Cordoba C5

This is my second review after owning two C5s for over a year. The reason for this is that these are great instruments at an affordable price. Cordoba was started by several experienced luthiers from Spain & Portugal. The Iberia series C5 is from the Chinese division. Just because something is made in China doesn't mean it's not good or high quality. Iberia is the south western end of Europe but also named is an eastern area in the Cacuasus region. I find the C5 to be the best classical guitar on the market for the money, nothing even comes close.

The 5 fan brace the soundboard has is the original classical guitar design & produces it's own unique distinctive tone, most classicals use 7-12 braces. Cedar top is superior to spruce, the velocity of sound is higher in cedar than any spruce & produces more over & undertones. If Stardivari was around today he would use cedar for the soundboard on all his instruments.

Mahogany is the most underated guitar wood. I prefer it to rosewood as the back & side of a resonator (guitar body). Rosewood produces many over & undertones but leans towards the bass, high tones are not as even. Mahogany emphasises just as much bass but also mids & highs evenly & produces a louder sounding guitar. Rosewood combined with spruce was necessary because spruce focuses more on the fundamental note & less on over & undertones. Cedar is very rich sounding to start off with combine mahogany & this is magical. Now the laminate mahogany on the C5 makes the back & sides stronger & forces the soundboard to vibrate more, there are several high end guitars that use this principal. The purfling is simple rosewood & looks good, I find that extravagant purfling is sonicly useless & in some cases dampening. "Simplicity is elegance" Stradivari.

The fingerboard is rosewood which is superior to ebony that's used in expensive guitars. EBONY DAMPENS SOUND. Why would anybody build a sonic machine that requires resonance & vibration use the most dampening wood available? Ebony was used centuries ago because of it's density with nonfretted instruments that strings were pressed directly on the wood & because of it's black look. On a fretted instrument this is not necessary rosewood is very dense, beautiful & colors the sound NOT DAMPEN & SHOULD BE USED FOR ALL FRETTED INSTRUMENTS. Have two identical classical guitars built from a luthier (or a luthier should try this experiment on his own) but use ebony on one & rosewood on the other for fingerboard. I garauntee the rosewood one will sound better & louder.

Spanish cedar is my favorite for neck wood, it's like mahogony but lighter & with a high sound velocity, combined with rosewood fingerboard this is the best & actually helps the soundboard 'pump' & produces more volume & tone. The C5 is the only economical guitar with a spanish cedar neck.

Very powerful, bright & loud. Clear Bass, mids & high tones. It is the loudest guitar you'll find under $7,000 at 650 scale length. Once this guitar opens up after a few days & you learn to utilize it's full dynamic spectrum & capabilities you'll never want another guitar. I can make it sound like a cello, violin, piano, harpsichord, clavichord, distorted electric guitar by playing powerchords (5th & 4th chords). It is truly universal & what a classical guitar should be. I now use Savarez Alliance normal tension strings & it's a great combination with the C5.

Medium high action comes on it as all concert instruments do & professionals know this is necessary for a true acoustic instrument to function properly. The notes resonate very well even after the 12th fret on bass strings, intonation is perfect.

There are no flaws on this instrument, I found that the lower end ones made in Spain & Portugal (C5 CE) were a little sloppy compared to the C5, but these are put together very well, inside the glue is neat & clean & the finish is very nice.

I've owned it for over a year & it sounds & looks good. At this price even if there was a problem you can buy another one easy.

Didn't have to deal with em.

I'm a professional virtuoso guitarist with over 31 years experience. I've had custom build instruments & played some of the most hyped guitars on earth. The C5 can hold it's own in sound with any classical guitar $10,000 & over.

2007 China. Beautiful Cedar Top & neck, Mahogany back & sides, Firey Rosewood Fingerboard. Very Simple with no purfling.

Incredible! This is one of the best sounding classical guitars of any price range. The cedar neck with smaller frets is thinner than the average classical & does not absorb as much acoustic energy & allows the 5 fan braced (old school) soundboard & body to do it's job (exactly like a Keith Hill Spanish model which is one of the loudest veneered/laminate guitars in the world). Mahogany & Cedar is an excellent combination & in my opinion better & more balanced than the average combinations with rosewood body etc. Bright, loud, clear & balanced with low sub harmonics, high overtones & partials, very piano like with excellent reverb & dynamics & the notes resonate, intonate & sustain all the way up the neck on all 6 strings (I've seen $5000+ guitars have problems past the 12th fret) this alone is incredible for a low priced guitar or any classical guitar of any price range.

