Welcome to our selection of
Pre-owned Classical Guitars.
Personal Currency Assistant
Read Customers Comments
Hermann Hauser III.
2008 Segovia Model.
Spruce/Brazilian Rosewood
£15,000
Firstly I must comment on the strikingly beautiful spruce top of this guitar. It is stunning, particularly as it has darkened to a rich honey colour with markings that have a real 3D effect. This certainly speaks of quality and I was not disappointed as I started to play.
I found this review very interesting since it is my first opportunity to play a "played in" Hauser III and I was struck by her warm, full bodied and mature voice.
The sound is very well supported with a depth and intensity that means there is a lot of it! The best way for me to describe this is soft power, meaning a sound with strength and breadth that remains rounded and smooth.
The bass is beautifully deep with a rich velvet tone and the treble is golden with a clear, singing voice.
I have some duo parts that are very high at the moment and I found the clarity and sustain in this range excellent with full middle voicing and rich creamy harmonies. This may all sound too much but the definition is great, allowing you to hear everything clearly and the access to colour and emotion is evident.
This guitar is beautifully played in by a professional player and has a full, secure and reliable voice, giving her new owner the freedom to explore and develop their music.
£15,000 GBP
For Payment Information Email Adrian
Paul Fischer Premier Taut Guitar.
2009 Cedar Rosewood Model.
£4750
This cedar guitar has the characteristic Fischer separation and definition making it easy to highlight musical lines and chord voicing. She has excellent evenness and balance across the strings with a crisp, bright top E string, clear middle voices and a full-bodied bass which has a vibrant character.
Overall I would describe the character of the sound as bright with plenty of punch and projection. The feel under the fingers is firm and I think that she needs strong playing to develop the voice.
She really is a guitar to find, create and develop colour and sound on. That is she does not play herself, but does respond quickly to input from the player.
For example when I played Birds flew over the spire by Gary Ryan I was able to bring out long, fluid singing lines through the campanella resonance of the music, finding some lovely sweet treble colours, clear sustain and richness in the bass.
Moving on to Jongo by Bellinati, the power and volume of the guitar came to the fore with great clarity in articulation and speed.
Antonio Raya Pardo Flamenco.
1991 Spruce/Cypress Model.
£2000
This is a very light instrument, in actual weight that is, and it has a lovely direct, true and focused sound making it ideal for the textures, colours and rhythms of ‘proper’ Flamenco music.
She has a mature and well-developed tone with a very fast and lively response to right hand touch and completely clear and defined notes.
This of course makes fast articulation easy for the player. Every note projects quickly and cleanly bringing out the textures of scale passages and rasgueado and highlighting the excitement and brilliance of the music.
The guitar loves to be pushed and has an excellent pallet of tone colours. I particularly liked the sparkle in the upper registers of the treble. I am not a flamenco player but I enjoyed experimenting with the flamenco strokes and especially found apoyando playing easy and fluent.
This guitar is definitely a traditional flamenco instrument. For me this is represented by true and focused tone, a strong, punchy and direct bass voice, easy and light playability and projection with quick ‘reflexes’.
She certainly is a guitar with plenty of life and energy for her new owner to enjoy and develop.
£2000 GBP
Buy !
Manuel Contreras 2a Flamenco.
1996 Spruce/Cypress Model.
£2600
This is a beautiful cypress spruce guitar with lovely figuring in the wood of the bridge and head, and in great condition. At first glance you would not know that it is 16 years old.
She has an immediate and bright sound, bold and responsive with a lovely resonant treble and overall open voice. There is great definition across the strings with particular clarity of the inner strings and it is easy to project an attacking and vigorous tone quality.
The openness and clarity of the trebles make for a polished and ‘shining’ tone quality, and the range from a full, rich tone with gentle strokes, to a vibrant and exciting tone with more attacking strokes gives you an excellent pallet of colours.
Rasgueado and fast scale passages are clear and full of texture giving you as the player a vibrant and lively response, and this tone quality and colour has got a lot of growing room since the guitar has not been played much by her first owner.
The bass voice is firm and vivid with a fullness and sustain that will easily sing a more ‘classical’ line and also lots of punch and attack highlighting rhythms and strongly supporting rasgueado and arpeggio textures.
£2600 GBP
Buy !
Felix Manzanero 1a Professional Classical.
1998 Spruce/Rosewood Model.
£4000
This guitar is in absolutely excellent condition, as new really, and she has not been played very much in her lifetime, which means that the sound and future potential are also as new; a very good deal for her new owner.
