La Patrie Concert

Solid cedar top, lam mahogany sides/back, rosewood fretboard and bridge. Rosewood veneer overlay on headstock. Nut and saddle may be tusq, not sure. Tuners adequate, but a little gaudy looking. There are two metal"rivets" on the bridge that are the only other negative in the appearance of this guitar. Otherwise, it's pretty even though quite simple.

I'd give the guitar 8.5 if I could. Nice basses, mids ok, trebles a little weak. Partly that's my technique - I've played steel string for almost forty years with the pads of my fingers and I'm still learning to use the nails of the right hand. I put on a set of D'Addario EJ-46 hard tension strings, and the overall sound, including the trebles, improved substantially (other than the E-6 which is just too dominating unless I consciously underplay it). Considering the price, I have no complaints about the sound.

Nice glossy light finish, shallow neck that makes playing up the fretboard a breeze (I understand the truss rod allows the neck to be shallower). No flaws I can see. The action on mine is perfect - easy to play but no buzzes except when I mis-finger a chord.

I've had the guitar for less than six months, so I'm guessing, but it looks to me like the guitar will last. It's my first classical, and my intention is to make it my knockabout guitar when and if I decide to upgrade to Esteve, Antonio Loriente or something similar.

No experience yet. Warranty is one year as I recall.

Again, I'd give the guitar 8.5 if that was possible on this site. I've played steel string (folk and pop) off and on for forty years but when I broke my left index finger 20 years ago or so, it didn't heal straight, and I never could find the time to completely relearn the left hand. We have a Martin D-41, Martin J-40, and a 1972 Yamaha FG-300, but I just couldn't make them sound right anymore except in limited kinds of playing. Recently, I decided I wanted to learn Hawaiian slack key, especially the more lyrical pieces (think Keola Beamer), and the wider fretboard and nylon strings make things a lot easier. Also, I've always wanted to learn a little classical, so that's hopefully in the future as well. This guitar is a perfect way to start with a classical - good enough to provide a solid learning experience, inexpensive enough to justify the investment even if you're not sure how far you'll go.

gloss finish which is what i was looking for. bought on ebay for $214. 19 fret dreadnought style. no electronics. the guitar is like new. well worth the money. gold tuners, cedar top, mahogany back and sides. hardhell case included which made this an even better deal. approx. 3 yrs old.

sounds great. has a deep rich bass and nice treble. no fret buzz. action is a little high for my taste, but there is room for adjustment. afraid to mess with it and ruin a good thing.

can find no defects except a little extra glue inside.

overall this is a great guitar for the price. dont pay full price as you can usually find at least 5-10 on ebay at any particular time.

Amazing! Beautiful features.

Sounds like a guitar 10 times the price!

Built very well. Has good playability

Just recently got it so we'll find out how durable it is.

It's really a great guitar and a rare find. I got mine at Long & McQuade for 370$ and I've played guitars up to 20 times the cost and this guitar ranks amoung them. Georgeous look too. If you can find any classical guitar better under 500$, get it!!

Cedar top, mahogany sides/back/neck, rosewood fingerboard. Scale 650mm, bought used for $150 or so on ebay plus shipping. 1986 model. Neck is thin/narrow; made for rock players who want an easy transition to classical. 19 frets. Prior owner installed an external Fishman pickup, glued to outside of guitar. I drilled out a hole and mounted pick-up internally and can attest that the sides are very thick and drilling through it was a bear. The pickup works fine with no buzzing or any extraneous noises introduced. Tuners are not the greatest but more or less work okay.

I play a Velazquez Hauser style and a Schwartz Fleta model that are both superb guitars. The LaPatrie is my knockabout guitar. The sound cannot compare with the other two guitars for refinement and subtlety, but is actually absolutely fine and will do for almost any situation except perhaps the self-satisfaction of playing a really fine handmade instrument. I've been playing for 36 years and would be able to get away with using this guitar for most performance situations.

As this guitar was made twenty years ago and has had its share of knocks, its construction, fit and finish were superbl. The action is terrific--easier to play than either of my main guitars. There are no flaws. It buzzes a tiny bit around F-F# on the 4th D string if you push it hard.

As above

Did all the repairs including a touch up of the top myself. Easy to touch up as it is not high gloss.

See above. I often wind up playing this guitar when I don't want to take the others out of their cases. This one is on a stand and out all the time.

