Cordoba 50R

solid cedar top, rosewood back and sides.

I love the sound of this guitar, very loud and clear, big bass and clear bright trebles.

Perfect action for classical playing, no flaws the finish is excellent quality.

this guitar is well construted, very solid, it seems it will last for atleast 18 plus years.

I never had the need to contact them.

I have been playing classical guitar for 11 years, I also own a Takamine c132s, if this guitar were stolen or lost I would buy another one again, I prefer my cordoba over the takamine.

Beautiful guitar. Solid cedar top. Rosewood back/sides. Ebony fingerboard. Honduran cedar neck. 650 mm scale. 52 mm nut. Fairly new guitar. Bought it used in mint condition. I think this is the upper intermediate model which is why I bought it. I wanted something with good projection and nice tone. It lists for $675.

I was surprised. I expected to get a big, rich sound out of this and there is no distinctive sound from this whatsoever. It sounds just like a regular acoustic guitar. No bright spots, sustain is very satisfactory. Projection is medium. I haven't played it much because I don't have nails now. But I've owned Spanish and Japanese-made guitars (ie. Asturias) in the $400-$500 price range and they were a complete joy to listen to. I've never, ever heard a $600 guitar sound so hum-drum but this is it. Maybe as this gets older it will produce a richer sound.

Seems just a little difficult to get around on. Maybe the action needs to be lowered but I'm not going to mess with that. Don't see any flaws in the neck or frets or anywhere else. Machineheads are fine. Excellent craftsmanship.

I'm sure this guitar will hold up well. It is solidly built.

Haven't tried to contact Cordoba.

I'm going to look for another guitar. Most likely a Alhambra or Almansa. I need something that sounds somewhat enjoyable to play to stay interested.

The finish is lacquer, nothing spectacular about. But I would say it looks hardy. Scratches won't be easily buffed out, due to the nature of finish. Tuners look generic, they work well and I guess that's important. It was a 2006 model, made in Spain. Standard number of frets, with a solid spruce top. Body and neck woods are laminated rosewood.

It's a classical guitar, so it fits my style. The basses are rich and full, but the trebles leave much to be desired. They are thin, soft, and don't sustain well. Maybe it's a good guitar for beginners, but I felt that I needed a guitar capable for greater tonal complexity.

The action was simply too low. I experienced some buzzing while holding down certain chords in certain positions, e.g. the first part of Jorge Cardoso's Milonga. Hardware-wise it's fine. The woods chosen and the craftsmanship are fine. Some visible excess glue near the label, though.

This guitar looks hardy and built to last if you take good care of it. I would recommend changing the strings to higher tension ones to raise the action, or consulting a guitar technician to adjust the bridge.

The warranty is one year. I returned this guitar to Guitar Center one week after purchase. The performance of the trebles doesn't justify the price tag of $900.

I've been playing for 6 years. I've tried Ryoji Matsuoka M40 and it's a great guitar, though the trebles sound a little one-dimensional. I'm planning to get Sakurai-Kohno next, I think their guitars will be much better (but at a premium price too).

This is beautifully made guitar.

This guitar far surpasses the average $2000-$3000 guitar. It has a beautiful rich, lush tone.

The guitar was made with close attention to detail.

I own a 2001, and although it is not a concert instrument, it has only gotten better from the time in which it was made.

I purchaced this guitar after looking and playing many guitars over several months time. I could not find a guitar for the price that had this sound. In fact, I prefered it to several guitars that were in the $1000 to $1500 range.
Very nice wood selection and a very nice tough finish. Unlike one of the above reviews, you can buff out scratches: I watched my luthier do it...more on that later.
The tuners are not particulary smooth. I don't know much about tuners on classical guitars. They work, that is about it. This guitar was purchaced with the Humicase, which I would stronly recommend as it gives you a lifetime factory guarantee.

Like I said above, it is still one of the nicest sounding guitars I have found for the price, and I continue to try all kinds in different stores. It has a full bass, unlike its sister guitar made for flamenco. The highs are fine all the way up the neck.