In fact she does have quite a new feel as you start to play.
There is plenty of punch in the sound and resistance in the strings showing for me a huge potential for growth in breadth and depth.
Having said that she already has a big sound and clear projection. The tone is deep and rich overall with clear and defined treble strings that I could hear opening and becoming more radiant as I played.
The guitar is awakening at the moment and is desperate to be played.
As I played I experimented with different strokes and pushed the sound as much as possible. I could sense that she could take much more and heard the vitality and impact of her voice, particularly using rest strokes on the treble strings.
The bass is full and strong as you would expect and again growing in sonority all the time.
Experimenting with the usual Albeniz and Villa Lobos pieces I found plenty of sustain and balance in the bass voice with a full bodied and fat bass E underpinning the overall sound.
This is a guitar with a big voice and character that is waiting to be played and enjoyed. She will give her player a vibrant and resonant voice, with a balance across the range that will reflect the smooth, warm and full-bodied side to her character.
There is a lot of fun to be had here from a guitar with an excellent pedigree and a full life ahead.
£4000 GBP
Buy !
Felix Manzanero 1a Flamenco.
1999 Spruce/Cypress Model.
£3500
Firstly I must say how much I love the look of this guitar. Being a flamenco guitar the wood for the back and sides is cypress but it is darker than I have experienced, a wonderfully deep honey colour and in excellent condition.
Like the classical Manzanero guitar that we have in at the moment (from the same owner who can no longer play) I don’t think that this guitar has been played very much. It is very alive and responsive with a firm touch and crisp, vibrant sound. By firm I mean that the strings have the resistance that helps you to play strongly but by no means hinders tone production.
The guitar is easy to play and project and responds to strong rest strokes with a clear focused sound that obviously has more to give. I was certainly not able to play her to her limit, and with pushing, the sound has great impact and intensity. The speed of response also leads to distinct and easily controlled articulation. The bass voice is full and intense, with a well defined tone with a wide range of colour through touch, from edgy and exciting to sonorous and engaging.
I am not a flamenco player so used pieces that I thought would highlight the characteristics of a flamenco guitar.
In the Delfin Alard study by Tarrega the clarity was excellent with the definition of individual notes adding full texture to the arpeggios. This was also evident in running through some rasgueado chords and in Elogia de la Danza by Brouwer, where the dissonances were compelling and exciting because everything can be heard clearly within the harmony. Canarios by Sanz highlighted the clarity and sparkle in the treble, and Cardoso’s Milonga combined this definition with ample and sonorous bass notes.
This is certainly an exciting guitar with excellent prospects.
£3500 GBP
Buy !
Michael Gee Layered Top.
2004 Cedar/Indian Model.
£4900
Adrian's comments - This guitar was originally built for me by Michael Gee and I enjoyed playing and owning her for several years then I fell in love with a set of Brazilian Rosewood used by Kevin Aram on one of his guitars. The Aram guitar had been sold to a client and was never destined to be mine. I mentioned to Michael, the beauty of this rosewood set where upon he produced a sister set which looked almost identical; with great reluctance I sold the Indian Gee guitar to help finance my new Brazilian Gee. Now my first Gee guitar is once again up for sale and ready to deliver and challenge a new owner.
Selina's review - I always see it as a privilege to be able to come back to a guitar after a few years and see how it has matured and developed.
I am delighted and impressed with how this guitar has evolved and really enjoyed playing it again for this review.
She has a big, open voice with a vibrant character that highlights the brilliance in colours easily, and also has fullness and support in every note.
The trebles really shine and are beautifully clear and defined across the range. There is loads of texture and variety in tone to be found, with the guitar responding very quickly to changes in speed and angle of attack.
I definitely fell in love with the bass, with firm and intense tone, depth and great impact.
The speed of response and overall clarity make articulation easy to highlight and she is very even across the strings bringing out all the detail in the middle harmonies.
I warmed up with some easier classical repertoire and enjoyed voicing the music and experimenting with tone to bring out the ‘theatrical’ side of the music.
In Capricho Catalan the guitar did everything that I wanted – rich, full and intense bass with a clear and separated melody in thirds and a wide range and control of dynamics.
When I described a big voice earlier I was being reserved!
This guitar is very loud and full-bodied with it, not losing quality of tone as you project.
I finished with playing the Chaconne by Bach and became very excited.
