I settled on this guitar after a very thorough visit to a guitar shop specializing in classical guitars. Before, I had played an inexpensive $70 guitar for several years that was beyond repair. I found this an exceptional guitar for the price in terms of features, sound, build quality, etc.

Sound
First of all, the sound is very clean - there is no muddiness to it at all on any string. This is a quality that one should look for regardless of the guitar style. The sustain is quite short - definitely shorter than my friends Cordoba C7 (classical). The trebles have a very bright sound (not the warm tone you have on a classical), and have an almost bell-like tendency to ring. The bass strings also sound great. As a flamenco guitar should have, there is some fret buzz, though only on one string. The store owner said that if a true flamenco player bought the guitar, he would lower the strings to half their current height, so there would be fret buzz on all strings. I guess this is something I will experiment with later. All that being said, the buzz only appears when the string is played hard, and the buzz does not remain for long. Overall, the sound of this guitar is amazing - I could find nothing better for the price among 50 or so guitars up to 1,000 dollars. It is really fitting of the flamenco/percussive style (and therefore not so fitting for classical compositions that require a warm tone - think Segovia).

Features… read more
The truss rod is the feature that sets Cordoba apart from other guitars. Since I move around a lot to different climates, it is nice to have that option. In terms of build, quality and finish, it is great overall - though there are some minor comments. The front and back of the guitar are not book-matched (looks good anyway). The color is a very pleasant white/gold combination, and the wood pattern is beautiful. Also, the frets protrude just a tiny bit from the neck at some points (again a minor point). The woods used a fitting for the price range. I think it would be impossible to find a all solid-wood guitar for $500. So, a solid top is the best you can do.

Ease of Use
I found the guitar very playable. The action is about half as high as on my previous classical guitar. And despite having high tension strings, virtually no pressure is required to hold regular or barre chords. The low action and high tension also facilitate hammer-ons and pull-offs. It's not as playable as an electric of course, but it's as close as a true classical is going to get.

Quality
I found no quality issues with the guitar. Tuning is nice and smooth, and the guitar stays in tune for a couple of days at least. Per dealer suggestion, I purchased an Oasis humidifier, and keep the guitar in the case/humidified during the winter months at least. With proper care, I don't see why it would not last 50-100 years.

Value
I think that for the price, there is not a better flamenco guitar. You really get a lot for your money.

The Wow Factor
It's a beautifully build light guitar, but for me sound and play-ability were the deciding factors.

Musical Background:
Played for 4 years, self-taught, jam with friends

Musical Style:
Blues, Jazz, Bossa Nova, Classical read less