Top Cheap Classical Guitars

Purchased July 1. Received unit July 9 here in the Western US in 8 eight days — intact with no damage. Thank you Thomann for the great and efficient service!

I am a seasoned player (40+ years) and wanted a decent practice instrument. I have owned / played many guitars (classical, electric, steel string acoustic, etc) in the past (ranging from the hand made to the very mediocre). I intended to use this unit solely for classical playing/practicing. My priorities in selecting an instrument are: Sound/Tone, Playability, and a distant third, Appearance.

I was swayed to buy this unit based upon online research, YT videos, and posted reviews (I had never seen this instrument personally ever).

As with most instruments in the lower end of the price range, this unit offers a mix of advantages and deficiencies.

From previous experience, I immediately set out to upgrade/hone aspects which are often lacking: I polished frets (using 0000 steel wool only). The surfaces were quite rough. Also replaced plastic saddle with bone unit. I raised the height of the fitted saddle to improve tone and overall volume slightly. Finally, I changed out strings (I prefer LaBella 2001 HTs). These changes made noticeable sonic improvement.

Despite the all-solid wood construction, I was still a bit disappointed that the high notes (fretted notes on 1st or 2nd string for example) don’t ring as loud and clear as I had hoped.
The guitar does have that balanced solid spruce midrange-focused tone however.

Frets: One fret was not properly seated (13th fret, under high E string). I used a padded clamp to press it into place. There are a few frets that are a tad high during the fret-rocker test.
They are not bad enough to be a major sonic concern however.
Polishing seems to have circumvented fret height differences.
Overall construction of the unit is good however. In particular, the neck position and geometry are spot on (very important in absence of truss rod). Interior fitting/gluing is also very good.
The tuners are average. Mine bound and wound unevenly when I re-strung with high tension strings.
Wish list: thinner finish would work equally well. A matte type option would be very desirable (less finish generally = more sound).

Having said all the above, I do give a recommendation to buy.
It is worth the time and expense to get one and tweak/fix it up.

Footnote: finally, for those that also like to upgrade and maximize the sound of guitars like the S 4/4.. One thing you can do to help improve the sound and responsiveness of an acoustic guitar is to CAREFULLY place it on or in front of a speaker cabinet/stereo and play music loudly. The acoustic vibrations will invoke the wood (especially the soundboard) to vibrate and that ultimately will help your instrument sound better sooner. Sounds goofy but it works.

Planning on buying another Thomann or VGS guitar in the upcoming months..

(apologies for the long post)

This guitar is an astounding value. Thomann shipped it from Germany to me in the USA. It took only three days, and the guitar arrived in great condition. Thomann’s customer service is excellent, and everything arrived as promised with no surprise customs fees or anything like that.

I replaced the stock plastic saddle for a bone one, but that’s all the setup that I did. I checked the intonation, it was solid. The sound is very warm with a buttery midrange, it has a richness that’s without parallel for a guitar at this price point. It is quite playable right out of the box, once the strings have a chance to settle in at the proper tension. The stock strings aren’t bad, either. Some have felt that the action is too high, but I found it to be the rather standard string height that you find on classical guitars. They do string ’em high in this realm. All you need is a bit of sandpaper to sand down the bottom of the bridge if you want to lower it, though.

It seems like this is too good to be true and I’m waiting for a catch. But there isn’t one! I’m trying to think of a "con." I guess some have not liked the tuners — but they function just fine. I don’t plan to replace them. Yes, the maple sides and back aren’t that boldly grained in appearance. But they are pleasing! My guitar happens to have a very nice grain pattern in the back of the neck, and also on a place on the back.

This thing met and exceeded every expectation I had. Yes, it is not a concert classical guitar, but for a student or intermediate guitar it is wonderful. It should only get better with age as the solid wood opens up! For this price it blows my mind.

I have low expectations for this guitar, but actually it is a decent instrument for a beginer. I am playing electric guitars for a long time, and decided to try somethin different.
I can say that is slightly better ratio in money/quality than my HB SC550.
Cons:
– frets are not polished
– frets are slightly sharp on the edges, both of problems can be solved by yourself in 30mins
– some tiny dents on the body

Pros:
– all in all good finish
– you can actualy play it without anny problems
– keeps the tune well
– price

I have try the new strings (fender 100) and get slightly brighter tone.

