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2022 German Vazquez Rubio "Classic Estudio" SP/PE

$4,250.00

This modestly priced model is a genuine GV Rubio guitar built in his Los Angeles-based workshop. It'..

1990 Ignacio Rozas "Double Top" SP/CSAR

$5,500.00

This is a fine concert-level guitar built in the renowned Madrid workshop of Ignacio Rozas, who work..

1964 Jose Oribe SP/CSAR

$6,000.00

Jose Oribe began making guitars in 1962, who along with Manuel Velazquez, makes him one of North Ame..

1986 Cynthia H. Burton "Melissa" SP/MH

$18,000.00 - On Hold

Cynthia "(a.k.a. "Cyndy") Burton lives and works in Portland, Oregon with her partner Jeffrey Elliot..

1900's Casa Gonzalez SP/CSAR

$15,000.00

Nineteenth century Madrid-based builder Francisco Gonzalez was a near exact contemporary of Antonio ..

2021 Paula Lazzarini "Granada winner" CD/IN

$8,000.00

Originally from Argentina, Paula Lazzarini has been working out of her workshop in Cremona, Italy fo..

1982 Masaru Kohno "Concert" SP/IN

$4,000.00

Masaru Kohno (1926-1998) is arguably Japan’s most important luthier, and of course one of the most p..

La Cañada "Model 17" SP/GR

$2,950.00

The "Model 17" is based largely on an 1864 Torres, known as "FE 17" - the earliest of Tarrega’s 3 To..

La Cañada "Model 17A" SP/GR

$3,250.00

The "Model 17A" ("A" for "antiqued" look) is based largely on an 1864 Torres, known as "FE 17" - the..

La Cañada "Model 17" SP/MP

$2,950.00

The "Model 17" is based largely on an 1864 Torres, known as "FE 17" - the earliest of Tarrega’s 3 To..

2008 Kenneth Brogger SP/MP

$10,000.00

This guitar is built with stunning flamed maple back and sides, as well as the exceptionally high-qu..

1947 Diego y Gracia SP/CSAR

$3,500.00 - Sold

This is an extremely well-preserved Diego y Gracia guitar, issued by the Antigua Casa Nunez shop of ..

1978 Robert Mattingly CD/CSAR

$3,500.00

A great, well-priced concert guitar by US builder Bob Mattingly, whom many consider to have been sou..

2001 Otto Vowinkel "640" SP/CSAR

$7,000.00 - Sold

This is a fantastic concert instrument by Otto Vowinkel, made in 2001. His instruments have always b..

2022 German Vazquez Rubio "Divina" CD/KW

$3,500.00

This modestly priced model is built in the GV Rubio workshop in Los Angeles. Although built under th..

2022 Francois Leonard CD/AR

$10,500.00 - Sold

This classical guitar was built by the talented François Leonard who has been making guitars for the..

2022 Wolfgang Jellinghaus “Torres 49 - ex Tarrega” SP/MP

$3,800.00 - Sold

Wolfgang Jellinghaus' exploration of the work of Antonio de Torres has led him to build a selection ..

2003 Manuel Contreras II "Double Top" CD/CSAR (ex Pepe Romero)

$12,000.00

The Contreras Double-Top is perhaps his best-known and most sought-after design. Several players hav..

2020 Erez Perelman SP/CY

$10,000.00

Born in Israel and raised among musicians, Erez Perelman found his passion for guitar making after s..

2018 Paolo Coriani "1907 Enrique Garcia" SP/MP

$10,000.00

This guitar by Italian luthier Paolo Coriani is a near-exact "bench copy" of a 1907 Enrique Garcia t..

2009 Fabio Ragghianti SP/CSAR

$3,500.00

Built by a very popular luthier in Italy from the Tuscan school, this Fabio Ragghianti guitar was pr..

1969 David Rubio SP/IN

$18,000.00

David Rubio is well known for his eclectic output of fine musical instruments – in addition to guita..

2004 Sakurai-Kohno "Professional-J" CD/CSAR

$5,000.00 - On Hold

1999 Greg Smallman CD/CSAR

Inquire - On Hold

This is a fine example of a classic Greg Smallman, very similar to the one John Williams has used fo..

