Classical Guitars PLUS

fine classical & acoustic guitars
Prices include UK delivery and VAT

Phone 01363 881174

Great Instruments - Very Reasonable Prices - Friendly, Personal Service

In stock now
  • 50+ models of quality guitar
  • 100++ types of guitar string
  • lots+++ of essential accessories

You can call

  • to arrange for undisturbed time to try guitars of your choice in our studio
  • for personal, unbiased advice on choosing the right instrument
  • We are open 9am - 6pm weekdays and evenings and weekends by arrangement.

Or you can use the menu on the right

Looking for a version we don't stock or for custom modifications to meet your personal requirements? We import and buy directly from many of our specialist makers and luthiers and are very happy to order special options and custom builds. You just need to ask!

We stock

Please use the menu on the right or phone 01363 881174.

My name is Nick Mahoney. I have been playing the classical guitar as an enthusiastic amateur since 1967. If you want to know about any of the guitars, strings or accessories we sell then please phone and ask for me by name. If you use the Contact Us link to send a message then it will be me who replies.

I personally -

  • Check every guitar when it arrives and ask our suppliers to sort out any problems I find
  • Spend time with everyone who comes to try guitars in our small studio
  • Check and play every guitar before it goes out.

I don't always get it right so if you are unhappy in any way with anything you buy from us then please phone and ask to speak to me. I will do my very best to sort things out.

"Your watchwords seem to be attention  to detail, individual service, integrity, honesty and service before profit! ... and that 'no quibble' returns promise shows you have confidence in your products and your reputation and it gives the customer confidence of a good, fair deal."
Best wishes and sincere thanks John McL WsM, 29th February 2008

Spotlight on Cutaway Classical and Electro-Classical Guitars

Ask about special discounts on cases and accessories.

Cutaway Classical Electro Acoustic Guitars.

Alhambra CS-3 CW E5 Crossover Cut-away Classical Guitar with Fishman Electronics

Choice of solid spruce and solid cedar soundboards - Given 4.5 star rating for both "playability" and "sound" by the hard core steel stringers at "Guitarist" magazine, March 2008

£999.95

Hanika 50PC Classical Guitar with the Florentine Cutaway Option

Hand-built to order by Master guitar maker Armin Hanika

£875

Alhambra 3C CW E1 Cutaway Classical Guitar with Fishman Electronics

Choice of solid spruce and solid cedar soundboards

£425
 

There are many varieties of cutaway classical guitar

  • Standard classical body and neck dimensions, modified only to take the cutaway - The Alhambra 7P and Hanika 50PC are examples
  • Guitars where the neck width has been slightly reduced from the standard classical version to make the guitar more comfortable for steel string players - The Alhambra 3C CW and 5P CW are of this type as are the Prudencio Saez models
  • "Hybrids" aimed very much at the steel string player with neck widths reduced yet further and with curved fingerboards - The Alhambra Crossovers and the Taylor are the best examples.
  • Models with and without pick up and electronics - many cutaway's can be ordered with the customer's choice.
  • Models with reduced body depths - often chosen for stage use.
  • Models with more than the standard 19 frets - The Taylor is an example and the Prudencio Saez cutaways are distinguished by having 21 frets!
 

Alhambra 5P CW E2 Cutaway Classical Guitar with Fishman Electronics

Choice of solid spruce and solid cedar soundboards

£625

Alhambra 7P-CW-E3 Cutaway Classical Guitar

Solid Rosewood back and sides and Fishman Prefix Plus electronics

£899.95

Prudencio Saez Model 90 Cutaway in Bolivian Rosewood

Bolivian rosewood seems to have a mid-tone between maple and Indian rosewood and makes some of the most beautiful looking instruments there are.

£699.95

Alhambra CS-2 CW E3 Crossover Cut-away Classical Guitar with Fishman Electronics

Solid spruce top and solid ovengkol back and sides

£775

Prudencio Saez Model 59 Cutaway Classical Guitar in Maple with Fishman Electronics

The maple tonewoods give this guitar a lovely crisp tone - playable right up to its 21st fret.

£565

Alhambra CS 1 CW Crossover Cut-away Classical Guitar

Solid spruce soundboard, narrow and radiused fingerboard

£525

Taylor NS64CE Nylon String Acoustic Electric Cutaway Guitar

Solid engelmann spruce soundboard, narrow and radiused fingerboard, Grand Auditorium body

£2,495

Many other versions available to order - different soundboards, alternative electronics (or none), non-cutaway versions - Please call 01363 881174.

New at Classical Guitars PLUS

Steel string acoustic guitars

We were so pleased with the Alhambra classical guitars that we decided to include Alhambra's very Spanish sounding steel strung jumbo acoustics to our collection more...

Teacher and Student Discount Scheme

We are offering substantial discounts on selected instruments to students and bona-fide guitar teachers. Join those who have already benefited from this "no strings attached" :-) offer more...

Customers' Instruments For Sale

Looking for a pre-owned quality guitar? Want to sell your current guitar before buying a new one? Try our new section. It's a free service for both buyers and sellers and it opens its doors with some special instruments from the renowned Paul Fischer, the English luthier Pete Beer, Armin Gropp of Germany and Luciano Lovadina of Italy more...

Help and suggestions for left-handed guitarist

This section has been extended more...

A student yourself? Or maybe a younger student in the family?