All in all, I would totaly recommend this guitar, if you are new to the guitar world or if you have some experience this is good guitar to have.

I was first tempted by this guitar as it was sold in a bundle along with free accessories. I read that the Startone guitar was made my Thomann and I was looking for a cheap classical guitar so that made me make the purchase. The product came all the way from Germany to Mauritius professionally packed and safely. Not a single scratch and no damage of whatsoever to all the other accessories I got, which was a gig bag, Thomann clip tuner, a pack of strings, guitar and a foot rest.

Regarding the guitar, I was surprised by the quality. Once I tuned the guitar, the low action of the strings surprised me!
I have played a lot of classical guitars and I have to admit that this one really feels comfortable to play. It is really a good value for the price and I highly recommend it for beginners.

One of the cons I noticed though is that when you bend the strings too often when playing, it tends to go a bit out of tune but no problem apart from that. I am very happy with the purchase. It sits very beautifully on the guitar stand and does not look cheap at all.

I was expecting a shiny gloss finish, instead the surface of the body (Back and front) looks like it has been polished by a rough cloth causing surface scratches!. Small brow mark on the cream binding and binding not even all round the body. The strap button on the back of the guitar was loose and will not tighten. The instrument was very dusty. Im actually wondering if it was checked at Thomann when received from the factory – There was no checkers note or no label attached to the headsock! Plus points reasonably low action, no high frets/buzz, only wo slightly rough fret ends overall it does play well but very disappointed in the scratched dull surface.

What’s on offer here far outweighs the guitars diminutive price tag. It’s first job was to play a rehearsal after a friend’s guitar string broke en route. This instrument held its own when up against far louder and more expensive guitars. It’s a testament to how the quality of cheap/budget guitars has improved since the 80’s/90’s, when you couldn’t even change chord without the guitar going out of tune. There are some small issues with the finish (general untidiness in the finish – paint smudges on the binding) but really the negatives are few. I’d recommend it highly as a beginners guitar or for a first classical in your guitar collection (like me).

I initially purchased this guitar for my older brother, since he was interested in starting to learn how to play the guitar. He just wanted something to play around at home, learn a couple of chords and scales. Sound wise it was alright, but the high E string could not stay in tune.

Pros:
1. Look. The look of the guitar is pretty well. Good quality materials.
2. Sound For a classic guitar, the sound is pretty reasonable.

Cons:
1. As previously mentioned, it was a massive problem to get the high E string in tune. You could get all 5 lower strings in tune, but the highest E would just not stay in tune. We took it to a specialist who managed to fix the issue, however it was quite dissatisfying having this issue in the firs place.

In conclusion, it highly depends on how serious on playing guitar is the person who is getting this guitar. If it is a small gift for someone who just wants to strum couple of chords and play couple of verses of popular acoustic songs. If it is someone who is more serious on playing the guitar, I would not recommend this guitar.

This cg-200bk was well set up no dings or scratches or colour differentiates,the neck was straight the action was quite high as you would expect on a classical guitar at this price point, overall very pleasing to the eye my students are very happy to use this once I lowered the action the, guitar played and sounded great.At this price point an incredible guitar, excellent value for money, this guitar chimed nicely, resonance was ok, another great classical guitar on a budget which looks and plays great .

This is my 5th Harley Benton purchase and I’ve left it a little while to "review", to try and form a reasoned opinion.

Pros – The instrument looks fine from a short distance. It plays nicely – after a little work. I find it nice to go back to a classical guitar string spacing for clean chords, maybe I have fat fingers ? To have a nylon string guitar but with a truss rod adjustment is nice, to have the ability to fine tune the action is great and helps the playability. The price is incredibly reasonable and to incorporate a piezo pickup and tone controls within that package, very good.
Cons – I find with each of my H.B. guitars there always seems to be some imperfections in the finish, it is a bit of a lottery. This guitar is no exception – A few minor marks and scuffs. I have learned to accept that these products may need a little extra finishing and setting up. Consequently and ironically I have learnt quite a lot about guitar finishing. This guitar had a number of high frets, but I have found that before you get involved in "dressing" them, use a mallet and a wooden die of some sort, support the neck immediately under the problem and give it a tap, problem goes away. I’m surprised how many H.B. frets are not seated properly. Sound wise – Acoustic. I feel it lacks a brightness, the top three nylon strings lack a clarity. I was hoping for something a little crisper, I’m sure I’ve had even with cheap classical guitars. Obviously I changed to fresh strings, a brand which I assumed to be of reasonable quality, straight away – though I’ve a feeling that the guitar was shipped with good fresh strings. Sound wise – Pickup. I like the amplified sound a lot but I’m sure the response to the low E is down, I’d say 50% of the other 5. Though it’s hard to tell with the guitar in your lap. I need to distance the amp and get another listener. But to me it’s apparent via Headphones.

