Landola SL-25

Small size classical guitar.
Made in Finland, late sixties.
See also reviewer above.

This is the best sounding guitar I have ever tried. The sound is big, warm and full of life, it can't be described in words, you got to hear it! Very well balanced, long sustain.
I play folk/rock kind of music like Lovin Spoonful, Beatles, Ralph McTell, early Chris deBurgh, it's perfect for finger-picking ballads, very good for rock too.

Good tuners. Straight neck, but; the saddle is replaced, and the new one is placed too close to the fretboard. So the intonation is not good, but this can probably be fixed by a better repair-man.
The neck-construction is not as impressive as on my more expensive
60's Landola, but it's no problem.

It's probably built 30 years ago, and it will probably last 50 more. With a new saddle this guitar will play as when it was new, (probably) sounding much better.

I've been playing guitar for 23 years, worked as a busker and have made hundreds of songs. This guitar inspires song-writing with its unbelievable sound. I own 10 other guitars (did own many more), mainly Scandinavian acoustics, including an expensive Hagstrom/Bjarton Classic. The SL-25 is my favorite, although it's the cheapest.
The first time I played a SL-25 I offered the owner $US600 for it, but she refused to sell it. I will never sell this guitar!

Made in the late sixties in Finland! Solid Pine top, I think.

The finish is laquered, with a nice rossette around the sound hole. Size is probably 3/4. This makes the neck very easy to play. Not too wide.

The grain of the guitar is very nice. It has a real aged look to it. I got it used, some years ago. Did not get a case. I have no idea what they came with when new, but probably Landola themselves will not remember!

It has a nice tone. I am not an advanced classical player, but what I do play sounds great on this.

It is an easy instrument to pick up and play, even for electric guitar players, I would say. I have been put off by some classical guitars simply because neck is so wide. It seems to me that this guitar is an excellent compromise between the fuller bodied classicals and the smaller sized 3/4.

The neck is wider than most other guitars, but not in the same league as most other classicals. It does not take extensive relearning just to play it!

This guitar is over 30 years old, and I would say that it has held up very well. There are marks in the finish, but it is a rare beast that is so old and in perfect shape. I think it adds character anyway, so it does not bother me in the least.

The wood is a single piece for the top and the back. All the frets are correctly seated, no problems. The neck is good and the whold package is nicely put together.

I do not think that it is the most expensive guitar ever built, but if you want a vintage classical then it is an option worth considering. If you can find one!

To measure how well this guitar stays in tune, you would need to calibrate your timing device by years, not days! It just does not go out of tune! I do not know if this is something unique to this guitar, or is quite normal for other classical guitars, but it makes a nice change, that's all I can say!

I do not use this guitar for gigging. It is a house guitar, something that I pickup and play when the mood takes me. It would be a simple matter to fit a pickup though, but I do not play the kind of music where a nylon string guitar would be used.

If I really did intend to play with it live, though, I would definately have no concerns about it.

Landola are still very much in production. They make hand made instruments of very high quality. Check out this link!

http://www.landola.fi/

They will tell you about your guitar if you email them. Other than that I have had no experience of them.

I have been playing for over 20 years. I currently own a Simon & Patrick dreadnaught, a Gordon Smith Gypsy II, and a variety of other guitars from 335 copies to strat'u'likes.

I play blues, some folky stuff, and whatever comes into my head at the time.

If this guitar were to go missing, I would not be able to get it again. They are very rare beasts. Of course, I would tear the beating heart out of any low life who were to try to steal it!

For me, this is a simple, elegent and pleasant sounding instrument. It is a joy to pick up and play. I believe, due to the fact that they are very rare, that it is a seriously under-rated guitar.


I played a couple of other classicals at the time when I bought this and I liked several. However, this one had a tone all its own. It was the most playable of the ones I tried simply because the neck is so easy to manage.

Not much more to say than simply, if one comes your way, get it.