Have a look at our Autumn feature where we are featuring some Special Guitars for Promising Students more...

Just because your hands are smaller than average, there is no need to settle for a below-average guitar!

There is no doubt that students develop their musicality much faster when they play on a high quality instrument. That was undoubtedly in the minds of the European Guitar Teachers Association when they gave their 2007/2008 awards to Liikanen's Kantare smaller-sized classical guitars more...

European Guitar Teachers Association 2007 2008.
European Guitar Teachers
Association recommends Liikanen Kantare guitars

Best-selling Alhambra 4P Classical Guitar

Alhambra's most popular guitar the 4P Classical Guitar is available in full size as well as Cadete 3/4-size and Requinto 1/2-sizes more...

Alhambra 4P Classical Guitar - cedar - front profile.
Alhambra 4P

Significant Savings on Student Guitars from Classical Guitars PLUS

Take a look too at our Teacher & Student Discount Scheme and see how this could benefit you, your family or your students if you are a teacher more...

Want to research the options for smaller sized guitars in more detail?

Our new article Smaller-Sized Classical Guitars for Adults and Children is the place to start more...


Who Makes the Guitars We Sell?

The Alhambra Handmade Spanish Guitar

Alhambra guitars are hand-made in southern Spain in what has been described as their "artisan-factory". We have been very impressed by the quality and performance of these guitars since we started our relationship with Alhambra and we stock selected instruments from most of their ranges -

Alhambra offer a very broad range of customizations -

  • Left-handed models
  • Alternative scale-lengths
  • Cut away and thin-body variants
  • Built-in pick ups, equalisers, tuners, etc
  • Luthier master-craftsman made models

Many variants are built to order so please phone regarding prices and availabilities.

To round off the good news, Alhambra provide a 3 year manufacturer's warranty on every guitar!

More information about Alhambra on our site -

Liikanen Classical Guitars

Liikanen guitars with their unique LRS® soundboard bracing system produce a quality of sound which is totally unmatched price-for-price.

Liikanen are Finnish luthiers who make very high quality concert classic and traditional instruments. At the moment we have a wonderful example of their Concert "H" model in stock.

For the enthusiast or advanced student we have the complete best selling hand-built Kantare range at prices from £335 to £599, including their award-winning smaller-sized models.

More Information About Liikanen Guitars, the Kantare range, and the LRS® bracing system on our Site -

Gropp Luthiers of Germany

Gropp Concert, Artist and Spezial classical guitars are made individually by the father and son team of Armin and Mario Gropp. They are beautiful but still rare instruments. At the moment we have

  • An Artist model with spruce soundboard and Indian Rosewood back and sides
  • An Artist model with spruce soundboard and Cocobolo back and sides.
  • And have just sold a concert model - spruce soundboard, maple back and sides, characteristic Gropp oval sound hole and split saddle

All these special instruments are french polished.

At the the launch of our Customers' Instruments For Sale section there is a 13 course Theorbo by Armin Gropp.

Gropp Artist Model Concert Classical Guitar, foot.

You can read more about this old family of German luthiers here. You can also read about the lovely Gropp "Artist" model in cedar and cocobolo which we recently sold.

"The bass has an almost cello like quality..."

Read more of what Stephen Yates had to say about this instrument.

Classical Guitar Strings

We aim to have a great range of great classical guitar strings at great prices. We have a full range of strings from widely known brands - D'Addario and Savarez - as well as lovely hand-made strings from lesser known European makers - Hannabach and Aquila In our collection you will find strings for stage and recording, for period performance, for long life, as well as for a great sound. We have researched the strings we stock and offer information we which hope will help in our Articles section.

Classical Guitar Accessories

We have an ever growing range of classical guitar accessories. We think humidification is an important issue for quality instruments and stock humidifiers suitable for a range of instruments and their owners. Playing in tune is almost as important as humidification (!) and so we have a great choice of electronic tuners too - suitable for both practice and performance. Next in importance perhaps comes playing position and player-comfort and so we are offering Liikanen's guitar and arm rests. We have cases, classical guitar capos, and guitar care equipment to round off the offering.

Buy with complete confidence

We do all we can to help our customers—

Visit us and play before you buy.

Buy over the internet with confidence with our no-quibble returns policy.

Classical Guitars PLUS is a part of a family-run business which has been doing business on the internet for nearly a decade. If there is more you want to know or more you think we could do, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Our Customers Write

"Thanks for your going the extra mile. I will certainly recommend you to all.
Best regards" Chris Hayter 19/10/2007

"Thanks ... I really appreciate the level of service"
Emily Travis 25/09/2007

"I'm glad to know that I'm dealing with somebody I can believe.
sincerely" Yong-ro Cho, Korea, 5/9/2007

"It's a lovely guitar ... well balanced ... fret board very true ... action is lovely and low and easy to play..."
Sharron Testo, Notts., 17th August 2006.

"The guitar arrived safe and well. Looks great sounds great. Thanks for all your help."
Ian Harding, Suffolk, 25/9/2006.

and lots more...

Articles and tips

Have a look at our growing Articles section. Strings and stringing tips. Humidity. Tone Woods. Luthiers. And more...

Reduced Delivery Charges

Delivery throughout the UK is free as usual. But we have managed to come up with much reduced delivery charges to almost all other countries. Find out more at Delivery Costs for Classical Guitars or call +44 (0)1363 881174 for more information.

5 July 2008