I just purchased a Manuel Rodriguez y Hijos Model B Natural Guitar and I can't tell you how satisfied I am. The guitar is absolutely amazing! It has a cedar top and Indian Rosewood back and sides. It has a lovely even sound and great sustain, very sweet resonance, excellent intonation, fine construction, easy playability, and is quite beautiful. I absolutely love it! Kudos to the fine luthier who constructed this wonderful instrument!

I remember in an early lesson, my teacher was playing a very fine old Ramirez. It sounded wonderful. The next week as I walked in he was playing the same piece. I said that Ramirez sounds excellent. He said, this is a Yamaha. He then explained the importance of technique.

What an act of pure kindness this video is. Not just to help me make a good decision in a classical guitar but to understand the guitar itself. Thank you.

Both guitars sound fantastic but the ebony one has my heart 🖤

Thank you for a very helpful video. The sound quality is good enough to let you actually hear the differences.

What a wonderful session. Patience, clarity and objectivity. Thank you very much for your precious time you spent with us.

What an articulate and informative video, thanks for taking the time and sharing Jeffrey!

Thank you very much, Jeffrey, very much appreciated: content and style, best, Peter

Thank you so much, Jeffrey, for doing this video. Very helpful.

Expert knowledge sharing a high learning for us all to understand .Thank you so much your videos Sir.

Very good video! This has answered a lot of my questions and confirmed a lot of what I had primarily kept in mind as I am currently shopping for a new guitar. Thanks for posting!

There are numerous clips available on KZread which address this topic , but Mr. Goodman 's is the best . I 've been playing guitars for over 50 years , and did not really what to look for when buying a new guitar . Many thanks again , for your time . .

Thanks Guy, glad you enjoyed the video!

This is yet another great video Jeffrey. So informative and carefully presented.

Thank you very much for your kindness and wisdom this was more about quitter but also about the how to find the right approach in life!!!!

Excellent tutorial. Thoughtful and detailed. Thanks. It would be nice to see a similar comparison with spruce top

Thank you Mr Goodman for such a informative video

Great review. The richness of the ebony is wonderful and the brightness of the rosewood is wonderful too. I would have to have one of each therefore...Thank you........Sal : )

Very good demo and one of the first I've heard to explain the importance of the string. The sound is from the string -a stretched string will make sound -a guitar without a string cannot make sound (well it could be used as a drum) the guitar takes the vibration generated by the string and makes it larger by giving it a larger vibrating area (the top) and supports the air movement in the box. A good guitar will detract very little but allow as much of the vibration as possible to be heard.

What a generous teaching endeavor. Thank you for your time. I’m going to use some of your examples in a class I teach, when I share about resonance and the importance of all parts and people working together. Thank you.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

Very kind, I am glad it helped and may be useful.

,I actually learned a few things from this video But the ebony guitar is so beautiful.

Rosewood sound very clear and rich. Thanks, Great video.

Thank you sir! That was very informative. I appreciate it. I Learned a lot.

Thank you so much, Jeffrey. This one tutorial on what must be a dream guitar(s) to play on/with has helped me to increase my trivial knowledge about classical guitars. Having just started to learn to play the classical way at a tender age of 59, your well-thought through video, the quality and patience showed you as a meticulous artista who has obvious passion, pride and pleasure with the playing of such beautiful instruments. If football/soccer is the world's beautiful game, the guitar must surely be its musical equivalent. Brava!

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much John, I appreciate your kind words, and am glad the video was helpful!

Excellent video, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Great Video, very informative and extensive, the Ebony Guitar is just incredible

Thank you Mr. Goodman for a great lecture. Enjoyed very much.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gary, glad you enjoyed the video. Choosing a new guitar is one of the great joys in life!

Great playing and interpretation!! Thank you very much!!!!

Wow! Just to hear a chord on those guitars is amazing!

This is so helpful. Thank you so much!

Thank you for this good video, Jeffrey...

