Royal Musical Instruments provides original and guaranteed instruments through official partnerships with guitar brands featured in the store, including Cort, Fender, Washburn, Bromo, Enya, Valencia, Qte, Smiger, Ibanez, and Pearl River.

Strings and finger feel

Nylon strings feel softer for beginner fingers, but the classical guitar's wide neck requires specific technique for the left hand. Steel strings may be firmer in the first few weeks but provide the bright and powerful sound characteristic of an acoustic guitar. Proper action is the key to comfort for both types.

Body and sound

The classical guitar typically provides a softer attack and warm mid-range. For acoustic guitars, a dreadnought is chosen for powerful bass and strumming, an auditorium for balance and fingerstyle, and a jumbo for great projection. Small-bodied models are suitable for children, travel, and comfortable seating.

Laminate, solid top, and all-solid

• Laminate: a durable and affordable entry-level choice.
• Solid top: features a solid top plate for more open resonance and a good price-to-quality balance.
• All-solid: all-solid wood construction offering professional dynamics and rich overtones; requires humidity control.

Who needs an electro-acoustic guitar?

If you want to plug into a PA or amplifier on stage, choose an electro-acoustic model with a pickup and preamp system. A built-in tuner, EQ, and phase button are convenient for live performance. A cutaway body makes it easier to reach the upper frets, but if you don't need it just for aesthetics, a standard body is also suitable.

Choosing a brand

Cort offers a wide price-to-quality range from classical to solid-top acoustic and premium series. Fender provides renowned designs in acoustic and electro-acoustic models. Washburn covers the classical and acoustic tradition, Bromo offers modern wood and construction choices, Enya provides innovative materials and smart guitar solutions, Valencia features classical teaching models, Qte and Smiger cover the entry-level budget, and Pearl River covers acoustic alternatives.

View the Cort guitar catalog and all guitar models.

Decision for beginners

If you are attending a classical music school program, buy a nylon-string guitar in the size required by the teacher. If you want to play vocal accompaniment, pop, and rock songs, an acoustic guitar with a comfortable neck will be more motivating. For a child, 4/4, 3/4, and other sizes should be chosen based on height, arm length, and teacher recommendation rather than age.

Checklist when buying

• The neck should be comfortable and the fret ends smooth.
• Check for buzzing and dead notes on every fret.
• Check the tuning mechanisms and intonation.
• There should be no cracks in the body, separation at the bridge, or excessively high action.
• Plan for the need for a bag, tuner, capo, and spare strings.