I like Rosewood fingerboard for classical guitars better, Ebony is good for all metal stringed instrument because it absorbs some of the brash highs metal strings naturally produce & emphasises mids, overall rosewood is more resonant as a fingerboard. I use Aquila Nylgut strings which produce subharmonics & overtones nylon strings cannot, the classical guitar was engineered with gut strings in mind & Nylgut really allow it to do its job & bring its true characteristics out.

I have 2 of these, I liked the first one so much I went out & bought the other one in town. The second one has an incredible looking darker top, the Mahogany back & sides is very flamed & the second one's rosewood fingerboard is one of the nicest most beautiful I've ever seen.

The inside gluing on both of mine is very clean & professional no slop or issues for the frets either. The finish is as perfect as can be.

The action is mid high the way it should be for a classical, these are sonic machines & if the action isn't higher the strings don't resonate properly. Anyone complaining about higher action on a classical instrument obviously isn't a serious guitarist or master level & doesn't know about acoustic science. Even electric guitars sound better with a mid to higher action, just use light gauge strings.

In a concert hall this instrument will perform because of it's overall powerful projection & resonance. In a studio I know the harmonics will easily be captured.

This is an excellent instrument for the price & competes & sounds better than all the other higher end classical guitars I played in the stores I bought both from. I've been privleged to own & played some of the most expensive guitars in the world & the C5 is an incredible value that sounds great. Don't be fooled by hype or stereotype or that this guitar is priced "entry level" in the hands of a master the C5 is Concert Level.

Trade-in for my old LaPatrie guitar.Solid Top Well put-together. Mo blemishes and best of all good sound from all six trings

I am a beginner player but i can read music and have experience with other musical instruments non-strings (piano).
I like the fill sound - on the darker =mellow sound suitable for the classical pieces I am trying to learn

Good action for my style and ability. It was on display along with others in the same and higher price range (250 & Up). No other guitar below the 600.price tag could match the C-5 sound.

No enough time yet but i changed strings once (now Iam using Galli Strings) and can notice a better (to my ears) sound projected.

No experience yet in this matter

I started six months ago (11/05) and this is my second guitar.Very pleased with it as my skills are still a level 1 or 2 student.(I am teaching myself via classical manuals and cd/dvd).I will probably keep
this guitar even when I "move-up" as my skills inprove.

2003 C5-CE, cutaway w/ electronics. That's all the features offered on classicals that I know of.

Not a lot of volume but it has good tone. Lacks the strong bass of a non-cutaway.

Plugged in it sounds fine. I don't use the electronics really (just wanted the cutaway) but they work fine.

Good for the price but let's face it, it doesn't compare to a $1000 classical.

Action was set up fine, I haven't changed it. No visible flaws anywhere. Easy to tune and stays in tune well.

After a couple years the bridge started peeling up and eventually ripped off. Horrific. Everything else has stayed together fine.

Wasn't able to find a company contact, did find a rep who suggested I talk to the place I bought it. Ended up re-gluing the bridge myself (not recommended but it so far has worked fine).

I don't think I would buy this again. It does the job and sounds ok but I think I would have gotten something different if I'd spent more than an hour picking it out.

I have the C5-CE model (cutaway, with electrics). That's about as much features as a classical can have.

The 1/4" plug is located at the bottom of the instrument (if you stood it on end, it would stand on the plug). This strikes me as a horrible place to put a plug as classical guitars are traditionally held between the legs.

Sounds beautiful. It's not very loud but come on, it's a classical guitar. Plugged in it sounds fine - nothing fancy.

Action is fine, it plays easy and there are no buzzes or dead spots. As far as I can tell it was flawlessly manufactured. I don't use the electrics much but they seem to work fine.

The finish is flawless and well done. I'm not a big fan of the color (a dark wood finish) but this guitar doesn't come in any other colors.

Since you don't really beat on this kind of guitar, I'm not worried about it falling apart. The finish hasn't worn so far (had it about a year and play it a lot). The neck is built like a tank.

Tuners must be ok because I rarely need to tune it.

Haven't used it.

This is my favorite guitar to play (also own an acoustic Ibanez and a mandolin).

Probably made in 2002 or 2003. A solid cedar top Classical, gloss finish. Tuners are very good, chrome plated. As far as features go, it has everything I was looking for, when I ordered it.