Sum up. I purchased this guitar for a variety of reasons. In my youth I always hankered for the "O" type guitar this is based on. I like and wanted to recreate the slightly artificial / synthesised sound of a nylon acoustic put through effects; reverb, delay, chorus etc. By plugging this guitar into a Katana I get the kind of thing I was after with lots of sound options at great price. I can EQ some treble clarity back into the sound. There are small finishing issues, most of which are easily sortable and having done so, I am going to live with the questionable piezo. I would never have purchased the four figure equivalent. But I do have something which looks great in the collection and is very enjoyable to play and experiment with. Therefore, for the price, reasonably pleased with my purchase.

My first ever order with Thomann and my first Harley Benton. I ordered the HBO-850 in the blue finish having wanted a bowl back guitar since my teenage years (all the way back in the 90’s). So how did she do? Read on good people…

First Impression: It’s quite nice out the box, the leaf designs stood out nicely without being overstated, neck looks lovely and feels great in the hand and headstock was nicely done. No frets sprouting out but a few were a little sharp. Came with a wrench for the truss rod.
Action And Intonation: Once the guitar was tuned up and strings stretched in I measured exactly 0.10 relief at the 8th fret. Action is comfortable and low when combined with the comfortable satin neck. To my surprise the intonation was almost perfect out the box too.
Fit and Finish: A few sharp fret ends on the guitar but nothing that would cause blood loss or injury. A bit of light dressing or a rub down with a sanding sponge would sort this. The binding on the neck is lovely up to 12th fret but is a quite untidy around the neck join and upper frets. Around the leaf decorations and bridge there was a bit of glue residue and the finish was a bit untidy. Not the worst I’ve ever seen but if your a perfectionist this isn’t for you. If you can live with a few imperfections and are willing to do a bit of work yourself it’s not terrible. I initially thought the nut was badly cut but after checking it over it was just my eyes and the nut is reasonably well done.
Sound: Unplugged it has a sweet sound, a little light on bass but it has a unique and pleasant sound. When plugged in it’s quite responsive. The onboard eq is good and you can dial in a nice sound. Again not the best but very functional and tone wise it does a decent job.
Overall Impression: I paid £82 for this guitar and intended it for home use, a little recording and general jamming. And yeah it’s not bad for the money. If you are expecting amazing quality control and custom shop levels of attention to detail then save your money and get something else. If your after a reasonably priced acoustic and are willing to do a bit of work to tidy up a few odds and ends you will have a well set up, pleasantly sounding and reasonably good looking guitar. You could do a lot worse for the money folks.

A little background:
I bought this guitar almost a month ago since my old guitar developed a few dead frets. I have been playing since one year. I wanted a guitar to play daily and improve my technique, therefore, did not want to spend a lot of money.

Modifications:
Replaced the original strings with Knobloch CX Carbon Double Silver 300 ADC.

Guitar review:
The guitar looks clean and has an attractive finish. I did not quite like the initial out of the box sound. But that is not a big deal since it takes time for a new guitar and a new set of strings to settle in. However, I did replace the strings as I have had researched that these Knobloch strings can make an all laminate guitar sound much better.

The body is not that strong. I usually keep my capo attached to the top of headstock. I was surprised to see that the guitar is losing polish from the area where the capo is attached. Even though, the capo is made of rubber. Furthermore, I tried to take off the tuner to see something, while tightening the screws back in, the wood kinda got messed up and it felt like the screws, if tightened anymore, will break the guitar.