Excellent video to choose classical guitar. Thank you so much for sharing. Kind Regards.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Federico, best regards from Los Angeles!

Thanks for the kind words!

Thank you for your video really great and useful!

This video convinced me to subscribe to your channel. Thank you for your work!

Thank-you. This is a Master Class. 👏

Sublime tones from both guitars

Thank you so much for your guidance. I'm in the process of moving to a higher quality classical guitar and the information you provided will help me when choosing.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kind words! Good luck with finding your next guitar.

Very helpful. Thank you.

What a great video. Thanks a lot. Well done

Thanks Omar. The music is Romance D'Amour.

Jeffrey, I have been playing guitar for over 60 years, although I purchased my first classical only 3 months ago. I learned a lot listening to your demonstration. Thank you.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

6 жыл бұрын

I am very glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for your kind words!

Amazing, thanks so much!

Maestro Goodman, you are a good man !!... L'chaim !!

Really a great and usefull video!

Impressive MR guitars. I didn’t realize his Spanish factory turned out such beautiful & high quality classicals. I have an old MR fc. Tuning heads get a little stiff but still very functional instrument.

Great video and AMAZING instruments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much!!!

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kind words!

What a beautiful piece of music this video is narrated by ! I always could feel the swift affair I had with my first glance at the classical guitar. Today, now that Im in my 40's ...Its time to open Pandora's box !

@laurencestawick6615

7 жыл бұрын

Beyond Limits Productions

Thank you so much Jeffrey for going in depth about all the details on buying a new guitar! Very nice, enjoyed the video and the beautiful sounds of the Rodriguez guitars. Went trough the process myself a few weeks ago and became proud owner of a new Cervantes Milenia concert guitar. Had some concerns about the strings, have mostly been usings extra hard D'addario on a cedar top 135s kodaira (Asturias) and asked several luthiers about there opinion on this and also asked Cervantes himself on the strings he used.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words Peter. Strings are crucial, and it takes a lot of time just to check out one set, play them in, then test them out. If your new guitar has a relatively light body, maybe check out the Hannabach 815 SLT (super low tension). They are powerful enough, yet have the best fundamental pitch sustain of any I have tried so far. Great for counterpoint, especially the mid-range tessatura that is so hard to articulate inner melodic strands.

Bravo! Brilliant! Thank You!! Special thanks to Manual Rodriguez III for taking the helm & sailing forward. Great guitars but my only caveat would be the finish may be rushed. 2 1/2 of my 3 MR guitars exhibit milking in the finish which would suggest they let the finish dry better before coats. Its cosmetic but it really should be addressed.

Thanks for the video

Nice video Jeffrey. Beautiful sounding guitars.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed the video!

The top of the 1937 Hauser ("The guitar of the epoch") was German spruce. Thats an extremely powerful argument for the use of spruce since that guitar was probably the best sounding guitar ever made according to both Segovia and Bream. Back and sides were rosewood. The top was thicker than the standard thickness. Hauser often used spruce from the Bavarian mountains though i cant find any info that says the 1937's top definitely came from Bavaria.

Thank you for a generous lesson :-)

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michelle

Thanks for watching and the kind words Baris.

Perfect timing. I have student looking for his first concert guitar and this video should help to understand the many factors involved.

@christinamayer9273

6 жыл бұрын

How to string a guitar

@christinamayer9273

6 жыл бұрын

valsopuseight and

Such a great video!

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

6 жыл бұрын

dante' williams, thanks for your kind words!

Well! You have Wonderfull Guitar! I linke the First One . I Think, they are very expensiv. Not everyone can buy them. Thanks for Your Video Clips

Thanks . I want to making Macassar Ebony back and side. It's good reference

Very informative. Thought the rosewood had spruce top because of the Bright colour.

Gracias Amigo !

