La Patrie Motif

A very simply adorned guitar - but it has one feature which was the selling point for me: a small body size, but still has a proper size neck for a classical guitar. I wanted a small guitar, but other 3/4 size classical guitars also had proportionally smaller necks (at nut width), probably designed for young players. For that reason, I've given it a high rating for features.

I like to play classical, blues, and jazz on this guitar. In my opinion, it sounds great for all of them. As a smaller guitar, it doesn't have the volume or depth of a bigger guitar, but that goes with the territory. For its size, it is surprisingly loud.

I purchased mine used. When I got it, the action was quite high. I took it in for a setup, and now it is great.

My guitar was built in 1999, and it is still in great shape. The cedar top could be prone to marking - and mine has a few marks here and there, but it has stayed in great condition.

I emailed La Patrie with a couple questions. They answered after a couple days, which was good enough for me

I love this guitar. It's small size makes it very comfortable to play. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely get a new one.

Sweet little parlor sized nylon string guitar. The body is made from a three-way lamination of hardwood that includes a poplar center sandwiched between two layers of mahogany. The Motif neck is made from Honduras mahogany with an Indian rosewood fingerboard.

I mostly use it for finger picking. Has a nice mellow sound with quite a bit of punch for a small bodied guitar.

For the price range, fit and finish are really good. Not flawless but definitely above average.

I am using it mostly for studio playing. Very dependable.

Haven't needed it.

Solid Cedar topped small classical, laminated mahog b/s, rosewood fb/bridge. The cedar is outstanding, and the laminated b/s are thin and resonant.

Somewhere below a reviewer commented on the rosette. It is NOT a decal, but is a very well done mosaic inlay.

Take a look at a close-up at http://tinyurl.com/2mo5kg

And in the words of an e-mail from Godin guitars:

All LaPatrie models are factory fitted with D'addario Pro Arte Hard Tension
strings, and have inlaid rosettes (it's not a decal).

Regards,

Michel
Godin Guitars

Excellent and even articulation, surprisingly wide tone, great bass presence with penetrating yet mellow trebs.

Very nicely done within the parameters of simplicity and economy.

I'll be careful of the top, because cedar is easily..."impressed". Dependable.

They asnwered my e-mail within 2 days with clarification on the strings used and the fact that the rosette is for real

I had one in the past, a traded "up". I have other fancier classicals. I just missed this and had to get another. I'll not be without one.

Mine is a 99' model that I acquired used in 2003. It came to me with a couple of small fingernail dents but that's about it. The finish is a lightly applied matt finish lacquer. The soundboard coat on mine is somewhat semi-gloss. A bit more shine than rest of the guitar. The top is made of solid Canadian Cedar and the rest is basically mahogany or mahogany laminates. The factory nut and saddle are Tusq. The tuners are/were some no-name gold plated junk. Body binding I think is a cream plastic. Does have tiny fret makers on the side. Came with a very nice factory hardshell case.

Well here is the nice surprise. I actually got rid a an Esteve student model (because of some severe blushing problems) to replace it with the Motif as at the time it was a good deal. I'm very happy that I did. The sound that comes from this little body is very full and rich. I think some of this has to due with the fact that it now has some age to it, because I have played more recent new Motif's and they do not have the full range of mine. Overall, it equals what I was getting out of the Esteve unit.

The action when I received it was OK. Some truss rod readjustments, shaving of the saddle, and re-slotting of the nut has brought the string height down to a very comfortable non-buzzing level. Placing hard tension strings also improved the overall action as well as a bit brighter sound. The finish is nothing special. Matt lacquer.. The fit of the woods, glue joints etc. are very good for this price ranged guitar.

Because it is such a well made guitar, with the exception of the original tuners, it should last a long time and continue to improve on its sound. Prior to replacing the tuners, there were issues with keeping it in tune and also some of plastic buttons were beginning to crack. The new tuners have solved this problem. I noticed tuners on newer models appear to be of better quality. The finish being thin, allows for good resonance, but will also allows for dents and scratches much easier.

I contacted Godin about the saddle and nut materials and they responded in less than 24 hrs. Not had any other direct experience with them.

Overall, its a good little guitar with full size capabilities. Kind of reminds me of my first Silvertone guitar some 35 years ago, but far better. Highly recommend these to anyone. Good no-frills value for your money.

