Best Classical Guitars Under $500 2024
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Most people worldwide would broadly best classical guitars as either electric or acoustic. The latter, in particular, has been a favorite among several enthusiasts from the past, who look forward to getting a grasp of the instrument. Many aspirants among you have toyed with the idea of owning a guitar in the past and visualized the high performing in front of audiences.
However, if you are a novice, planning to buy an instrument, there are several aspects to consider before making that investment. This article is an effort to help all you beginners what should be expected from classical guitars and emphasizes on the yardsticks an instrument’s price must be measured against.
We hope this compilation of the best classical guitars under $500 helps you buy a product completely tailored to your budget and quality expectations.
Best Classical Guitars Under 500 Comparison Table
Product | Features | Latest Price |
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1. Hola! Music Classical Guitar [amazon fields=”B01LCJ1L00″ value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B01LCJ1L00″ value=”button”] |
2. WINZZ Classical Guitar For Beginners [amazon fields=”B07ZVNW46Q” value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B07ZVNW46Q” value=”button”] |
3. Ovation Applause Balladeer Classical Guitar [amazon fields=”B075HQSTFM” value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B075HQSTFM” value=”button”] |
4. Pyle 6-String Classical Acoustic Guitar [amazon fields=”B07NVWXTQQ” value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B07NVWXTQQ” value=”button”] |
5. Cordoba Guitars Mini II [amazon fields=”B07FT6YMS1″ value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B07FT6YMS1″ value=”button”] |
6. Strong Wind Classical Acoustic Guitar [amazon fields=”B07PT5WLX5″ value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B07PT5WLX5″ value=”button”] |
7. Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar [amazon fields=”B088G1R4DQ” value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B088G1R4DQ” value=”button”] |
8. Ortega Guitars Student Series [amazon fields=”B01NBJPPOV” value=”thumb”] |
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[amazon fields=”B01NBJPPOV” value=”button”] |
Our Best Classical Guitars Under 500 Reviews and Comparisons
1. Hola! Best Classical Guitars
Product Highlights
Hola! Music has lived up to its interesting brand name and has often introduced unconventionally great musical instruments and offers that have proved to be head-turners. This classical guitar is a fine example of what the product can achieve. It is a ¾ size instrument, quite sleek, light, and has frequently proved that it can produce great melodies.
Features
The manufacturers have embedded soft nylon strings stretching across the guitar body that help in playing the instrument comfortably and are quite durable too. The highlights of the guitar’s design are its spruce top, back, neck, as well as sides, which make it highly resistant to damages, enhancing its longevity. The material used in the manufacturing has also been positively impactful, at least as far as this Hola! Music invention is concerned.
The body has also been well polished to meet the expectation of gloss and aesthetic appeal. On purchase of the product, you would also get a padded gig bag that can very well protect the instrument besides making it convenient to transport the guitar safely, leaving little room for damage.
What We Like About Hola! Music Classical Guitar
Here’s a big surprise. On the purchase of this guitar package, you would get access to live, free lessons from an instructor for a period of two months. So, even if you are a novice or absolutely can’t play the instrument, you couldn’t have possibly asked for a better deal.
The design makes it quite a beginner’s delight and it is quite reasonable too. So, all those of you taking baby steps into guitar jamming, this product could be a good instrument to start with, considering its quality and price aspects.
Many have opined that the top-end, low-end, as well as mids responses of the guitar, are quite impressive as compared to several other classical guitars. Most importantly, the quality is quite impressive and the product is priced quite cheap, which makes it worth considering.
What We Don’t Like About Hola! Best Classical Guitars
The product has received flak that it doesn’t seem as glossy as its pictures online suggest. As mentioned earlier, Hola! Music guitar is more of a beginner instrument, and if you are thinking of graduating to a more professional piece, then it’s wiser to skip this option.
PROS
- Free guitar-learning course
- Ideal for beginners
- Impressive top-ends, low-ends, and mids responses
- Quite cheap
CONS
- Product design doesn’t match expectations
2. WINZZ Classical Guitar For Beginners
Product Highlights
Here’s another cool guitar new entrants to the world of music could consider. WINZZ has cemented a reputation for consistently producing musical instruments tailored for students, guitarists, and those aspirants being homeschooled.
Features
The rosettes, purflings, bindings, inlays, and several other important aspects of the guitar have been designed by master craftsmen. The attention to detail of each aspect of the guitar’s build has garnered praise from several musicians and buyers of the product in the recent past.
The guitar has a vintage style soundhole, which is a recent trendy expectation among many buyers of the instrument.
The guitar includes top, back, and sides made of basswood that contributes to the achievement of a warm, smooth, and velvety tone, which you seldom find among many devices its kind.
