Cordoba Guitars - Taking a First Look Into Traditional Nylon-String Guitars!

[@chrisminer5884]

Love the sound of nylon strings. Such guitars don't get enough air time on guitar channels . Not just for classical playing. Great for all types of Latin and jazz and any fingerpicked accompaniment

[@digitalchris6681]

...and so much kinder on your fingers !

[@caprise-music6722]

I like them even for rock. Heavy riffs sound great on nylon string classical guitars

[@juanpablohurtadolopez6986]

Spanish language guitar channels are mostly based on nylon string guitars. May i suggest you take a look at Paola Hermosin, an spanish young lady with more talent than most of us will ever have.

[@Madchris8828]

Oh that Cordoba C7 has so much richness to its sound. Absolutely stunning in sound and appearance!

[@Cerberus.TX.1836]

I picked up a c7 at a guitar store and did not want to put it down. Gonna have to get me one.

[@Messier31NGC224]

Classical guitar is a must for me. I play electric, acoustic, and classical guitar often. It's amazing what a different inspiration and enjoyment I get out of music just by grabbing a different kind of guitar. Get a classical guitar people! It'll really open up your musical sensibilities.

[@raymondvaughan6262]

So underated nylon string guitars nice playing Ben nice to see steve hackett using them in rock and classical still

[@andertons]

We're hoping to shine a little more light on nylon string guitars in the future... Ben will be back on these for sure!

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

I really needed this. Nylon-strings are beautiful and massively underused and I’ve wanted one for a while now.

[@XENONEZZ2]

What an excellent introduction to the amazing world of the nylon guitar !! .. These kind of guitars act like a mirror that reflects back exactly to the listener what the player is doing...so perfection in ... perfection out ... or not as the case may be !!. There is nowhere to hide....everything's laid bare. Nice playing Ben by the way ..... you did the guitars justice.

[@davedavem]

Beautiful playing as always, Ben! Especially on the C7.

[@lancerains4185]

I have the C7 it's a wonderful instrument for the price point when I played it at the music store I totally fell in love with it low end residence is a shining point totally loved that...

[@terrydactylspontaneous2596]

Last time I was this early Greensleeves was top of the charts.

[@Floortile83]

Last time I was this early my girlfriend shamed me and now I have trouble in bed.

[@KevBautista]

Is it just me or the C7 had a lot of 6th string buzz? I wouldn't blame Ben's playing technique as it's obviously top notch. Thanks for making this great comparison video! I prefer the C5 as it strikes the balance between quality and price.

[@christystock2734]

I purchased a Cordoba mini several months ago to practice quietly while sitting around and I absolutely love this little guitar. I probably play it more than my Rainsong OM, which I love.

[@davedavem]

There's nothing more Spanish sounding than an E major chord on a nylon-stringed guitar!

[@geralr]

Haha yea, especially if followed by an F major

[@davedavem]

@@geralr oh yes, then maybe even a G!

[@geralr]

@@davedavem then F, then back to E 🤤

[@kingstumble]

@@geralr Even more Spanish if you just move the E major shape up one fret so that the 1st, 2nd and 6th strings are played open. I've no idea what that chord is. EDIT: On reflection is it an Fmaj7flat5 ?

[@geralr]

@@kingstumble Ya 🤤🤤 .. P.S. FMaj7#11 😉

[@gtr1952]

Cordoba has been around as long as I can remember, and I'll be 69 in a few days! They also bought Guild about 5 years ago and make them near their plant in California. Ren Ferguson, formally of Gibson acoustic's is the head of the Guild plant. They are making awesome guitars again now too!! JMHO... 8) --gary

[@unitednihilists]

Best thing I've ever done for my guitar playing was to purchase a Nylon string classical. Playing one regularly teaches you so much about dynamics and feel.

[@ecwh4]

Been a fan of Cordoba since I played them while shopping for something else years ago. Thanks for reminding me to buy one.

[@billnelson9413]

For a month all I’ve played is a classical. I finally understand how Willie Nelson could leave all other guitars behind. I’m interested in the Córdoba fusion models with the narrower nut though because I still want to play everything without it feeling awkward.

