I really appreciate that you did this comparison video, but it would have been so much more helpful if you had played the exact same thing on each instrument. It's much harder to compare accurately when different things are played.
ridiculous. even if they played the exact same thing on all of them, you wouldn't be able to make a decent unbiased comparison unless they played all of the clips back to back without telling you which one is which. and even still, they could very well be giving these a complete setup before they even show them off and we'd be none the wiser, meaning the sound comparison would be null and void anyway. seeing as any guitar will sound good with a professional setup. all the more for acoustics where most unpleasant sound is created by poorly designed bridges, adjustments made incorrectly at the factory, truss rod issues and sloppy fretwork, etc. a guitar is a list of features, what you need to actually be looking for is the right features and at the right price point for you. you'll make it sound good, never worry about that. a lot of the people watching this video are going to be beginners, or their parents, and this video does a decent enough job showing that these budget instruments are the real deal. not the dreaded bane of all beginner guitarists, the walmart special, cheap guitar shaped toys. for a beginner sound is the least important part of a guitar anyways. the most important part is how much you like how it looks, and the second most important part is how comfortable it is. cause if you dont love how it looks, you won't pick it up as often. and if playing doesn't feel good you won't play as long when you do pick it up.
You took the words right out of my mind, at the very least, “classical pieces” I loved the bottom sound of the second guitar but wish I could of heard a classical piece
For a demo, I think you should have played the same songs on everyone. Would be easier to compere. Also, using the jack-input on the last guitar, would love to hear how it sounds in the same microphone you recorded the others with. Other than that, great video.
I live on the other side of the globe where the RRP of Yamaha C40 is about £100 atm. And yes I agree about your assessment of this guitar, which is made in Indonesia. Mark II means the back and side is made from Meranti instead of Mahogany. The best value of this guitar is when you buy it in the GIG Package, which includes a very accurate Stagg tuner and a canvas bag. The tone quality is good for a laminated top guitar. This guitar tuned very well, you don't have to tamper it like most cheap guitar. The intonation is good everywhere. Action doesn't need adjustment, it's easy to play. It is not loud as you should expect from the laminated top, but loud enough to play at home.. When you buy this guitar, practically you have no complaint. The workmanship is flawless. I highly recommend this guitar.
£100 in England will only get you a laminated top guitar, not a solid top guitar, and all of the guitars in the video are solid top. UK, which is where this has been filmed, is also outside of many trade agreement areas, so the taxes on woods are extortionate.
I might recommend a quick look at the comment of @trulsdirio above and my response. You can get an all solid classical in Europe for about double that price.
@@frededberg6893Why? Isn't my comment good enough? Solid top doesn't guarantee that it is better. Depends on how they are made and the quality of wood. Bad spruce can sound very thuddy. Inaccurate fingerboard renders the instrument useless, etc. While Yamaha C40 is proven good by so many people including teachers. I have got one myself.
I recently bought myself a nylon Lag Occ 180, ceder top, cutaway, pre amp, designed by Marice Dupont, and build in China. The warm sound (I love bossa nova), playebility, and overall look (impeccable) exceeded my expectation. If you're looking for pitch, like in flamenco, or in Sinti jazz, I would prefer a spruce top.
I started with a C40 it’s my experiment guitar/lesson guitar Experiment because saddle filing (a must on mine) and a strap button etc. was all tested first on my C40, Lesson because my teachers room is very small and I tend to bump the walls My real guitar is a spruce top cordoba c10, which costs 10x as much The tone between the two is night and day, that said, the c40 does not have a bad tone at all, just thicker, more clunky, less nuanced. The more expensive guitar has a “sparkle” to the tone, which makes me weak with wonder Playability however, as I matches my c40 to my c10 for set up is remarkably similar. For someone just starting off, or someone who wants to save a load of money the C40 is truly an amazing guitar, it will serve you well and last an amazing amount of time. And honestly until you play something far more expensive. You’ll never want for more
Just wanted to offer two comments in reply: re: The tone between the two is night and day, that said, the c40 does not have a bad tone at all, just thicker, more clunky, less nuanced. The more expensive guitar has a “sparkle” to the tone, which makes me weak with wonder " . +1 on that. The C40 has laminated top and back/sides. Your C10 is all solid. Solid wood will always resonate better (it's lighter and has no glue between layers or fibers). The result is, that a solid guitar will usually project better (be 'louder') and produce high notes easier/better. A simple test of the general quality of a classical guitar is to pluck the open high E and compared it against the low E. If the high E is anywhere near as loud as the low E, that's a great indicator (very crude, but useful). The physics behind the sound of a classical guitar are sort of stacked against the ability to produce high notes well -- the strings are smaller and lighter just for starters. Proper fit/filing of the saddle can be a real make or break factor in making a classical sounding good (or not). If you revisit that issue, you make wish to research online about the different approaches and geometries that can be done to improve sound.
