Cashimira 145

My Model 145 was made in 2002 and I purchased it used from the original owner two months ago. This is a high quality concert level instrument that features beautiful looks and impressive tone. The top is European spruce, while the back and sides are solid Brazilian rosewood that has a wide streak of light heartwood down the center of the back. The neck is cedar with an ebony insert in the back and an ebony fretboard. The inlaid rosette is particularly attractive. Even the inside of this guitar has been carefully sanded and lacquered. I'm not certain of the make of the tuners, but they work smoothly and hold tune very well.

Heavenly! Clear and bell-like. Well balanced between bass and treble, with good sustain. The traditional Spanish voice that is perfectly suited for classical compositions. To my ear, Hannabach normal tension strings sound/play the best of the limited number of string sets I've tried so far.

While I can't comment on the factory set-up, I can say that I received it with an excellent set-up. Comfortably low action with no fret buzzing whatsoever. The fit and finish are top level. Let me put it this way: if the sound of this guitar were nothing special, I'd still want to play it regularly because it's so pleasing to the eye.

In the two months that I've owned this instrument, I've played out with it on 3 occasions. Other guitarists are instantly attracted to it by its unique beauty. Its voice blends well with other classical guitars and I've gotten comments from other guitarists on the tone. I feel confident that this is a guitar that would last a lifetime with routine care (humidity control and storage in its case.)

Not applicable since I purchased it used.

I've been playing guitar since the early 80's, so that's approaching 20 years. I can safely state that this is an exceptional classical guitar. I love it for its voice and its beauty. I've played other excellent classicals such as Jose Ramirez and Conde Hermanos. This Cashimira compares well with them in terms of quality and playability. In addition to classical, I enjoy playing folk, blues, adn classical rock. I also play a Martin OM-21 acoustic guitar and a Fender stratocaster through a Blues Junior amplifier. I'm not a professional musician, but I do play publicly a couple of times per month, on average.

Cashimira is a relative unknown here in the U.S. but I think that's about to change. This company has been in business in Spain for a century and the brand is well known in Europe. It's a relatively small family-owned shop that produces excellent instruments. My new 2002 Model 145 is a beautiful guitar with a high grade solid European spruce top, and ebony fretboard with 19 nickel-silver frets. The rosette is very intricate and made of inlaid marquetry. The sides and back are solid Brazilian rosewood with a striking grain pattern. There is a wide sapwood stripe down the center of the back and a narrow sapwood stripe on the sides. This whitish sapwood contrasts dramatically with the rich medium brown of the rest of the rosewood and the visual effect is very pleasing. Without a doubt, this is the best looking guitar that I've ever owned. The finish on all surfaces is high gloss lacquer, applied rather thinly in order to enhance the appearance without muffling the tone. The bridge is dark rosewood and the neck is Honduran cedar with a strip of ebony inlaid in the back. The nut and saddle are both high quality bone. The binding and purfling are attractive and expertly applied. Neck width is 52mm at the nut and the scale length is 650mm, both standard dimensions. The headstock is very attractive, with a distinctive 5 petal leaf pattern. The top surface of the headstock has an overlay of dark rosewood over thin layers of white and black wood. The tuners are gold plated Fusteros with pearloid buttons. Inside, even the bracing has been sanded and finished. Overall, the level of detail and craftsmanship is very impressive.

My previous classicals have had cedar tops, so this is my first guitar with spruce, which has a reputation for being slow to season and mature. However, I can say that the tone of this brand new Model 145 is excellent, right out of the box. If it improves with age, which is what spruce is reputed to do, things will only get better. As it stands right now, the tone is very pleasing, with a slight emphasis on the mids but not at the expense of the bass or treble. And the notes resonate with harmonics very nicely. Chords are well balanced and powerful. Impressive sustain, also. Compared to my cedar top guitars, the tone is slightly different but still excellent.

The setup is right on spec for a classical, with 4mm string height at the 12th fret. It came with D'Addario Pro Arte strings and the playability is excellent. There are no dead spots anywhere on the neck and there is no fret buzzing. The level of fit and finish is outstanding. No flaws to be found anywhere on this instrument. Bookmatching on both the front and back is perfect. The front seam is nearly impossible to find, it's matched so well.

This guitar is too new to really offer a valid opinion on its durability. However, the build quality leads me to think that with reasonable care this guitar will last for a lifetime.

Ken at Cashimira USA was incredibly helpful and responsive. I've never had better service in a purchase. Cashimira provides a lifetime warranty on their instruments, but I hope to never need to take advantage of it.

Although I've played guitar for years, most of that time has been spent with electrics playing blues and classic rock - specifically, Telecasters and Stratocasters. It's only been in recent years that I've come to appreciate nylon stringed classicals. I love the mellow tone and its a perfect match for the Spanish classical music that they were designed for. Through these guitars, I've learned to appreciate the beauty of the music of Tarrega, Rodrigo, Albeniz, and Carcassi. This Cashimira Model 145 is a relatively costly guitar, but its features and quality are comparable to instruments costing twice as much. I've owned other quality Spanish-made guitars, but none is the equal of this one. If it were lost or damaged, I'd shed a tear, then get another ASAP. If you're considering a good quality classical guitar, be sure to check this one out before making a purchase. It's the kind of guitar that you'll hate to put down.