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Welcome to our selection of
Pre-owned Classical Guitars.
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Read Customers Comments
John Price.
£4000
Spruce and African Rosewood model 2001.
From the first notes, it is obvious that this is a big and powerful instrument. The sound is very full and is projected strongly forwards so that the player does not initially get the best impression of the performance. However once you settle into playing your ear adjusts and you start to understand how the guitar speaks and learn how to get the best from her.
The treble is very mellow in colour and consistent up to the highest notes. The warm resonance of the sound does not hamper the clarity in any way. I found it easy to bring out individual notes and melodic lines on all of the strings.
This separation worked particularly well in "Asturias" by Albeniz, which I initially played to experiment with the bass. I found that I only needed a light touch with my thumb to get a rich, smooth resonance, but as I put more into the stroke I was rewarded with an incredibly strong and vibrant, yet focussed and supported sound
I do not really think that I have the technique to get the most from this instrument (by this I mean strength of movement). She gives a full sound and projects beautifully but I know she would respond even better to a stronger player, who could benefit fully the huge sound available.
£4000 GBP
Buy !
Earl Marsh.
£1600
Spruce and African Rosewood model 2003.
My first impression was of quite a small bodied guitar that has a striking appearance with the unusually light back and sides, and decorated head stock. I am not very tall and found the size of the body led to ease of playing and posture; the player has easy control over "holding" the guitar so hands and arms tend to be more relaxed.
She has an open and clear tone across the strings, and what I describe as a "smiling" voice, that is warm and colourful.
She is also well balanced and is responsive to a light touch which helps to bring out melodies and voicing.
Overall the guitar is very and resonant and will definitely benefit from lots of playing by an enthusiastic player who is looking for more music in their playing!
£1600 GBP
Buy !
Ramirez 1a Elite.
£5350
This beautiful Cedar and Brazilian Rosewood model built in 1987 is in as new condition having neen treasured by its original owner. The finish is immaculate in fact, having been wrapped in silk for most of its life, there are not even any of the light marks usually attributated to the case lining.
From the first touch of this guitar, the player is aware of its power, which is enhanced by a supported and focussed sound. The trebles are rounded and polished, and there is a very good transition in tone from string 1 to string 3 with no heaviness apparent on the latter. The bass voices are crisp and vibrant which came as a surprise to me. They offer excellent support to the harmony and melody and compliment the trebles beautifully helping to create a traditional "Spanish" voice with a real added zing!
As you would expect from a guitar of this quality she is very well balanced. The overall character is of warmth and strength with a clean edge; the warm resonance is not overly dominant and the notes across the full range remain focussed. This means that control is not a problem at all giving the player freedom to experiment with sound and phrasing.
My impression is that she would really benefit from a strong player to bring out every aspect of her voice. The sound does come easily and smoothly under a gentle touch (as I have) but there is definitely more in the tank that needs a firmer hand!
£5350 GBP
Buy !
Michael Gee.
£1850
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 1988.
This Gee guitar gave an immediate sense of security with its mature and rounded tone. She is vocally even across the strings and her voice is pure and focussed - not excitable or particularly adventurous but very reliable. One's right hand can quickly find the technique required to draw the best from the guitar and the eveness makes for ease in voicing and dynamic contrast. In this price range she offers excellent value for money for a player simply wanting to enjoy music for themselves, with quality of sound that is traditional and has the purity of an English concert guitar.
£1850 GBP
Buy !
Ramirez 125th Anniversary Model.
£11000
ANNIVERSARY GUITAR.
The Anniversary Guitar was especially designed by Amalia Ramírez to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the firm. The design pays tribute to the beauty of the guitars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is a limited series of 125 guitars and there will be no re-editions.
This beautiful instrument; No4 of 125; was presented to Harold Grettons winner of the 2007 Cordoba guitar competition.
Unusual and striking appearence, with its bold rosette and smaller features such as the carved bridge and head and the inlay in the back of the head reminding you that you now own something extra special. The sound of the 125th anniversary is bright and vibrant in the trebles with a lot of resonance giving the feeling of playing in a big acoustic. Basses are fat and round with the inner harmonies adding warmth. The 125th is a loud guitar and at this moment in its young life needs pushing to develop its full potential. As you play you can hear the guitar starting to develop and blossom. Strong playing is preferable as she is a guitar that craves to be mastered
SPECIFICATIONS:
Cedar Soundboard.
Back & Sides Madagascar rosewood.
Special headstock.
650mm string length.
Carvings on the bridge and the heal.
