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Buying a classical guitar in spain...

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  • 25-08-2011 3:00am
    #1
    Dead Man Walking
    Closed Accounts Posts: 179 ✭✭


    Does anyone have any experience in this?

    I am looking at getting myself a good classical guitar and have heard that it is a lot cheaper to go over to spain and get one. What with the price of flights these days i am thinking of maybe heading over for a week once the holiday season is over.

    A few of the names I have picked up so far are, Ramirez, Camps, Valeriano Bernal. Anybody played any of these guitars? And what sort of price range should I be looking at for a half decent one?


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    #2
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,766 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I bought a flamenco guitar in Madrid. It was one of very modest quality, but I was just looking for one for practising golpes, as I was learning some basic flamenco at the time.

    For classical guitars, I think London is at least as good as Madrid, and you have the advantage of speaking the same first language, and I think flights to London are cheaper, though I couldn't swear to that. The shorter flight time would mean you might be able to get there and back in the same day, saving you accommodation costs.


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    #3
    Eph1958
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭Eph1958


    Dead Man Walking wrote: »
    Does anyone have any experience in this?

    I am looking at getting myself a good classical guitar and have heard that it is a lot cheaper to go over to spain and get one. What with the price of flights these days i am thinking of maybe heading over for a week once the holiday season is over.

    A few of the names I have picked up so far are, Ramirez, Camps, Valeriano Bernal. Anybody played any of these guitars? And what sort of price range should I be looking at for a half decent one?

    Hi,
    I've bought several CGs in Spain over the years, though none to the quality you refer to. Bought a concert model in Casa Parramon in Barcelona. Very enjoyable buying experience in a suberb establishment. Good guitar, but not great.
    Bought a few of lesser quality in Torrevieja in an almost abandoned shopping centre. Both hand-made, rosewood (Brazilian and Indian) and excellent quality student instruments at very reasonable prices.
    Prices were definitely cheaper than Dublin shops. The range, standard and quality of the instruments available was far superior too. For hand-made prices started at a few hundred Euro.
    That was 5-10 years ago, but I wouldn't hesitate to go there again if looking for a guitar. Enjoy.

    Eph.


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    #4
    JaneHudson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 342 ✭✭JaneHudson


    I wouldn't buy a flamenco one for playing classical, you wouldn't get enough sustain.
    I bought an Alhambra 5P a few years ago which was good value for money and recomended in every place I went into. My budget was only E400 though.
    The major problem was getting it back. I flew aer lingus with it on my back but when I'd looked up the FAQ on their website it says you can't do that and you are supposed to stow it or buy a seat for it so I wasn't sure if I'd get away with it and should have bought a hard case.


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    #5
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,766 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I should point out that I didn't buy a flamenco guitar to play classical guitar and I'm not suggesting anyone else should. It just happened to be the only guitar of more than minimal value I've bought in Spain.

    However, looking around in Granada and Madrid, I didn't think the quality and choice of classical guitars was any better than you'd get in London. But perhaps they're cheaper. I can't compare directly, because the year I bought in London and the summer I spent in Spain were quite a few years apart.


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