Coming to the sound of the guitar, I absolutely love that. This is the one thing that makes me forget about the above mentioned shortcomings. The knobloch strings have settled in quite well and the guitar is sounding better with each day passing by. I have a feeling I’m gonna keep this guitar for a very long time.

Conclusion:
Are you an intermediate or a professional player? You can get better guitars around 150-200 Euros. Since you would be experienced, you won’t have to worry about damaging the guitar anyway.

Are you a beginner? I wanted a cutaway guitar to allow me to play higher notes. I play, and learn to play, melodies and solos. Thus, if you need a cutaway too, I’d recommend this guitar. For 89 Euros it is a great deal. Just remember to replace the strings with Knobloch CX Carbon Double Silver 300ADC, that’s what I did. If a cutaway isn’t a deal breaker for you, it would be an option to buy an old guitar within the same price range. You could get used Yamaha guitars within 100 Euros.

P.S: I have no idea about the electric o/p since I don’t own an amp just yet.

The instrument is interesting in terms of sound and quality.
Quite good wood was used and you can hear it.
The neck is quite wide. The socket outlet could be centrally on the axis of symmetry (more practical).
I personally dismantled the piezoelectric transducer and use the instrument without harmful radiation. Keys without flaws hold the outfit. The thresholds do not need to be adjusted. The stands on the soundboard, if desired, can be lowered very low, allowing the strings to run slightly over the frets. We touch the strings like a harp. In my opinion, a product worth recommending. I recommend without electronics.
The thresholds could be a bit bigger. An individual matter. The markers on the edge slightly subtract from the classic charm.
I suggest 4+. Logo on the headstock unnecessary. This is, in short, in my opinion. Sounds like a harp.
I use the instrument in music therapy.

I am mainly an electric player into Jazz but had been looking for a nylon string guitar for Bossa Nova and came across this HB model which has the smaller nut width of 48mm which I though would help my short fingers so I decided to go for it.

The guitar cannot be faulted. No fret buzz, level frets although needing a little polish, not rough fret edges. I decided to fit D’Addario EJ45LP strings as I will do anything to reduce string squeal but I believe this guitar comes fitted with a good quality D’Addario string set as standard.

I cannot comment on how this guitar sounds side by side with similar guitars but the tone to me sounds great and the under saddle Fishman pickup works really well.

So if you are looking to add a nylon string model to your arsenal then this guitar could be a good way to test the water without breaking the bank. Certainly the narrower nut width may help players transitioning from electric.

My first Santos unfortunately had issues with the pickup system but as usual Thomann replaced it in double quick time and as it was a few weeks before Christmas this was above and beyond service so thanks Guys.
The finish on these guitars is the only con I can see in that it’s presentable but it won’t take your breath away.
When you start playing it you are in for a surprise especially as the tone far exceeded my expectation especially when plugged in. The built in Tuner is spot on and the sound from the piezo is top notch.
It’s well balanced and crisp I imagine it could get even better with a bone nut and saddles but for now I’m really happy. It took some time for me to adjust to the nylon strings but now I’m all over the fretboard and it’s genuinely a joy to play. The action came nicely set up and the intonation was perfect so I can heartily recommend it especially as a starter guitar that will take a long way into intermediate level. Another Harley Benton that well exceeds its price point.

First, I own 16 Harley Benton guitars and basses…love ’em all. My wife is the musician….I’m a beginner bassist and I bought this for myself to dabble in guitar and learn some chords so that I can better relate my bass playing to what the band is doing. Wanted a classical with wider nut and neck so I could more cleanly fret the chords while learning. This guitar sounds and plays quite nicely, and has become a favorite of my wife too (who ironically says she likes a narrow fretboard). It really is an outstanding value and a nice looking round back guitar….I have no idea how they can sell this for what they charge. The quality is very good, fret ends ok. The wood veneer designs glued on could use some minor sanding and oiling to be perfect. Really like this guitar, as well as all my other Harley Bentons. Outstanding value…just ordered 4 more HB’s….nice work Thomann!

For the money I expect a few minor defects. One at the base of the neck below the fretboard was extremely obvious. The rest of the finish was fine.
The setup was poor. The action was high, the neck bowed and a good deal of buzzing. Also the frets on both sides of the fretboard will bite you they’re so rough. If I keep it, it will take several hours of work to get it in shape.
Maybe it’s the luck of the draw. It’s my first HB and the reviews online were all raving about overall quality of their products.