Good video. I'm glad you mentioned the bit about the same guitar sounding different from day to day. I was just thinking that, at the moment you said it. I was hoping you'd also talk more about strings and about the difference between low, medium and high tension string sets, and how to select different string tensions to optimise any individual guitar. I feel that the stock G string can be less than ideal in some sets.

@MarkInLA

7 жыл бұрын

You are far from being alone..The dreaded open G string, dull tone, is experienced on $500.00 guitars and $5,000.00 guitars. Here's why: The sound board on most guitars is 'tuned' (by shaving/shaping/sanding) to sound a G when suspended and tapped by the luthier. Problem is, this tuning is never an exact pitch (+-). The open G string and the out of tune top physically cancel each other out by the clash of the 2 frequencies. I oft wondered why this phenomenon can't be eliminated during construction. And, if top were tuned to F, the fingered Fs would now suffer same... F# and Ab are also too close G...No diff if it were an 'A' top; same clash again with the A string !! And we can't on an acoustic Instr. have the soundboard NOT resinate !! Another factor is it's the fattest of the 3 treble strings; the mass of nylon (plastic) just won't give out good overtones.. I'm sure some will dispute these explanations, though....M

@TranceNotes

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the response. That's interesting, what you said about tuning soundboards to G. I wasn't aware of that. But thinking about what you said, I shall start experimenting with tuning my guitars a semitone or two up or down from concert scale. For my Spanish guitars, I've started uing wound thirds, which certainly seems to mitigate the 'dead G' effect.

This is one of the better and more practical guides in how to observe and choose a classical guitar. Thanks. Just as an FYI, DeVisee lived 1655-1732. His lifespan predated the modern classical guitar by quite a stretch (most contemporary sources credit Torres [1855] with the creation of the modern guitar as we know it). Which means that pieces of that era were played on either : a), the lute or b). the baroque guitar -- both would have been built with spruce tops at the time. Both instruments of that era would yield a very different overall sound/tones. Similar baroque era pieces played on modern cedar top guitars vary in sound (quite a lot sometimes) from the sound of a modern spruce top guitar.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Fred, your excellent comments are much appreciated.

Wow video thanks

I very recently purchased an Alhambra Linea professional, without knowing any of this. Let’s see when I get back and evaluate it with the above actions. #fingerscrossed

They both sound great but I prefer the sound of the rosewood

Marvelous...

I prefer your tone on the rosewood

Hiw about ceder top with mahogony back & sies for classical guiter, am vert much interested in that mix for 36"-38"

Helphful video. Do you know how much would he charge for the ebony one? What scale is it? 664?

Thanks for a wonderful listening to two very different guitars. I made my first guitar at 13 years old - am just overhauling a Gianni 1974 guitar found in a dump and took it on as a challenge!! and am considering selling my Epiphone Sheriton which is wonderful - but I can't play electric!! I can play "the shadow of your smile" and heard it played by a Brazilian guitarist Jovenco Bong Rosario on a cruise ship a few years back Where do I find the dots for Romantic?

What is the name of the Fugue at 25:43 ?

Can someone give more information about the anonymous fuga at 25:14.

What brand of strings for Classical guitar?

Jeffery, your knowledge of guitars sir is impeccable the sound difference of certain woods used and strings made me open my eyes as to wonder about other things on a classical guitar such as shape of the guitar itself ,depth of the body, size of the sound hole , Evan the finish products like what type of coatings are used to finish the wood to give it a more resonance , I have a question , why aren't guitars sealed inside the body's ,would it it give more or less tone or would it stop the resonating ? , thank you for a great video .

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words Dave. Closing the sound hole would reduce the acoustic spectrum. Some have tried it, but the consensus remains in favor of the sound hole.

@davescheer5038

5 жыл бұрын

Jeffrey Goodman, I'm sorry I didn't mean sealing off the sound hole I meant sealing the interior of the body with a coating, would this deaden the sound or tone ? I've never heard of anyone doing it and I guess there's a reason, what do you think ?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

5 жыл бұрын

@@davescheer5038 Interesting idea. Probably not explored by luthiers. Perhaps someone has experimented along those lines, but I have not heard of it.