There is an inaccuracy in a review below. The Motif does not have a decal rosette. They use an actual wood/fiber "mosaic" style rossette. See close-up at:

http://tinyurl.com/3d64cb

My guitar was built in 2002, it's a 2003 model. It's a parlor sized, nylon stringed guitar with full sized classical style wide neck. Made in Canada by La Patrie, which is part of Godin guitars; the makers of Normans, Seagulls, Simon and Patrick and Godin. Solid cedar top, laminated mahogany back and sides, plastic off white binding on the body. Open classical style tuners, not the best quality which is too bad. They do hold the strings though so ok. Light semi-gloss finish, rosewood neck and bridge, no strap buttons. Compensated plastic saddle, plastic nut. No electrics in my version. I do really like the colours, the guitar as a whole reminds me of an almond. It's a friendly, warm, cuddly guitar and has become my favourite instrument even though I have a much more expensive finger style steel string auditorium sized guitar. The soundhole rosette is a disappointment as it looks like a decal. I used to have a Norman guitar with the real deal and I always liked those butterflies. It's a pretty design. I still like it, I just would prefer wood as I have a thing for wood and I do some woodwork myself.
I'd like to get some sound hole amplification for this so I can record it on my PC.

Suits me fine as I use it for classical, finger style and blues played in my parlor. If I played this live it would need some kind of amplification. It's very loud for such a tiny body and perfect for my lounge. Too loud at times; when I play my regular style of classical (with nails) I have to make an effort to tone it down to get some variety, lol. It's louder than my auditorium sized steel string. I'd rather have it too loud than too soft though. It of course doesn't have the full range of tone you get out of a larger body guitar. Also mine isn't as bright as I would prefer. It's original set of (old and I think factory original) strings were pretty horrible and the sound has improved with these medium quality strings I have it on it now but my stockist was out of really good strings when I ordered. I hope with an excellent set of strings the tone will improve a tad more yet. It plays finger style blues perfectly well and the classical sounds good too. There are some youtube videos of this guitar playing if you want to get an idea. It does have a warm sound, as do most classicals. The sound would be a lot fuller if it had a solid back I think and I really wish it did. A change to a bone nut/saddle may also help. The sustain is decent for such a little fellow but if you're fussy you may want to change the tuners and saddle.

The action is fine and dandy, no problems. The body is nicely done in all respects. No excess glue inside or out. The bridge I have a problem with. It was never sanded on the edges. It was cut and left, leaving sharp edges which any decent wood worker anywhere never does. At least it didn't have saw marks like one reviewers! A two minute light sand with a decent fine grit paper would have taken off the sharp edges while still leaving a crisp line. I will probably get around to doing it myself and maybe use a real light rub of Danish Oil on a bit of cotton rag to seal it since I have no idea what kind of finish they used, although I read someplace it has an alcohol base. I wouldn't do that on the body (which doesn't need it in any case, being finished just fine) Also the finish on the bridge does not seem to have reached the area behind the nut. So a bit of Oil there will be my fix as well. Likewise on the head of the guitar, the finish does not seem as thick/glossy as on the body. I'll leave that alone though as the "cure" maybe more harmful than the annoyance of leaving it. I don't mind a thin finish, my other guitar is satin nitro cellulose (I prefer a satin vs. shiny finish) but finish ought to be evenly applied to all the wooden surfaces. The bridge in my opinion should not have passed it's final inspection without a bit more work. The other minor problem with my guitar is the knot in the fingerboard. It's a small one and I don't foresee it causing problems now with the age of the guitar (four or five years old as of this review) but if this had been a brand new one I would have chosen a different one from the shop all else being equal. For one thing knots twist and for another it's a fault in the wood in an instrument which being a musical instrument should have a higher grade of wood even on an inexpensive instrument which I don't really classify this as. The spruce top is lovely, of a decent grade spruce and well bookmatched. All the colours on the guitar compliment it's looks very well and it is very pleasing to look at. The fingerboard projects slightly over the sound hole. I asked the company why they changed the design from the original in this regard (it used to be cut to fit) and they said it was an aesthetic decision. I doubt it, I think it was faster to make them this way. I think it looks worse than the old version. The bridge is not bolted on, by the way, the company told me the two dots on the bridge were covering the holes they use to position the bridge. Ok, but again I feel this detracts from it's looks and I'm pretty sure the old model didn't have that.