2022 Wolfgang Jellinghaus "Torres 77" SP/CY

$2,500.00

Wolfgang Jellinghaus' exploration of the work of Antonio de Torres has led him to build a selection ..

2022 Kathrin Hauser "Segovia" SP/IN

Inquire

Kathrin Hauser is the fifth generation builder of the Hauser workshop which has maintained the tradi..

2013 Robert Mattingly "Posthumous" SP/IN

$3,000.00

This is an excellent guitar all around. The parts and body were built by the late Robert Mattin..

2022 Michel Belair "Hommage a Daniel Friederich" CD/IN

$14,000.00 - Sold

This special model is an hommage to the work and art of Daniel Friederich, a true master who forever..

1945 Jose Ramirez II SP/CY

$5,500.00 - Sold

Jose Ramirez II (1885-1957), the eldest son of Jose Ramirez I, took over the Ramirez workshop in 192..

2022 Asturias "Custom C" (630mm) CD/IN

$3,000.00

For a sleek, Hauser-style guitar at an intermediate price point, these are the best Japanese classic..

Showing 1 to 30 of 167 (6 Pages)

FAQs

How to choose a classical guitar?

Choosing a classical guitar might seem daunting at first, however, at GSI it’s our pleasure and duty to ensure that the selection process is a very satisfying experience thanks to the advice of our guitar experts. Our classical guitar store features guitars made by carefully chosen luthiers from around the world and our staff knows each instrument very well. Our experts are able to help you narrow your top picks to just a few guitars which you might want to try by yourself with no commitment to purchase.

What defines a classical guitar?

Classical guitar, in the form as we know it today, was largely developed by Spanish guitar maker, Antonio de Torres Jurando (1817-1892). Torres introduced many new innovations to his guitars. Most notably, he increased the size of the body of the guitar, and introduced a fan-strut bracing system, and in his later guitars he started using machine heads. His guitars also had separated saddles which allowed minute adjustments of string heights.

What should I look for when buying a classical guitar?

We should look for:

Establish a budget
Identify what type of sound you like the most. You can also ask our experts for advice.
Decide whether you want a used or new instrument.
Check for ‘wolf’ notes and buzzes. Playability is also very important.
We recommend testing the sound from the perspective of a player and a listener.

What are the differences between classical and flamenco guitars?

The differences between classical and flamenco guitars lie in their materials, construction and sound.

Materials: Classical guitars are generally made with spruce or cedar tops, and on rare occasions, other woods like redwood or pine. Back and sides are mostly made of various rosewoods, maple and mahogany to enhance sustain. In recent years many younger luthiers searching for more sustainable and easy-to-source woods have begun to use some really fantastic materials including granadillo, exotic ebony, wenge, koa, walnut and a variety of other hardwoods. Flamenco guitars are generally made with spruce tops and cypress for the backs and sides to enhance volume and emphasize the attack of the note. However over the past many decades, rosewood flamencos known as “Flamenco negras” have risen in popularity, largely due to Paco de Lucia who first used a rosewood guitar beginning in 1969.

Construction: The body of a classical guitar is generally deeper and the woods are slightly thicker. Flamenco guitars have a flat or negative (before string tension) neck relief, making the action very fast at the cost of some buzzing. The strings are also closer to the body on flamenco guitars to facilitate tapping. Flamenco guitars often bear a "golpeador", which is a sheet of plastic mounted to the face of the guitar to protect its finish from percussive techniques, like tapping the soundboard with the players fingers.

Sound: The classical guitar is designed to give the soloist the tools to perform poly-timbral music: "An orchestra in a box". The attack is soft with a longer and gradual decay. The flamenco guitar is designed to cut through the sound of dancers stomping their feet. The sound is a bit more percussive, a loud and immediate sonic burst followed by a swift decay is characteristic of traditional flamencos.

It is also important to mention that many of these "differences" are finessed to different degrees by different luthiers, depending on their personal taste. Miguel Rodriguez classical guitars for example have always famously had a fast, flamenco-like attack. There are also numerous hybrid-type guitars where the luthier intends for the same instrument to be playable convincingly by both flamenco and classical performers.