Several aspects of the design and the material used in the manufacture of this guitar, deserve a special mention. For instance, the fingerboard and bridge are made up of Black richlite wood. A significant amount of ABS has also been used to make the product highly durable.
The strings of the guitar, made up of nylon, help achieve that bright tone which most musicians expect out of their instruments. These strings are kind of soft too and have been included to ensure even kids can play them easily without hurting their fingers. The 3-in-line machine head of this classical guitar turns out to be the icing on this already glossy instrument.
Apart from the impressive design and a great accessory kit, the manufacturers have also done their best to make the guitar seem glossy and attractive.
What We Like About WINZZ best Classical Guitars For Beginners
The design and the tone rendered by this guitar which is priced less than even $100 is quite impressive for its price. For the price quoted, apart from merely the guitar, the manufacturers are also offering a gig bag, tuner, capo, extra strings, and cleaning cloth, which makes it worth considering.
The manufacturers have traditionally used high-quality material in the manufacture of guitars, such as Mahogany, EBS, and Ebony, which enhances their longevity.
What We Don’t Like About WINZZ Classical Guitar For Beginners
A few users have complained in the past that they didn’t get every accessory that was promised in the specifications document.
PROS
- Impressive accessory kit
- Student-friendly
- Durable material
- Easy to tune
CONS
- Accessories aren’t delivered as promised
3. Ovation Applause Balladeer Classical Guitar
Product Highlights
Over the years, Ovation has emerged as one of the preferred musical instrument brands among beginners and professional musicians alike. The brand’s range of acoustic guitars has found takers from many parts of the world in recent times. The electronic punchiness the guitar renders when plugged is quite impressive, which implies it isn’t just an instrument you can rely on for those jamming sessions at home, but you can make good use of even at professional gigs.
Features
Unlike many manufacturers, Ovation has employed a material called Lyrachord in the construction of this guitar, which makes the instrument indestructible to a considerable extent.
The fretboard and bridge have been built by employing ovangkol, a material known for rendering durability and enhancing the sound quality of musical instruments.
The neck of the guitar approximately measures 25.6 inches, which is a considerably good length to play comfortably and meeting the tone expectations of most guitarists. The instrument possesses a parabolic curved shape, and a handsome upper cutaway, are other noteworthy aspects of the design that contribute to the comfort.
If you intend to carry this instrument around for gigs, we recommend you use either the Ovation 8158-0 hard-shell case or 8358-0 Zero-gravity Guitar case for better protection. These accessories could help prevent any sort of damage to the guitar that’s bound to occur during transportation.
What We Like About Ovation Applause Balladeer Classical Guitar
The AB24CII has been praised immensely for its exceptional range and crystal-clear bass and treble. Several users in the past have also testified this ability and claim to have been satisfied by the overall sound quality of the instrument.
A product that offers exceptional sound quality and is an aesthetic wonder too. The AB24CII is priced well under $300, which isn’t too expensive considering the abilities. This could be one of those few classical guitars that deserve a place in your list of priorities.
What We Don’t Like About Product Name
One shortcoming of this guitar is that it requires frequent retuning, which could even turn out to be an exhausting exercise for many musicians. This flaw could prove to be a time-stealer if you have an important gig coming up and very little time for practice.
PROS
- Comfortable to hold and play
- Crystal clear bass and treble
- Affordable
- Impressive construction
CONS
- Requires retuning
4. Pyle 6-String Classical Acoustic Guitar
Product Highlights
Pyle’s reputation in engineering musical instruments and electronic products is quite well known, and the brand has managed to retain the streak once again with this invention. The guitar is the perfect instrument to buy if you are planning to gift one for your child who’s still in school. The Pyle invention is a good instrument to rely on for those beginner lessons, recitals, band rehearsals, on-stage performances, or even merely practice at home.
Features
The materials used in the manufacture of the guitar are primarily responsible for the exceptional sound quality one gets to experience with this guitar.
Among the exceptional features of this guitar’s construction include a linden wood body, birch headstock, dyed maple wood fretboard, high gloss polished body back with protective binding. These aspects of the construction make the instrument a lot sturdier than most guitars made for kids. The rosette linden laminate finish and chrome 3-in-line machine head add to the aesthetic appeal of the guitar, which could probably impress your kids.
The strings of this Pyle 6-String wonder are made up of Nylon, which is perfect for a beginner instrument, especially if they are being targeted at kids. The probability of hurting fingers while playing this instrument is considerably less as compared to those with steel strings.
For the price being quoted, the makers are also offering an accessory kit that includes a gig bag case, pitch pipe tuner, spare strings, Pearloid picks, cleaning cloth, and a gift card.
