Yamaha CG172SF Nylon String Flamenco Guitar

I've been playing classical guitar and I have a bunch of nylon string classical guitars (Cordoba C3M, Antonio Hermosa AH-10NF, Kremona Soloist S62C Classical, Fender CN-140S). But I am starting to learn Flamenco and I realized that I definitely needed a Flamenco guitar. Although you can play Flamenco on a classical guitar, eventually you realize it's just not the same. So I was hunting around for one and my biggest issue is my small hands and stature. I am only 5'1" and I have small hands so depending on the way the guitar is built, sometimes it's hard for me to play the standard nylon string guitars. I've found classical guitars with narrower fretboards and shorter scales but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a Flamenco guitar with a narrower fretboard or shorter scale. Anyway I have been to Guitar Center several times and other stores trying out whatever Flamenco guitars they've had and I couldn't find anything that really suited me. And the ones that do are usually in the thousands (I like Antonio Aparicio but I'd have to save up for one of his good guitars - btw, he can make a flamenco guitar with a narrower fretboard/neck and shortened scale if you want and it's not that much more than the price charged for the standard sized). I also tried a couple Rodriguez guitars and they are beautiful and well-made but too big for me, the necks were just really challenging for my small hands. Alas, I am on a budget and desperate to get a Flamenco as I've dented the finish on my classicals with all my golpes and slapping and tapping. And the string tension on the classicals is harder and the action higher so doing all my rasgueados (or 'rasgueos' in Andalusian), my pulgars and picados is much harder than it needs to be when not playing on a true Flamenco guitar. So I decided to try this Yamaha CG172SF Flamenco Guitar w/ tap plates. I read good feedback online about it (although others have stated that the previous model CG171SF was superior) and I watched a bunch of people demo-ing it on YouTube and I wanted to try it. I got it yesterday and boy was I pleasantly surprised. It did not disappoint. Even though it's "standard" sized, the neck is very comfortable. I am able to play barre chords on it with no clicking or buzzing, that's usually the first test I perform to see if my small hands can handle the width of the neck/fretboard. Then I do some slurs, hammers & pull-offs to test the string tension and action. Then I do some rasgueos. This guitar is very playable. I had no issues. Action is definitely low enough (I read some other reviews where others say the action is not low enough but compared to classical guitars, it's really low!). The string tension was just right for me. (Action & string tension of course can be adjusted so shouldn't be a factor/deterrent from trying this guitar). The sound is bright and sharp, just like you want in a Flamenco. You can definitely hear the difference from the spruce top on this vs the cedars on classicals. You don't want too much sustain or resonance in a Flamenco the way you would on a Classical. You don't want the notes to blend and blur into each other and end up sounding muddy. (Another reason why you should really get a Flamenco guitar if you're playing Flamenco music vs playing it on a Classical). The body is thinner (less deep) than a classical and it's very light weight. It's got all the best things you want in a Flamenco guitar. Overall, it was very well built, I didn't see any surface imperfections or defects. The finish was perfect (it's natural though, no lacquer) and comes with tap plates. The tuners were good quality as well. I am happy with this guitar and it should definitely help me progress in my Flamenco playing. If you are just starting out in Flamenco, even though this is a couple hundred dollars more than a beginner student Classical nylon - I really suggest that you spend the extra couple hundred to get a specific Flamenco guitar for your studies. It will really enhance your learning experience and you really do want to start off learning Flamenco the right way. It will make you sound so much better as well. Having a poor instrument or one that is decent but wasn't built specifically for the style you are playing, can be a hindrance- and you end up blaming yourself if you don't sound great- when in reality it might just be the wrong instrument. I sound so much better on this guitar when I'm playing Flamenco, the lower action, the easier string tension, the more comfortable neck, the tap plates, the lighter weight... it makes me play clearer, truer and faster than I did when I tried to play Flamenco on my Classicals. It's such a boost in confidence and makes you more motivated to practice and play. Anyway, I highly recommend the Yamaha CG172SF Flamenco Guitar.

This is one of my prized possessions. A great price on a great product and the sound and playability are both fantastic. Wow! I can't think of another guitar which comes at a price like this with a sound like this! Not a beautiful finish or anything like that. No bells and whistles. Just durability, functionality and wonderful sound.

Nice guitar for the price. The set up is good enough to start playing right away although I will probably adjust it a bit over time. Seems well made inside and out, the Rosette is actually some sort of decal, but I would not expect a real wood Rosette for this price point. I would recommend it as a first flamenco or Spanish guitar for sure.

Nicely made, nice sounding flamenco guitar at a perfect price for students. Fitted with the traditional golpeadora plate, although in transparent plastic, so it's nearly invisible. This did come out of the box ready-to-play, but I did a bit of work to make it more amenable to flamenco-style playing. Lowered the action a tad, sanded the back of the neck smoother, and put a set of good flamenco strings on it. After that, it was rasgueados away!

I've had this for about a week and I couldn't be happier. It arrived damage free which is huge because I've had some losses before and it's the worst. Right out of the box the craftsmanship is apparent. The tuning machines are smooth and steady and the strings are decent to use at first. The neck has a nice satin/un finished feel although there is no truss rod. It feels sturdy enough and with proper care I don't forsee any issues there. The guitar is incredibly light with a bright, top end sound and a sharp attack. The action is low-ish and there is a noticeable difference in overall depth of tone compared to a classical guitar. I'm no expert on flamenco guitar, but this one puts me in the mood for that type of playing and for the price I'm absolutely impressed.