Lucida Artista LG-755

All solid wood construction: cedar soundboard, mahogany back and sides, ebony fretboard. It has a plastic nut and saddle.

Soung us quite robust and loud. It has a warmer/full sound. Not bright.

Action was good...about 4mm at 12th fret/low E string. Finish was good...no flaws I noticed.

I have had it for a few months now and it is holding up well. Time will tell.

Haven't needed customer support yet.

Playing guitar for 17 years, classical for a few months. I also own a Gibson SG Standard and a Roland Cube 30 amp. For the price, it is hard to beat. That being said, it's price has gone up recently, in the $500-600 range. That being the case, I would probably spend a few extra bucks and upgrade to a LG-777 with rosewood back/sides for $600-700. This guitar came highly recommended on the classical corner discussion forum on the Acoustic Guitar magazine website. Pavan guitars are another one to consider in the $600-1000 price range.

This unit was bought used so it could be a year or two old.

Handmade in Spain, that was one of the attractions to this guitar.

Solid top.

Body and neck woods are Cedar & Mahogany if I am not mistaken and are very pleasing to the eyes.

The finish is nice, appears a bit thin and might not take alot of abuse, but then again, how much abuse should a classical guitar have to take. It's thin skin allows for it's resonance and sustain.
The overall finish is superb regardless.

The tuners appear to be well made. I like them alot compared to a previous classical I had. Gold plating, pearl-like knobs with realtively smooth operation. The strings that came with it were awful however. I am not sure if these were factory or not. My guess is that they were not, but either way they had to go in favor of a set of Martin strings. I always junk factory strings anyway and it was very poorly strung to boot. This change makes for an entirely different and awesome guitar. Play it for a few weeks if you can keep it in tune and then go get some quality strings. Also keep an eye under your saddle for a "shim" I guess you would call it. I found a piece of paper trimmed to fit under the saddle in an attempt to raise the saddle I guess. Toss it!! And as mentioned in a previous review, the nut is loose for whatever reason. The unit I have is not too high at all, not too low either. I am an action obsessed individual and feel that this particular unit is great once I did away with the paper shim. There is an annoying "vibration" that was mentioned in some reviews I read prior to purchase that comes from the "D" (third wound) string when fretted between the first through fourth frets. Not all the time, but it is there and can be annoying. This may cure with a bone nut however. I will report back once I perform that upgrade.

The mahogany neck is a flawlessly finished item, wide and flat as a classical should be. I have big hands and long fingers so we like each other alot. I spent some quality time dressing my frets and the ebony fingerboard while the strings were off. The board is clean and fairly smooth. It really came to life when lightly rubbed with some 0000 steel wool and the dressed with some fingerboard conditioner. The tight grain and density of this wood make it a great piece. The frets are not perfect in my opinion and might be an area I was most surprised by the craftsmanship (or lack of). I noticed while polishing and inspecting each fret that a number of them had low spots. I understand and take into account that this is a "handmade" guitar and perfection is not to be expected. It may be that the fret wire is not top notch, but it does not appear to be so bad as to affect playability. Not mine anyway. Overall a decent neck and fingerboard.

The shop this was purchased from included a hardshell case which made it all the better. This guitar in a gig bag would be a shame.

The sound of this guitar suits my style for what it is intended. I am learning all the time and have been playing for a few years now. I bought this guitar for lessons I am taking for classical guitar. I
like anything from Paganini to Pantera. Remember Randy Rhoades?

This guitar has a mellow and peaceful sound. Not as loud as I anticipated and might have liked, but it is very pleasant. It sounds like a harp now that it has some real strings and is keeping tune. You really have to have some patience in getting the strings to that point however. Take your time and you will be rewarded by very sweet sounding tones.

I love the sound, wish it was louder, but I love it anyway.

Ok..........I spent alot of time talking about the saddle and nut earlier and wont digress too much. The guitar I bought was previously owned so I am unsure how it came from the factory. I have a feeling it was not changed much if at all. The action is what a classical should be. I would call it medium high and very playable.
The nut and saddle are loose and could be taken down a bit if one so chose. I would not though. This really works well the way it is.

The fit and finish is superb on the top, back, sides, neck and bridge. This was an area I expected quality and high craftsmanship and I got it. I would have been very disappointed with anything less.
The binding and inlays are beautiful. The neck joint to the body is great. The rosewood bridge looks fine.

