Lucida Artista LG-777

I'm not sure when mine was made. I purchased it new in early 2003. It has a solid cedar top and nice sides and back of Indian Rosewood. The neck is mahogany with an ebony finger board.

This is a classical guitar and I have been playing classical and finger-style music on it. It has a very nice sound with plenty of bass.

The action was high, but was easily adjusted.
The finish is a little thick in corners--like at the juncture of the top and the fret board, but everywhere else looks great.
I think the quality of the top is good, and the quality of the back and sides is very good. Tuners are a bit cheap looking, but work perfectly fine.

I have been playing it a lot, and have had no problems. I have traveled with it, but only by car.

I don't even know whether there is a warranty.

I chose this guitar because it was an incredible value. It easily stacked up to guitars in the $1200 range, and sounded better than one new guitar that was priced at several times that. I have no illusions that there are better looking, better sounding, and better playing guitars, but not for anywhere close to this price. I intend to get a really fantastic classical in Brazilian Rosewood at some point, but I think I will still keep this one.

This is a brand new (2003) Lucida Concerto (LG777) made in Spain. It is supposedly hand "Crafted", but for the money, I doubt that each instrument receives the personal Luthier attention of a higher end ($1,500 and up) guitar, but I could be wrong. Regardless, it is quite pretty and sports a solid Spruce top (not Cedar like most of the ads show), solid Rosewood Back and Sides, Ebony fingerboard (although it so not quite as polished and perfect as a higher end guitar). The tuners are Gold Lyre tuners (plated) that feel pretty good - not the best feature of this guitar, though. Remember that this is a $500 to $800 guitar.

The sound is pretty surprising for $500.00. I've played Ramirez, Almansa, Saez, etc. and the difference is subtle.

The action was set standard at the nut - way too high for some of the fingerstyle pieces I play - definitely need to drop that a little and, man what a difference (watch out for buzzing when you do this). At the 12th fret it was standard too but I don't spend a lot of time down there so I didn't adjust that. No real flaws to speak of and the finish was nice and shiny.

Too soon to tell.

Too soon to tell

I've been playing for over 25 years but only the last three have been focused on classical music (in my youth I was wacking my Telecaster pretty much exclusively). I own several acoustic guitars that are mostly laminated student guitars and a couple of electrics (Jackson PS-4, 1977 Telecaster). If the LG777 was stolen, I'd probably start over looking for something simply because I like change - not because the guitar isn't a good one. I give it an overall 8 because it looks and sounds (and somewhat plays) like the real Valencia, Spain type of serious guitar. Good choice for the average Joe that can't part with $1,500 or more.

Not sure when it's made, I bought it online in Aug 2003, it was definitely new. This is a Spanish-made classical guitar with standard sized body. Made of solid woods - cedar top, rosewood sides and back, ebony fretboard - just what I wanted, and for that little money, hard to beleive! Nut and saddle are said to be ivoroid, but it I think they are plastic. Lyre's gold-plated tuners look good, surely not superb butter-feeling ones, but they are Ok. Stock strings are cheap junk.

It came packaged in factory packaged with lots of bubbled bags, no hard shell.

Out of the box the guitar sounds great, but when you restring with something better, like Martin Silverplated, the damn thing just SIGNS! No noises/buzz, sound in low-mid range is close to perfect, deep and clear. Trebbles are warm and distinct, lack some sustain, but I think it's Ok for classical. Even with factory string volume balance is excellent over the range.

Action out of the box was about 5mm at the 12th fret. AFAIK this is a standard action for classical. The thing I wan't fond of is the action at the nut. It was way too high making it hard to play in first position. I did some research on how to lower it and did it myself (www.frets.com - great resource!!!). A piece of sandpaper - it's all it takes. I also compensated at saddle a little, but the way the bridge is constructed there's not too much room for lowering 12th fret action, you can hardly go below 4mm, but again this is perfectly enough for classical.

Every wooden part is executed excellently, not lacks whatsoever. The lacquer finish is quite good, but there were few flows in it where the neck connects to the top and on the neck where finish meats fretboard. Barely visible from 2-3ft. This is the reason I give it 8.

Frets are Ok.