It's a sturdy little beast. I whacked it on the corner of my (heavy duty) music stand yesterday and thank goodness it hit the binding so the wood is ok. Took a chip out of the binding though. Because it has laminated back and sides it will take harsher temperature and humidity changes than most and the small size will also help in that regard as the wood should move less. The spruce top won't take a pounding though so if you're going to pick it get a pick guard and be gentle with the top. The tuners are a bit sad and I doubt they'll last as long as the guitar. I'll no doubt have to replace them sometime down the track. For now they are adequate. As a cost cutting measure by the company I can cope with that. To play it live you'll need some amplification for any venue bigger than your lounge. Hey, it's a parlor guitar, hence the name "parlor". Hah.

I emailed the company regarding the change in their fingerboard design and to inquire when this particular guitar was built and got a prompt, friendly answer from Godin, the parent company. La Patrie themselves do not have an email contact online, hence my email to Godin. I bought the guitar second hand so it does not have a warranty, nor do I expect anything to go wrong with it other than the tuners eventually giving up. That won't be for some years yet I wouldn't think. Hopefully I won't whack it against any other hard, sharp objects.

I played in college a couple years, classical and folk, self taught as I'm too non-conformist to take lessons. I stopped for fifteen years as life got busy for a while then picked it up again (it's like riding a bike, you never forget). I'd classify myself as not a beginner anymore but not an intermediate player quite yet either.

In college I had three guitars including one that belonged to my husband. His was a lovely old yamaha classical, mine were a mid-range quality Norman and I can't for the life of me remember what the other one was. All three were good guitars. I currently own the motif in this review and a Walden g3030CE which is all solid and has a fishman blend EQ system. I'm looking out for another full sized classical and a steel string parlor. I wouldn't mind a Cort Earth 900 and possibly a Walden classical 700 or up.

If this guitar were lost I would buy another one tomorrow. They happen to be on sale, lol. I really like it. If the house were burning it would be one of the things I would try to grab. Or maybe my steel string so I could sell it and afford to buy another couple motifs. I do wish it had a solid back though. If it hadn't had a solid top I wouldn't have even considered it. I love how it looks; I mentioned it reminds me of an almond. It's very pretty and the colour choices of the designers were good ones. I love it's size and I like that it has a full sized neck. That way when I switch back to my regular sized steel string it isn't screwing up my fret movements. I often wonder what a spruce topped version of this guitar would sound like.

You can't compare the tone to a full sized one but it's focused and punchy for the size of it with decent sustain. I wish it came with some sound hole amplification but I can add that myself. The nylon strings are far more finger friendly but do feel a bit mushy if you're used to steel.

I chose this guitar because I'm on the small side size wise myself, I needed a wider neck for fingerstyle playing and I play classical so this guitar suits both of my favourite styles. I don't do much strumming and if I want to do that I have a steel string. Plus I wanted something small and portable enough that I could cart it around with me when I had to take it someplace. This guitar filled all those requirements. Also, this has become my favourite guitar to play and has the place of honour next to my guitar chair and music stand.

If this guitar had better tuners, the bridge had a better finish and the back at least were solid it would rate a nine. Put a wood sound hole rosette on it and solid sides it would get a 9.5 but I want the tone to be a bit brighter too for a full 10. Guess I'll see what happens with the new strings. I have no regrets whatsoever on my purchase though especially for the price I paid.

Nice comfortable body;plays great feels good. You can play it in the front seat of a small car, and the sound will blow your mind.

Unbelievable for so small. I love this guitar. Nice warm sound; sounds as good or better than my Solid top Martin Sigma(With 15+ years aged spruce top that has been frequently played, and that sounds much better than most new guitars at any price) I love my Motif Like Willie Nelson loves Trigger. Mine had too low of an action with a little fret buz, but the tech at the shop loosened the truss rod and it plays wonderfully now;I think people overlooked it because of this minor problem, but the top grain cedar was perfect, and was wonderfully balanced sounding.

A little buz, but easy to fix.

Seems real solid and well built. I really love this guitar. I was considering buying another just in case, if my little son mesed -up the first one.