Action was fine from the factory. There is no buzzing but it is very easy to play. This is the first nice classical I have owned, all of my others being steel string guitars, so of course it is easy to play.
The fit of woods is very good with no noticeable blems.

Here is where things went south. The guitar started cracking after only having owned it about a couple of months. I kept the humidifiers charged and it always stayed in its case. But that did not stop a large crack from starting at the neck and the body away from the players view. It has travelled from the sound hole outward and made it to the edge, in spite of the glue from my luthier. He said that the wood was too green, and this guitar will have a hard time making it in Arizona. Since then the bridge plate has started to crack the finish away from the body of the guitar. Another luthier stated the same: the wood is not aged on these production guitars. If I lived in California I may not have had any problem at all.

I bought the guitar from Guitar Center and they, while helpful, told me to send it on to Cordoba directly and to not play it any more. I have owned it for a year and showed it to them this week. I first showed it to them a couple of months into owning it and they suggested I watch the crack for any movement. I called the Cordoba distributor about two months ago and they were reluctant, but now I also have the opinion of Guitar Center folks behind me, so it is time to send it off. So, no opinion yet.

I have been playing finger style folk music for more than 20 years. I am now teaching myself classical and am hooked. I have really enjoyed the guitar up to this point. If I don't have a sucessful outcome with my guitar, I swear I will have an Arizona lutier build me a guitar. Of course, it will set me back a few G's.
Interestingly, while I was waiting for my cordoba to arrive at Guitar Center, they lent me a Yamaha cutaway classical guitar that retailed for about $900. It was made in Taiwan, so I did not think that I would like it much. You know, it was a damn nice guitar. I think I could have lived with it. But it was $150 more without a case!

I wanted a better instrument than the cheap and dirty guitar I was playing for classical music. The guitar seemed to have all of the features that I wanted: rosewood back and sides, cedar top, good sound. The tuners look nice, but they really are cheap. As I began to advance in my studies and understand something about instruments, certain glaring defects really started to irk me.

Now I play strictly classical. This guitar does have a nice sound, very crisp, so I cannot fault it. It does not, however, play well with any string. I have tried a variety, and the original Dadarios give it the best tone. While string selection is such a personal preferance, there still should not be such a radical difference between the manufacturers. This guitar goes from good to awful with no inbetween.

This is my biggest gripe about the guitar: the finish is a disaster. The frets protrude out from the sides so much and are so rough that if you catch your shirt sleeve, you will tear it. When I bought the guitar, it was something I overlooked. Then I began to see all of the various little flaws in the finish, like bits of glue/paint on the drums of the tuners and really sloppy joints with filler sticking out along the area where the fretboard is bonded to the top. The tuners are really cheap and nasty and are the same as on my original $75 instrument. Pity, because the woods used seem to be of good quality.

While this is not a top of the line guitar, it is still an $800 instrument and one should expect better quality control.
The guitar came with a very high and hard action, but one cannot be critical here. It is easier to carefully file down the nuts until you hit the desired setting than to try to make a soft action harder.

This guitar has a hard polyurethane finish which is both good and bad. It is true that it is a much harder finish than a french polish, but it is almost impossible to repair small scratches. I don't think that the guitar will fall apart. The case that came with it is the best part of the guitar: a well lined, hard plastic case with built in humidifiers. Urethane is used on most midrange guitars, and only top of the line hand made guitars have other types of finish.

Guitar center was friendly enough and might have taken it back had I not put a ding in it. Since they carry a variety of brands, the salesperson should have warned me about the quality issues and steered me to something else.

I have been playing guitar for 20 years, and have moved into the classical over the past year or so. I had a cheap and nasty one and wanted to move up.

The 50R has a good sound, but the terrible finish annoys me to no end. I have since purchased a great guitar from Wolf in Germany, but it is a world class instrument at a world class price, and an Alvarez MC 80 which I got at a bargain price but has a great sound and an impeccable finish.

The Cordoba just sits in the corner and is the last instrument I ever buy from this luthier.

