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Classical Guitars
About Classical and Nylon Stringed Guitars
Nylon-stringed guitars have always been poor cousins to the steel-stringed instruments favored by contemporary musicians, but classical and Flamenco guitars produce some of the most beautiful sounds to emanate from an acoustic instrument.
Historically, Spain has been a center for classical guitar makers, as has Italy. In the United States, some of the biggest guitar makers began by making nylon-stringed instruments. Gibson started with nylon, as did Martin...
In particular, Martin has been enormously influential. In the 1950s, its OO-18G, with a spruce body, mahogany back, and rosewood fingerboard, set the standard, and collectors covet such gorgeous examples today.
But Martin’s most famous nylon-string guitar is arguably one of the worst looking instruments on the planet. It’s a Martin N-20, which was purchased in 1969 by Willie Nelson. Nelson plays with a pick, even though the N-20 was designed to be played by finger-style player, hence the lack of a pick guard. Nelson calls his beloved Martin Trigger, and he’s rode his axe hard, so much so that he’s carved a deep, ever-widening hole in the front of the guitar between the bridge and the sound hole.
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Upcoming Events
- Music Makers: Bay Area Guitar and Ukulele Builders
Jan 13–Apr 9. Oakland, CA. - Newport Guitar Festival
Apr 16–18. Fort Lauderdale, FL. - Old Settler's Music Festival
Apr 15–18. Driftwood, TX.
Interviews & Articles
An Interview with Vintage Guitar Restorer and Historian Richard Johnston
I started playing guitar when I was pretty young and bought my first guitar when I was 10 or 11. Like a lot of peop… [more]
An Interview With Vintage Guitar Collector Clay Harrell
I grew up in upstate New York in Rochester, and started playing guitar when I was about 10 years old. We had this p… [more]
An Interview With Vintage Guitar Collector and Author George Gruhn
I started out primarily as a collector and the business aspect of it evolved over time, almost by accident. I didn’… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Vintage Guitars Info
This great reference site features detailed sections for vintage guitar makers including Gibson, Fender, Martin, Gr… [read review or visit site]
The Les Paul Forum
If you're into Gibson's Les Paul models, or even curious, this is your site. Chock full of useful reference data, p… [read review or visit site]
Vintageguitars.org.uk
Want to see all the old brochures and ads for your favorite vintage axe? Check out this great site, which showcases… [read review or visit site]
Museum of Musical Instruments
If vintage guitars could talk... they'd be digging this site. With its many themed collections and exhibitions, it'… [read review or visit site]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
Clubs & Associations: Guitars
Discussion Forums: Guitars
Other Great Reference Sites: Guitars
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Recent News: Classical Guitars
Source: Google News
MTSU to hold statewide guitar festival starting today
Murfreesboro Post, March 20thThose who attend will see award-winning musicians who will showcase classical guitar music ranging from the Renaissance all the way up to contemporary,...Read more
Review: Roby Lakatos @ Lucas Theatre
Connect Savannah.com, March 20thOpening for Lakatos was the Brazilian classical guitar duo The Assad Brothers. If your taste for classical guitar duos has been ruined by certain bad New...Read more
Adam Rafferty
Acoustic Guitar, March 19th
I checked a lot of things out and studied classical guitar. Then, the heavy part of my education came from Mike Longo, Dizzy Gillespie's piano player,...Read more
Classical guitar group entertains at McCracken
Spartanburg Herald Journal, March 19thAustin Bella Corda, a classical guitar ensemble of young Texas musicians, performs for students at McCracken Junior High Thursday morning...Read more
Music Notes: Ethos Percussion Group, Classical Guitar Society, jazz showcase
The State Journal-Register, March 17thJohn Johns will perform at a Springfield Classical Guitar Society concert at 8 pm Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Sixth St. The Vanderbilt...Read more
Classical guitarist solos with BSO Sunday
Cookeville Herald Citizen, March 17th
COOKEVILLE -- There's a reason the sound of classical guitar immediately summons up visions of Spain, of castenets and flamenco dancers...Read more
SALISBURY NEWS: Second annual Classical Guitar Festival coming to SU.
Delmarva Daily Times, March 17thSALISBURY---Salisbury University's second annual Classical Guitar Festival on Saturday, April 10, offers young guitarists the opportunity to perform in...Read more
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet to come to Wharton Center
MSU State News, March 15thI was kind of rocker for a while, and that got me really enthusiastic about it, so I thought I would reach out and play classical guitar because there was a...Read more
Guitars
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