This guitar is one of my favorite things that I own. It sounds and plays fantastic. My wife asked me why I needed it and I told her I would rather have this "New Guitar" instead of my new Lexus and then she kinda understood that it was a Love thing. I could afford to buy any guitar on the planet, but I chose this one, because it sounded great is fun to play and was a fantastic value for the money @ $289.00

It's a small, parlor sized classical with laminated mahogany back and sides, solid cedar top, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge. It has a satin finish, cream colored binding on the top and back. Something you don't see often, a bolted on neck with a truss rod.

Wow, what a great sound for such a small guitar. Nice round tones, very warm with good sustain for a nylon string. It had D'Addario Pro Arte strings on there when I bought it, which I've never liked, so I put on a set of Augustine Blues and she just sings. Cedar, which is softer than spruce, tends to open much quicker. This definitely is the case with these guitars. I think she has a few more years of improving that I look forward to.

Well, I think she's pretty well put together. I can see a bit of glue on the inside, along the corners, but I only paid $320 (that's in Canadian $'s BTW which translates to about $240 US). The tuners aren't the best but I had a $100 classical for the first 5 years I played guitar and those stayed in tune so...these will do fine for the time being. The action was nice and low when I bought it and I find the intonation is right on. All the materials are of excellent quality.

I think it will stand the test of time. I'm sure my 10 month old son will be able to strum along with Dad when the time comes a few years down the road. Living in Canada, we have fairly severe winters (to put it mildly), so humidification is defintely necessary for any guitar. I think the cedar top, being such a soft wood, may ding and dent easier and show it but guitars without dings or dents are guitars that aren't played. I personally think they add character.

When I need it, I'll let you know...

I had a used Seagull 12 string I really liked but I play lots of fingerstyle. So I sold the 12-strring and used the money for the Motif. My main guitar is a Martin OM-15 so I wanted something a bit different. I had purchased the Seagull Grand but my hands were just too big for the fretboard at the nut. Thought about it for a day or 2 and decided a classical/nylon string with a cedar top was definitely very different from the all mahogany, steel string Martin. I hadn't owned a classical in a dozen years and thought it would be nice to have something that was once familiar. She had 5 Motifs in stock and I tried only 3 before finding the one I liked. I personally think any guitar that comes out of the Lasido shops, be it a Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, La Patrie, Art & Lutherie or even a Godin (even though I'm not much into electrics), represent some of the best values out there. Anything with these specs coming from Japan or the US will cost you at least 2-3 times the price. Give any of these a try and judge for yourself.

Solid Cedar top, laminate mahogany back and side with maple in the middle of the ply. B Band G3 pick up. Honduran mahogany neck. Satin finish. The guitar came with a free case at a price that couldn't be beat. I got mine cheaper than a Martin Backpacker and I'm much happier with it. Has everything i want for a classical guitar and nothing i don't. I chose the Motif as I just wanted a classical i could plug in at gigs and travel with, and i've always been a fan of LaSiDo's parlour guitars, this guitar offers me that, plus a sweet acoustic tone that can't be beat. 11 out of 10 for the B Band G3 as well

Sounds fantastic, i personally use it for Irish Traditional, folk and Spanish music and it stands up to the test every time. Fantastic bright sound for such an inexpensive and small guitar, suitable for small, soft furnished venues. Excellent pick up, like my guitars set flat but throw a hint of bass onto the La Patrie for that softer sound. Adore the guitar, first saw it at Frankfurt Musikmesse and was amazed at the sound from such a small guitar, very happy with my purchase.

The guitar was set up for me by the Irish distributors at their shop. The action is a treat to play, especially compared to some of the more expensive Spanish factory set up guitars i've come across. Wood quality was flawless, the nut was superbly cut, saddle nice, tuning pegs will take some getting used to after playing the likes of Martin and Gibson as they are not as responsive, but overall a quality instrument.

The cedar top seems quite soft, as is expected with Seagull, Norman etc. I believe the guitar can withstand what i wish to put it through. I would certainly use this guitar at a gig, but would not require a backup as this guitar would only be for 30% of the songs and i am full confident it will last the distance.

