I love the fact that he played Villa lobos 31:26
👍
This is an extremely interesting video. However, I think there were several topics not mentioned. The first being the weight and balance of the instrument. For example, I have tried several guitars recently that were neck heavy. Although they sounded good they would be tiring after a very short time. The other topic not mentioned is neck profile. This was something that particularly concerns me as a recently injury resulted in reduced range of motion with my left hand. This means that the once much loved fat neck profile is no longer suited to my physical limitations. Otherwise a very interesting video!
Thanks for your feedback!
Can you explain the "neck heavy" term please. Does it mean that the guitar leaning to the side of the neck when putted on its back? I'm really speculating here😛
Btw I own a PC 201 and it's sound great!
I'm not totally sure what he means.. sometimes if a guitar's neck is "fat" it can be a lot harder to play.
@@davidjaggs oh I see, he's refering to the playability, not the contraction of a guitar. Thanks for the reply!
Wish I saw this video a couple of months ago before I bought my current guitar. No regrets, but it could have gone very wrong.
Sadly Miles has retired now too.....
24:40
Pavan guitars, from Tom Prisloe.
Don't know those...
I am wondering, owing a Hanika 58 cedar top, the tap frequency is around D to D-flat, strange and quite deep isn't it?
Very!
@@davidjaggs Thanks for that video. Very valuable content, like many other videos in your channel.
I almost stopped watching this because it was going to focus on student guitars (I have a concert instrument), but I'm really glad I didn't. I've been playing classical guitar for over 30 years and I learned quite a bit from this video!
Great!
That was very useful. Thanks so much. I fully agree that price, or label, or both do not guarantee quality.
I ordered a guitar model marketed on a guitar maker's webstore, say "SC", cost USD1000.00 from an established factory in China. What I received later is unimaginably useless. Not merchantable; with badly jammed tuner, 9 loose frets, sharp notes, short notes, etc, out of the box. Look nothing like IT. Sounds nothing like IT. Defective and highly not playable. Playing F chord on 1st fret is almost not possible, needs a capo on the first fret to play F-chord. What a nut. Although the Factory label pasted in the thing bears a faintly hand written model that 'says' "SC", but it resemble nothing like THE "SC" shown in their webstore. The Rosette is an obvious feature which is not what is shown and listed (Smallman type) in their specifications. The so called lattice is more like ostrich egg crate than lattice mesh, (view through the sound port) one can count the number of fat braces using fingers of a hand. The Founder of the China Company refused to respond to all my emails when I raised issue; a total reversal of behavior from his immediate response to my first inquiry I wrote to him.
So, buyers to be, please beware.
So sorry to hear your story.. hope it doesn't put you off for life!
Can you add stage fright to your list of tutorial s !?
Im doing grade 8 recital exam sunday and boy am I feeling the pressure and doubts ,im actually exhausted from it
First of all. . We'll done for reaching grade 8! Yes.. I do plan to do a short tutorial on this with a special guest.. for now though consider this. Would you be nervous and worried if you had to get up on stage this week at the Wigmore Hall and play an E major chord? I'm guessing not. This is because you'd be totally in control and prepared. The more prepared you are the less nervous you'll be. This won't help you for this Sunday so just try to enjoy playing the music.. concentrate on your phrasing etc and not the exam itself. Practice concentrating between now and Sunday. . Think about the music and ENJOY it. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Plus... it's only an exam!
I like that advice thank you ,yes just exam but worked really hard for 3 years so keen to do well .
, im as prepared as can be for me now ,just holding my nerve and trusting myself , I will try harder to focus on music as you say ,must admit I ve a new respect for concert performers ,its tough job !
Plus... it gets easier the more you do it.
I think I scored a really special classical guitar for 40 bucks.
It's a Yamaha model 10 ,Nippon Gakki starburst
looks old but looks like it was hardly played
Gloss finish and only one tiny ding
It has steel tuners
anyone know anyhing about it?
Don't know those guitars..but 40 bucks?! You can't lose!
@@davidjaggs liked and subbed p
uah! uah! Fantastico! Great! 💥🎸💥🎸💥 🎶🎵🎶🎵🐻👍
👍
37:10 what string is he recommending to replace the third D'Addario?
Think he meant Savarez..
Yes Savarez alliance or corum, a carbon G string
my Paco Castillo 201 passed all the tests demonstrated here, and its tap tone is a, not
so great, not awfully bad G#.
I know those guitars and for the money you can't do any better!
It lacks the detail especially in the three treble strings of a more expensive instrument of course, but the bass ones are just great. True story. My neighbor hearing me playing (always somewhere intro by scorpions) from his balcony, thought I was playing an at least 1000€ acoustic (!) cause of the loud, long and some kind metallic, sustain of the bass strings. He couldn't believe it's an entry level naylon...maybe the daddario extra high strings helps, I plan to change them with normal tension, so I can play something more classical 😛
This is one the most interesting videos concerning Classical guitars, one can find on internet. Keep up the good work!
