Alhambra 4P

Year made in: 2005
Bought from owner in 01/2008.
Hand made in Spain.
Paid: $370 (used but in as good as new condition, price included almost new molded hardshell deluxe case). Bought it on ebay.
Completely acoustic so there are no electronic controls/ pick up. Construction materials: Solid cedar top, laminated Indian rosewood back & side, hand inlaid rosette, ebony fretboard, gold plated tuners and new D'Addario strings.

The sound ... ahaa ... it has a beautiful sound ... such a balanced reverb ... the treble compliments the bass and vice versa. I havent had any issue with it. I will have to say that it is a loud guitar. It does not need any additionaly amp if you are playing in a small enclosed place like a cafe or even a small club. It is very loud and the tone can be sustained as long as you can keep it sustained. So the overall sound I would describe it as Rich and bright and you can try different tones on it. I went through every fret and never found a dead spot on it and I was impressed. I can make vary the tone of the sound depending on how use my left hand finger, right hand finger and where I play it. I have been able to get some wonderful tones out of the guitar and have been impressed since I paid a low price.

The setup is original. The action that came from the factory was perfect for me. I can move my fingers across the board as quickly as I can with the current action. (I also have long and flexible fingers). I have had no problem with the action nor with the bridge. I havent noticed any flaws in the guitar and I play it everyday.
Initially with the new D'addario strings it took a while for the strings to hold the tune and that is obvious since new strings takes while to stablize in their tension. I havent noticed any problems with tuning since the strings settled. I play it everyday and I check my tuning before and after I play and it hasnt changed at all. After I am done I return the guitar into its casing. I do keep the guitar in a temperature and humidity controlled room.

The guitar can withstand live playing but not in large halls. One could play in decent size club or theatre.
The finish is excellent on the guitar and with good periodical care it should last for many years to come.
I could use it on a gig without a backup.

Not yet dealt with the company. Havent had any problems yet.
But I have heard the customer service is good.

I have been playing acoustic guitar for more than 17 years now. I am self taught. I have composed some small pieces over the years and have played them locally on a stage. I have owned a Gibson acoustic, a Fender electric and I have a Fender acoustic.
I am very impressed with the guitar in general. Specially for the price I paid I couldnt expect anything better. I spent a lot of time playing and did a lot of research on classical guitars before buying this one. I tried Jose Ramirez student model, Cordoba 45CE, 55CE, Koa, Manuel Rodriguez models and Yamaha - the most expensive one I played was, of course, Jose Ramirez. It wasn't as good as the 4E but it was quite close. It was definitely better than Cordoba 45CE or 55CE. I did like Koa slight better in some aspects but Alhambra 4P still did better.
So overall for the price I paid it is a fabulous guitar in every sense. If I had to replace it I would probably go for a Jose Ramirez professional model. But I will think about that more when I cross that bridge.

Not so applicable in classical guitars. They're all pretty much set up the same. The tuning heads on the 4P are OK (a couple are a bit stiff), but they can always be upgraded.
Mine is a spruce top with laminated rosewood sides & back, ebony fretboard.. Standard 650mm fretboard & 52mm (I believe) nut. I'm giving it a 9 only because of the tuning heads.

I use this guitar exclusively for classical. I chose this particular guitar for its rich basses & clear trebles. The rosewood back & sides gave a decidedly richer sound than the mahogany version of the 4P. The Maple Street Guitar people in Atlanta were extremely helpful & patient. They just kept bringing in guitars for me to try out until I was satisfied. As soon as I played this 4P, I knew I'd found what I was looking for. For a guitar in this price range, the sound can't be beat. Both my guitar teachers were very impressed & surprised when they first heard it. Couldn't believe the price I paid for such a great sound.
Lately, as I've been playing more demanding pieces, I've noticed one annoying dead spot on the 12th fret on the 5th string. I know all instruments have their sweet & not-so-sweet spots. Plus I can't expect absolute perfection from a $525 guitar. I'm secretly hoping that, as the guitar "matures," this might resolve itself (I know I'm just kidding myself),

The people at Maple Street Guitars set up each guitar, so this one was right on spec. The finish is beautiful & I've only noticed a couple of tiny dings in the finish. Again, my teachers were impressed & as soon as I took it out of its case, both remarked how beautiful it is.