This music requires great substance of tone and clear definition to let the fantastic harmonies and melodic movement speak, and this guitar did the job beautifully for me.
She is an exciting and exhilarating instrument and will light up the music that you play
Follow this link to hear a Michael Gee Guitar.
Sold January 2012
Alastair McNeill.
2006 Spruce/Indian Model.
£1500
For sale due to exceptional circumstances at a price you would normally pay for a Spanish workshop instrument this 6 year old guitar built by a long standing English Luthier with a fine reputation.
This guitar is in very good condition and the rosewood on the back and sides is almost black, and beautiful.
I think that the best way to describe her character is “understated”; she is not an “excitable” guitar but the focus and support in the sound is very noticeable giving the guitar balance, strength, depth and control. There is also a “sparkle” in the treble voice, which noticeably developed as I played, and a lot of potential for growth, with strong, full and direct bass strings.
In playing a wide variety of music, I found that the definition of notes across the range of strings and fingerboard is very good and especially noticeable in contrapuntal music. This clarity has a “soft” edge, not sharp or bright, emphasizing warmth in harmonies and chords.
There is the potential for strong playing with this guitar while retaining a comfortable playing action, and as you push for more sound, you notice the freedom developing in the treble voice, and the overall projection coming out.
Overall, this guitar will give you a strong, focussed and full tone, which supports the right hand technique allowing you to use less effort!
Her voice is one that a player can rely on and develop to their playing style.
Sold January 2012
Peter Barton.
2010 Spruce/Rio Rosewood Model.
£4750
An unexpected change in circumstances have brought this beautiful guitar to market at a price that will make any new owner very happy. Originally sold new in June 2010 this guitar comes with a beautiful hand made Kingham MTM case.
This guitar has to be one of the ‘buys’ of the year and a find not to be missed by a guitarist looking for a concert instrument.
It is a year old but you wouldn’t know it. Peter’s usual impeccable finish is in as new condition and she has started to find her voice, giving you immediate response and projection, but has obviously so much more for her new owner to find and develop.
I always start my reviews of guitars now with Birds flew over the Spire by Gary Ryan. This is a simple piece but requires all the essentials from a guitar to be effective.
With this instrument I immediately found the resonance and warmth that I wanted with a fantastic sustain that enabled the contrapuntal lines to sing in long phrases.
She has big, round trebles that are silky smooth and fluid with what I think of as a golden sound. The clarity is also excellent and there is a vitality that can be easily called on to give real excitement and sparkle as a discovered in the very high register when playing Waltz no. 1 by Lauro.
The clarity and evenness of the sound right up to these very high notes is simply great.
I could hear so much going on as I played and particularly liked the fullness and separation in the middle voices.
I do love the bass voice of Peter’s guitars and this is no exception. The sound is intense, rich and full bodied. Heard in colour and texture it would be deep purple velvet, always maintaining definition.
These musical qualities were amply demonstrated in Rosita and Capricho by Tarrega, with clear and strong voices lovely bass support and direction.
Finally, in Grand Overture by Giuliani I discovered the amount of excitement and vibrancy that the guitar has to offer with brilliant texture and orchestral colour and a fantastic dynamic range under the fingertips.
She has quite a range of sound from vivid, radiant and compelling to effortless, sweet and graceful, making her a wonderfully emotional and musical instrument.
Sold November 2011
Bernabe M50.
1997 Spruce/Madagascar Rosewood Model.
£3200
The current owner has enjoyed the M50 so much that he is upgrading to a Bernabe Especial model.
This guitar has a very striking appearance with a light, figured rosewood back and sides blending beautifully with the honey coloured, spruce top. As I started to play, I was immediately aware of the strength of her voice, which is full, mature and resonant giving the player great confidence and room to improve.
Despite the warm resonance around the sound, there is plenty of definition across the whole range. This helps to bring more volume and texture to the music, as there is a lot to listen to! I particularly enjoyed playing with the chord voicing in Bach’s Chaconne and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get the control and clarity necessary for this complicated piece.
I played a wide variety of music, and found that she was able to respond to different techniques and right hand touch quickly and easily. This is very satisfying for the player and demonstrates that although she is a big and powerful instrument she also has control and finesse.
As you would expect from a guitar of this quality she is well balanced across the bass and treble voices with a supported sound that delivers clarity with resonance and warmth. She still has a lot to give to an enthusiastic owner.
Sold November 2011
Michael Gee Torres Inspired model.