Great demo - would have been interesting to hear the difference between spruce and cedar models, if you do another one. I'm pretty sold on the Yamaha NCX1 as it seems fantastic value for money. I've had a Yamaha C40 for some years now, and it's tone just seems to get better with time. Hope to see more of you on You Tube - ATB - Peter
To me it is the Thomann Classica S. Solid Spruce top, solid Maple sides and back, made in Europe, Hannabach strings as standard, good fit and finish and all that at 200€. What more can one ask for?
Yes!!! The Thomann Classic S 4/4 ('S' designating solid construction, 4/4 for full size). I bought one four years ago and love it! (122 USD+ 34 shiping). I checked Thomann online and they are still available < $200 here in the US+ shipping. They are made in Romania by Hora. I have done a number of upgrades and tweaks to mine (which I describe below). It's a no frills, correctly assembled guitar made of: solid Carpathian spruce top, solid Sycamore Maple back and sides, a standard neck-body joint (not Spanish heel), average tuners, and what is described as 'acacia' for fretboard and bridge, and upon some research, it appears to be what we more commonly call Black Locust -- a terrific substitute for rosewood -- IMO. If you're into guitar work, or care to take it to a skilled tech and/or luthier to transform it into a real beast, consider the tweaks I did below: 1. Replaced plastic saddle and nut with (cow) bone units.* 2. Leveled, crowned and polished frets (badly needed on my instrument) 3. Restrung with quality strings (either D'addario Titaniums or LaBella 2001s) 4. I placed the guitar in front of a very loud speaker (PA type woofer) and blasted sound into it to make it vibrate for several hours. It helps usher the break-in time.. For the more adventurous: 5. (This one I don't recommend unless you REALLY know what you're doing, if you haven't ever worked finishing or re-finishing a guitar, I'd recommend staying away from this) I 'thinned' the thick layer of polyurethane finish on the top by careful and progressive polishing down with micro mesh pads, lemon oil (or water) and lots of elbow grease. Thining the top finish lets the top vibrate better, which produces a stronger more responsive sound. 6. * I also shaped the bone saddle to produce recesses between each pair of strings. This will produce a 'sawtooth' type pattern-- raised 'teeth' under each string about 3/8" wide, alternating with recesses between the raised areas. This makes for a lighter saddle and directs the energy from string vibrations directly down into the bridge and top better. 7. Lastly, I sanded the tie block (differentially) so that the side facing the saddle is lower than the bottom or 'far side' of the tie block. By looking at the bridge from the side, it has a near-triangular profile, lowered toward the saddle. I also use string beads (aka 'tie beads') to fasten strings at the bridge - FYI. Good luck. These make terrific project guitars and it is easily the best $ I have spend on any classical guitar ever (and I have bought a few!)
Metro espano was cheap custom made guitar made in Spain from 1807 till 1905 I use to have one they are so much different than anything made today bass sound
These demos don't sound like standard tuning. Demos are often in non-standard tuning to sound more amazing. I love the admira demo 500, but I'd have to play it in person in standard tuning to be sure.
Hi Meg! Thanks for this video. I liked the Admira a10 but it seems this model is not available in the USA. Do you know if it has a different model name? Thank you
I have a Washburn c5ce and was told it's now it's now an investment guitar. Mant it's to much to type, even it's not an investment guitar I wouldn't sell it because it took me a year and half to tweak it out to my specifications. It turned out to be the nut. Go figure.
while the comparisons were good, your playing sounds fine and is OK but I can tell you are not a classical player your position of holding the guitar and your right hand technique are definitely not classical and not what anyone taking classical lessons will encounter. Also the pieces you were playing were not classical. To evaluate a classical guitar one of the standard classical pieces from Sor, Guiliani even Bach would have been more appropriate.