What We Like About Pyle 6-String Classical Acoustic Guitar
This could be your best bet at buying a guitar for a kid who wants to practice the instrument at home or school as a recreational activity. Considering its cheap price, the sort of materials used in the manufacture of the guitar is of high-quality and have been used in the construction of some of the best musical instruments for professionals.
What We Don’t Like About Pyle 6-String Classical Acoustic Guitar
A common flaw across several guitars today exists in the Pyle 6-String Classical Acoustic Guitar too, which is constant retuning. A few buyers of the instrument residing in regions known for extreme climatic conditions have mentioned that the quality of the wood shows slight signs of deterioration when subjected to fluctuations.
PROS
- Nylon strings
- Sturdy body
- Impressive accessory kit
- Beginner-friendly
CONS
- Requires retuning
- Durability affected by extreme weather
5. Cordoba Guitars Mini II
Product Highlights
In recent months, Cordoba Guitars has emerged as a favorite brand among several music enthusiasts. Mini II is a result of the success of its predecessor Mini that found a lot of takers and received a lot of acclaim across virtual platforms. Being high on quality, aesthetic appeal, and low on price are the reasons why the Mini II has emerged as a popular choice among many today.
Features
There are quite a few aspects of the construction of this guitar that deserve mention since they contribute greatly to the overall quality of the product. For instance, layers of Mahogany have been used in the top, back, and sides of the Mini II – one of the many expectations musicians have from guitars. This fact alone speaks volumes about the degree of the longevity of the product.
The body and neck of the guitar are made up of Satin polyurethane, a material that not only renders aesthetic appeal to the product but also makes it a lot more durable.
Although small in size as compared to several traditional guitars, Mini II has a deeper body depth which contributes to the sound quality. To be precise, the well-rounded tone this guitar emanates is quite identical to that delivered by a full-sized guitar inclusive of nylon strings. This brilliance in design has been lauded by several professional guitarists.
The body of the guitar, in general, is quite compact and can be easily held for long durations during gigs. The small size also makes it quite portable, and the guitar can be easily tucked into the car boot if you are heading for gigs.
What We Like About Cordoba Guitars Mini II
The reason behind the current popularity of the Mini II is the introduction of a new scale length tailored for standard E tuning. Such sort of tuning helps indulge in impromptu jam sessions without having to tune the guitar frequently, unlike several other instruments of its kind available today.
Since they are smaller than the average guitar, yet renders effective sound quality and is quite light, you could consider gifting this instrument to your child.
What We Don’t Like About Cordoba Guitars Mini II
Apart from the accolades, the Mini II has received flak from a few users too. The common view of these buyers is that the guitar’s resonance at a time falls below expectations, although the makers claim the product is quite extraordinary.
PROS
- Impressive design
- Tailored for standard E tuning
- Sleek size
- Highly portable
CONS
- Poor resonance
6. Strong Wind Classical Acoustic Guitar
Product Highlights
Here’s a guitar you shouldn’t ignore if you are specifically looking for an instrument for your child who’s in middle school. The makers have engineered this guitar for the average 12-year-old, which is why you could give this one a thought. It is also priced well below $100, which isn’t too heavy on the pocket, as far as an investment on a guitar is concerned.
Features
The strings of the guitar are made of nylon, which is one of the features that make it kid-friendly, or rather more tailored to beginners since there are lesser chances of injuring fingers. Hurting oneself could intimidate a learner to continue with guitar lessons, so it is important to buy a nylon-string instrument, especially if it is for kids.
The top, back, and sides of the Strong Wind classical guitar are made of solid Basswood, which is responsible for the durability of the instrument. The top of the guitar is also laced with a laminated linden top, and the curves of the instrument are quite smooth.
All the aforementioned qualities collectively make the guitar really sturdy, aimed at enhancing its longevity. The reason the instrument has received a lot of acclaim for its full, warm, soft, and rich sound, is predominantly the materials used in its manufacture.
What We Like About Strong Wind Classical Acoustic Guitar
The pegs of the guitar are quite smooth and have been designed with the utmost finesse. Most importantly, they are easy to adjust, which is probably the reason many are praising this component. The tuning-head of the instrument has a lustrous chrome finish, which adds to the aesthetic appeal of the guitar and makes is really easy to grip the component.
What We Don’t Like About Strong Wind Classical Acoustic Guitar
A drawback you’ll have to deal with on the purchase of this guitar is that the nylon strings of this instrument may stretch, which implies frequent tuning would be required. Tuning isn’t too difficult and could hardly consume five minutes before you start playing it. However, if you are looking for an instrument that doesn’t require this effort, you can probably skip this option.