Special design in boxwood for the finish of the head.
Black & White Rosette.
Sold June 2008
Manuel Contreras Double Top Premium.
£4450
Cedar and African Rosewood model 2005.
Having had experience of these guitars over a few years now, I had a good idea of what to expect, but I have to admit to being surprised at the volume and amount of sound that this guitar produced under a "normal" touch. This is simply a powerful and resonant Spanish guitar that is very "alive" under your fingers. The character of her voice is vibrant, colourful and exciting; in colour it would be made up of oranges and reds, bright blues and greens! This description may sound a little strange and does represent my personal interpretation; I am just linking my feelings on hearing the sounds to pictures, as this helps me to bring more expression into playing.
You only need to stroke the strings to turn on the surround sound, but this resonance does not lead to a mushy sound because the separation and clarity of all the strings is so good. In harmony and contrapuntal music, every note is clear and easy to highlight. I particularly enjoyed experimenting with Prelude no. 1 by Villa Lobos. The bass melody singing out smoothly, the harmony and dissonances easy to control and really highlighting the direction of the music, and, most exciting, when I wanted to build the volume she has a seemingly endless volume control!
To sum up this is an exciting and vibrant instrument that has a huge sound and produces a very satisfying feeling for the player! I think that she has the wrong strings on now and would certainly like to experiment with D'addario strings. There is no need to use strings to get more clarity as she already has this virtue in spades.
Sold May 2008
Michael Gee.
£3750
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 2001.
This is actually my first ever Gee guitar so you can imagine how excited I was to hear how she has developed. Originally, this guitar inspired me to improve my playing almost beyond recognition (even after 25 years) because of her clarity, responsiveness and "excitement".
The spruce top has matured to a lovely honey colour and this is reflected in her voice; the sound has filled out and her original bright voice has mellowed to a smooth, glowing sound. I am so pleased at how beautiful her tone has become. There is wonderful separation between the strings, with a clear, bell like E string that is rounded but retains an exciting sparkle and comes into its own given a long, soaring melody.
The guitar is balanced and even with excellent transition in tone between the strings. She will definitely benefit from an owner who wants to experiment with tone and colour and really bring out the music within pieces. I love the clarity of sound and the variety of music that she enjoys playing! There is also still plenty of potential for growth in projection with regular playing. Voicing of melody and accompaniment is an absolute pleasure.
Overall I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to play this guitar again and to hear how she has matured to give a beautiful all round sound that is also versatile and maintains excellent potential.
Sold April 2008
Ramirez R4.
£800
Cedar and Indian Rosewood model 2000.
This guitar has been well played in and has a mature sound that is warm, rich and velvety. I would describe the colour of her voice as ranging from reds to purples to deep, deep blues! Tone production is certainly not a problem for the player; you can be secure in what you will be able to achieve easily and then build from there. The natural sound of the guitar is smooth and resonant, with excellent blending across the strings. The top E has a clear, round voice that is not bright but pure, enabling it to sing out effortlessly.
There is a lot of sound in the guitar and as I was playing, I could feel her loosening up and producing wider dynamic and tonal ranges.
She has a beautiful soft, tasto sound; I particularly enjoyed experimenting with this in the bass, which gave a wonderful resonance. I then played a gradual crescendo while gradually getting higher in pitch and listened to the sound blossom and change in colour!
I think that anyone will be able to enjoy playing this guitar, and developing the warm, rounded voice for their own musical needs.
Sold April 2008
Rafael Moreno Rodriguez.
£2950
Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood model 2005.
The most notable feature of this guitar after playing for an hour or so is the warm, mellow character of her voice; not yet a mature sound so there is still a lot for a player to bring out and develop to their style of playing.
The treble strings are nicely balanced leading to an ease in bringing out melodic lines; the top E is very clear but also well blended with the other trebles - that is to say not overly bright.
In fact "bright" is not a word that I would use for this guitar. There is sparkle finishing off the roundness of her voice but you have to "try" (not too hard!) to get the brighter and harsher sounds.
With many guitars the rounded sound is the one that you have to work for but here achieving a "good" tone is easy, and so she is an easy guitar to play!
This smooth treble sound is beautifully complimented by a rich velvety bass, one that you can sink into, but still maintains plenty of definition.
Her sound character reflects the mix of the spruce top and the Spanish build. As I played I noticed the sound growing and deepening, responding to my requests for variation in colour and dynamics while still maintaining her mellow voice.
My overall impression is of a sound filling a space and surrounding the player and listeners rather than being thrown out into the space; a guitar that I would not describe as powerful, rather one that is full, colourful and musical.