I bought this instrument because of its price as an experiment to be modified to accomodate (way) heavier gauge MAGMA TRANSPOSITOR strings.

First the goods: For USD 175 I got a classical acoustic with a cutaway, a transducer, a preamp and tuner. It’s all black! And the best part it’s that for such a budget it sounds way better than expected!

Then the bads: The fretwork on the unit I got was the worse I ever had. I had to level all the frets, re-crown one by one and then polish in order to make this guitar usable. Luckily I have luthery skills and after several hours of work the guitar plays beautifully. The nut and bridge are the cheapest low density plastic and you should swap both for bone or graphtech to get the most of this instrument. Depending on which part of the world you are, having these tasks taken care by a luthier might cost you the price of the guitar or even more. The black glossy finish is not as comfortable as matte, open grain or even glossy finishes from high-end models. In addition, this finish gets marred and scratched quite easily and somehow I don’t think it will stay pitch black for long since white hue started to show in different parts of the body.

The conclussion: provided the frets are leveled and nut and bridge are replaced I find this is a great instrument for begginers (studying and performing). Just be aware of your local luthier’s reparation price-list before ordering.

Guitar looks nice but does not sound very good and is not super good to play. It is not bad for the price, so if you have to be under 200? and need mic’s then this is fine.
But if you do not need the mic’s you could be better of with something like Yamaha C40.
If you need mic’s and have a bit more cash to use, I would go with Ortega.
I bough this for work office coffee brake instrument. Just to use those few minutes for good purpose. This does not fit perfectly to that because I woul like it to be better playable, but I will try different strings to it and see if it gets better.
There is big difference between metal plated strings and the full nylon strings. Nylon ones are quieter and do not feel that well playable.
Guitar weights a bit heavy side, but not too much.
I selected this because it was the cheapest with tuner and with cutaway.
The tuner is showing about right, so you can get it into the play field, and ear tune the rest. The 12th fret is not in tune according to internal tuner.
My background for this review: I have played guitar for 25 years just for my own fun (no band/gigging), but I think I have a good feeling what guitar is good and which ones are not. I have owned many guitars, but currently I have two electrics and this is my third acoustic for now.
I did order another guitar also (the sub 100? Harley Benton HBO-850 round back). They do not have it in stock so can’t say anything about it yet, but if it is not good either, these are my last HB instruments I’ll purchase.
EDIT: Changed strings to A’Addario Classic (~7¤) and the sound and playability got better. For the price it is nice guitar!

im not a beginner – but wanted a C40 for traveling performance, and teaching,
i bought a C40 had to return it next day, fretbuzz was a crazy even with very high action. provided thomann with a video of a B chord sounding very bad.
after the fourth return for exactly the same same issue, i got refunded – one of the four started off ok for a few weeks, then developed buzzing, and a loud resonance that killed the note on all G# frets.

thomann customer service told me their guitar expert says that all C40s will perform to the same standard and refunded me,

so i then bought 4 from amazon, 2 at a time, because i was determined to get one that didnt have fretbuzz on A and D strings between frets 2- 7.
all buzzed the same , and were returned to amazon next day.

the overall sound of the guitar when not buzzing is more than acceptable, if this guitar was manufactured to a decent finish including set up, it would be fine.

C40s have a low-midrange sound, not much definition on high frets on the nylon strings, as expected.

feel of the neck is playable, tuners are acceptable

ive been in touch with yamaha musics tech support about it, no reply.

i even bought 2 yamaha CG104A’s yesterday from yamaha london and gear4music,
theyre similar with a more high-mid sound overall.
Both CG104A’s to my dismay display exactly the same fretbuzz on A and D, as the C40s im reviewing here – and are being returned.

thats my budget yamaha experience. if you decide to get one good luck .
i hope to own a functional budget yamaha classical one day just to get some closure !
im grateful to thomann for at least being understanding with my endless returns,

edit- have now had response with yamaha support. they state they take my report seriously and are investigating, and have offfered me a replacement

Bought this guitar for my daughter who started her guitar lessons. Compared the sound with other low priced guitars, I think this is the best guitar to start with and it will be for some coming years. Highly recommendable.