[@mrinalkundu1521]

I've played a GK Studio for about ten years now. A great all-rounder. I may have been.lucky, but mine stands up well to instruments of around three times the price, from other makers. I'd rate Cordoba guitars as very convincing entry models for any style of nylon string guitar. Great for students who don't want to be schlepping around with a really expensive axe, or for players who need something to do a convincing job for regular gigging, or for recording. The pickups on the electro acoustic models do a pretty good job. For my purposes, I use the internal mic, with a tiny bit of piezo blended in (the opposite of usual recommendations), and it gets me a fairly faithful sound. There's plenty of variety to be had from the internal EQ, and the notch filter and built in tuner do their jobs well.

[@I3R0K3N7FEET]

The primary reason to play is to have fun. Could rip into that flamenco playing but not gonna, your smile was perfect! genuine enjoyment from a quality guitar that's all that matters!

[@jeg1972]

I started playing Classical when I first learned how to play and I still love a nylon string sound. Ben sounding great despite his chops apparently not being up to speed :-)

[@stevefoster9002]

Awesome to have Ben back!!!! Really great to see the full range.

[@elnumerounobohsman]

Had a Cordoba F7, lovely guitar, although it just seemed to lack something that I couldn't put my finger on. Traded up for a Cordoba GK Studio Negra. Wow, what a guitar. Incredible tone, fantastic playability. Obviously more suited to an aggressive/flamenco style, but handles softer classical melodies extremely well also.

[@stevieboy444]

I really enjoyed watching that. I'm tempted!

[@larkop6504]

In the market for a classical guitar, our local market is dominated by Yamaha. Must look for a genuine Spanish guitar when I'm back in Europe. They sound beautiful.

[@balsavor1]

We have the C5 and the C7. BOTH are fantastic!!

[@FedeVaiRB]

I absolutely love nylon guitars.. great video guys!

[@mcfek7575]

C5 sounds amazing

[@DuncanHowlettGuitarist]

I love my Córdoba gk pro 💯

[@chrisggoodwin777]

I started my musical journey learning on a classical nylon string. I'd love to get one, if nothing else, for nostalgia. Great that these are affordable, especially given my penchant for high end gear 😉

[@jackcourage7495]

that intro was amazing!!

[@rodrirm]

Great intro you did there!!! Love when people doing reviews really know how to make the intrument sound. Theres something I didn't quite get since far as I know the C3M should be a solid top, as the C5 and above. C1M-CE is not solid.

[@jonhornbeck4324]

Come on Ben! Dazzle us with your rendition of Classical Gas!

[@Ryan_F.]

I bought a C10 not too long ago. It’s a beautiful instrument. As a steel string player though, it will take some adjustment to get used to the nut width and scale length

[@gustavopaulette3496]

No one cares what you got

[@danielsaturnino5715]

You actually made me remeber my dusty classical guitar hanging on the wall...

[@MilesWilliams88]

Good enough for Jose Gonzalez, good enough for anybody. That guy is a master of the craft.

[@marcpaters0n]

Finally! A video for me.

[@fuzzydude66]

Ben continues to be the only reason for Mondays.

[@borzak101]

Willie approves.

[@somebodyfixmyinternet]

Considering the state of his guitar, that's definitely a red flag. Trigger needs to be put out of its misery.

[@geralr]

Never thought I’d say this, but now I got GAS for a classical guitar.

[@prateekpoddar1890]

Insert Classical Gas joke here.

[@russellzauner]

Then you definitely shouldn't watch Javier Reyes demonstrate his signature 8 string classical guitar.

[@brocluno01]

Nice review and so glad you did this. I think you got tones most of us would try for. Thumb pick is fine for all but the purest ... And for the electric player wanting a bit of familiarity, they could look at the Ibanez GA35TCE Thinline with slightly narrower nut. When you have chance please do review on nylon alternatives :-) Maybe even include the Yamaha Silent N model ...

[@nekkon1989]

I remember playing this kind of music until middle school when I realised I was into blues rock and that was the music I wanted to play for the rest of my life!