This guitar is very well put together. Everything is tight & of the highest workmanship. I can't imagine that it would ever let me down. In time, maybe the tuning heads will need replacing. That's all.

Never had to deal with the Alhambra people, but Maple Street stood by their one year action adjustment warranty & brought me back to specs. If Alhambra's support is as good as their instruments, I'm sure they would treat me right.

I've been playing guitar & classical off & on for the past 20 years. Began seriously studying classical a year ago (which is how old the 4P is). For an intermediate student like me, this guitar will serve me until I feel like I need to move on. I wish I knew to listen for that one annoying dead spot before I chose this one. Unfortunately that 12th fret A shows up in a number of pieces. Maybe if I begin performing more, this will be an issue. But I will definitely look at the upper end Alhambras first. If this one were stolen I'd upgrade to one of the upper Alhambras & deal with Maple Street. They hand pick the guitars they sell & send back the ones that don't measure up.

Alhambra 4P AZ (spruce top left handed). This is a SUPERB guitar. Solid top spruce, rosewood back and sides (laminted yes, but it looks lovely.) Made in Spain with 19 frets.

I play mostly classical music and this guitar is the excellent. It is very response and expressive. At the same time it is subtle and proud, modest and loud. I chose a spruce top, which gives a brighter and more "sunny" tone than a cedar top, which gives a darker and more serious sound. That being said, this guitar can deliver whatever you need. Like Cello?...play the bass stings around the 5-7 frets. Like Brass? Play the treble strings near the bridge! It is a mini-orchestra.

The setup was excellent. Classical guitars have the action higher than steel string guitars. But it came from the case perfect. (perhaps the action was a little bit high, but not enough to be a problem)
The finish is superb..smooth, sexy, dignified...just what a good quality woman or spanish guitar is supposed to be.

There are two flaws in my eyes....the edges of the frets are a bit rough. This could be due to a bit of shrinkage in the fingerboard. The other flaw is the tuning knobs. I had this guitar for 3 weeks when one of the knobs cracked and fell off. I complained to the retailer and the manufacturer. I recieved apologies on behalf of the company and the retailer. I also recieved a completey new set VERY good quality tuning machines and 2 free sets of VERY good quality strings.

This guitar will withstand live playing. It will also withstand the countless hours of bedroom playing. Above all, it will impress your wife when you play for her!
Aside from the fluke tuning machine problem mentioned above, the hardware is superb. No strap buttons exist on classical guitars. This guitar is VERY dependable with no need for a backup.

As mentioned, customer support is superior. Better than most I dare say. I even recieved follow up emails for no reason other than to inquire if I was happy with my guitar.

I have been playing guitar since the mid '80s. (that was when music...indeed when civilization itself reached its peak)! I became interesed in classical guitar about 3 years ago and have dedicated myself mostly to this style. This is the best guitar I have ever had. Its not a cheap guitar, but its not out of reach. You get what you pay for. I have had this guitar 6 months now, and it gets better all the time.
If it were lost/stolen I would grieve. But I would replace it. I would try to move up the Alhambra quality line, but believe me, this guitar is the best you will get under $1100. Alhambra does not make a bad guitar, regardless of the price. Even their lowest end entry model 1C has a solid top and excellent playability.

The Alhambra 4P, benefits greatly from having rosewood back and sides as well as a close grain cedar top, looks to me like the sides are actually solid rosewood as the grain appears to run right through however the back clearly is laminated. Also the fingerboard is ebony. The guitar has many of the features you would expect to find on a concert guitar but at a fraction of the price.

The tone just gets better on my 4P. I use it for mainly classical music but also latin jazz in a 4 piece line up. (tenor sax, double bass and congas/cabassa) Because its cedar is has what i would describe a warm dark tone, both in lower and high register. Like all guitars it has its sweet spots and not so sweet. Great for counterpoint style music.

Okay, took mine down a little at the nut. Mainly because of comping a lot.

I got really angry once and through it against a wall in my house. Guess i was lucky as it suffered no damage/cracks or warpage to the neck. So i reckon they are built very well. Yep that was silly!

For a mid price spanish guitar, it represents real value for money. I can't see me replacing it but i would like to get a similar Alhambra made from spruce.

My Alhambra 4P is made in Spain (Muro de Alcoy) 1999. It has 22 frets. The guitar is Mahoganny and rosewood fretboard. This is a very basic acoustic guitar, a classical instrument.