Have dealt with the company for other guitars and they are most helpful. I work for local dealer, Pro Musica Cork, who offer a one year warranty. The company themselves are always quite helpful with email or telephone enquiries, no faults

I have been playing for eight years and own and own a nice 000-1R Martin with Rare Earth single coil, a 1996 Landola DD21E (one of the first handmade Landola guitars under Erkie Noromies), a 1985 Fender Standard Strat, a 1976 Ovation Viper, a 1971 Gibson Les Paul Custom and now my La Patrie Motif. If the guitar were stolen or lost i would certainly buy one again as it is the best classical guitar i've played in the sub ?1000 range. I love the body size and pickup in particular but the beautiful tone about it is what i adore, i've only ever met two guitars i could play all day, one being my Martin, the other my Motif. I have possessed a D28 but it didn't do it for me, this guitar is among the best guitars I've played. As a manager in a music store i get the opportunity to play literally hundreds of new guitars a year and this is the one i have chosen to purchase of everything i've seen in 2003, it was also the opinion of a salesperson in the store as well, he collected his the day after mine but opted without the pickup

I bought this guitar on July 14, 2001, brand new. This parlor size classical guitar has a solid cedar top, laminated mahogany sides and back. The neck is 2 1/4" with 19 frets. The whole guitar has a very light satin finish. Case was not included.

Although this is supposed to be a cheap guitar, the guitar sounds very good and balanced. Intonation is good thanks to a compensated saddle. This guitar certainly blows away any Takamine or Yamaha classical guitar costing a thousand dollars more.

The finish is very thin and would not protect the guitar much. On the other hand it will not hamper the sound. The workmanship is adequate but a bit rough. For example the bridge is o.k. but looks like a slab of wood with little sanding: you can see the saw marks. Wood quality is good however. Action is medium and frets are very well dressed. Not too refined but the basics are there.

The finish would not hold up to abuse. Machine heads are not smooth. The construction however apart from this is good and the guitar seems solid enough.

I have not dealt with the company as the guitar is brand new. The store where I bought it gives a two year guarantee.

I have been playing guitar for over thirty years and own some quality guitars including an 1898 Martin parlor guitar. For the price, this guitar is excellent. It is a product that was well designed and has features that make it very playable and great value for the money. There is a truss rod in the neck, which is not common for classical guitars but makes a lot of sense. Position markers on the side of the fingerboard are also a bright idea. Intonation is excellent thanks to a compensated saddle. Finally, the size of the guitar is very appealing. In short, this company offers all the basics that make for a very playable guitar while cutting corners where it doesn't matter as much, thus enabling them to sell this for such a cheap price. This is a great little travel guitar or noodling around guitar. I bought it as a beater but now I've changed my mind and will take care of it. However, I do wish they made a slightly upscale model with solid wood and decent tuners.

The La Patrie Motif Classical (nylon string) parlor guitar is made by La Si Do, and is the nylon string version of their Seagull Grand Parlor acoustic. My version of the La Patrie Motif substitutes 100% Canadian wood for the tropical rain forest wood used in Motifs, and is sold as the Art & Lutherie Ami Classical Cedar acoustic. It was made in 1999 in La Patrie, Quebec, Canada, with a solid cedar top, lightened for use with nylon strings. The neck is maple, bolted (with totally concealed bolts) to a body of laminated wood made of three plies of solid cherry. The body and neck are stained a warm tone of burgundy, and there is ivory toned binding around the top and bottom of the body. The rosette has a simple white design. The fingerboard and classical style bridge are walnut. The headstock is slotted for nylon strings. The saddle is a thick cut of a bone-like material that is angled for better intonation. The body is the very small Seagull parlor size (about the same size as the Martin 0-size) but the neck is a full size classical style neck with the long 655mm (25.6 inch) scale. The fingerboard is flat and is about 1 13/16 inch wide at the nut, and widens to 2 1/4 inches wide at the 12th fret. This tapered fingerboard is narrower than a traditional classical fingerboard,which is usually 2 1/4 wide from top to bottom. The neck has medium depth at the first fret and gets deeper toward the 8th fret. This tapered neck makes playing from the first to the fourth fret easier than with most classical guitars. Although the neck is much thicker than on a Seagull Grand, I find it equally confortable to play. The body is finished with a very thin satin gloss lacquer that is almost invisible. A thin lacquer allows the maximum vibration from the solid cedar soundboard, but needs delicate handling compared with a guitar finished with six ounces of plastic spray. (I saw one estimate that a third of the weight of the soundboard on a poly finished guitar is the plastic finish!) The tuners are gold-toned, three per mount open tuners in the classical style. My features score is in comparison only with other classical guitars.