Sold April 2008
Simon Ambridge.
£1850
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 1992.
Information to follow.
Sold March 2008
Roger Williams.
£1800
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 2006.
This Williams guitar is in very good condition, almost as if it has not been played however this is not the case as its maturing resonance suggests. The initial impression is of an overall brightness, a lively feel with very good clarity in the voicing across the range and plenty of sound. You then start to hear the creamy, round quality in the trebles and the rich basses, giving the sound palette strength and depth. In essence this guitar is musically very defined and its voices well supported making it easy to achieve an excellent tone quality. The addition of a light action make for an enjoyable playing experience.
Sold January 2008
Cashimira 3a Spruce.
£950
This beautiful 3a Spruce is one of the few guitars we receive from the maker that has slight imperfections in the build. This particular guitar has several very slight marks around the edge of the boday and a very small incision just below the nut where the tool used to cut the recess for the nut has travelled slightly too deap. All the above is extremely minor however we fell that a reduction in the price will encourage you to over look these and concentrate on her musical abilities. The 3a is light in construction which helps to produce a clear and bright sound that projects. The action is refined giving you a guitar that is easy to play thereby allowing time to experiment with the full range of musical colours on offer.
Sold January 2008
Kenneth Roberts.
£1500
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 2003.
On first playing this guitar you immediately notice the lively feel, with excellent separation in the voicing. The treble sound is exciting, with a maturity that has rounded the notes and developed a depth and clarity to the tone that makes right hand playing a lot easier!
She is beautifully balanced, defining melody and accompaniment with little effort and the top E string sings with a bell like quality. Under this is a bass that is firm and focussed delivering great support and strength in harmony as well as rich, blossoming melodic lines.
The guitar has plenty to give in colour and variety of tone, and still has much more to offer in the reserve tank! She is in very good condition, apart from the string mark below the bridge at the E string, and the overall light feel and ease of touch in playing makes her suitable for any technique wanting to take that all important step up to the next level.
Sold September 2007
Ramirez 1a.
£1995
Here is you chance to buy a beautiful concert guitar for the price of a student instrument. This 1975 Ramirez 1a has a vocal tone to die for. Cedar top, Indian rosewood back and sides, with a small amount of wear as one would expect from a guitar of this age. This one owner instrument has been played, cared for and more importantly enjoyed she is now available for sale as the owner has decided it is time for a change. If you are looking for a conert guitar but do not wish to mortgage your house to buy one, this Ramirez 1a will suit fine.
Pictures to follow.
Sold Aug 2007
Peter Barton.
£ 4700
This Perter Barton Spruce & Brazilian Rosewood guitar is as new. I sold the Barton to a client in June of this year. The client originally wished to purchase a new Hermann Hauser guitar however the availability being 2008/2009 was a little too long for him to wait and therefore he purchased the Barton, an excellent second choice. July I received a cancellation for a Hauser guitar due to arrive August this year. Suffice to say the client having just purchased the Barton asked to purchase the Hauser and also asked if I could sell the Barton for him. Should you decide to purchase this Barton guitar you will receive an truly excellent brand new guitar for less than the new price.
Sold July 2007
Ramirez 1a Traditional.
£4200Cedar/Indian Rosewood.
An oppourtunity to purchase a new Ramirez guitar for less than the new price.
This instrument was first prize in the "III Concurso Internacional de Guitarra, Festival de Córdoba España, (also know as the Cordoba Guitar Competition) in July 2006".
There is an extremely powerful feel to this instrument which is enhanced by the focus in the sound - the tone is "whole" and rounded through a wide range of dynamics.
She is very responsive with lovely clarity and evenness across the strings and along the length of each string. The range of colours is wonderful, encouraging experimentation (especially good in the degrees of ponticello!), and these colours and tones are easily controlled with subtle right hand adjustments.
The bass voices are smooth and rich and do not lose definition through resonance, but stay focussed supporting and helping to create fantastic projection. As the player you hear the details but in front of the guitar you get the full blooming of the sound being pushed forward. This is of course something to be aware of and to learn to work with, however the sound is by no means restricted for the player.
The top E string is bright and clear and with playing will quickly develop and fill out so it is important to make full use of the fingerboard from the start.
The surprising thing for me when playing this guitar was the amount of detail and control I could get from a rich resonant guitar; it was working very well across different styles of music and I could feel the excitement of being at the beginning of the journey of a guitar with plenty of talent at present and loads of potential.
Sold May 2007
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