This guitar suits perfectly my guitar style: classical, bossa-nova and a little of Flamenco. The sound is full, rich and bright. Very responsive to dynamics. It's the very best classical guitar I've ever had. (And I have had a lot!)

The finish of this guitar is really beautiful and has a superior craftmanship. The action was a little high.

Since it's a classical guitar, you can't abuse this instrument that much. It's not the particular model, it's just that this kind of guitar needs care.

I bought this guitar in Valencia, Spain. I was looking for a good instrument and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I visited many music stores in Valencia, and in a department store pretty much like Saks or Dillard's I found this guitar. The price was very good, and when I played it I was amazed with the beauty of the instrument, but specially for the sound. I've been playing for 14 years. Actually I began playing a classical guitar. I have played a lot of classical guitars, and for this price the Alhambra 4P is unbelievable. If you buy a $300 dlls electric guitar you'll buy crap. But for this price (more or less) you can obtain an incredible guitar. A really good investment.

no mucho ingles lo hare en castellano

el a?o vete a saber, esta echa en muro de alcoy cerca de Valencia algo lejos de granada, aparte de eso cojonuda, modelo de estudiante aros de palorosa, mastil caoba.

18 trastes

puente clasico cejuela clasica

afinadores clasicos dorados

completo, mas para bossa que para algo mas duro o potente como flamenco, aunque sea una clasica suena muy bien para blues

muy bien, quiza algo alta

aguanta muy bien los golpes

ni idea

la uso para aprender, muy buena para lo poco que vale

1995 Spain (Muro del Alcoy)
18 frets solid cedar top rosewood fingerboard gold machine tuners mahogany neck no accessories included.

the sound is powerful and round, you can certainly hear the wood resonating. Great for classical fingerpicking and spanish flamenco music.It actually sounds better now than when it was purchased back in 1995(I guess I'm getting better too)

The guitar came almost perfect from factory, action was a little high but that didin't bother me then, now it does, you can fix that by lowering the plastic piece on the bridge. No problem at all.
The finish is beautiful , the rossette motive looks awesome, bindings on the back and sides of the guitar make the guitar look just great.
VERY GOOD craftmanship. The guys in Granada do know how to make a great guitar.
I'll give it a 9 because of the little too high string action.

This guitar is perfectly suited for live playing.I've played it live several times and everything was fine. The hardware is ok for a guitar that costs this money, I'd say it's better than any other classic guitar I own. It's got two tiny chips on the top but it's 7 years old(shit happens)and it's still in perfect condition. This is a guitar you can depend on and I would use it on a gig without a backup, no big deal.

Never had to deal with them, warranty said goodbye long ago.

excellent guitar for the money. If you are looking for a classic guitar or you are into flamenco music you should check out an ALhambra guitar it sounds nice, plays nice and looks awesome.

1997-98 Spain. Purchased on my honeymoon in Madrid. Solid Cedar Top, Mahogany Sides and Back. Rosewood Fretboard. Gold machines & pearl tuners. Wide grain split back. Rosewood and Spruce (I think) inlay around binding and down center of back.

Great tone for the cost. Good sustain and volume. My steel string guitars are my mainstays. This Alhambra is a great guitar for me. It completely satisfies my occasional desire to play classical and I think it will hold up even if my interest in classical increases dramatically.

Well set up. Action fine. Machines solid. Well finished with nice detail.

The edge of the top even with the bridge chipped about three days after I bought it, when the guitar fell out of a closet in Leon. I was a littel surprised at the extent of the damage so the finish might be a littel soft. Other than that, the guitar has held up fine. Still soulds great and stays in tune. Tuning gears are nice and tight.

No contact with company.

I've been playing for 18 years. My other guitars are an Epiphone PR5 (Acoustic/ Electric Cutaway), a Martin DXME(recent gift), and a Fender Strat (Mexican Special). I also play Trumpet and percussion. This guitar was a great buy. It looks and sounds great. We were going to be in Spain for three weeks and I just wanted a guitar to play on my honeymoon. So our second day in Madrid, I played about 15 other guitars in three stores. I was going to buy a cheaper Alhambra that cost about $150 when my wife pointed this one out because it was "prettier". I tried it, loved it and bought it, even though it was more than I planned to spend. If I could find another I'd buy one for my Dad who wants to learn to play classical guitar at the age of 73.