I bought a second hand classical guitar for 25 dollars and I play five hours a day .I said to myself ..instead of buying a 700 dollar or over a thousand dollar classical guitar .I gave the rest to a food bank because who knows when we loose our jobs and become homeless I dedicate my life to liveing comfortable but not extream as most people tend to do .everyone wants more and more why is not a small home car less expensive phone jewellery if you eat good food have medical care have a simple hobby have a person who cares about you .what more do people need in life ..to much greed not enough empathy for the suffering masses .this is why world war 3 is starting in November 2023
I really appreciate that you did this comparison video, but it would have been so much more helpful if you had played the exact same thing on each instrument. It's much harder to compare accurately when different things are played.
They want to be able to sell them all. Not just the one that sounds the best (lol)
ridiculous. even if they played the exact same thing on all of them, you wouldn't be able to make a decent unbiased comparison unless they played all of the clips back to back without telling you which one is which. and even still, they could very well be giving these a complete setup before they even show them off and we'd be none the wiser, meaning the sound comparison would be null and void anyway. seeing as any guitar will sound good with a professional setup. all the more for acoustics where most unpleasant sound is created by poorly designed bridges, adjustments made incorrectly at the factory, truss rod issues and sloppy fretwork, etc. a guitar is a list of features, what you need to actually be looking for is the right features and at the right price point for you. you'll make it sound good, never worry about that.
a lot of the people watching this video are going to be beginners, or their parents, and this video does a decent enough job showing that these budget instruments are the real deal. not the dreaded bane of all beginner guitarists, the walmart special, cheap guitar shaped toys. for a beginner sound is the least important part of a guitar anyways. the most important part is how much you like how it looks, and the second most important part is how comfortable it is. cause if you dont love how it looks, you won't pick it up as often. and if playing doesn't feel good you won't play as long when you do pick it up.
You took the words right out of my mind, at the very least, “classical pieces” I loved the bottom sound of the second guitar but wish I could of heard a classical piece
For a demo, I think you should have played the same songs on everyone. Would be easier to compere. Also, using the jack-input on the last guitar, would love to hear how it sounds in the same microphone you recorded the others with. Other than that, great video.
That Yamaha c40 review is so beautiful sounding ,incredible !! Thank you so much ,I've decided !
I live on the other side of the globe where the RRP of Yamaha C40 is about £100 atm. And yes I agree about your assessment of this guitar, which is made in Indonesia. Mark II means the back and side is made from Meranti instead of Mahogany. The best value of this guitar is when you buy it in the GIG Package, which includes a very accurate Stagg tuner and a canvas bag. The tone quality is good for a laminated top guitar. This guitar tuned very well, you don't have to tamper it like most cheap guitar. The intonation is good everywhere. Action doesn't need adjustment, it's easy to play. It is not loud as you should expect from the laminated top, but loud enough to play at home.. When you buy this guitar, practically you have no complaint. The workmanship is flawless. I highly recommend this guitar.
£100 in England will only get you a laminated top guitar, not a solid top guitar, and all of the guitars in the video are solid top. UK, which is where this has been filmed, is also outside of many trade agreement areas, so the taxes on woods are extortionate.
I might recommend a quick look at the comment of @trulsdirio above and my response. You can get an all solid classical in Europe for about double that price.
@@frededberg6893Why? Isn't my comment good enough? Solid top doesn't guarantee that it is better. Depends on how they are made and the quality of wood. Bad spruce can sound very thuddy. Inaccurate fingerboard renders the instrument useless, etc. While Yamaha C40 is proven good by so many people including teachers. I have got one myself.
Thank you for the detailed and yet not boring review. You deserve way more subscribers.
Awesome playing!! Excellent video. Love these! I just got a C40 and love it.
I recently bought myself a nylon Lag Occ 180, ceder top, cutaway, pre amp, designed by Marice Dupont, and build in China. The warm sound (I love bossa nova), playebility, and overall look (impeccable) exceeded my expectation. If you're looking for pitch, like in flamenco, or in Sinti jazz, I would prefer a spruce top.
I started with a C40 it’s my experiment guitar/lesson guitar
Experiment because saddle filing (a must on mine) and a strap button etc. was all tested first on my C40,
Lesson because my teachers room is very small and I tend to bump the walls
My real guitar is a spruce top cordoba c10, which costs 10x as much
The tone between the two is night and day, that said, the c40 does not have a bad tone at all, just thicker, more clunky, less nuanced. The more expensive guitar has a “sparkle” to the tone, which makes me weak with wonder
Playability however, as I matches my c40 to my c10 for set up is remarkably similar.