Tuners are adequate
Neck is perfect
19 frets
Solid cedar laminated top
Mahogany back and sides

This guitar has a very beautiful sound. It is fairly well-balanced and projects well. In its price range, I don't think a better sounding guitar can be found. I thought it was slightly lacking in the bass - more expensive classicals tend to be more powerful there.

Ease of play on this guitar is amazing. I've never picked a classical up that was easier to play than this one. The action is just right - lower than most but never buzzes. You can tell it's a factory-made guitar (minor imperfections, especially on the inside, like extra glue) but there's nothing worth complaining about.

It seems pretty well made and reliable. I have no reason to believe it won't hold up for a long time. It does seem to ding a little easier than more expensive guitars, but if you're careful it will be just fine.

I've never needed support from La Patrie - my local shop imports mostly La Patrie stuff and they do all adjustments and repairs for free (Great Salt Lake Guitar Co.).

I've been playing classical guitar for just over 2 years now. I've picked up a lot of classicals in that time and owned two (this one and an Esteve 1GR09). With the budget I had when I bought it, there was no way I could have found a better sounding/looking classical guitar. This guitar is great for students who don't want to play a piece of trash. My favorite thing about it is probably the ease of play. I wish it had a bit more strength in regard to sound but I definitely got what I paid for and more. If I were still under the same budget restrictions, I would definitely get an identical one if it were lost or stolen.

It's a 2003 calssical guitar, looking a little plain but it isn't what really matters, there are 12 frets to the body and 19 frets overall. No electronic, no cutaway, just a plain, nice looking classic guit. Cedar top and a natural finish. The neck is thin for a nylon strings guitar but i have been playing acoustic for about two years and a half, so i take it a a plus. I got it at a pawn shop REALLY CHEAP, with a completely scrapped case. Yay for stolen stuff!

The sound isn't "wonderfull", but it's far worth the original price, and it's phenomenal for the price I paid there. The tone has all the richness of a cedar acoustic, and isn't diminished by the gloss. It fits my actual "style" verry well, i like to play some Pink Floyd, Opeth or Dave Matthews, it suits them all pretty well. The only bad point is that the strings it came with were crappy, but now it sounds great!

In La Patrie's website they say that the concert guitars are handcrafted, i don't know if it's true, but it's worth the price, everything is in it's right place, and that's just fine.

I had this guitar for two months, never had any problem, but that's kinda short, so i can't say if it will last or not.

No problem with any LaSido (the ones who make Normans, Godin, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, Simon & Patrick and La Patrie guitars) guitar yet, so i can't rate this either.

I own an all around Epiphone acoustic guitar that plays verry well, i just bought a Norman ST-68 guitar witch i will NEVER let anyone else touch, and an old Targa electric guitar witch no one has ever heard about, it sounds like crap because it hasn't been adjuster in twenty years, it was my father's guitar he forgot in the garage 'till i started to play. I can say i tried lots of other classical guitars and in the 300-400$US range, it's what's best.Great guitar for either beguinners or as a gig guitar.

Mine is a 2002 La Patrie Concert made in Canada of course. No electronics. All the regular woods for this guitar. Normal features for a classical guitar. No frills but looks like nice construction and materials. Kind of plain looking and could have nicer tuners. I got it with a gig bag, stand, foot stool and two sets of strings used for $160. Looks like I got a really good deal. It looks new except two really small dings that can be seen if you tip it just right in the light. Fot the price it is built well and looks OK.

Sound is beautiful. Makes me sound pretty good in fact. I've been playing off and on (mostly off lately) for many years. This is the prettiest sounding classical I have been fortuate enough to own. I once played a $2000 guitar that sounded a little better! This guitar has a mellow pretty sound but seems to project really well without having to play it hard. I like that. I people can hear it across a room but it still sounds sweet not forced.

I've notice in these reviews that there seems to be a lot of variation in the action between guitars of the same make/model. Mine is perfect. Not too high or low. The woodgrain is perfectly bookmatched and the finish is nice. Laquer finish body and natural neck. Feels good. Rosette is silly with little butterflies on it. Not even a good copy of inlay. They might as well have left it off but it doesn't matter to me. I don't play that part.

Just got it. We will see.