This parlor classical has a very soft, sweet tone when using only fingertips, but is brighter and lounder, and has some bite using a pick. Nylon strings have short sustain, making individual notes very distinct. There is no deep, deep bass, and the higher treble is very soft, so the midrange dominates chords. The solid Cedar top yields a unique coloration that is a bit more complex than a spruce soundboard (sort of a "spicy" quality). This is a guitar for an audience of one. It can not match the volume and bass of a much larger, full size classical guitar. Yet, playing softly late, late at night, it seems just about right for what Frank called the "wee, small hours". For those folks who need the bigger voice of a full sized classical guitar, the La Patrie Etude, with a solid cedar soundboard, sells for around $300.

La Si Do put this guitar together with great attention to detail. The workmanship is as goog as on some $1,000 guitars. The materials are simple, and light, but the finished guitar seems as solid as a light, parlor size, classical can hope to be. I could not find any flaw on this guitar. The action was set up in classical style, which means the strings will appear high from the fifth fret to the 12th fret for electric guitar buffs. The very light tension of nylon strings makes chording easy with higher string settings.

Is there a musical instrument more delicate than a light, parlor sized classical guitar? Classical guitars have a very thin soundboard and light bracing. Ami's finish is very thin and will scratch easily, and the Cedar soundboard can be dented by a hard stare. (Cedar is much softer than Spruce.) However, the folks at La Si Do built a guitar that will last, if it is given the great respect that delicate musical instruments deserve.

I have two La Si Do guitars. When I needed information (and a new saddle) I contacted www.lasido.com and got helpful responses. They have a well earned reputation for standing behind their guitars.

I was disappointed, at first, with the sound of this guitar. I was unfamilar with the sound of nylon strings, and I was surprised by how small the voice of this guitar is compared with much larger full size guitars. In Mariachi bands, the small bodied nylon string guitar is called the "Requinto", which means the "quiet" guitar. As my ears adjust to the small, soft voice of this "quiet" guitar, I hear the voice that a very small classical guitar ought to have. The small size body rests lightly on my knee. A small guitar just feels so right in your lap and hands. I enjoy the sound of larger steel string acoustics, but when my fingers start yelling about steel wires cutting into flesh, soft nylon is a nice vacation for my fingers and my ears. The Motif and Ami Classical guitars sound like expensive guitars, yet sell at affordable prices. I enjoy playing a guitar made of North American wood, made by the North American craftspeople of the La Si Do guitar family.

Nylon stringed, parlor sized acoustic. Solid cedar top with laminated mahogany sides and back. Guitar was built in La Patrie, Canada by the same manufacturers of Seagull and Godin. The guitar is very well built for the price($300.00 incl. plush hardshell case). The satin finish of the guitar is consistent on body and neck. The factory set up was excellent. For the money an excellent buy!

I play a lot of fingerstyle on this guitar, particullarly, slack key. It produces a warm, loud sound....sounds bigger than its physical size. Havent miked the guitar or recorded with it yet.

The fit and finish of the woods is excellent. All parts of the guitar are top notch.

I see no reason for this guitar to not stand up over time. The tuners may be slightly cheepish but...they can be replaced if needed.

Overall rating....8. I would have no difficulties in recommending this guitar.

This Parlor nylon string acoustic was made in 1999 in La Patrie, Canada (near Quebec). Purchased in Portland, OR, where the salesman told me the town of La Patrie exists just to make acoustic guitars, and this is a fine example.
I paid $299 for a new instrument, solid top (can't remember which wood) and solid mahogonay back and sides, Satin finish. Purchased hard parlor case separately.
An inexpensive instrument, all the money went into the basics, and it's a totally great value.

I play classical, and this is a well balanced guitar with great sustain (probably because of the small body?) Because it's mahogany, it's a somewhat bright, present sound - not mellow, but very pleasant.

Very impressed with configuration. The woods are so well cut, looking at the two piece back you can hardly see the seam. Everything about the guitar seems like it should have cost alot more than it did. No flaws at all.

It's new, but appears to be solidly made. I'll let you know in 20 years.

Have not called for support.

I have several guitars, and play mostly classical. This guitar was purchased as a travel instrument, since it's small and inexpensive. Overall, I prefer the sound of Rosewood guitars, but don't want to own 15 rosewood guitars, so I bought mahogany for variety. I compared it to all the other classical guitars in the shop, and chose this one because it was small and inexpensive. It was only after hours of playing did I really appreciate the quality.