Admira Monica

Cedar top and sides, classic Spanish style (not flamenco, as these have a more elongated body) 19 frets,ebony fretboard. The rosette is actually inlaid, the bridge has a bone saddle, but the neck nut appears to be plastic. The open gear tuners, three in line X2, have not aged at all; that is, the chrome is still nice and bright 12 years after the guitar left the factory in Spain (1994), and the tuner turn buttons, which are made of a nice pearloid material, are still in brand new condition. There is no slop between the gears and the turnscrews. I have emphasized all of this because the guitar stays in tune for long periods of time after the nylon strings have been set after brand new. The wood for the top and the sides is NOT laminated. The guitar has no binding or purfling, and there are no pearl inlay dots, either on the top of the neck, or on the fretboard itself, to mark the positions, so this would not be a guitar for an absolute beginner making fast chord changes.

My style of playing for this guitar is Mexican music, and a smattering of improvised classical/baroque/neo-classical pieces I have learned. If I do not have access to a steel string acoustic guitar for playing folk music, this piece fills in rather nicely, especially because of its sound, playability, and light though sturdy construction. The guitar has very pleasing tone and projection. I have played other classical guitars of higher price, and this one shines with sound clarity and output. It is possible to get bright melodious sound near the bridge, and soft very sweet sounds just past the sound hole over the fretboard.

Action, fit, and finish are excellent. A look at the interior reveals some tightly fitting bracing and very neatly shaped pieces. I have never had any work done on the guitar to adjust anything, due to the quality of the Spanish lutherie work. The guitar was recently appraised for replacement value at exactly the same price as I paid for it when brand new. That is also a tribute to the quality of the instrument and to the Spanish guitar makers at Admira/Keller.

As stated above, the guitar is made very well. Because I also play steel string guitars, (12 and 6) as well as electric, sometimes the Admira/Monica stays stored for months at a time, and when I pull it out of the case, it's in almost perfect tune. I don't understand the reason why the other rating for this guitar from the other posting above states that the finish on his guitar is very thin and delicate, as I've not found that to be the case on mine. When I first bought the guitar, I didn't purchase a case for it, and it was knocked over at least twice, and the headstock shows a minor ding for it, but no other damage happened to it. I don't perform professionally, but I have taken this guitar to gatherings and other people's homes to play, and it has never failed me in any way.

There hasn't been a need for customer support. When brand new, the guitar had a small double folded tag with information about this model, but no information about warranties or instructions on how to obtain service. My native language is Spanish, so communicating with the factory would not be a difficulty for me. I think though, that the guitar was made to last a long time, and unless it is abused or dropped, it will not require service for many, many years.

As state above, I play steel string acoustic and electric guitars in addition to the Admira classical. I have been playing in one fashion or another for over 40 years, and I like to play many different styles, including Mexican folk and bolero/Latin American songs, some classical, blues, rock, and U.S. folk songs. If this guitar were lost or stolen, it would be very hard to replace it, because of its quality of construction and beautiful sound, and action, in spite of its very basic design. As I indicated above, the guitar has no purfling or inlaid pearl decorations, so it is not visually stunning. In spite of that, it is a very fine guitar made to last and to be played for many, many years if it is cared for properly. Overall, it's an excellent guitar without a doubt.

made in spain. solid cedar top laminated mangol sides and back. 19 frets(nickle silver). plastic nut and saddle. nice shiney THIN nitrocellulose lacquer finish(a medium tap with a fingernail is all it takes to dent it)

one oddity...it looks like the neck is the fretboard too. doesnt really matter, it sounds good and is easy to play.

this guitar has perfect intonation! no strange beats or thudding in chords(even at the 19th fret). the work looks a little shoddy inside the guitar with sloppy glue and cheap looking bracing. BUT it sounds great...i mean REALLY GOOD for what i paid for it.

came with a warwick padded gig bag.

great warm round "cozy" lows and plucky highs. can really get a variety of sounds and timbres.

action is a bit high (i mainly play electric) but certainly not a problem. hardly even worth mentioning.

back is matched great and has a pretty, light flame to it. top is matched so well you cant tell its two pieces.

the finish is nice...THIN THIN THIN...you can see the grain thru the finish.


alot.

live playing? i guess every time i play im live...

finish WILL get dinged. so what? itll stay there.

we dont speak the same language so im not sure about any customer service. no warranty. i play easy im not concerned its a solid guitar.

ive been playing for 13yrs. i have 9 guitars now. guild s100, fender strat, fender tele, gibson les paul jr., nashville d-500, fender p-bass lyte, fender acoustic, and a custom handmade 6string bass.

stolen...id be pissed and buy another next vacation. this is a great guitar for the money!