Are you looking for the best classical guitar ‘under $1000’? Then, you’re in the right place.
Classical guitars, known for their crisp, clean, and classical tone, are trendy among guitar enthusiasts and beginners alike.
They’re generally easy to play because of their nylon strings, and they sound terrific.
Few things can match the beauty of a classical guitar – especially if you’re willing to spend a bit of money.
So if you’re looking to spend some money, but not too much money, you’re in luck. We’ll help you find the best classical guitar for under 1000 dollars.
Best Classical Guitars ‘Under $1000’ – Comparison Table
Cordoba C5-CE (Editor’s Choice)
The built is similar to traditional Spanish guitar. The only change is that it has a slightly thinner neck and soft cutaway. As a result, the pickup delivers natural and rich tone, which is adequate for recording and gigging.
When played unplugged, this offers a fuller sound. In comparison to classical guitar, it has a thin neck of 50mm and is highly comfortable. Lots of sustain and well-balanced sound is offered by cedar top. When it comes to appearance, this looks great similar to as it plays. The in-built tuner allows easy tuning anytime.
The rich tone, clear and crisp notes offered by the guitar make it worth the cost. It has a wide fingerboard making the chording and note picking easy. Glossy finish, slightly thin neck, and other features make it stand out from others guitars on the market. It has excellent strings and has a battery in the compartment.
Even small things count when it comes to the instrument. We are sure that you will fall in love once you use the Cordoba products. This excellent value guitar is convenient to play, and its unique built makes it a popular and best-selling product of the company.
Pros
- Perfect body
- Great neck
- Sounds good
Cons
- None we could find
Kremona Verea
The Kremona Verea is genuinely a beautiful classical guitar that may check off all the positive boxes for those looking to get that classic non-traditional feel out of a guitar that looks incredible.
This guitar is handcrafted in Europe, featuring a class solid red European top and Indian rosewood back and sides, a Honduras cedar neck, and a wood binding rosette.
It is a guitar made with excellent material and detail, and the rosewood and cedarwood combination allows it to sound incredibly crisp and clear in its tone. Throw in the rosewood fingerboard and bridge, a Venetian cutaway, and the gold machines, and it’s very tough to beat this guitar’s quality for the price.
It’s around 800 dollars, but it’s well worth the few extra bucks.
The non-traditional feel comes from the 48mm nut and the fingerboard’s radius, which feels a bit more like a traditional steel-string acoustic. It is a perfect guitar for those used to acoustic or electrics because you’ll still get that feel without losing the classical sound.
Finally, what allows the Kremona Verea to stand out is not just its pickup or onboard tuner but the three EQ bands. You’ll be able to equalize and specifically pick out your guitar’s tone when playing it through an amp or speaker, which gives you, the musician, so much control over the sound, tone, and quality.
This guitar has everything that the modern-day classical guitar player looks for.
Positives
- European spruce top
- Dual-source Fishman Presys Blend system
- Narrow Neck
- Made in Europe, by hand
- Electric capability
- Three EQ bands built-in with onboard tuner
- Gigbag included
Negatives
- It plays more like an acoustic, so fans of pure classical guitars may be slightly thrown off.
Cordoba Fusion 14 Classical Guitar
For around 780 dollars, you’re getting a lot out of the Cordoba Fusion 14. First of all, it’s a magnificent instrument. The Indian rosewood bridge, binding, and headstock overlay are sleek and easy to look at, and the guitar is made with excellent craftsmanship. Need an example? Consider this: the rosette was made by hand using maple and rosewood rings.
You’re going to get comments on this guitar because it looks like a million bucks — just like you would expect from a high-end classical guitar. However, the significant part is you only spent under 800 dollars on it.
For as good as it looks, the Fusion 14 also sounds excellent. It has a very warm sound and electric capabilities, which means you’re going to be able to plug it in and show it off in public if you want to.
For those used to playing electric or acoustic guitars, which means they’re used to playing with steel strings, this guitar will be a treat. It boasts hybrid-style nylon strings, so though you’re still getting that classical feel, it won’t be like jumping into the deep end right away with nylon — which can be an adjustment.
If you can get over the narrow neck, this is a fantastic guitar, and don’t mind that the frets can be a little rough. This guitar is the real deal, especially for those looking to cross over into the world of classical guitars from electric or pure acoustic.
Positives
- Indian rosewood top
- 14 Frets
- Fishman Presys Blend electronics
- Onboard tuner
- Hybrid style nylon strings
- It comes with a gig bag
Negatives
- Narrow Neck
- Rough Frets
- Tuner lacks sensitivity
Yamaha NTX900FM Classical Guitar
There’s so much to like about the Yamaha NTX900FM, and that includes the price. For just under 700 dollars, you’re getting a tremendous instrument that will provide you with versatility, quality, and a ton of enjoyment.
Thanks to its ART 2-way pickup system, this classical guitar has electric capabilities, and it sounds great when it’s plugged in. Of course, you won’t lose that classical sound, but users who are used to playing an electric or steel-string acoustic will still feel comfortable because of the thinner, fast and narrow neck. In addition, it makes it easy to pick and solo.
There have been some complaints about the strings that come with the instrument. They may tend to buzz because of the low tension, so be prepared to switch out as soon as you can with your favorite nylon strings. For many, changing out strings to something more comfortable or familiar is a right of passage when buying a new guitar, so that shouldn’t be a huge deal.
The NTX900FM produces rich sound, and it has excellent quality. It features an Engelmann spruce top, flamed maple sides and back, and a rosewood fingerboard. Users who are used to steel-string acoustics may be a bit underwhelmed by the guitar’s unplugged depth and sound, but that’s only because of the narrow body. If you want to play loud, plug it in.