@lawcch

3 жыл бұрын

Japanese handcrafted guitars usually coated with varnish on the inside soundhole on the back and side.

Hello Jeffrey, good and usefull video. Nice sound guitar. Pls kindly advice what a peace of music sounds at the beginning and end of the video. Thanks in advance. Andrew

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

The music is Romance de los Pinos by Federico Moreno Torroba.

Maestro, at 25:45 the comparison... I too favor the tone of the Rosewood. But although I favor that tone at first listen, I enjoy the exploration of continued listening because although the air vibration may not change with the two guitars, it is possible that my perception of tone changes in time. All things can change:) Thank You

@022100bmlotus

3 жыл бұрын

Maestro, and then again at 34:40, The Rosewood/Cedar does not need any electronic affects added. It is built in. Though, if one did not want that Hall/Chorus echo, I don't know how you would eliminate that quality.

Hello Jeff, Regarding the finish on the guitar, you mentioned it was a "traditional finish". However, discussing about guitar construction, I think it would be helpful for the students to understand the classic "french polish" finish vs. the modern polish, which I think the guitars in the video had on.

Thanks Arthur, I think the scale is 65 cm. McCabes Music in Santa Monica, CA, was offering it for sale, so perhaps contact them for info about availability and pricing.

@arthurmiller9518

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for the fast answer. Best regards.

Rosewood all the way.

Hello! I'm looking at two different classical guitars from a Canadian manufacturer, relatively inexpensive in cost and all solid woods. One is rosewood B/S lacquer satin finish , the other is mahogany B/S lacquer gloss finish , both have cedar tops. I'm leaving off the name of the maker so as not to promote. I live in an area where I cannot try these guitars first hand or for comparison. I'm just wondering what you would recommend as the best combination of tone woods offered. I do have the option to send the instrument back if not satisfied. Thank you for your informative video.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Great questions. Many years ago, my finest guitar became available for sale, but it was about 400 miles from Los Angeles. I flew up to check it out, loved it, then bought it. I highly recommend you take a trip and check out the guitars you are interested in, then either purchase, or decline, as you wish. In my opinion, the woods and finish you mention sound first rate, but they are no guarantee of the actual quality of the instrument. They never are. There is a beautiful and often times miraculous magic in how the elements of a fine guitar mesh together. Even two "identical" guitars from the same maker, with woods from the same trees, and virtually identical construction, are usually quite different. My advice, therefore, is take your time, make it an adventure, and you will know when you have found the right guitar by, at least in my case, the feeling that you cannot go on living without it! Good luck, Jeffrey Goodman

Extremely interesting but probably never be able to afford guitars like these. I learned on an Alhambra cedar top student model. I am looking to upgrade to a solid back instrument: looking at a higher end Mateos from Madrid . If I come i to a fortune I would buy a Bouchet guitar. I think they are the best of the best but thing with classical guitars is that the sound preferences of people is so subjective. One thing I hear s that Cedar is superficially louder than Spruce but spruce projects better.

@frededberg6893

4 жыл бұрын

I was in the same basic situation until recently and took a chance on a relatively unknown student-grade unit as a practice guitar (although I did a fair amount of setup/upgrades myself once I got it), I was pretty happy with the result. Having some experience troubleshooting and/or setting up a classical guitar gives you more options and better ability to take a 'diamond in the rough' and turn it into something very usable. FYI, I have had/played plenty of guitars -- mostly low-end units, but my main instrument was a 1981 Alvarez-Yairi CY140 ($1000 new at the time -- yikes!!) the highest-end Yairi that is a clone of the Ramirez -- cedar top, jacaranda back/sides, etc). I have had very bad experiences buying anything built in China -- there is always something wrong... somewhere.. sometime. The QC is never good enough. There are reasonable quality all solid wood classical guitars out there for a reasonable cost if you look around. If you need suggestions, just say so.