For someone just starting off, or someone who wants to save a load of money the C40 is truly an amazing guitar, it will serve you well and last an amazing amount of time. And honestly until you play something far more expensive. You’ll never want for more
Just wanted to offer two comments in reply: re: The tone between the two is night and day, that said, the c40 does not have a bad tone at all, just thicker, more clunky, less nuanced. The more expensive guitar has a “sparkle” to the tone, which makes me weak with wonder " . +1 on that.
The C40 has laminated top and back/sides. Your C10 is all solid. Solid wood will always resonate better (it's lighter and has no glue between layers or fibers). The result is, that a solid guitar will usually project better (be 'louder') and produce high notes easier/better. A simple test of the general quality of a classical guitar is to pluck the open high E and compared it against the low E. If the high E is anywhere near as loud as the low E, that's a great indicator (very crude, but useful). The physics behind the sound of a classical guitar are sort of stacked against the ability to produce high notes well -- the strings are smaller and lighter just for starters. Proper fit/filing of the saddle can be a real make or break factor in making a classical sounding good (or not). If you revisit that issue, you make wish to research online about the different approaches and geometries that can be done to improve sound.
what the heck, i was going through the demos and immediatelly stopped at the sound of the admira a10 in awe
Great demo - would have been interesting to hear the difference between spruce and cedar models, if you do another one. I'm pretty sold on the Yamaha NCX1 as it seems fantastic value for money. I've had a Yamaha C40 for some years now, and it's tone just seems to get better with time.
Hope to see more of you on You Tube - ATB - Peter
To me it is the Thomann Classica S. Solid Spruce top, solid Maple sides and back, made in Europe, Hannabach strings as standard, good fit and finish and all that at 200€. What more can one ask for?
Yes!!! The Thomann Classic S 4/4 ('S' designating solid construction, 4/4 for full size). I bought one four years ago and love it! (122 USD+ 34 shiping). I checked Thomann online and they are still available < $200 here in the US+ shipping. They are made in Romania by Hora. I have done a number of upgrades and tweaks to mine (which I describe below). It's a no frills, correctly assembled guitar made of: solid Carpathian spruce top, solid Sycamore Maple back and sides, a standard neck-body joint (not Spanish heel), average tuners, and what is described as 'acacia' for fretboard and bridge, and upon some research, it appears to be what we more commonly call Black Locust -- a terrific substitute for rosewood -- IMO.
If you're into guitar work, or care to take it to a skilled tech and/or luthier to transform it into a real beast, consider the tweaks I did below:
1. Replaced plastic saddle and nut with (cow) bone units.*
2. Leveled, crowned and polished frets (badly needed on my instrument)
3. Restrung with quality strings (either D'addario Titaniums or LaBella 2001s)
4. I placed the guitar in front of a very loud speaker (PA type woofer) and blasted sound into it to make it vibrate for several hours. It helps usher the break-in time..
For the more adventurous:
5. (This one I don't recommend unless you REALLY know what you're doing, if you haven't ever worked finishing or re-finishing a guitar, I'd recommend staying away from this) I 'thinned' the thick layer of polyurethane finish on the top by careful and progressive polishing down with micro mesh pads, lemon oil (or water) and lots of elbow grease. Thining the top finish lets the top vibrate better, which produces a stronger more responsive sound.
6. * I also shaped the bone saddle to produce recesses between each pair of strings. This will produce a 'sawtooth' type pattern-- raised 'teeth' under each string about 3/8" wide, alternating with recesses between the raised areas. This makes for a lighter saddle and directs the energy from string vibrations directly down into the bridge and top better.
7. Lastly, I sanded the tie block (differentially) so that the side facing the saddle is lower than the bottom or 'far side' of the tie block. By looking at the bridge from the side, it has a near-triangular profile, lowered toward the saddle. I also use string beads (aka 'tie beads') to fasten strings at the bridge - FYI.
Good luck. These make terrific project guitars and it is easily the best $ I have spend on any classical guitar ever (and I have bought a few!)
I own an Ibanez GA3-AM. Great guitar ❤
excellent playing. thanks for the comparison 🙏🏼
Metro espano was cheap custom made guitar made in Spain from 1807 till 1905 I use to have one they are so much different than anything made today bass sound
Landed here out of curiosity for budget nylon string guitars. Stayed here for her choice of chords using open strings. 😃
These demos don't sound like standard tuning. Demos are often in non-standard tuning to sound more amazing. I love the admira demo 500, but I'd have to play it in person in standard tuning to be sure.