I've played about 20 years (you'd never know it listening to me though) I got a little formal classical training and have just fiddled with it since. I like this guitar better than my Yamaha. Got this really for my 12 year old son to fit his smaller hand better but I'm not sure I'm going to give it up. I really like the way it sounds.I like the way the smaller neck fits my hand too. I don't have very long fingers. I like what everybody has said in thier reviews. Seemed like a good deal at this price now that I have played it I feel it was a steal. I'm sure I will never sell this one and might even look for another. As far as features I like and dislike. I love the sound and feel. It could be better looking but then it probably would cost more. I'd rather have it this way. Nice guitar.

Mine is a 2001 model.. Concert W/ EQ
Has a nicely sized neck.. natural finish on neck is silky soft and beautiful to play. Solid top produces full rich tones that are well balanced and a joy to listen to. Construction quality is high with attention to detail. No flaws noted to date....

This Guitar has sound to die for..... No other nylon I have played provides me with such rich complex tones. Smooth as a German bear...

Have not had a chance to try the pickup.. do mostly non-amped playing. To date I am delighted with the fit and finish of the guitar. I am due for a new set of strings.. The originals have lasted almost 2 years.. Still stays in tune but they are worn.. Have not noticed any abnormal ware on the guitar or hardware. Well made.. quality components. I did notice last night a couple of the tuners knobs are starting to loosed slightly.. time for a drop of crazy glue...

Well... she lives a sheltered life.. She's a quality guitar and I treat her like such!

never had the need......

been playing on and off for years.. for my pleasure and the torment of others...

normal features of a classical guitar, with the added truss rod.

sound is full and mellow. I bought this guitar a year ago, and the sound blows my mind everytime I play it. In terms of volume, it produces a nice strong bass and clear trebles, but I got this guitar before I figured out what type of music I wanted to play, and it doesn't have the attack needed for Leo Kottke fingerstyle playing--it has a softer and warmer tone like all classicals.

action is a little high. The fret board on mine extends a centimeter into the sound hole in a flawed manner--as if they didn't cut the arc for the sound hole high enough. I noticed this at the store, and should have asked for a discount, but I liked the sound too much, and I didn't have the nerve to seem like a jerk to the sales person who was super friendly. Important things like the bridge and neck joints were ok and have been fine for the year I've owned it.

Oh baby. I took this guitar camping to death valley and yosemitte in the winter--in a gig bag. asside from banging around in the back seat with backpacks, water jugs and laundry, on one night in the mountains it got so cold that everything was covered in thin ice in the morning. My hands were so cold I couldn't feel my fingers or play the guitar. But it survived without a scratch or crack.

I've played for a year and suck rather terribly. But I resolved to never let a pick touch the guitar, unless it was a thumb/finger pick. I've plucked and arpeggioed this thing like a beast but it has held up well to my anti-classical rythmic abuse. I own a pacifica electric which was purchased after I thought I might attempt to be Steve Vai (that lasted shortly), and I will get a Dean Contour acoustic next week. Too many guitars for my current skill level. This guitar is my first though, and I will always keep it, even if I don't really like classical music or the routine breaking of the musical spirit that classical students endure.

Solid cedar top. Mahogany back, sides and neck. Rosewood fret board. The perfling is white. The Rosette looks like it came from a computer. It has a truss rod. As far as tuning gears go they are adequate. Made in Canada by Lisido Inc. I give it a higher rating due to the solid cedar top.

Tried several before I found the right sound. The highs are bright and the volume is above average with factory strings. Sustain is good. Have heard better but not at this price.

The cedar has a warm color and the sides and back look very good. The wood is matched nicely and the grain runs straight. The rosette blends in fairly well with the top. The lacquer finish is even and appears to be without blemish although the top bracing can be seen when the light hits the top right. The neck is straight and the frets are even. The nut may be hand cut. Well balanced even with a truss rod.

Only had is guitar for a short time.

La Patrie does not have a web site per say so I went to the Lisido web site and found they do not have email any more. Something about people not liking their responce time to emails. However there is a one year warrenty. I have sent in my warrenty card. The guitar also has a serial number on the headstock.

I have been playing classical for less than a year and was looking for a decent instrument at a reasonable price. This fits the bill. Tried several different guitars (Alverez, Cordoba, Fender, Takamine, Humphery, Ramirez) before settling on this one. Overall, this is a very good, even excellent guitar when compared to guitars of much higher price. I'm very happy with this guitar and plan to keep it forever.