Normally, the famous luthier with their branded guitar fetch higher price tag on their products. I don't believe about the famous or popular luthiers but there are many good sounding guitars made by other unknown or not popular makers.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Lawrence Hiun, your remarks are absolutely right, in my opinion. Each guitar, whether made by a famous maker, or an unknown, should be objectively evaluated. There are many different criteria that are crucial to apply before making a purchase. Whenever possible, a trusted teacher or accomplished guitarist can be a guide, as long as they aren't financially involved!

@lawcch

7 жыл бұрын

i just buy a used Manuel Rodriguez Model D Rio from eBay and on the way to arrive soon. I never own any MR guitars before but I do play some of the student model MR guitar and they sound awesome too.

Thanks Jeffrey! Very informative for a beginning classical guitarist like me. I am confused by one thing. You said these instruments were tuned to "E.". What do you mean by that because the open first string was clearly an F if using the key of C on my chromatic tuner. What am I missing?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question Lee. All I meant about tuning is that the guitars were tuned, from high 1st string to low 6th string as follows: E,B,G,D,A,E. Sometimes alternate tunings are used, such as the commonly encountered 6th tuned to a low D. Somehow your chromatic tuner may be off, or your playback is out of kilter: definitely no string was tuned to F!

@leehenry1165

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jeffrey! I appreciate your help and will be viewing your videos!

28:30 the music is wonderful ,,, I like this kind of music ,,, I don't know what they call it.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Hey John, this is an anonymous Spanish work, but not flamenco in style or origin. It is called by various titles, including Spanish Romance, Romance D'Amour, Romance, etc. In any case, it is a beautiful piece of music, and a joy to play as well.

Thank you Jeffrey what do you think about those Arrieta guitars I’ve got one with the rosewood back I think it rosewood and I appreciate the tip on looking at the grain on the top of it I think it might be spruce though

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

Жыл бұрын

Thanks John for your kind words. I am not familiar with Arrieta guitars. But even so, each guitar should be evaluated individually. The kind of woods used don't, by themselves, create quality. It's always good to compare several guitars at the same time. Much can be learned that way.

@johnfought9248

Жыл бұрын

You’re welcome I meant to say a R I a guitars Japanese made I’m going to look at my top today and see if it’s the fine grain like you said anyway it does have a good sound I learned another thing from another expert he said you can tap the bridge and get the note like if it’s an AA it’s better if it’s like a G or lower

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

Жыл бұрын

The more you explore guitars, the clearer your evaluations will be. No single factor determines the quality. Enjoy your exolorations!

Jeffrey I have Alhambra 7P. It is an all solid wood guitar. I have been playing blues/rock so I am relatively new to this style of playing. Treble strings sound a little bit plasticky. Would changing bridge or nut do difference? maybe my technique is off and I dont have nails (very short)

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

Жыл бұрын

Hi Igor, best to meet with a classical guitarist to figure out what is going on. I wouldn't change anything on the guitar before getting an accurate assessment. Good luck!

I can't tell you what I would do for either of those guitars, but I can promise you that it wouldn't be pretty!

What microphones do you use for this recording?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Mics: Neumann km184 stereo pair.

Thank you so much! Is this Rodriquez guitar with Brazilian Rosewood still available for purchase?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

Жыл бұрын

I believe it is no longer available, sorry!

@dodoguitar2415

Жыл бұрын

@@JeffreyGoodmanMusic Thank you so much! What would be the similar brand or model to purchase in your expert opinion?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@dodoguitar2415 Every guitar is unique, so I don't go by brands or makers. Rather, I explore a wide selection of available guitars and eventually narrow it down to a small selection. Best of luck in your search for a great guitar!

Someone, PLEASE, tell me what song is the first one played in minute 0 to 1:09???

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

Daniel: The opening piece is Romance de los Pinos by Torroba. One of my favorite short pieces!