Considering my limited expierence, I can only say that this is a sweet sounding classical. I haven't much expierence, so I really can't compare the C-5 with other guitars; but, I know what I like.

No flaws, just beauty. Made in Portugal, this is truly a nice guitar from all aspects and would make anyone interested in learning the classical guitar a great place to start.

I've had it about 9 months and have one ding in it; but, it was a pretty good lick, so I would say that it is going to hold up well. No strap buttons on a classical and I don't see this as being a "live audience" guitar; but, I could be wrong. Again, my limited expierence.

No problems with Muscians Friend.com, except that they send way too many catalogs.

Since buying this guitar, I've really gotten hooked on buying guitars. My skill level hasn't improved much; but, I'm starting to get a nice collection of good quality, sounding guitars. I've got three Wasburn's, three Alvarez', and an Epiphone classical. Best thing I can do is stay off of the computer!! But, in comparison, I think the Cordoba has the more full and richer sound

I had a 2003 Cordoba C-5 Cadete, a 3/4 size Classical. Made in Portugal. Solid cedar top, Solid Mahognay neck. Laminated mahogany back and sides. Tunders were nickel. Nice lacquer finish and decal. No visable glue showing inside sound hole.

This was my first guitar and I learned a lot on it. Basically a low end inexpensive guitar. Fair sound.

Action on this guitar was set very high. 1/8" at the nut. Way to high for a beginner. The nut is glued in place and can not be adjusted. The saddle was removable, but adjusting action here didn't help at the top fret.

This is meant as a student guitar, but as I say the action is nonadjustable and really to high for a beginner to learn with. Nice finish and nice looking guitar. Not for the stage.

Comes with a warranty card for 1 year.
Used guitar for 4 months and replaced it with a Lucida Artista Concerto LG777.

I still consider myself a student. I am learning Classical. I love rock and roll and blues. I own the Concerto and a Larrivee Parlor.
I should have done my homework in regarding adjusting the action at the nut. I no longer own the Cadete. I gave it to the Salvation Army to sell. For someone who wouldn't mind the high action, I would recommend them getting a Cadete to use as a small travel guitar. Cordoba no longer makes this small model.

dont think i need to put much in here...its just a classical guitar, cedar top, double-layer fretboard.

has a nice finish, smooth. very nice to the first touch, and all the times u will use it after.

one thing....came with crappy strings. get d'addarios, preferably silver wound, medium weight, sounds at its best from my experiences. do not ever dare to put steel strings on it.

very nice sound for the price range it comes in. I looked at similarly priced guitars, their sound quality was far below, the only thing that was able to keep up was yamaha's classical guitar.

bussy? no, only from the player's flaws. it is a classical guitar, and action is set far higher on nylon strings then on ur electrics with steel or acoustics with steel. it is more difficult to play then dreadnoughts, but so is any classical. nothing needs to be altered at all for a beginning/intermediate player, but for performances you will definetly want a much costlier guitar. this is a beautiful instrument for learning or just playing with other people. nothing major.

perfectly set up, as i said before, bad strings. buy d'addarios, u r fine.
everything is matched together, very smooth, everything aligned, feels like good craftsmanship (seen non-aligned guitars for $1000)

aaaaaaa....well i have it for 5 month, it has not changed at all (just occasional retunings due to ever changing New Jersey weather)
stays in tune very well (for classical). You still might want to retune it every time before you play, but if u r using an electrical tuner, then u can keep that down to once 3 days, the tuner will not see any difference.

have no dealth with em, but have not heard anything good about em either.

this will be a perfect guitar for a student to start with, good as a practice guitar, do not use for performanes though, that is for higher end guitars. If it is stole or lost...well...i am going to get a better classical acoustic, preferably with a cut, prolly electricly amplified....thats because this is my first guitar, and i am looking forward to buying a costly instrument.

nothing that i really miss on it, but a cut, hard to reach from 13th fret... add another 100 to the price and u can get that from musicians friend.

This an update to an earlier review I submitted after first receiving my Cordoba C5 student guitar.

The following revised comments apply to the Cordoba C5 classical guitar which I reviewed at an earlier date. I have definitely noted a marked improvement in the sound quality of this instrument over time since changing to LaBella classical guitar strings.