[@mortonwilson795]

Great intro to the line - really helpful, thanks! Will check out Cordoba locally - wondering if an ebony board appears amongst them all? Cheers.

[@mrpurple33]

Was looking for this kind of video. thanks!

[@NikkenMagboy]

Thats some mighty fine playing

[@glenproctor1999]

That was beautiful playing Ben! Lot more difference in tone between them than between a similar price span of steel strung guitars?

[@abdulaziz_Saud22243]

Your face in the thumbnail reminds me of Ian Anderson Jethro tull ❤️🌹

[@sigogglin]

Got the C5 based on this video. It is great for the price!

[@JedrekVRoscoe]

If you’ve got a Kremona video in ya, you should do that too!

[@pdcorlis]

Great episode! How about showing us the Cordoba Fusion series guitars too?

[@doggylover1958]

Great demo, thanks.

[@danielegger6460]

Dude! Stop apologising, you're an amazing player. I wish I could play anywhere even close as good...

[@DTGuitarTech]

“Classical chops not good enough”. Whaaat??? You are an amazing player!

[@74cannelle]

I wish I had your classical chops 😉

[@renecuevas4128]

C 5. Wow sound great on this side of my cell phone. Too bad Anderton s is so far from Usa. Otherwise i ll go there n buy a lot of goodies....love the Anderton Guys

[@b4uspeek]

Spent a lot of time trying to find a Cordoba dealer, only found one. They had a whopping two low end models. It’s a shame because I really wanted one, guess I’ll go with another guitar company.

[@daviddiebold7357]

The chatoyant shine is amazingly the flaminvo

[@ardiris2715]

I liked the attack of the thumbpick, but then, I am not a traditionalist in any real sense. (:

[@jahsus23]

We need Alhambra guitars review with Carbon strings! 😁

[@adiladil217]

Hello very good play , I bought a guitar cordoba c3m and c5 From a site in Morocco both I did not like with manufacturing defects I think they sell defective products without declaring them, do you know a classic brand much better than that

[@paulr8548]

wow this dude is kicking ass \,,/

[@sl.is.google]

I find the nylon string guitar to be a bit of a time machine, who needs a Delorian with a flux capacitor when you can get a classical guitar for a fraction of the cost... 👍🔥🎸🎼🎵🙏

[@brianpateman2666]

Of course, it helps if you play like Ben!

[@jonskaptason8840]

Great review. The e-string on the C3 was tuned down to D, which made it sound somewhat more resonant than the others, but I think I will go for the C5 to work on those bossa nova songs I am dying to learn... check out Tarde en Ipatua with Toquinho and Gilberto Gil on KZbin for a sample if you are interested

[@bassfingerslapz100]

Cordoba the best🔥

[@petecarrollmusic]

Excellent.....great sound. What are ya using to capture audio....sounds goood !

[@simonfinch9277]

My first guitar was a nylon cordoba guitar, kinda hated it. I never enjoyed classical music but that guitar was nice.

[@thechillestbassist6992]

Epic guitar!

[@Mexxx65]

Get's a like from me!

[@keithmahorney6533]

Kremona makes great classical guitars. Check them out.

[@frededberg6893]

Yes. Another relatively unknown maker from that part of Europe is the Hora factory in Romania. They make and distribute under their own name (mostly in Europe) but also make instruments under brand name for Thomann and resold elsewhere too. In particular, there is a model named 'Thomann Classic S 4/4' that lists for less than $200 in the US (+shipping). It has SOLID spruce top and SOLID maple (sycamore maple, I think) back and sides. Although it presently is configured with plastic saddle and nut, those are pretty quick and inexpensive upgrades. Also, plan on a fret dressing to get it up to full playability and sound. It's basic no frills construction, but I have found it is solidly built and has held up under 4 years of playing (with a series of upgrades/tweaks). I love it. I bought mine when they listed for $122. With all the upgrades+work, it sounds unbelievable good. Really a terrific find for those williing to take on a few finishing details.

[@edwin_art_studio414]

Difference between C9 and C10 in Cordoba guitars, please? I'm looking a guitar to play bossa nova. Which one is the best choice? Spruce or Cedar?