PROS
- Easy to adjust pegs
- Top-notch design
- Children-friendly
- Well below $100
CONS
- Requires frequent tuning
7. Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar
Product Highlights
This guitar is bound to grab your attention almost instantly, thanks to its bright blue color. However, there’s more to the Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar apart from its mere appearance. This cool musical instrument is apt for both beginner adults and children alike since it is quite comfortable to hold and play. It is more of a plug-and-play sort of an instrument that can be pulled out of the case and made good use of almost immediately, which is why it is ideal for kids.
Features
One of the noteworthy highlights of this guitar is its handcrafted construction, which is preferred by several professional musicians. Several materials used in building the instrument deserve special mention, which includes a linden wood body, birch headstock, as well as a dyed maple wood fretboard.
The Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar is a ¾ junior size 6-string instrument measuring 36 inches which are quite useful for various kinds of activities. Be it beginner lessons, recitals, band rehearsals at school, on-stage performances or simply jamming at home, you could immensely rely on this instrument.
Apart from these components which collectively make the guitar durable, the body of the instrument has been polished for that gloss and a layer of protective binding too has been added. The icing on the cake is the chrome-finish 3-in-line machine head, which would make this guitar glitter more than most instruments you would come across today. The shining machine head along with the blue guitar body collectively makes the instrument seem attractive at first sight.
What We Like About Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar
The advantage of buying this Pyle invention is that the product package is a complete all-in-one acoustic guitar set, which includes several accessories such as a storage gig bag, a cleaning cloth, a digital tuner, picks, spare strings, and a detachable shoulder strap.
Besides, the product’s quality and the additional accessories along with the instrument available at a reasonable price make it totally worth considering. Pyle’s reputation as a guitar manufacturer is also pretty good, which sort of makes an investment on the musical instrument worthwhile.
What We Don’t Like About Pyle PGACLS82BLU Classical Guitar
Although the guitar is quite cheaply priced, the shipping cost involved, especially if you are planning to transport it to Asian countries, is pretty high.
PROS
- Impressive accessory kit
- Durable body
- High aesthetic appeal
- Doesn’t require frequent tuning
CONS
- High shipping costs
8. Ortega Guitars Student Series
Product Highlights
The image of a classical acoustic guitar that most people would probably recall is of an instrument painted with shades of brown and a glossy, chrome-kind of exterior finish. However, the Ortega Guitars Student Series guitar breaks this age-old notion, thanks to its dark appearance and its black matte-coated body.
Features
Apart from its unconventionally beautiful appearance, there are several other reasons that are making guitar lovers rooting for this Ortega Guitars invention and recommending it to new buyers.
ABS is a material that has been used in large amounts by the makers to contribute to making the guitar a lot more durable.
The aspects of the construction that assure that the guitar is well-built and quite durable are its body that spans over a 650mm scale, a Mahogany neck, back and sides made of Catalpa, a spruce top, as well as a Walnut fretboard and bridge. These aspects of its design make the Student Series guitar an absolute delight in terms of sound quality too.
The strings of the guitar are made of nylon, which is another reason that makes the instrument student-friendly, apart from a body that’s high on ergonomics.
The material used in manufacturing the product as well as the precision in terms of acoustics is largely responsible for making this product an absolute delight, apart from its mere aesthetics.
What We Like About Ortega Guitars Student Series
There’s an aspect of the instrument’s acoustics too that deserves a special mention. The body depth of 102mm, a 52 mm nut width, as well as 19 frets distributed across the guitar body are factors that contribute to the guitar’s tone and make the output sound soothing to the ears.
What We Don’t Like About Ortega Guitars Student Series
The guitar’s brand name Student Series may suggest that it is an instrument tailored for beginners, however, a few users of the product beg to differ. A few complaints have emerged that the guitar needs an elaborate, time-consuming setup initially, which isn’t quite a beginner-friendly process.
PROS
- High on acoustics and appeal
- Nylon strings
- Ideal body depth and width
- Attractive matte finish
CONS
- Requires an elaborate setup
Final Verdict
Based on a comprehensive research of classical guitars, if we had to suggest the best instrument to end your ambiguity, it would probably be the Hola! Music Classical Guitar. The product excels in almost every aspect, be it sound quality, craftsmanship, or the price. The makers also offer an accessory kit along with the product for its already affordable cost.
Most importantly, for those of you who are looking to start out, Hola! Music is also offering two months of free live training, which eliminates the need to follow the tradition of being trained first before buying an instrument. All these reasons make the guitar worth considering, for an investment, at least on a beginner level.
However, it is wiser to delve deeper into the capabilities of each instrument included in this compilation of best classical guitars under 500 to figure the product aligned with your expectations.
See Related Topic:
Best Electric Guitar Under $1000 For 2021 .