Goya G-13

G-13 is a 1960s (NINETEEN-SIXTEES!) GUITAR!! First verifiable US sold GOYA is 1958! Please be careful when reading and re-posting information online,. The serial number list you are all using to date these to the 40s and 50h DOES NOT APPLY to Non-Levin-labelled GOYAS!!!
peace

Love my 1963 (first year) G-13!

My G-13 has the sn 317026. records show it was made in 1954. Has the square paper label and below, New York made in Sweden. I have several classical guitars, and the Goya has many features I like over the more expensive one. The feel of the strings is very graceful, especially when you pay high on the neck in barre position. This is not true of most C. guitars. It has a very deep mellow tone and the treble is good. I wd recommend a G-13 to any beginning student, especially for a female to learn on. It has the short scale neck also. Goya guitars also seem to be consistantly good. Most of their owner seem to describe them the same way. Just a great couch guitar for me.

Goya G-13 does not project like a 6,000 made classical, but the sound is very soft and gentle, and the quality is also good

Goya G-13 is flawless. Action is good, neck is straight, and intonation is true

Goya G-13 is over 40 years old, and everything is still in tack. No lose bracing, neck separation or loose back/sides

This is an interesting situation. I actually bought this G-13 from "Judy" who (presently) has the only other review of the G-13 at the time of this writing. I bought it on eBay a while back. So, She's already described the guitar. I'll limit my comments to areas where our opinions differ....

This guitar actually rivals the sound of my Kenny Hill Munich. It's just a bit more quiet -- owing in part to the difference in tonewoods. This guitar is a bit warmer and "woodsy" in tone. It plays like an older, more open, instrument.

The action on this instrument is fine, IMHO. I did change the tuners to Schallers. Now it's a pure pleasure to play.

It's an old instrument. It does well at home. i.e., it's not much to look at, but it plays beautifully and easily. And unless I clobber something with it, it'll last forever.

n/a

This is irreplacable. I have the Kenny Hill, a Taylor 310, Larrivee L-03, Martin 00-15, Fender Fat Strat, Yamaha G65, Yamaha GC-10C, and Larrivee D-03. But of all the guitars I have, when my son comes over he goes straight to the Goya.

It's a classical guitar. It was advertized as sixties vintage; serial number matches 1949. It was made in Sweden. 18 frets. Solid Spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a light bright golden auburn color, rosewood fretboard, old butter button tuners, rosewood bridge. A fairly typical classical model, neck 2" wide at the nut, has a nice thin feel to it. It came with the original case in decent shape with a Goya sticker on it, peeling off a little.
It doesn't really have any features, but I give it a 10 because it has everything it's supposed to have, unlike another goya I got which lacks a saddle.

It suites my music style well. I have various styles, some of which it doesn't suit, for example rock and blues. It sounds nice for fingertyle and for jazz chord melody. It has a full rich voice, lots of volume, the bass is distinct and booming, the treble and mids are woody sounding, really beautiful. I have no dislikes as to the sound.

Unfortunately, contrary to what the seller said, the neck is bowed and the action is high. I had the saddle lowered, making the guitar more playable, but it's still too high for me. I would get rid of it but it sounds so beautiful, and they are somewhat rare. I plan to have the neck reset and will have no regrets about it. It will be a wonderful guitar. An expectable amount of finish crazing. Other than the neck/action, it's in pretty good shape.

It's as dependable as a 50 year old classical guitar can be.

Goya must've been a good company before it was bought by Martin in the seventies, judging from the quality of workmanship, the obvious care that went into designing and making the guitars, the beautiful tones and finishes. this is the third Goya I've had experience with, all pre-Martin. Goya was owned by the Levin Company in Sweden then (1900-197?), and the guitars were manufactured in Sweden. Their electric guitars were made in Italy and other Western European countries. After Martin bought them, the guitars were made in Korea and do not have the same high reputation or value.

I've been playing since 1963. I also own a Goya F-11 (a folk guitar, c.1960), a 1994 Larrivee OM-25 presentation model with the Feiten intonation system and an LR Boggs dual system, a 1940 Martin 0-15, a fifties era Harmony steel string used for slide, what looks like a 1930s Kay or Stella or Harmony squareneck lapsteel acoustic, a 1984 Les Paul Studio Standard, a 2000 made in mexico/us Deluxe Super Strat, a c.1970 Fender Mustang, a c.1994 Tokai modern body style electric, a Shredder travel electric guitar, an assortment of under $100 small nylon string guitars for travel, most of which I need to get rid of, a c.1970 Fender VibraChamp practice amp, Marathon mx 33 RBK.
What I wish I had asked before buying the guitar is: "Could you measure the height of the strings at the 12th fret and nut? Is the neck straight? When you say the action is fine, what exactly do you mean by that?"
If the guitar was stolen or lost, I would search for another one and buy it when the chance comes.
What I love about it is the tone, and also the feel of the thin flat neck. What I hate is the high action. My favorite feature is the sound.
I compared it to the much more common Goya G-10 and a number of other classicals. I chose this one for its mahogany wood and its color. I chose it because the first guitar I ever had was a Goya F-11 and it was absolutely wonderful, until during an argument once, my opponent got mad and smashed it over a chair. But I've always been partial to Swedish goyas, as nylon string guitars go.
I wish it had good action. It would then be perfect.
Some day it will, when I get the neck reset. If the action was decent, it would be a 10.