Cordoba 30F

Made in Spain (no year on label)
Scale: 650mm, 12 frets
Top: solid spruce (looks like 2nd grade)
Golpeador (tap plate): clear plastic
Back,sides: laminated sycamore
Neck: Mahogany with rosewood fingerboard
Bridge/head plate: rosewood
Tuners: economy stainless
Saddle/nut: synthetic (hard)
Electronics: NONE

Woods seem to be decent for inexpensive model. No defects in finish.
Tuners are cheap, but seem to hold fine. It does have cheap binding on the back side, fits the price anyways.

I was looking for inexpensive flamenco model that does not need a lot of special care. This baby hit the spot.
This is and entry model for a flamenco student directly competing with Alhambra's 30F model: same features, same pricing. Although Alhambra's are much harder to come by, this is quite popular and therefore much cheaper on the internet (got mine on eBay)
When compared to a solid wood guitar, sound is quite good with pleasant base and touching warmth but it is on the bright side without as much sustain of course. I've recorded with it couple of tracks, came out much better than expected.

It's meant to be used for practice and living in a condo I wouldn't want a loud concert model.

Although I bought it almost new, the action was very high. The bridge installed does not seem to be flamenco, it's too high. I had to sand the front of it down quite a bit to be able to bring the saddle as well to achieve flamenco action 3mm on 12th fret. Neck is 1 piece without reinforcement but it's straight and has great "playability". I find it very easy to learn on.

Finish is so clear, that guitar looks very light, transparent. I do prefer a darker warmer look, at least it's glossy and shiny :)
I'm glad Cordoba has good quality control.

I have to say this guitar has the best neck I've ever played. It's very thin and flat on the back. I didn't even realize before what a difference it would make. Just for that I'll give it a 10.

I'd say this guitar is not mean for live playing but I'll sound great through a cardoid mic. It's a solid practice instrument. I take on the road and don't have to put away in a case since it'a laminated, humidity changes don't affect it.

I like the lack of loudness volume since I live in an apt and practice mostly at night. It's built to last, so I hope to keep it long time.

I got it almost new, no idea about warranty. I've had another Cordoba guitars before, no problems. I prefer to fix my instruments myself, I doubt I'd ever call them.

I've really been playing for 2 yrs. I've had a $1000 solid wood flamenco guitar before, but I was always concerned about it getting damaged on the road or by humidity (in Iowa it changes fast). I realized I'd be better off with 2 guitars: a very good practice guitar I don't have to worry about keeping in a case and a really good guitar to perform/record. since the concert model I want starts at around $2000 I think I'll save $ and try to build one.

I've tried dozens of models in different shops in New Orleans, Dallas and Chicago and I haven't found a better sounding practice flamenco guitar. Some say go with Yamaha or others, and sounds decent, just doesn't have the Spanish warmth to it. This one definitely does.

This is good guitar that will keep you motivated for a long time. Playing a guitar is a large commitment. I got mine for $380 with a Humicase on Ebay which is a great deal since it's $450 new online without a case.
This baby won't break your wallet if you change your mind later.

made between 2001 and 2003 in Spain
12 frets
Solid Cedar top
Laminated Mahogany back and sides
Rosewood fingerboard
no electronics
machine heads seem weak

I take classical guitar lessons with it and play some old French songs (i use a steel string for Bob Dylan etc..).
the sound is just great. Loud and rich.
if you don't want to spend too much money and still want an-above average sound, the key is to try all the guitars that match your price range, and chances you will find one. Remember, there are no two identical pieces of wood out there.

nothing bad to report, except the machine heads, which do not affect the playability or the sound

Never played it in rough conditions (I am not good enough for that yet)
I think the machine heads could go first
can't tell about the gig use with or without backup

I had an under the saddle pickup installed, and few months after that, it started rattling. took it back, did not help. Last month, took it to a guitar doctor in Seattle, did his best but the A string remained noisy.

Yesterday, as I was trying to figure out what to replace it with, I noticed the battery under the sound hole was not in place. Moved it back a bit, and guess what happened ? the noise disappeared completely. That's why

Never dealt with them. They say they have a three-yr warranty. I believe them. Soon after I bought it (Guitar Center), I noticed that one of the tuners was hard to turn. I took it back, and ask for another one. they opened the store for me, and let me try the others. Did that for a couple of months. The sound on mine was so much better that I decided to live with the tuner, which turned to be a non-issue. I still want to install some nice tuners someday.