As I said the thing is solid and seems to last long with proper care.
No strap buttons, it's a classical, they don't jump on the stage ;_)

I'm not into public performances so no comments on dependability/backup.

10 I given should be thought of as of a relative mark in the same category. Still, classicals are pretty fragile things, you cannot even put steel strings on'em ;-_\)

No warranty/haven't dealt with them.

I'm a hobby player, studied classical guitar for a year, have been playing on and off for about 8 years. I have owned 3 guitars, and definitely this one is the best of them, although not the most expensive. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy one in a heartbeat, even for the higher price that now everyone seems to be selling them for ;(.

I did cross shop several guitars and tried many at local stores. Didn't fall in love with either of'em and decided to go for this one blindly - no one sells them in the local stores, everything else made of solid woods was way out of my price range, and I wanted a solid wood instrument! Previous reviews on Concerto here did affect my choice and I'm happy I listened! Love absolutely everything about this baby, and special thanks to Musiclink for not glueing in nut&saddle, otherwise it would've been a pain to adjust action.

If you're in doubts trying to decide between <$800 Yamaha or Cordoba - forget it and get the Concerto, it'll beat crap out of them.

Unsure of manufacture date. Made in Spain. Solid cedar top, SOLID mahogany sides and back. No electronics. Gloss finish - not that thick polyester finish. Standard classical shape and accompanying hardware. 2 things that were done to the guitar before I got it. The previous owner added a bone saddle and a bone nut. For the price - and having SOLID wood throughout, it gets a 10

one word - WOW!!! Unbelievable sustain, great projection, very rich, full sound. No tubbiness in the low end and the treble has a bell-like quality to it.

Action was fine. Very well put together guitar. Has some excess glue on the braces, but in no way does it affect the tone of the guitar. Nicely finished/polished frets without sharp edges.

One would have NO problems using this guitar in a concert situation. Never play without a backup! With care, this guitar would last a lifetime.

no experience

for the money - even new, the Concerto is less than 700.00 - it SMOKES EVERYTHING that I played prior to getting it. Even some 2500.00 "high end" spanish classicals. I love the sound complexity, tone, projection...hell, I love everything about it. Even that cool cedar smell. :+) I would replace it in a heartbeat if it was to disappear. My classical guitar instructor played the Concerto for a few minutes and couldn't believe how good it sounded - and she played the HELL out of it. Your guitar always sounds different when someone else plays it, and I was sure digging the sound. Snatch this one up QUICK!!

2002. Spanish made classical with all solid wood construction. Cedar top, rosewood back/sides and bridge, mohogany neck, ebony fretboard, wood binding and laquer finish. Tuners are cheap but do the job ok. Plastic nut and saddle are fairly cheap and hurt the sound. Came with a hardshell case. The strings it came with were awfull. I immediately put some D'Addario Pro-Arte strings on it. Much better.
Cedar top is probably AA grade with uneven spacing in grain. Fretboard was given some sloppy treatment when installing frets. Only cosmetic flaws but would'nt be seen in a guitar from a bigger company.
Nicer tuners and a better nut/saddle would have given this guitar a higher rating for this category. Solid woods are rarely if ever seen at this price, so I gave it an 8.

Lots of volume, with very resonant lows. Decent sustain but highs are weak. I suspect that a bone nut and saddle will really improve the sound, especially the highs. I have heard very few guitars at this price sound this good so I gave it a 9.

Action is pretty high with not a whole lot of room to work with on the saddle. I took it down a little and so far no buzzing but many players will wish to go lower. It is not the easiest playing guitar mainly due to the high action. The finish is not as thick as you will see on a mass-produced guitar, which is great, but there are some small specks and a small run where the fretboard meets the top on the trebble side.

I see no indication of poor costruction. It looks like it will last decades if cared for.

The company who sold it to me warrants it for two years against defects. If you want to deal with the manufacturer, hire a detective. I've done some searching on the net, but only find dealers.
I can't rate it for this category because I only dealt with the company long enough to buy it.