2008 Spruce/Spanish Cypress.
£3500
This guitar is a little stunner with a beautifully sweet sound and totally brilliant bass voice.
It has been owned and played by professional guitarist Phillip Thorne over the last few years and so has a mature and sonorous sound.
She is not a copy of a Torres guitar but rather reflects the inspiration that Michael has gained from his research into, and ownership of these historic instruments; she is very much a Michael Gee guitar.
I love the Spanish cypress wood, which is so striking and unusual in a classical guitar.
Of course this guitar is not designed to have a big, attacking sound for modern concert halls, however the focus and depth of tone in each note brings its own strength and volume and there is plenty of sound and projection available.
The individual notes are round and full and the harmonic sonorities are expansive and very expressive.
When I played Capricho Catalan by Albeniz I had no problem with extending and singing the long phrases. The melody in thirds was absolutely clear and fluid and the bass of this guitar produced a fantastic ‘throbbing’ rhythm giving the music great drive and direction.
In Valseana by Sergio Assad her warmth, colour and easy tone came to the fore highlighting the harmonies and dissonances and moving seamlessly across the wide range of notes, particularly enjoying the upper register.
Finally I enjoyed playing some of my favourite studies by Sor and loved the singing quality, subtlety and delicacy that I was able to bring to the music.
This guitar is easy to play and encourages musicianship. She has a full bodied and honeyed tone that I would describe as ‘a sound to sink into’ and, simply put, she is a beautiful little guitar with a beautiful sound that is great fun and very rewarding to play!
Sold November 2011
Simon Ambridge.
2010 Spruce Model.
£5250
Originally sold by ourselves in 2010 this guitar is definitely an exciting proposition, Indian Rosewood with Hazelficte (Bearclaw) Spruce top complemented by Rodgers tuners. This guitar is in immaculate condition and if not for the label could easily be mistaken for a new instrument. The current owner is taking early retirement and sadly is realeasing all but one of his guitar collection.
A firm and well supported voice with tension in the top promising,as the guitar is played in, an exciting musical journey for the future. With just a small amount of playing the guitar starts to open out demonstrating a lively character with a clear singing treble voice responding over the whole fretboard. The guitar overall has a glowing tone working closely with a bright character delivering clarity, sustain and articulation across all voices. The firm support across all of the strings gives very good definition which helps to bring out texture and colour within the music, bass voices has a velvety tone mixed with intensity that gives the sound real impact, rich, mellow and very full bodied, overall this guitar has so much to give.
With no VAT payable on a Pre-owned guitar this is a fantastic saving over the price of a new instrument.
Sold October 2011
Vicente Carrillo 1a.
2008 Spruce Model.
£1850
Considering upgrading your guitar? Then this 2008 Carrillo 1a should definitely be on your wish list. Musically the 1a is an exceptional instrument given its new price of £2640 in fact this guitar has taken the owner from hobby player to music school entrant who has now upgraded to a Michael Gee concert guitar. The secret of the Carrillo 1a is in its ability to be able to perform in any style of music due to its clarity and balance across the strings. Voicing is clear and strong with a lovely defined bass section accompanied by singing trebles. The proportions of the 1a enhance ease of play and the attention paid during build delivers a guitar with the right balance of tension; sufficient to allow the top to work yet allowing the player to relax and enjoy the music. This 2008 model has been well cared for and has only one small mark under the bridge caused by a slipping treble string and slight wear on the lower edge.
Sold October 2011
Kevin Aram.
2000 Spruce Model.
£4000
This guitar is certainly a beautiful object reflecting the craftsmanship and attention to detail of a world-class luthier not only in her looks but also in the quality, focus and depth of her sound.
She has a mature voice and has been well played developing rounded, honey coloured trebles and a mellow yet strong, velvet bass. As I first started to play (on completely new strings) this was deceptive and I wondered how much more there was to come. However, within half an hour the clarity and quality of focus of the individual notes became evident with easy definition in voicing, projection and most importantly a strength and depth in the sound that gives excellent support. Playing Preludes by Ponce I was able to bring across the detailed harmony and voicing within the music and, in our piece of the moment Birds Flew over the Spire by Gary Ryan, I achieved a lovely warm resonance to the campanella effects while still maintaining clear and sustained melodic lines.
The consistency of sound is also great and as I played the guitar she responded to the character and contrasts in texture that my playing was looking for, showing that she is still a young guitar with plenty more to offer and further to develop, this was particularly evident when I looked for the excitement and vibrancy in Jongo by Bellinati.
