Okay, so it literally means how much sound it âprojectsâ away from the guitar and into the room?
Yeah, I thought of microfiber cloths as well. However, wasnât sure if thatâs okay. As far as I know microfiber cloths with their âmicro-textureâ structure can damage sensitive surfaces.
Ouch. That hurts already when I just think of it 
AH okay, I was really meaning your nylon string acoustic vs a steel-string acoustic.
Steel string is what is conventionally understood when people say they play âacoustic guitarâ.
If someone plays on a nylon strung (either classical or flamenco) they tend to add that aspect to their description.
So yours is a bit more niche, a bit more specialised. even though, strictly speaking, it is âacousticâ.
Hi Keith,
I guess I donât really understand what you mean by ânatural harmonicsâ. I mean I know what ânatural harmonicsâ are, but I donât understand your list with the frets and the notes.
Isnât the 3rd fret on the A string a C? Thatâs not even in the A major chord, but rather in A minor!?
And the 5th fret on the A string, isnât that a D? Which is also not in the A major chord.
And so on ⌠Iâm confused. Sorry 
To be honest, I wasnât even aware that there are nylon-string acoustic guitars and steel-string acoustic guitars. Yes, I knew that there are different types of acoustic guitars. But not that they have different types of strings on them. I thought only electric guitars have steel strings. 
But knowing that now, and thinking of the people I know who have acoustic guitars, I think most of them have nylon-string guitars. Perhaps the people in my âbubbleâ are just unconventional 
Isnât a classical nylon-string guitar the original, classic type of acoustic guitar? Thatâs at least what I thought. 
Well, if we want to dig deeper in the past, there were guitars and similar instruments before todayâs nylon-string classical guitar was developed 
I guess tradition and customs have the most to do with why most people refer to steel-string acoustics when they mention âacoustic guitarâ. My guess, and itâs really just a guess, that most of the guitar-based popular music of the 20th century can be traced back to blues and other early 20th century idioms in the USA where the steel-string instrument was more readily available and more suitable for performing to larger (and noisier) crowds. Then came the need for amplification for which you need strings containing metallic parts.
Whereas the classical guitar is called classical because itâs used almost exclusively to play classical pieces. Now, if you compare the number of people grooving to blues/rock/jazz vs. TĂĄrrega or Villa-Lobos, youâll see why most people associate acoustic guitars with the steel-string variety.
Well, now I get the feeling that I bought the completely wrong guitar 
I donât think that I will ever play classical pieces. Just because I think that I will never even remotely reach the needed skill level. 
Oliver
Just remember Thomannâs do have a very good money back returns policy (30 days) and I have never been disappointed using that service in the past.
I am not saying you should change the guitar, I do not have any experience dealing with Flamenco guitars but if you are having doubts, its always an option. And I do see Thomann have a B-Stock of your model online at the moment, which is obviously a returned item.
As I said with no knowledge, I canât say if this will be the right fit for you but was a little surprised the sales person brought it into the equation for someone just starting out. And its certainly not cheap for a starting instrument.
If you stick with I hope it brings you years of pleasure,
Cheers
Toby
Hi Toby,
I know about Thomannâs 30-day money back guarantee. However, I think Iâve never used it
Well ⌠actually the first question of the sales person was what type of guitar I wanted. But as I thought a classical guitar was the ânormalâ thing to have, I confidently said âI want a classical guitarâ
And I had a friend with me who also bought a new guitar. She also bought a classical one (CĂłrdoba Fusion 14 Maple). And she will not play any classical pieces on it, for sure.
TBH I really donât want to give it back. Even if I have doubts (I would have doubts about the next one as well ). I like it just as it is. I guess giving it back would make me really sad. Iâm not the type of person who likes change anyway. In general.
@J.W.C @Richard_close2u @Jozsef @TheMadman_tobyjenner
So youâre saying this is not the same type of guitar as the one I bought?
Looks exactly like mine. This really makes me feel like a complete idiot
As the saying goes, the devil is in the details 
Compare the headstock and the bridge/saddle and youâll see the differences right away.
I thought that those were just the usual âvisualâ differences between different makes or models.
You will find that classical and steel-string acoustic guitars have different kind of tuners with different mechanism, for example.
Also, classical guitars donât have pins to fasten the strings to the bridge - they use knots instead.
Also, Iâm not sure if classical guitars generally have pickguards (the brown piece of plastic under the soundhole of Justinâs guitar).
So yeah, from a distance the two guitars look the same, but from closer they revel the differences.
As for the guitar you bought, itâs really up to you to decide to keep it or trade it in for a different one. Who knows, maybe youâll get used to it and grow accustomed to it.
As I said, I thought that most of those were just the usual âvisualâ differences between different makes or models.
Perhaps apart from the different ways to attach the strings. But I thought this applies only to acoustic vs. electric guitars.
As I said: Makes me feel like a complete idiot. Not a very pleasant feeling.