I've got a Takamine C-128 and this guitar beats it by miles in sound but the Tak plays a little easier. I've had a year of instruction in classical and played off and on for 10 years or so. I picked it up again recently and decided to spend a little money on a good sounding guitar. I planned to spend about $600. I read some good things about this guitar so I took a chance (not really, I had 10 days to try it out).
In it's price range you will really have to look hard to find a guitar this nice(despite some cosmetic flaws). I plan to upgrade to a bone nut and saddle, which I think will make this guitar realize it's full potential.

The construction and features of this guitar is well detailed in reviews below. To reinforce what others have said, the gutiar uses good wood elements and low cost tuners that are okay. All elements of the must be evaluated in terms of price paid. Rating based on price would be a 10. I gave it an 7 so that it could be compared to other models regardless of price. I used the same logic for ratings in each category.

This is my first classical guitar. I've played steel string guitars for 30+ years and have owned from beginner to high end models. The tone on this guitar is wonderful, I'm sure that a high end classical would reveal some weaknesses of the Concerto, but for a entry-level guitar I don't think you can beat this one. The string tone is well balance and it has very good projection and volume when finger picking. You must replace the strings to hear the guitar sing. I bought this to learn some classical pieces and technique. The guitar produces rich and loud harmonic overtones. This is another category where a rating based on price would be a 10.

The finish on the guitar is very good. There are a few thick spots in the finish where the fingerboard joins the cedar top, but again for the price you get some real value. The action seems pretty high, I guess they do that so there is no fret buzz out of the box. It plays pretty well even with the higher action. I plan on lowering the action on mine. The woods used are attractive and of very high quality when compared to price. This is another category where a rating based on price would be a 10.

I would not hesitate to use this guitar live (if my skills were worth sharing with others). I think the tuners will have to be replaced and the nut and saddle will likely be upgraded some day. It is lightweight and should not be beat around, but it looks like with proper care, the guitar will hold up well. This is another category where a rating based on price would be a 10.

I haven't dealt with the manufacturer. The guitar was made in Spain, but there is some debate about who actually makes the guitar. SurfCityMusic.com handled the transaction well, I haven't needed any follup up support from them.

I own all types of guitars, mostly electrics because it takes more than one of those to cover the bases. I've been playing guitar for 30 years and this guitar is the best value by far that I've purchased. If this were lost, I would buy another one in a heartbeat. The only reason to buy a different guitar would be if classical guitar became my main instrument. In that case I would look for one in the $1,500 - 2,000 price range. This guitar was perfect for what I wanted. I wanted a solid cedar top, rosewood back and sides CG to learn on. I couldn't believe how little money I had to pay to get one. I decided on this model because of what others had to say about it and the relatively low price compared to other guitars of similar quality and features.

My LG777 was made in Spain and purchased on line in September of 2002. The guitar features a solid cedar top, Indian rosewood back and sides, and an ebony fingerboard. The neck is made from a light mahogany and the head has an overlay of rosewood. The bridge is rosewood also. The finish is excellent as long as you like high gloss finishes. The tuners are inexpensive but adequate. A hardshell case was purchased at the same time.

The guitar has a pleasant sound with very good harmonics. Volume is excellent.

AS it came from the factory, the guitar had a very playable but silghtly high action. A local luthier suggested lowering the action by cutting the nut and improving the intonation by compensating the bridge saddle. With this done, the sound and action are even better! I consider the additional $60 to be money well spent.

I have no concerns regarding durability to date.

Buying on line with this company was a stress free experience.

I have "messed around" with guitars for over 30 years, but am now trying to learn classical methods with a teacher. I would buy this guitar again in an instant. Both my teacher and other more experienced guitarists have spoken highly of the instrument.

This is a 3 month old Spanish-crafted instrument. The main feature that the LG-777 Concerto model offers is solid wood construction throughout. This is unheard of in a $400 classical. The top is solid cedar, the sides and back are solid rosewood. No laminates! The attention to detail in the construction of this guitar is obvious. The rosette is inlaid marquetry and the binding is highlighted by black and white purfling. The neck is claimed to be mahogany, but if it is, it's a pale mahogany. The fretboard is ebony, as is the bridge. The tuning machines are mediocre, but adequate.