Overall she is a guitar with a lovely, smooth, full sound with intensity, strength and depth always in support of your playing.
Built in the year 2000 this Aram guitar has a Spruce top and 3 piece back consisting of Indian rosewood and Maple and is fitted with beautiful Rodgers tuners.
Sold August 2011
Philip Woodfield Grand Concert Guitar.
2009 Spruce Malaysian Ebony Model.
£3750
In first playing this guitar I was struck by the very positive response and the full and clear tone.
The sound has substance and firmness that immediately give the player a strong sense of security and so relaxation in their playing. The response to right hand touch is quick and full with clearly defined notes and a very even and balanced tone across the strings.
I played through a number of different pieces and found a good, fluid tone easy to produce. For example in some dances by Sanz the clarity in the sound came to the fore bringing out the contrapuntal lines, with the movement between registers smooth and balanced.
The clarity of tone is not sharp or edgy but rather supported by warmth and resonance that bring out a mellowness which certainly contributes to the overall ease of tone production and to the ample sound and projection.
There is plenty of tonal contrast and colour to be found and a lot more overall development in sound available for a player looking to develop their technique and musicianship with an instrument that will give them encouragement through consistency, balance and the support of a full bodied and fluid voice.
Sold May 2011
Paul Fischer Virtuoso Guitar.
2010 Spruce Model.
£5600
Paul Fischer's Virtuoso guitar has a very direct and clear singing voice with a polished tone that is matched by her immaculate finish. Her treble is vibrant and defined, supported by an intense and substantial bass register, combining to produce a sound with both impact, subtlety and particularly consistency.
Even though this guitar is pre owned she is still very new. The sound is very direct and clarity is foremost with a firm feel under the fingers that means she really responds to being pushed musically. The overall resonance of the guitar will certainly grow and develop with playing.
In saying this I do not mean to detract from her present sound. I love the direct clarity, which enables me to hear everything! There is great evenness of response across the strings and an excellent transition from the basses to the trebles.
I like the bass a lot! The sound is full, intense and rich with no “squashyness”!
I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with Walton Bagatelles 2 and 3 that I am relearning at the moment. I could easily find the detail of articulation and colour that I wanted, as well as dynamic range, making the music easy to shape and giving it strength, momentum and emotion.
Sold May 2011
Kevin Aram.
2010 Spruce Rosewood Model.
£TBA
Arriving within the next two weeks a 2010 model guitar by the World famous maker Kevin Aram. Kevin built this guitar for his own use so that he could see how his guitars change over their first 12 months of life, something most makers never take the time to do. Having enjoyed the experiment Kevin is now releasing this guitar so that it may enjoy a future life of music with a new owner.
Photographs and further details to follow.
Sold April 2011
Michael Gee Torres Style Guitar.
2005 Spruce Cypress Model.
£2900
This is a really gorgeous little instrument and I have to admit to having fallen in love with it myself!
She has a mellow and sweet voice with beautifully rounded notes that help to produce long flowing lines in the music.
She is a guitar with stunning looks. I always find the cypress wood very striking and the four-piece back here enhances and shows off the wood beautifully.
Michael has told me that he built this instrument in the style of his favourite historical guitar, built by Torres in 1860, which he describes as simple but very, very beautiful, and the beauty of Michael’s guitar is in it’s simplicity and proportions.
The guitar is perfectly balanced and has a very smooth voice with warmth and focus in the notes. I suppose another way of describing this is a traditional sound that really emphasises the singing qualities of the guitar.
These characteristics came to the fore when I played Capricho Catalan by Albeniz, which also highlighted a great, full bass sound.
Bagatelles 2 and 3 by Walton showed that the guitar has strength in the focus and definition of the notes that will certainly develop further as she is played.
This guitar was made for a collection and so has been played very little over the years. I think that the original strings were still in place when she arrived here. I have put D’addario strings on and think that it will be worth experimenting with different strings to explore the voice of the guitar.
Finally, in playing some Aguado I was able to achieve a beautifully clear and focussed sound, highlighting the melodic lines and interweaving voices in the music with singing sustain.
A small repair has been carried out by Michael to this guitarwhich is to the table a little to the left of the fretboard. The repair was carried out quite early in the guitars life and there have been no problems since.
When Michael built this guitar he asked his son Alex to add his name to the label in the hope that one day he may follow Michael into the World of a Luthier.
This is a guitar that will be loved and enjoyed by her next lucky owner.
Sold April 2011
|
