Also known as a Spanish guitar, the classical guitar sounds and feels different from a standard acoustic guitar due to its nylon strings and wider neck. The wider neck and more flexible strings make the classical guitar a great pick for beginner guitarists who are still training their hands as well as finger-picking guitarists, and is a go-to instrument for many professional musicians.
Buying a Classical Guitar
If you're looking for a classical guitar, then you'll find an immense array to choose from here at Bax Music. As you'll see, there's quite a varied selection, so you can browse through models to suit a small or large budget; models built by well-known or new brands; models made from various different woods; models with different body shapes, and so on. There are also electro-acoustic classical guitars fitted with pickup systems that can be plugged into acoustic amplifiers.
The Spanish Guitar
Spanish guitar is just another name for the classical guitar, or the other way around, since the nylon-stringed guitar as we know it was actually first developed in Spain to play traditional Spanish music, and is still played there today. It was only later that the Spanish guitar was used to play classical music - hence - the classical guitar.
Nylon Strings
Classical guitars have nylon strings, which are more warm and full sounding than the steel strings of standard acoustic guitars. Nylon strings are also more flexible than steel strings, making them a touch easier to play, which is often why many beginner guitarists choose to start learning to play with a classical guitar.
The Best Classical Guitar
The best classical guitar is always going to be the classical guitar that suits you best. In other words: you can't really say one is better than another when it comes to musical instruments. The most important thing is that you have a guitar that feels comfortable and that you love the look of, so you'll always want to pick it up to play. So, before picking out your guitar, try as many out as you can.
Frequently Asked Questions About Classical Guitars
How many strings does a classical guitar have?
A standard classical guitar always has six strings.
How do you change the strings of a classical guitar?
Changing the strings of a classical guitar is near-enough the same as changing the strings of a steel-string acoustic guitar. The main difference is how the strings are secured to the bridge. With an acoustic guitar, they're secured via a set of bridge pins, while with a classical guitar, they're secured via knots. The first step is to loosen each string completely before untying the knots at the bridge and then installing your new strings by knotting them in the same way. Then, tune up your guitar before carefully pulling on each string somewhere around the soundhole. Tune up again and keep repeating the process until you can pull on the strings without them falling out of tune. For more info about changing classical guitar strings, see our blog.
What's a good classical guitar?
A good classical guitar is simply the one that you love the most. In other words: the guitar that does everything that you want - and when it comes to what you want, the size, construction, and even the price usually gets less significant. However, if you need a few tips, then take a look at our Classical Guitar Buyer's Guide.
How much does a classical guitar cost?
As you might expect, the price of a classical guitar can vary enormously. Beginner guitarists and hobbyists will find plenty of great models to choose from for less than £100, but for the professional musicians and connoisseurs, there are models that run into the thousands.
How big should my classical guitar be?
Classical guitars are available in various different sizes. The smallest are the classical guitars for children, which are 1/2 or 3/4 size. Just below the full-sized 4/4 models, there are 7/8-sized models, which have a smaller neck as well as a smaller body, making them great travels guitars. A standard-sized 4/4 classical guitar is considered the best pick for adult guitarists or kids aged 12 and up. For more tips on picking the right size, see our Classical Guitar Buyer's Guide.
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