The overall impesssion of the Concerto's sound is lively and resonant. Certainly NOT what you'd expect to hear from a guitar in this price range. The sustain is decent, but not remarkable. For a classical, it has a bright tone with pleasing harmonics. The volume it produces is surprising and no doubt a result of its all solid wood construction. I play informally with a group of other classical guitarists and the Concerto has no problems making itself heard.

Straight from the box, the action was slightly higher than I prefer, but it wasn't a problem adjusting it into my comfort zone. The factory strings are awful and I replaced them immediately. There is only one tiny flaw in the finish and that's a small run in the lacquer near the neck on the upper bout. This is a well crafted guitar that plays nicely and sounds great.

I pamper my instruments, so I can't make any call on how the Concerto would hold up to neglect. Will it stand up to live playing? I have no doubt that it would. However, performing professional guitarists are going to be using concert-grade guitars. The pros wouldn't be interested in this model.

I have nothing to say since I haven't needed any service.

I've been playing for a number of years and I have to admit that I'm cheap when it comes to buying guitars. My previous classicals have been Yamaha and Takamine and both were decent. This Lucida, however, is on a par with much more expensive guitars. It represents a "Best Buy" value. If you're looking for a big step up in quality beyond a student guitar, I can highly recommend the Lucida Artista Concerto.

This guitar was made sometime late 2001 or early 2002. It has a 19 fret ebony fretboard. It definitely has a solid cedar top and solid rosewood sides. Some sites indicate the back is solid rosewood while others say it is select (laminated.) The neck is mahogany and has relief built into it. The gold tuners while being of cheap quality are more than adequate and work quite well. The gold plating makes them look good from a distance. Because of the fact that I only paid $375 for this guitar, I'm giving the features a 10.

This guitar sounds great. What else can be said of a guitar in the $300-$600 price range. I had the luxury of playing a different LG-777 at a music store priced at $479. I compared it to guitars priced at $700-$2000. It was very much comparable to the $2000 guitar. I will say the neck was made a little nicer on the $2000 guitar. This guitar has a good full sound with plenty of volume range. And once again, because of the price, I have to rate this a 10.

The action was set to 4.5 - 5mm on the low E string at the 12th fret which is standard concert height. Some people may find this a little difficult to play. I lowered my action to roughly 3.7 mm. The bridge design doesn't allow for much lower than this. Going much below 3.5mm would probably cause fret buzz.
The finish looks decent. It has some flaws here and there. The frets could have been dressed nicer on the 19th frets. With that in mind, from 3 feet away, the guitar looks very nice. It has a nice looking inlaid rosette. An ok looking rosewood bridge. The wood bindings compliment the back and sides perfectly.

I've had this guitar for 4 months now. I play everyday, unless my hand is bothering me and it seems to be pretty solid. I have regularly checked the neck to insure there hasn't been any bowing or warping. The finish seems like it will stand up to years of abuse. I play everyday, unless my hand is bothering me.

I believe Lucida Artista offers a warranty; however, reaching the company would almost require the CIA to help you locate them. Since I purchased the guitar through Ebay, I don't have to worry about getting any warranty support. At this point, I don't see this guitar needing it. If this is a concern for you, your best bet is to make sure the store you buy this guitar from offers support or an in-house warranty.

I have been playing guitar for 15 years. I studied classical guitar under scholarship for 2 years. I would definitely buy this model again. It was exactly what I had been looking for. Quality woods at this price are a steal. I didn't think it was possible to find a guitar of this quality for under $1000 new. The only thing I'm not completely happy with is the action limitations. I prefer my classical guitars to have a little lower action. However, it is at standard concert levels at the 12th fret. And going lower than I have it would cause string buzzing on most classical guitars. Again because this guitar's features and sound are far superior to anything in its price range, I have to give it a 10 overall.

Built in 2001 Solid cedar top and solid rosewood back and side. Surprisingly louad and beautifull sound. neck sould be mahogany but the color is not that dark. I doubt if it is really mahogany or not. it has good finish (seems to be lacquer all ovr the body and neck except) 19 fret fretboard is made from ebony.
Does not include case.

no buzz in all of the frets and all of the strings. bright sound and warm tone features an excellent guitar in this price range. It is incomparable with the other lucida artista models like LG-715, or LG-797 or lower model like LG-520. I personally like the sound very much.

low action, easy to play.

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