@danielarroyo06

4 жыл бұрын

@@JeffreyGoodmanMusic, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

Excellent video 🙏 I have two questions of I may : 1- why did you decide to use two different string tensions when you are comparing? 2- and why choose the low tension on ebony and medium on rosewood? Isn't the opposite more "logical"? Ps. I found the rosewood was much "warmer" ☺️

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your great questions! The primary goal of the video was to introduce and demonstrate a few of the most important things to consider when testing guitars. Strings are really important, and influence the acoustic performance of guitars immensely. The pairing of strings to each guitar was totally arbitrary! A thorough test would perhaps try several kinds of strings on each guitar. For myself, I use an acoustic spectrum analyser and other tools. At the end of the objective exploration, it comes down to what guitar I most love to play, and the guitar I can't live without!

@gk-qf9hv

4 жыл бұрын

Jeffrey Goodman Thanks again! I appreciate you take your time to answer me 🙏 I see. I had forgotten that your objective was not to compare the guitars. A new question if I may: When I am trying new strings on an instrument, I change only one string (pure laziness) at a time, and try to hear (or guess) wether the set is suitable for the instrument. Is this an acceptable technique, or have I been fooling myself? Ps. I sometimes end up having a mix of strings in the end.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

@@gk-qf9hv I usually change all trebles at once, then after they stabilize, change the basses. There is no one "correct" way. Always, it's the depth of your listening that is most important.

@gk-qf9hv

4 жыл бұрын

Jeffrey Goodman Thanks again 👍

Sir can you tell me which classical Guitar was best for beginners in around 6000

@Hairy.Whodini

5 жыл бұрын

6000 dollars? Rupees? Yen? If dollars, $6,000 can get you very advanced instruments.

I didn't realise that ebony was stripey. I thought it was as black as, well, ebony.

I sure wish you'd have elaborated on the peculiarity of the G string acoustic characteristics.

@edwardkimball596

3 жыл бұрын

Good point about the G 3rd string. They’re so thick compared to 1st & 2nd and on my old Takamini (which I’ve given away) they always sounded “clunky,” only word I could think of. I think of the 3rd string as in an awkward.”Twilight Zone “ between solid nylon & wound bass. I once tried a set w/ a wound G string. Didn’t work for me. Stick w/ solid 3rd.

@bvokey8842

3 жыл бұрын

The G string usually seems to sound plasticky or a bit out of place compared to the other 5 strings. Some people use carbon for their 3rd string, I haven’t tried that yet as I enjoy the sound of mine. Also, at least with my guitar, I have to tune the open G string a bit flat in order for it to not be sharp while fretted. Not sure if that’s common among most people but I’ve read about others using various and different guitars who have the same issue with the 3rd string. Might have something to do with the thickness of the string itself compared to the other non wound strings.

It's an anonymous renaissance fugue, from an old anthology.

Dear Sir, I have a classical guitar I bought in the old DDR, from east Germany before the wall came down reuniting the country. I want to sell it but don't know it's collectors value, I don't want to be ripped off, can anyone please help me, I can provide pictures of the label inside the guitar that identifies where it was made.

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

Great question Jerry. Consider taking the guitar to a reputable seller of fine guitars, and get an appraisal. A well-qualified classical guitar teacher should also be able to help you with an appraisal.

@jerrysaul4951

4 жыл бұрын

@@JeffreyGoodmanMusic thank you sir, I will do that

would have helped more if he compared a Grand concert to a $40 plywood guitar. I can't appreciate any of the tones he's playing between two great guitars

anyone know the name of the man in the video?

@JeffreyGoodmanMusic

4 жыл бұрын

The people in the cover image are world-renowned guitar maker Manuel Rodriguez and classical guitarist and composer Jeffrey Goodman. Jeffrey Goodman is the guide and narrator of the video.

So not fair to have different tensions .. try with the strings swapped... huh 🤔