[@frededberg6893]

C9 (and C10, and higher) are all solid construction. The C7 and below have laminate back and sides with solid top only. As for top types, Spruce tends to be brighter sounding and project slightly better than Cedar -- given two 'equal' specimens of wood (which, is not possible to acheive). In the end, it all depends on the qualities of the individual pieces of wood used.

[@lobster4501]

For some reason the C5 has less buzz than the C7… Maybe it’s just my head and my ears?

[@virgomonkey68]

Thats what i thought….in fact my friend was looking for a reasonable priced guitar and we came across a c5…it played outstanding for the 530 australian dollars he paid and finish is flawless.

[@Pandamasque]

Most guitars through piezzo pickups sound kinda like nylon strings.

[@danilomedeirosmusica]

Villa-Lobos!

[@frededberg6893]

Prelude #3.

[@bukwok]

i have stupid question,im not really a guitar player, non cutaway guitar in video,whats different left hand version and right hand guitar, if not a single cut guitar, just flip the guitar and upside down the string turn to lefty guitar right?? or because settle/bridge is little bit different ??but looks seat straight in video , not like a les paul style guitar bridge not straight ,always slightly angle, btw why les paul style guitar bridge or wraparound tailpiece always slightly angle . sorry for my poor english .

[@matteon4192]

I hope you got your question answered at some point but just for fun I'll answer :) You could string a guitar backwards but the nut is cut specific sizes for the strings and so you'd need a new flipped nut, same goes for the bridge. They're both made for certain string gauges in that order but it's doable regardless (Jimi Hendrix is a good example) The wraparound Bridge are usually angled for intonation as the strings need slightly different tensions for proper notes on higher frets

[@geankarlotorres2459]

What’s the amp that you were using?

[@ritesideofthefence5857]

Was not the c-1 Alan top also

[@mordokch]

But what's the action like on these ? Traditionally classical guitars have pretty high actions on purpose, but it feels terrible to a normal acoustic / electric player. Are these any different, are they more suited to 'us' ?

[@mordokch]

@@KZbinHandlesAreMoronic I couldn't care less what you have 'zero tolerance' for. I have 2 classicals - a yamaha and a yairi electro, both have text book setups and both are a nightmare to play - the stupid high action just robs me of any joy I might get from playing them so I just use them when I absolutely have to. And there's no good reason for it - I've played others with half the action height that sounded great, and of course were sooooo much more playable. Classical guitars are made that way 'because they are', not for any good reason, it's tradition but it's a tradition I could well do without. I happily swap between acoustic, electric. banjo, bass, drums, and probably a few things I can't think of right now, so you're 'credentials' literally mean nothing to me. I've been doing this for well over 40 years and I know what I'm talking about - it is quite possible to make a classical that plays nicely, I know because I've come across them from time to time (LAG for one). Personally I've got zero tolerance for guitars that are hard work - I've got better things to do than fight with a guitar.

[@user-xu6jc9yp5g]

Wonder

[@dirkjanklijn9949]

The tap plate on a flamenco guitar is a golpeador.

[@hochiminhunited1444]

Man you lost a lot a weight since last vid I saw - looking good!

[@ImLeuff]

Classical guitar with a cutaway and electro-acoustic is making my brain scream, it's just so wrong lol

[@gustavopaulette3496]

Just like your face so wrong 🤡

[@kingstumble]

I bought a Cordoba ukulele once. Admittedly it was one of their cheapest models but I wasn't impressed.

[@DrrUnKenSTeiN]

How is the c5 for jazz and bossa nova?

[@mrinalkundu1521]

Go for a GK Studio

[@DrrUnKenSTeiN]

@@mrinalkundu1521 out of my budget :( . It's double the money.

[@mrinalkundu1521]

@@DrrUnKenSTeiN Roughly works out as an Admira.