2003 model, made in Spain. Gold plated tuning machines with plastic tuners, not very good ones though. Solid cedar top, ebony fingerboard, indian rosewood back and sides, honduran cedar neck with ebony stripe. Natural lacquer finish. Hardshell case included

Great tone, well balanced sound and very good sustain. This is my first cedar top guitar and is ready to play right-out-of-the-box. Very warm and responsive to subtle changes in technique. Lots of overtones. Decent volume and projection which makes it great for small performances venues.

The action is just right, not too high, not too low. Very comfortable to play, unlike my Yamaha classical guitars. The finish is perfect, no blemishes. I just had to change the strings since it came with heavy tension strings and I prefer normal tension. A better material for the bridge could have been used, but I guess they're keeping the price of the instrument at an affordable level (which may also be why the tuning machines are not so great) Overall, it's a very fine piece of artwork.

Looks like it will last 5 yrs or more. It has to, since my wife won't let me buy another guitar for the next 5 years. I play only for myself and my family so I don't have to worry about it's durablity since I don't take it out of the house. A humidifier is all I need to maintain it.

I found this reviewer for the Cordoba 20 who purchased his guitar from Musicians Friend (where I also purchased my guitar). I found that my experience is eerily similar to this other guy's experience. These assholes shipped a Cordoba FCWE to me instead of the 50R. I called them up and returned it. They had to bill me again in order to immediately ship out another one (or else wait til they get back the FCWE before they send out another shipment). When I received my guitar, there was no case that was promised to me. Luckily I had them confirm via email that I was supposed to get a hardshell case so I had proof in black and white. These SOBs kept denying that the guitar comes with a case until I showed them my proof. That's when they sent out my case. Customer Support? Don't expect any. Buy from them again? Never!!!!Tell others about my sad experience? You bet!!!!

I'm a self-taught classical guitarist and have been playing classical guitar for the past 19 years. I used to perform heavy metal and rock and roll type music, but have always been fascinated by the solo classical guitar. This Cordoba is really great and I'd recommend it to others (but will definitely not recommend the dealer). I compared it with other guitars at the Guitar Center (Esteve, Yamaha, Takamine) and I'm pretty satisfied with my selection. I didn't buy it at GC because MF offered to price match GC's price and MF also has a 12-month no interest financing option.
Although I bought it online, the guitar I got is wonderful and inspires me to strive to play better.

Made in Spain and handcrafted, NOT handmade. The gold plated hardware adds a touch of elegence just simple enough to be quietly noticed, and remarkable. The tunners were plastic which I hope will last long, though I am thinking of replacing them sometime if ever. The finnish on the edge of the ebony fingerboard is slightly chipping in some areas, but I think that is to be expected.

Warm and responsive this guiatr rings on all frets and strings. No buzzes eccept when I make a mistake. Deep personality and rich, voicey trebbles as well as basses that can easily compare with the dark presence a Ramirez guitar can make. Projection that can fill a small performace situation without need of external amplification. At least as long as no one is coughing or gagging in the audiance.

The action felt a bit high at first, but I made myself get used to it concidering that it was near concert hight. It feels smoth and flowing now. The finnish looked a bit globbed on in some areas but I think it just adds to the fact and feel that it was handcrafted. The third fret of the fourth string buzzed at first but it appeared to be a string problem and not the guitar as it went away after a about a week. The rosette was imperfect which added to the fact that it took a good deal of time to make and inlay it on the sound board. The grains of rosewood on the back and sides are exceptional as well as the canadian cedar soundboard.

I think this instrument will last me at least 10-15 years of not more. The whole of the guitar semms quite sturdy and strong. The plastic hardware as I mention earlier arn't very pleasing to the eye but if I don't decide to replace them I think they will last a while.

I bought this guitar at Guitar Center and the poeple there were wothless when it came to questions and the like ( talking to me as if I were stupid and as if I were totaly ignorant to the facts they were stressing so continuously and without much reaction from me. I think I angered them somehow... -shrug-

This guitar is REALLY worth the money. I compared it to a few of the Ramirez guitars and noticed only slight differences in projection and nothing in tone besides the dark moddiness a Ramirez can cause. That, to me, says a lot concidering you are looking at $12-1500(!!) for a Ramirez and just abought 600 for a Cordoba 50r.