Yes I do. Thanks for watching.
I have a question.. why does a tropical hardwood (more expensive?) side and back have a better influence on the sound of the guitar.. My mother got a yamaha g-100 for her birthday some 50 years ago... like a good wine it becomes better. It became such a sweet guitar that my teacher wanted to buy it from me...which sugestion I did not appreciate...he being my guitar teacher.
Oh dear... you'd have to ask a luthier that question. . Or Miles... anyone?
It's the soundboard material, bracing pattern and the soundboards tuning that is the most critical in producing a guitars sound. While different side and back woods will influence the guitars tone--such as cypress on a flamenco guitar the soundboard is king. Period.
Thanks 👍
@@davidjaggs No problem! :)
Can anyone recommend a good guitar repair person ? I have a 1969 Eduardo Ferrer which needs some help . Cheers JB
Where are you? Stephen Frith in Crawley England has been recommended to me. He’s also a guitar maker.
How can I get on FaceTime with you to help me to choose the right guitar? So many guitars and it is so hard to choose one. I really need your ear.
Give Miles a call. Look up Kent guitar classics. He's your man.
Would you say that Alhambra brand has the best guitars in each price point up to $4K?
I wouldn't say that.. but I'm not a dealer. For 4k you could get a really good hand made instrument.
@@davidjaggs I meant each price point up to $4K. $500, $1,000, $2,000, etc...
The $4K Alhambras are handmade by their top luthiers.
To be honest I've only played the entry level Alhambra. The best 2k guitar I played was a cadenza, I think by Stephen Eden. He cut out expensive rosette, french polish etc so you basically get a 4k guitar for 2k that looks..... Well plain. It sounds great though.
@@davidjaggs Thank you for sharing this information with me. I really appreciate it. That Cadenza sounds like a "giant killer". One that punches above its weight class. Blessings!
What is the model of the disappointing guitar?
Miles never told me, he didn't want to give the maker bad publicity!
@@davidjaggs that's too bad. If it's deserved, it's deserved.
I wish I'd seen this video years ago
Me too! There weren't as many good instruments around in my younger days though.
Are these cheap guitars all solid wood,back and sides or are they laminated?.
I don't think Miles mentions this at all.
Thanks,very informative otherwise.
I think it varies from company to company, the Paco Castillo guitars I tried were amazing for the price. Sadly Miles is no longer trading.
PS Why does tje D string often sound quite ugly & harsh?
It shouldn't. . It's often the most singing of the strings. The Gs are usually poorest.
Extremely frustrating classical guitar safaris. To get the best instrument, even by the same individual luthier, is a hopeless task, the only two methods are usually beyond the humble players: the Parkening and the Bream methods of selection.
Bream installed Romanillos in his garden shed, what did Parkening do?
@@davidjaggs That's right, adopt a luthier and have him build one guitar after another, until an outstanding instrument comes along! That's the Bream method. :0) Parkening had access to the stock of the then exclusive Ramirez distributor for the US, Sherry-Brener in Chicago (500 instruments). In an interview to Classical Guitar magazine (still online), he recounts how he started testing dozens and dozens of them. He narrowed the search to the 3 better ones, then decided on the best of those 3. Alas, we mere mortals can't only dream, can't we? The winner, his trademark 1967 Ramirez, is currently exhibited at the Met in NYC. Greetings!
@@DeOmnibusDubitandum76 that's interesting. I didn't know the Ramirez story. I will say that the standard of guitar making at an affordable level has shot up over the last 40 years. There are some great makers around today.
@@davidjaggs Absolutely! And from new locales. The high quality of some China made instruments I am seeing, for instance, is rather surprising!
I don't know what mean beginner or studint guitar Frist 🎸 see you income all time I buy cheap guitar good sounds I play prolific see you income frist I can not pay 2000or more buy expensive guitar good player can play with cheap guitar better than one bad player he has expensive guitar 🎸 any Way thanks for video
We would all sound better on a good 10k guitar than on a good 1k guitar.
Good information but to pay this prices for a beginner is not making sense. For a pro yes
Castillo guitars are between 3 and 400 pounds.
Wow this dude talks too slowly. Watch this one at 1.25 and it'll be much better. Otherwise excellent little tutorial. VERY interesting stuff here that I've never heard anywhere else. Well done gents.
Thanks. You can't hurry Miles!!!
As a non-native English speaking person I highly appreciate his taking his time. To me it enhanced the value of the video. I saw it in bids through 3-4 sessions.
A 400 pound guitar!! how do you lift it?
FIRST
Why buy a $5,000 guitar if it will not make you money.?
It might make you happy?!