I think this factor combined with possible changes in the wood characteristics (?) over time acount for this improvement in projection/sound quality. I am aware that classical guitar sound relies heavily on the tone woods and construction methods/designs used.

I don't know if a modification of my earlier C5 review is permitted, but will submit this with the hope that it is.

This guitar is definitely suitable for a beginning classical guitar student (including myself) as the overall workmanship coupled with the solid cedar top, change in the tone wood characteristics and the proper strings (LaBella in my case) have really improved the guitar's sound projection and the playing quality of the instrument. Each classical guitar is certainly a unique instrument tonewise and I would definitely recommend playing the instrument you are going to purchase first before you buy. I did not and do regret it somewhat.

Build quality was good. I have filed the fret ends down to a personal "comfort" level and now the quitar plays quite well. I also lowered the nut and saddle a bit to bring down the action (which is normally generally higher on a classical guitar).

This guitar will be fine for a beginning player both for practicing and outside playing. Tone woods/construction methods are so important for classical instruments and I believe the finer instruments well deserve their higher prices. I would advise anyone purchasing a classical guitar to max their budget and buy the finest quality instrument possible with their available funds.

I have not requested any customer support from GSI so can't comment on this.

This is an amendment to an earlier review that I posted on Harmony Central soon after receiving this Cordoba C5 instrument. I am aware that many people read the reviews before making an instrument/equipment purchase decision. I do not want to be unfair to either Cordoba (manufacturer) or Guitar Salon International (distributor)so have revised my initial review to conform to my most recent experience with this particular instrument. Thank you Harmony Central for a great website and the opportunity to express my original and somewhat revised points of view!

This is a 2003 Cordoba C5 beginning student classical guitar made in Portugal. This "handmade"(?) guitar (quoting from included brochure) has a solid cedar top, rosewood fingerboard, laminated mahogany back and sides. The cheap tuner sets are nickel plated with plastic keys. The guitar body/neck have a bright gloss finish. Frets are medium gauge and a bit sharp on the edges. The neck radius is comfortable for me. This guitar has a 3 year warranty,extended to buyer lifetime (?) if matched SKB humidifier case is purchased at the same time and noted on accompanying warranty card. This model (C5) is also available in 3/4 size and cutaway electric models (price unknown)

If the guitar purchaser is a beginning student this guitar would be marginally acceptable. The sound quality was most disappointing - bland with no projection. I was probably expecting too much (one of those fortunate bargains) having read the rave reviews on the other Cordoba guitars (all of which were at least twice as expensive as this one). I am sure Cordoba markets this instrument to meet a price point and gain access to the low budget beginner players who are more concerned with the mechanics of playing rather than superior sound.

The action was extremely high and being a classical there is no adjustment other than shaving the nut and saddle. Classical guitars tend to have higher action to get more sound projection and avoid fret buzzing due to the more flexible strings used (nylon etc.). The action was 3/16 inch at the nut and went up from there - ugh. The workmanship was fine with no dings or finish flaws. The nut and saddle will definitely have to be worked on by even student players as they were apparently just set in place and left as is with no finishing work at the factory.

The guitar is a low priced student model guitar with the attendant cheap woods and hardware. Being an inexpensive (sounds better than cheap) student model I wouldn't expect it to be used in performace conditions. I am sure this guitar is fine for taking lessons and practicing at home. I did hear some creaks when I tuned it up, but am hoping they didn't signify an premature structural failures (yes, I did use an electronic tuner).

I purchased the guitar from Musicians Friend, so don't expect any customer support (as usual) and I am sure they will not disappoint me.....I would not spend any money to get this guitar repaired, I am just very disappointed in myself for purchasing it. I will use the guitar for classical practice at home.

I have been playing various styles of guitar for 50 years so am definitely not a novice to the guitar - just to classical guitar. Lately I have been purchasing inexpensive guitars due to my advanced age and low income. I have gotten some great deals on good guitars, but this isn't one of them. This instrument will be fine for my limited use, but I would not recommend it to someone else. There are proably better buys out there i.e. Raimundo (Elderly Instruments) etc. for approximately the same amount of money. In all fairness though this is Cordoba's entry level student model so let that classification be a warning. I will replace the strings with Augustine/Suarez etc. (the guitar comes strung with D'Addarios) - that may improve the sound somewhat. If I enjoy classical guitar and become a decent player (in limited time remaining) I may upgrade to a different manufacturer/higher quality model. Meanwhile this instrument will be fine.