Made in '02, in Spain. 19 frets, solid cedar top, laminated indian rosewood back and sides, honduran cedar neck with ebony stripe, ebony fretboard rosewood bridge and headstock veneer, gold plated Fusteros tuning machines. Scale length is 650mm. Purchased this guitar with a standard SKB/Cordoba case.

Bought this guitar because, to my ear, it is simply the best sounding guitar for the money. I play primarily fingerstyle guitar which includes some classical and jazz. I love the tone and projection! I think to reach the next level of performance, I'd easily have to spend three times as much money (at least). It really is a sharp looking guitar!

Factory setup was a bit high, but that's to be expected right out of the box. Most folks (guitar newbies) don't seem to understand that there are a variety of playing styles out there, and setting the action high gives you more room to customize your instrument.

As far as the fit and finish go, I was a little disappointed. There are a few dings in the wood that were lacquered over... a slight discoloration in the rosewood on the back side, a ding in the headstock- again lacquered over. The lacquer ran a little thin around the bridge- there's a gap in the gloss. Everything else appeared to be in order... except for the Fusteros tuning machines. Now granted, they work. However, they feel chintzy as hell. How cheap? You can see the lines from the injection molded plastic "pearl" buttons and as soon as I swapped out the strings, the gold plating started rubbing off on the black plastic worm gears! I look forward to replacing these in the very near future with some $40 Schaller's which I know won't disappoint!

I play primarily for my own enjoyment so I'm sure this guitar will last me a long time. Not sure about the hardware but as I said, I'll be replacing those tuning machines soon enough. The glossy finish seems rather durable, so I'm not worried about taking it out of the house.

Haven't had to deal with them yet. Comes with a three year warranty, upgradable to a lifetime warranty if you purchase a 'humicase' with it. I opted for the cheap skb case, as I'm not too worried about where the guitar, or me for that matter, will be in three years. I know if I have a problem, the folks at Guitar Center will be there to help me out- they've been very good to me so far.

I've been playing guitar for approximately 2 years now. I have an Ovation Legend classical, a Yamaha SLG-100N, a Fender Jazz bass and a Kramer Spector bass. I spent alot of time researching classical guitars before deciding on this one. If it were stolen, I'd purchase another one- it's a terrific value. I love the tone, I hate the finish issues. That said, it's all about the tone baby! I compared this to a Ramirez R1, an Esteve 1GR08, a Takamine EC132 and a Taylor NS32, along with countless Yamahas and even other Cordobas. I would've liked this guitar to have a cutaway, but I wasn't willing to spend an additional $400 for the Cordoba 50EC (which also had a pickup- that I didn't need).

The Cordoba 50R has a solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard, gold-plated tuning machines, wood binding, a reinforced Honduran cedar neck,lacquer finish, nut width 52mm, scale length 650mm, made in Spain. I purchased it without case.

It has a rich, open sound--very resonant, lots of overtones. There is a great variety of timbres possible, it responds beautifully to subtle variations in technique. I am playing primarily classical, it has an ideal sound and responsiveness for everything from renaissance through flamenco. Good projection and sustain.

A very beautiful instrument. Well set up. The action is great, I prefer a concert height, it could even be a little higher for me. The finish is beautiful, no blemishes. The rosette is just a little different than most others--very special and aesthetically pleasing. The rosewood on back and sides has a spectacular grain.

It looks like it will last a lifetime, with proper care. It comes with a 3 year warranty, which says something. The woods chosen are good and strong, the reinforced neck is promising--seems very durable.

I haven't dealt with Cordoba, but the people at Guitar Center in Queens, NY have been very helpful and friendly.

This is a wonderful classical guitar. I would certainly replace it if lost or stolen. I have been playing classical for more than 20 years. This guitar is definitely comparable to an instrument at twice the price. It is capable of the darkness typical of many Ramirez guitars without restricting you to that sound. A shockingly great guitar! The only thing I might fool with is the bridge--a denser material might be a good idea. Otherwise, close to perfect.