The few flaws I have found this guitar to have are the frets ans mentioned earlier and the the "B" tuning knob is loose in a strange way. It does not spin or rattle and is not a real problem thus far.
The only other issue is the string "vibration" on the third wound string that I mentioned earlier. None of these are so bad that I am disatisfied, just worthy of mention.

This guitar should be fine live. I will say it has to be cared for like a lady and it will act like one if done so.

The hardware (tuners primarily) appear to be fairly well made.

The finish should be cared for and if done so there would likely be no problems. It will get it's chacter from it's use.

It's handmade in Spain by people that know classical guitar. It can be depended on for sure.

No dealings with the factory as it was bought used. The website has some interesting and useful information about the company and the guitars they make. I would say the support would be there.

Playing and learning 2-3 years.

Nothing really to ask after having done my homework. I got what I ordered.

If lost or stolen I would likely seek another Lucida.

This is an all around well made guitar with very nice features. To pick one I like I guess it would be the overall fit and finish.

To pick a dislike. I would say that the manufacturer could spend some time on a bone nut and saddle and make this a real performer
in doing so.

I read more Harmony Central reviews and many others than I can count in deciding which guitar to buy. I had not played any in my comparison which sounds crazy. I went with the manufacturers information and all others experiences and it worked well.

I wish it was an electric. That's all.

This guitar is my first real classical guitar. I know there are guitars on the market for thousands of dollars and probably do not compare to this one. I do know that for the price paid for this guitar that I could have spent twice as much and not got the guitar that I have here. This is handmade, well crafted and detailed. It's not an Asian market mass produced item out of a magazine. I have one of those too in another steel string acoustic and the differences are dramtic. I stole this guitar in my opinion and until I put my fingers around the neck of something else I will enjoy this one for sure and for a long time.

* What year was it made? Where was is made?
2002(or 3)?. Spain.
* How many frets?
* 19 (standard).
* Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)
Solid cedar top; solid mahogany back, sides, and neck; solid ebony fretboard; solid rosewood bridge; rosewood/maple inlay; rosewood veneer over headstock; wood inlay rosette.

* How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
It's perfect. Very spanish sounding. Has a slightly electric/Ovation sound flavor to it. Very loud. Lots of sustain. Fantastic.
* Is it noisy? On what settings?
No. Everything's fine.
* Likes and dislikes?
No dislikes whatsoever. 100% satisfied.

* How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)
Now here's a gripe I have. The action was way too high. I realize classic guitars are supposed to be high, but this is beyond normal. It definately needed its nut and saddle cut. But here's the wonderful thing: the nut was left unglued so I can go ahead and adjust it with no problems. All of this isn't a big deal; I plannned on putting in bone nut and saddle anyway. But if you are expecting this thing to be acceptably playable out of the box, forget it!
* Properly bookmatched top? Properly routed bridge?
The top looks pretty well matched, but the back isn't. Not too bad but for the price, I can't complain. The bridge is fine.

* Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Absolutely. It's a well-built guitar.
* Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?
The finish is lovely and looks perfect. On the thin side, that is. Sound and quality are important here, not necessarily protection.
* Can you depend on it?
Heck ya.
* Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
I sure would.

* If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
* Ever try and get it repaired? Was it under warranty?
* How long is the warranty?
None of this is applicable to my situation. I bought it off eBay--new, but off eBay.

* How long have you been playing?
10+ years.
* What other gear do you own?
Acoustics, electrics...you name it, I got it.
* Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
No. I was pretty clear on what I was buying. I did my reasearch and bought what I knew I wanted.
* If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
Maybe, just maybe, I'd get the LG-777 which is the same but has rosewood back and sides. I have no reason to want to switch and would be prefectly content with another just like this.
* What do you love about it?
Everything. For $300 w/ a top-quality case, I'm in heaven.
* What do you hate?
The action was freakin' terrible. Nothing else but that, though.
* What is your favorite feature? The ebony fretboard is wonderful. The craftsmanship is wonderful. Everything is wonderful.
* Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
Yes, I had an Ibanez A/C (all laminate), and then a La Patrie Concerto (solid cedar, laminate back and sides) before this. I liked them both but this Lucida is in a different world.
* Anything you wish it had?
Yes, an ebony bridge and bone nut and saddle.
* Anything else you'd like to share?
For $300, there is no greater deal you could get. And although the bargain is one reason to seek getting a Lucida, the quality is even more importantly why this guitar is the best choice for anyone looking to get a classical for under $700. People are buying Takamines with laminate parts for $550 /w no case. This Lucida will blow those guitars out of the water.