This guitar can hang with much more expensive brands and instruments, making it a steal in this price range.
Positives
- Engelmann Spruce Top
- Sides and back made of flamed maple
- Rosewood fingerboard
- ART 2-way pickup system
- Gigbag included
Negatives
- May take some time to break in tone-wise
- A thin body may reduce amplification if playing without an amp
Cordoba C7-CE Classical Guitar
The C7-CE is the same as Cordoba’s C7 model, but it’s more expensive, and there’s a reason why. They cut out a space for the Fishman Presys blend pickup and the onboard tuner, so unlike the C7, this classical guitar can plug in and impress people not just with its look but with its sound as well.
The cool thing about the C7 brand is that it features a “fan bracing pattern,” which allows the tone and sound of the guitar to come across louder and more defined. The soundboard has more room to pick up and respond to your playing, so even if you’re not plugged in, the C7-CE is going to have plenty of volume and definition.
If you plug it in, though, you’re just going to get that much more of the tone and sound you’re looking for. So there’s a good case that can be made that the C7-CE can compete with brands like Taylor or Martin, which are much more expensive.
The Cordoba C7-CE feels good to play, and it has a bit wider of a neck, which is suitable for people with bigger hands or more advanced players who want the room to move around.
For the price, this is a highly high-quality guitar.
Positives
- Canadian cedar top
- Indian rosewood back and sides
- Rosewood bridge and fingerboard
- Electronic capabilities
- Onboard tuner
- Includes Cordoba gig bag
Negatives
- High action
La Patrie Presentation QI Classical Guitar
The La Patrie Presentation QI is an excellent option for those wanting to get into a higher-priced and higher-quality classical guitar but not necessarily wanting to break the bank.
It’s a classical, nylon-stringed guitar that looks good for the price and plays nice. It has low action, which makes it a straightforward play along with the soft strings. As a result, the tone is warm and soft, which may be an issue if you’re looking for something that booms a bit more. But for those wanting to hone in on the classical sound, this will provide the mellow tone needed.
Plus, it has plug-in capabilities and an onboard tuner, so plug it into a speaker system or amplifier if you want to get loud. It will sound good when amplified.
The cedar and rosewood help create a charming, subtle tone for this guitar. They also make the guitar look clean and sleek. You’re not going to pay a ton for the La Patrie Presentation QI, but you might be able to convince some people that you did.
If you want a ton of volume and body from your classical guitar, this one isn’t for you. But for finger pickers and fans of mellow, soft classical music, the Presentation QI is a tremendous pick.
Positives
- Radiused fingerboard
- Solid cedar top that has passed a pressure test
- Double function truss rod
- Tusq nut and compensated saddle for better intonation
- Price
- Clean, classic look
- Electric capabilities, built-in tuner
Negative
- lacks in sound compared to some classical guitars, and especially when compared to a steel-string acoustic
Best Classical Guitar For Under $1000: Buying Guide
The Craftsmanship of the Best Classical Guitar
If you’re paying over 500 dollars for a classical guitar, you need to expect a certain level of elite craftsmanship. Of course, these guitars may not always match up with the Taylors or Martins of the guitar world, but you’re going to want your guitar to be made up of high-quality wood, and the attention to detail needs to be stellar.
Most good classical guitars look very clean and sleek, and outside of the rosette, there shouldn’t be much flash — but that’s why people love them (outdoors of the sound and tone).
Pay attention to the woods. Cedarwood is very popular for the tops, and rosewood is often featured on the back, sides, bridge, and fingerboards. Those two kinds of wood play off each other well and create a warm, mellow tone that classical guitar players love.
Strings and Neck
The strings and neck width are also necessary. Nylon strings are much easier to play, and a smaller neck makes an easier transition to classic for those used to playing acoustic or electric guitar. Soft nylon and a shorter neck also make it easier for beginners.
Looking for a wider neck makes more sense for those drawn towards a pure, classical guitar feel. It gives the musicians more room to operate, and especially for those with big hands or enormous range, it feels less cramped.
Strings should be soft with low action, but not too soft and low — or else you’ll start buzzing.
Don’t be afraid to change your strings if the guitar doesn’t come with the kind you’re used to, but keep in mind, not every set of strings will work best with a guitar.
Electric Capability
Unless you’re looking for a classic, classical guitar at this price point, you should expect the ability to plug in and play. At the very least, you should have a built-in pre-amp, but onboard digital tuners are pretty standard in this price range as well.
Not everybody cares about equalizing their tone onboard, but if that’s important to you – and control is vital to most musicians – it’s worth paying a bit more for the option to EQ your sound straight from the guitar.
Most classical guitars are meant to have a softer, warmer feel, so they may not back a bunch of punch when it comes to volume and acoustic ability straight from the guitar. So especially if you’re a gigging musician who is planning on playing some big or even medium-sized rooms, if you’re paying for a quality guitar — make sure everybody can hear it.
The Best Classical Guitar Under $1000: The Takeaway
When trying to find the best classical guitar for under 1000 dollars, there are a whole bunch of factors to consider, as you saw above. Quality and craftsmanship are vital because you’re paying a lot of money, but so are tone, clarity, and the ability to plug in and play your guitar for a whole host of people. Of course, the more control you have over that tone, the better, so for our money, there’s only one guitar that stands out above the rest.
The Kremona Verea is the best classical guitar for under 1000 dollars, and it’s not even close. The craftsmanship is unmatched, it sounds like you would expect a classical guitar to sound, and you’re able to plug in tune and EQ your guitar all onboard.
For just under 800 dollars, outstanding quality meets a tremendous deal in the form of the Kremona Verea.