Madeira C-900

This guitar is something like a student or entry level classical. I think is a spruce top with rosewood back and sides. I think the top and back are solids rather than laminates. Came with a nice hardshell case. Has a one piece trussless neck + fingerboard that has remeaned stright for the twenty years I've had it.

This Madeira has az deep rich tone with ringing trebles. I have played 5000 dollar guitars that don't sound as nice or play as well. It has a nice close action and doesn't buzz even as I yank it for volume.

well made

I carried this guitar on an inflatable raft 11 miles down a lake in Alaska. It has been in the dry desert of New Mexico. It is still as straight as the day I found it.

no experience here

This guitar is not replaceable. They don't make them like this anymore. If I could only have one guitar in my lifetime, it would be this one

Full size classical guitar. Label says "Madeira Adjusted and distributed exclusively by Guild." C-900 is stamped on the model line. No year or place. But I think Madeiras were made in Japan in the 70's??

I could find no info on the internet about the C-900 except a couple of people posting on various sights saying "I've got a C-900, any one know what it's worth" It's think its worth a lot more than I paid for it.

It has a solid book matched rosewood back with a black seam down the middle with a thin yellow stripe on eithr side of the seam (same yellow color as the C-600.) Sides are rosewood presumably solid. Solid top bookmatched as well. Most likely spruce (based on the sound and rest of the materiels, but I don't know what cedar looks like so I can't say for sure. Black binding on body with a thin yellow stripe. Body is a bit under 4 inches deep. High gloss finish

Fretboard is jet black so I would assume that's ebony (looks just like the ebony fretboard on my Giannini). Neck is mahogany. A full 2 inches wide at the nut. 12 clear frets, 6 more on the body 17 inches from nut to sound hole. No inlay on the fretboard and no markings on the side of the neck :(. Tuners are gold color with black threads and pearoid knobs. (look like the same ones as on the C-600 (there is ususally one for sale on eBay) Headstock has rosewood veneer over mahogany with a yellow pin stripe outlining the headstock. (No inlay up the center of the headstock as in the C-600).

Nut and saddle don't look like plastic...probably bone, but I don't know what bone looks like. Bridge is a beautiful piece of rosewood.

Guitar came in a heavy hardshell case (4 heavy duty latches) and fits perfectly. It's not marked so I don't know if its original to the guitar, but someone at some point thought this guitar was nice enought to deserve a really nice hardshell case.

I gave it a nine for features becasue of no markings on the neck. All materiels are first rate.

Wow! Rich full sound. I have Agustine Red (high tension) strings because that's what the guy at the music store suggested. I bought this guitar to replace a Yamaha G-65A, which is all laminated and has high tension strings (different brand becasue it was a different guy that day). The C-900 is about twice as loud on the base strings and somewhat louder on the upper strings as the G-65A. Definitely a much richer tone. While this may seem like a low hurdle, most reviews of the G-65A on Harmony are pretty favorable about the sound, and my choir master is happy to have me use it to play the occasional clasical solo at church.

I also have a somewhat damages Giannini GWNCPP Electric Acoustic classical (inernet price new $1799) (also an eBay purchase for about $400, damaged) the C-900 has a slightly warmer but not as 'refined?' a tone as the Giannini and is maybe 20% louder when playing "standard classical guitar solo pieces." The Giannini is only 3 1/2 inches deep and I think designed primarily to be plugged in. The soundboard on the C-900 vibrates much more than the soundboard on the Giannini probaby becasue the Giannini has perhaps the thickest coat of finish that I have ever seen on an y guitar. This seems to 'take the edge off' the sound relative to the C-900. The C-900 is way more fun when strummed!

I give it a 9 becasue of the times when I like the Giannini better. Also I have tried some $4000 studio guitars at the Guitar Center that sound better than C-900 (or any other classical that I am likely to own!)

The fit and finish are teriffic. I can run my finger up and downt the entire length of the neck and there are no sharp edges. There are a couple of places where you can feel the edge of the binding, but the guitar is probably about 30 years old. The finish in nice, only a single 1/8 inch 'gougue' in the finish that has reached the wood.

As for action I don't play well enough to really comment on the speed since I don;t play very fast pieces. The action is just a little high but there appears to be enough room in the saddle to lower the action if I decide I really need to.

This guitar is in great shape and has lasted for 30 years. I'm hoping for many more.

Have enver needed to call them!

Thia is a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. At $180 this would be a no brainer even without the hard shell care. I would guess this guitar would be priced at $300 - $500 in a music store with case.