What song did you use for the Yamaha c40 demo? It’s beautiful
Great review and nice playing Meg!
10:31 is this a song? sounds beautiful
Damn that A10 is absolutely beautiful
that yamaha cx sounds really good unplugged, the amped versions seem like they pale in comparison to the authentic sound imo.
You should have put the names of the models as subtitles for every guitar as you featured them.
Very nicely done! Do you have any albums
Noice. Very helpful insights as I'm looking for a classical at the moment. Thanks for your efforts.
You got it ?
Classical guitar are great and very expensive. I love them alot
My Yamaha guitar is a classical its CG40 A got it 24 years ago.
A good test of a guitar is to hear the sound produced with notes from the higher frets, I. E. Around the 12th. Unfortunately we didn't get that.
Yes! And I'd add a comparison of the plucked open E strings -- the high one should be somewhere as loud (project as well) as the low E.
How do these compare to Harley Benton guitars?
Hi Meg! Thanks for this video. I liked the Admira a10 but it seems this model is not available in the USA. Do you know if it has a different model name? Thank you
A10 is an RRP of £675 now! 😮
Why don't play classical pieces when playing on a classical guitar?
lovely playing!
i like the music in the beginning, is it available anywhere?
Very helpful content 👌🏻, are alhembera guitars good enough?
what is your opinion on cordoba c7 compared to admira a10
What tune were you playing on the Admira A10?
What song did u first play with ur classical. I want to learn that rif
Admiral A10 for me
Also if u added the price that would have completed the purpose of the video
Admira a10 cost like 900$ 😮 not sure it belongs on the same list...
I have a Washburn c5ce and was told it's now it's now an investment guitar. Mant it's to much to type, even it's not an investment guitar I wouldn't sell it because it took me a year and half to tweak it out to my specifications. It turned out to be the nut. Go figure.
I wanna know what the electric ones sound like without an amp, cause I’ve been looking at the Yamaha one a lot
HI! May I ask what tuning you used for the Admira ADM500 Demo? Thanks!
Admira by far.
A10
Cool pants.
Nice.
Can I take you out on a date
The Admira Sara ec I bought was terrible. 😠.
Nothing beats the metro guitar sound and easy play none of these guitars sound good in my opinion compared to the metro.
A10 probably the ugliest but the way it sounds is so good
bro its the prettiest believe me..Saw one at store
To my hears cordoba sounds best
I legit died when she said "much larger nuts" I'm ashamed
ok, but shes too cute!
You think 500 £ is budget???🤔🤔
Yup
The cream of the crop can be 10,000 so yes 500 is budget friendly.
Yamaha C40, should be about 100£ RRP, and it's very good.
I understand where you're coming from but Going below $100 or so with instruments is entering trash territory. It's an expensive hobby to be sure.
Budget should be everything up to 300. 500 quid is a lot.
So what you're saying is you REALLY like drop D tuning
while the comparisons were good, your playing sounds fine and is OK but I can tell you are not a classical player your position of holding the guitar and your right hand technique are definitely not classical and not what anyone taking classical lessons will encounter. Also the pieces you were playing were not classical. To evaluate a classical guitar one of the standard classical pieces from Sor, Guiliani even Bach would have been more appropriate.
worst rewiew ever...
Why are holding a classical guitar like that?
??
"they're more like guidelines, than actual rules" - captain barbossa
Because a classical guitar can be held anyway you like. You realise you dont have to play classical music on a classical guitar right?
There are better but these are also ok I guess
Interessante. Ma quanto mi fa cagare la lingua inglese...
What?
What do you think of the cordoba fusion guitars?
What's your IG?
I bought a second hand classical guitar for 25 dollars and I play five hours a day .I said to myself ..instead of buying a 700 dollar or over a thousand dollar classical guitar .I gave the rest to a food bank because who knows when we loose our jobs and become homeless I dedicate my life to liveing comfortable but not extream as most people tend to do .everyone wants more and more why is not a small home car less expensive phone jewellery if you eat good food have medical care have a simple hobby have a person who cares about you .what more do people need in life ..to much greed not enough empathy for the suffering masses .this is why world war 3 is starting in November 2023
Lmao that aged well