OffsetGuitars.com

So, I'm selling my old Eko Ranger.

I've got the 70s Guild D50 and I'm having a serious purge before the move to Germany. However, when I get there there's ever chance I might want something a little smaller, less valuable & more fun to play, especially if I want to take it out to the local (massive) park.

I'm clueless when it comes to classical guitars. The one I have at my mums place (the guitar I learned to play on) sounds great to my ears but it has a faux-rosewood painted fingerboard & I think it cost about £50.

Any good tips on decent brands, sleeper models, old-school Spanish names?

I got a cracker for a tenner at a car boot sale a while back - it's a Suzuki RM....I think (the RM might be part of the serial number - the label's a bit faded where the other identifying mark is).

My friend who was a bit of a guitar prodigy at school told me he began on the same, or similar, model; apparently Suzukis were the go-to student model in the late '70s/early '80s.

Just discovered that site I linked to by googling the model, so haven't had a chance to digest it, but it seems Yairi-san cut his teeth on that brand, and I know from experience his acoustics are pretty special.

Definitely the best tenner's-worth I've spent in a long time, and I suspect there are a fair few of them in the wild, because I saw another a couple of weeks after buying mine. It was in much better cosmetic condition and mine for only £15 if I wanted it, but I foolishly swithered as I already had one and by the time I realised you can't have too many amzing value guitars and went back for it I was too late.

Mind you, you are about to set sail for the land of Hofners, aren't you...?

UlricvonCatalyst wrote: ↑

Sat May 05, 2018 12:20 pm

...Mind you, you are about to set sail for the land of Hofners, aren't you...?

Did they make decent classical guitars? I only know them as a reputable electric guitar brand.

Like I say, I'm clueless about all of this!

PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑

Sat May 05, 2018 12:53 pm

Did they make decent classical guitars? I only know them as a reputable electric guitar brand.

Like I say, I'm clueless about all of this!

I had a quick shot of one - probably from the '70s/'80s - and it seemed alright, as you'd expect from a company with a long history and fairly good rep. At the time I wasn't in the market for a classical and the seller was wanting a bit more than an absolute steal, so I resisted.

Beatle bass aside, I'd say Hofner are known for their mid-century jazz boxes, if anything*, so their acoustic pedigree is a matter of record.



*which sell for far more than they're worth in player's terms nowadays, I reckon.

UlricvonCatalyst wrote: ↑

Sat May 05, 2018 1:10 pm

Beatle bass aside, I'd say Hofner are known for their mid-century jazz boxes, if anything*, so their acoustic pedigree is a matter of record.



*which sell for far more than they're worth in player's terms nowadays, I reckon.

My uncle, very much a jazz guitarist (and a good one too) has had an old Hofner arch top for as long as I can remember. He swears by it.
Funnily enough, it was his reaction to that cheapo one at my mums that completely span me out as, like I said, it cost fuck all yet he said it sounded better than plenty he'd tried over the years.

^ ^ ^ ^

I guess I've never had my hands on one of the good Hofners, then. I had a '67 flat-top XII for a while, but I found it pretty unremarkable.

Anyway, I just stopped by to clarify that my Suzuki is actually a model 1662. Keep your eyes peeled for one of those! If I see another going cheap I won't hesitate a second time.

Sorry, Mods. I've just realised that this thread's in the wrong section.

Move it to the non-offset section, if you get chance.

Cheers!

Yamaha classical guitars are quite highly regarded, but come at various price points. The onus would be on you to research the ones that sit near the top of the range and look out for one slipping through the net.

Otherwise, look out for ones made in Spain (obviously) - I see a lot of old Spanish ones imported by BM (I think) in the '60s/'70s. Haven't had one myself, so I'm not sure they're not just tourist tat sold as souvenirs in Espana and entry-level geetars over here. Confusingly, though entirely sensibly, you might happen upon a classical guitar with a label that says Ibanez inside; there is/was at least one long-established family business making (good quality) guitars in the Ibanez region and these are often wrongly attributed to the Japanese company who adopted that name in a bid to sound more western.

Talking of Japanese guitars, aside from the aforementioned brands, there are plenty of Japanese classical guitars that are great quality, and an equal or greater number that aren't so great. Let your ears be your guide, where possible, and your eyes if it's not strung up. Laminated tops are common, but - as in the case of my Suzuki - not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Happy hunting!