[@elbib2446]

esteve guitars are much nicer,all made in spain,lower end cordoba are made in china,higher end spain/usa.valencia has many guitar workshops/brands,old made in japan yamaha flamenco/classical guitars are one of the only brands who can compete with the spanish mid range flamenco/classicals

[@elbib2446]

@Mark Seymour there are plenty of spanish brands esteve,raimundo,manuel rodriguez etc that make flamenco/classical guitars in spain,that cost less than 1150,if fact manuel rodriguez got some stick a few years ago for outsourcing parts from china,to the point that he stopped doing so,and returned to everything being made in spain,as his reputation was tarnished,also something his father ,who ran the brand before him,would never have done

[@daddio307]

They actually own Guild.

[@Floortile83]

But how do I choose my first silly string guitar??

[@MrMusicMan5656]

Your diffidently not Paco De Lucia! 😂😂👍👍

[@clawhammer704]

Large ukulele?

[@AlexSeewald]

I’m sorry but that recording is really grating especially at the beginning and I would suggest the mic wasn’t set up properly. I don’t feel we can get a good impression from using a thumb pick either.

[@ashikurrahamankhan5688]

Ben is ofcouse very entertaining to watch but without pete or captain's company these videoes feel very empty

[@duduoson5278]

I've played some chinese cordobas and honestly, they were pretty trash for the money. Some even had wonky intonation.

[@ZenoIV]

Nylon with a thumb pick. A crime.

[@bensmithguitar]

Tell that to Jerry Reed...😉

[@macanoodough]

Ugh..Nylon strings... Oh well, I'll watch for Ben :)

[@GigglingDickhead]

If this were a just and righteous world, this guy would have women crawling all over him

[@digitalchris6681]

Whaaat? Thumb pick with nylon strings? This is NOT how to get the best out of them....

[@thepennydrops.]

Jerry Reed would beg to differ

[@ShiningHourPop]

I expect people originally said that about distorting electric guitars but he’s got a great sound so does it really matter? 😊

[@digitalchris6681]

@@ShiningHourPop I could get a great sound by slapping the strings with a wet haddock, but this would not show the guitars true potential (or lack thereof).

[@ShiningHourPop]

😄🐟

[@digitalchris6681]

@@thepennydrops. Jerry used acoustic (ie metal stringed guitars). A totally different ball game.

[@somebodyfixmyinternet]

I love Cordoba guitars, but those first few seconds are atrocious. My ears are bleeding. Get rid of those shitty piezos and let the guitar's voice shine. Also, ditch that thumb pick and grow out that nail. Otherwise, it's like you're taking a jackhammer to The Pieta. EDIT: Got further in the video just now. Apologies accepted. Now apologize to the guitar. I think it deserves some remorse as well.

[@YourFavouriteColor]

duuuude plugging in an acoustic, especially a nylon, RUINS the tone. guitar tone comes from the entire instrument. the resonance chamber, and the top, which is the speaker cone. the electronics are picking up the vibrations from the bridge saddle, defeating the purpose of an acoustic instrument, and sounding like a beehive full of farts. I had to turn this video off because of how awful and unmusical amplified nylon bridge saddle sounds. Please do a demo where you just mic the acoustic instrument without electronics engaged, PLEASE.

[@hulldanfan]

If you had got past the 1st couple of minutes, you would have had your wish !!

[@YourFavouriteColor]

@@hulldanfan definitely shouldn't have opened with the ugliest most nasty unmusical sound a guitar can produce. Open with the best tone you can get, which is an acoustic instrument being recorded as...an acoustic instrument. then halfway though it should be like "brace yourself for this shitty piezo fart."

[@andertons]

Duuuuuuuude.... Pleeeeease always watch videos before commenting!!! PLEASE.. :-)

[@YourFavouriteColor]

@@andertons as I said, some friendly advice. Next time don't OPEN with that awful farting piezo. Nothing personal against you. I am fundamentally against electrified acoustics for this reason. Collecting the vibration of the bridge pins and amplifying it completely defeats the purpose of an acoustic instrument.

[@samcook363]

stop being british

[@arthurrking9536]

this guy has no idea how bad plastic pick and nylon string sound .

[@hargisP2]

Fingernails are just as bad. But that’s my opinion, and I don’t force people to adhere to my opinion.