Started taking classical guitar four years ago. Before that, I knew five or six major chords.
I also own a Fender D25, and a Takamine EG531SC (both steel string)
I did not miss a question, I did my homework before I made the purchase.
What I love about it is the sound of that Cedar top. what I hate about it is the tuners.
I compared it to a lot of other guitars from the same price level. I could have picked another one, for example the Esteve is great too.
I picked this one specifically because of the sound that came out of it.
if stolen or lost, i would probably get something else, just because i can afford to pay more and get something that sounds at least as good and has nicer features like ebony fretboard, maybe even solid back and sides, nice solid tuners

This is the same reviewer as below, adding an update on the same guitar, the Cordoba 30F. Since I submitted that review, a year or two ago, I've continued to own the guitar and have made a few modifications that I'd like to report on. I have drilled two small holes in the sides: "acoustic ports," as they are known. I have also removed the tap plate. Both of these changes have dramatically improved the sound. It is a much louder guitar than before, and it sounds more like a real "flamenco" than before (though still not like a hand-made concert guitar). The sustain has also increased considerably. The tap plate was easy to remove: I just peeled it off. Then I used a mild solvent (make sure it is mild!) to get the glue off the body. There is some smudging on the finish as a result of this: I knew the guitar would never look pristine after this procedure, but that is not what concerned me. I was more interested in opening up the soundboard to vibrate as freely as possible.
Anyway, from the modifications, I have concluded that this inexpensive little guitar has a lot of potential, and my modifications have really helped it find its greatest potential in terms of voice.

1998 Cordoba 30F flamenco guitar made in Spain.
19 Frets.
Solid spruce top, laminated sycamore back and sides.
Simple binding: a brown strip.
Gold plated tuners, probably lower-end Fusteros.
A one-piece tap plate.

Very nice sounding guitar for the price. Each of my friends who have played it are struck by how nice it sounds (for a student guitar, of course; this is not a concert guitar). Not as bright as an expensive, hand-made flamenco guitar, but I think the sound is as satisfying as one may find in its price range.

This guitar had a pretty good action when I bought it. It actually felt better than a more more expensive Ramirez, which I also own. I replaced the saddle with a solid bone saddle (the original was some kind of molded material; perhaps bone powder), and lowered the action while doing that. Now the action is as low as it can be, and it is quite comfortable to play.
The spruce top is not made from the best possible spruce: the two halves are not book matched (although they happen to look nice together, if you're not looking too closely) and the wood has imperfections in the grain, which actually make it look rather interesting - "psychedelic" you might say. These don't seem to affect the sound.
The tuners are about the quality one would expect in this price range. I oiled them a bit, which improved them greatly - before I did that they were quite creaky.

I think this guitar will last quite a long time. It is solidly made and put together. I've played it in conditions that would make other guitarists wince: on the beach in the baking hot sun, on the front porch in late autumn. It's survived through all this.

Not under warranty. No one seems to know, or want to admit, who or what the "Cordoba" company is. But they are good student-level classical and flamenco guitars.

I also play a Ramirez 2E classical, which is my main guitar. The Cordoba 30F I purchased in order to have a cheaper guitar to take to parties, on picnics, and so on. I figured the tap plate would be good to have, in case it ever wound up in the hands of an aggressive pick strummer. (This often happens, and the plate has protected the finish nicely.) This guitar has a great action. The sound is very, very good. The only thing I dislike is the rosette pattern, which is not very attractive, but that's not too important. This is a worthwhile guitar to own, and I'm very satisfied with it.

Spanish made flamenco guitar made with a sycamore body and a spruce top, laminated mahogany sides and back, rosewood fingerboard, mahogany neck, dark wood bindings, and nickel-plated tuners.

This is an "entry level" guitar. At this price point, you'd have a hard time finding something better.

This is a flamenco guitar, so the body is shallower and the soundboard is thinner than a standard classical. Which gives it a nice attack and very live sound. Not much bass to it but it doesn't sound too thin either. Rythmic details jump out of this guitar, which of course is the idea.

I've been trying different string tensions on it and the results have been dramatic. Overall, I'm very impressed with the sound.

I've had the guitar for about 1 1/2 years and it's gotten a fair amount of play. The action is nice and the wood used is very pretty.

The only flaws are some finish spilled on the fingerboard above the 12th fret around the low E, which was easy enough to remove, not that I ever play there anyway.

Also a minor finsh flaw (some bubbling) on the top of the figerboard area around the 12th fret. This doesn't effect the feel or play at all.

Other than those minior things the guitar is very well built.

All the wood work looks and feels good on this guitar. The tuners seem to be well made, what else is there to brake? Unless you smash it somehow, it should last forever. Well the finsh may wear off, but that's a good thing isn't it?

Never had to deal with the company.

I've been playing for 25 years and I have only had 6 guitars during that time. I find something that does what I want and stick with it. This guitar does what I want, it's not a top of the line guitar. But it gives me the sound I was looking for and didn't cost me very much. It's fun to play and I would buy it again in a second.