Intuitively, I just want to run away from this community and never come back. But thatâs just me
Iâm sure weâve all made âstupidâ mistakes before, and this community is great for steering each other back to the right path.
Iâve just remembered that in the old beginner course, Justin had a module on things to consider before making any hasty decisions:
Itâs probably worth watching these videos and make some notes.
Cool. As I said enjoy it but donât be running away from here any time soon, we are all here to help and share our experiences. And for sure I suspect we have all had those bad experiences, we would be keen for others to avoid.
I doubt very much if you have yet to encounter the expression GAS -Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. I believe it has been clinically proven in guitar circles and it it the condition of being unable to resist the urge to buy new equipment and more guitars. So when your GAS starts bubbling, make sure you ask for advice.
And if your question following that is âhow many guitars do I actually need?â the answers will always be, one more than you currently own.
Have some fun with your new journey.
And a happy belated New Guitar Day (NGD).
Cheers
Toby
Thanks Toby,
Iâve never heard of the âGuitar Acquisition Syndromeâ. However, I know one or two people who definitely suffer from it.
Iâve been playing different instruments for 35 years now. And Iâve never been a âgear headâ. I guess for me it has always been about playing the instrument and making music with it. Not about having as many instruments as possible. So I wasnât planning on buying a second guitar anytime soon (or ever, for that matter).
Well, I guess Iâll have to let that sink in a bit. At the moment it just feels really bad and not like fun at all
I am sorry you feel bad. You have a great instrument and it is a great place to start. Look how much you are already learning!
There really is no right or wrong here and it is about enjoying yourself and playing music.
Last I heard a flamenco guitar is still a guitar and you have a very nice one.
You can learn how to make music on it the way you want to. It will be more forgiving to learn on than a steel string and you can learn to play it in a way that makes it and you shine.
I think it is cool as heck and am a little jealous. I started with a steel string, moved to electric for quiet practice and now am moving in the nylon direction. Love it! If someday you feel like you want a different expression, you can add another instrument.
My next guitar will be a nice classical guitar, it may be a flamenco guitar, not sure. I like the low action and like some flamenco techniques, so who know where it may go for me.
I bet if you go spend some quality time with your fingers in that guitar, the fun will happen.
The guitar Justin has in that photo is a steel-string acoustic.
Steel string acoustics are what most people think of when you say âacoustic guitar.â Technically, a classical guitar or flamenco guitar is also acoustic, of course, but the term âacoustic guitarâ usually implies a steel string acoustic.
Steel string acoustics tend to have sturdier construction and narrower necks (which means the strings are closer together), compared to classical guitars. The body often (but not always) meets the neck at the 14th fret. They usually have metal tuning pegs, and almost always have bridge pins. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. (My personal favorites are the 000/00/OM sizes. The âstandardâ is probably the âdreadnoughtâ size.) These are the guitars you commonly see people strumming with a pick (although you can definitely play them fingerstyle), and the most common type of acoustic guitar in any style outside of classical/flamenco.
Classical guitars tend to be lighter in construction compared to a steel string acoustic. They have nylon strings (although some enthusiasts still swear by gut). Compared to a typical steel-string acoustic, a classical guitar will often have a wider neck (with greater string spacing), and the body typically meets the neck at the 12th fret. They usually have a âslottedâ headstock with âgear styleâ tuning knobs, and you tie the strings at the bridge (no bridge pins). Obviously, theyâre most common for classical music, but theyâre also used in other styles.
Your flamenco guitar is a specialized version of a classical guitar. There are other variants. Your friend got a âfusionâ classical guitar. Thatâs a classical guitar that is basically a standard classical, but with a neck more like a steel string acoustic. A lot of players that mainly play steel-string like them because they feel more like what that player is used to, but they have the nylon string âclassicalâ sound.
Iâm sorry to hear youâre feeling bad about your purchase. Iâd encourage you to not feel bad about it. You bought it because you liked the guitar; donât forget that. If you decide to, you can still trade it in. If you want to keep it, then embrace it! Sure, there are differences between guitars, but theyâre all guitars. You can adapt to a guitarâs variations and adopt its strengths.
Natural harmonics are a different way of getting notes from the strings of the guitar and, apart from the octave at the 12th fret (which actually produces a note an octave higher than the fretted note), they produce completely different notes from the fretted ones in the same position.
Itâs probably a bit advanced for you at the moment, so donât worry about it as itâs a way in your future to actually learn, but if you are interested in finding out a bit about it, Justin has a lesson on it:
Cheers,
Keith
I think one of the things about guitars is that, although they are, nominally, very similar, thereâs differences in how they feel, play, and sound.
For instance, steel string acoustics tend to sound louder and sustain more than nylon string ones.
Even within steel-strung acoustic guitars, there are different body sizes and woods which will give different sounds.
And with electric guitars you have different pickup types, configurations, etc.
So itâs not always about collecting gear for the sake of it (although it can be) but about having different sounds or different feel from the instrument.
Cheers,
Keith
