Cordoba C3M Nylon String Acoustic Guitar - Satin Cedar Reviews

I have played and owned string instruments (electric and acoustic) for many decades. I've seen and played all quality levels in those years and kept up with changes in materials, build locations, and overall quality. But it's pretty rare to find an instrument as satisfying to play at anywhere near a price point as this Cordoba is. Best of all for me, it's affordable enough to remain outside of its case without so much stress and worry, year round, guaranteeing it will be enjoyed on more occasions than my finer stuff.

I picked up my C3M used and find it to be a fantastic guitar. It's well balance in tone and resonant. It's very playable. The 2" nut and classical fretboard with may be tough for smaller (children's) hands but adults should find it comfortable. Mine is a slightly older model w/o the inlay in the head and was a bit worse for wear. However, it plays beautifully and the solid cedar top has turned a rich dark color. I replace the nut and bridge with bone and it is even more resonant and textured. The C3M is a great introduction into the world of nylon/classical guitar.

Very nice and warm bass tone with crispy treble

I just got this guitar 30 minutes ago due to a friend donating it to me. It is a fantastic instrument and my first acoustic. It sounds crisp, yet warm, and is very easy to hold and play.

This guitar has an amazing sound for the price!

I bought this guitar for a close friend of mine for her birthday. Right out of the box after a quick tuning the guitar sounded wonderful. A wonderful resonant sound, with great mids and highs. I thought it was almost exactly the same as the C5, just with a satin matte finish, but I realize not this one also has a Nato neck (doesn't matter, the neck feels smooth and wonderful). I played it against my older "Foggy Mountain" classical and was sad to hear that my guitar's tone paled in comparison (Not that my guitar is exceptional at all - I also considered giving my friend my old guitar and keeping the Cordoba for myself but ultimately decided that would be immoral). Cordoba is doing wonderful things with these affordable Spanish-style classical acoustics and my friend couldn't be happier with the playability and wonderful sound.

A few small things: 1. One of the strings had a slight greasy residue around the twelfth fret. It wiped off fairly easily with my finger and a rag. 2. There is a slight buzz on the second fret of the A string. I'm sure the change in climate is to blame (I'm in dry Utah) and a quick set-up with a luthier will likely fix that.

Other than those two minor things, it is a guitar well-worth the money. I'm glad I went with the Cordoba instead of a Yamaha. As always, thank you Aaron for the wonderful customer support. It need not be said that Sweetwater reigns supreme in regards to customer service. I'll be back soon enough.

Great guitar at a fantastic price. When I received the guitar, I took it to my local luthier to have it setup. He said my Cordoba C3M was almost perfect out of the box and he really didn't have to do much at all. This model Cordoba is really the best bang for your buck in this price range. I would put this guitar up against any other sub $300-$350 CG around. Keep in mind the finish is satin and not the typical glossy finish. Some reviewers have said it looks cheap, while others like it. Personally, I think the finish makes the C3M look like an antique guitar - I love it! The buying experience from Sweetwater is second to none. Customer service is great and shipping was lightning fast.

There is something Spanish about this guitar. I do have a Ramirez 4NE. But this 3CM holds up nicely. Like the other review said, buy this and see if you can play a bar chord. If you can, there is no limit to a guitar you can get. This guitar served me well and I handed it down to my son. He is a composer and outstanding guitar player and loves it. I recommend the d'addario EJ46 hard tension strings for it. The strings Ramirez puts on their Andres Segovia 1A concert guitar.

I am very pleased with the Cordoba classical guitar. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship. I chose this particular guitar because the color reminded me of my first guitar. I was surprised at how light it was and it has a beautiful mellow tone. I found the neck to be a bit wider than I expected. I have arthritis and it is tough to reach some of the strings to apply proper pressure, but eventually I'll make it work. I was impressed with the service I received. Not ten minutes after ordering I received a phone call from Zach. offering his services. Two days after ordering I received my guitar! Excellent!

I should start by saying that I"ve been playing for more than 30 years and that I owned a music store and recording studio back in the day and taught more than 60 guitar students a week in my music program. This guitar is a fantastic value. I have the benefit of years on the tech bench, so I was able to set it up to my liking upon arrival. It sounds as deep and as warm as my USA Martin. The frets are finished well and the solid cedar top has some very interesting and unique markings and patterns. I just love it. Thanks, Sweetwater!

I've played guitar for about 47 years.I've owned them all.I didn't think I would get much for $ I was blown away with the quality and sound I've been with sweetwater for about 10 year's thay have never steered me wrong. Thank you Sweetwater.
Garold clark.

Córdoba build quality is next to none. Every peice of material and component is solidly built and well put together. Craftsmanship is near to perfection. I love the feel and look of the satin finish; very unique and rustic. I believe the satin finish adds a level of character that even more expensive guitars lack. As with anyone, the playability is key. This guitar dosnt skimp out on that either. The playability of this guitar is flawless; traditional setup for classical style. The greatest aspect of this guitar, that had me sold at first glance is the cedar top. Every note is sweet and tender as a song bird, as you get more aggressive, the guitar becomes a tiger.

You will love and cherish this instrument for years to come!

My Cordoba C3M arrived two days after I placed my order, in perfect condition, in-tune, and was playable right out of the box! I have been playing the guitar since 1973, and had never owned a Cordoba before, but had heard a lot of really nice things about the company and their instruments, so I decided to check them out by purchasing their inexpensive entry-level C3M model. The guitar came with Savarez Cristal Corum High Tension 500CJ strings, Spanish fan-style bracing, a solid (not laminated plywood) Canadian cedar top and mahogany back and sides. The sound quality of this guitar compares with much more expensive guitars, so needless to say, I am impressed; so much so, that I am planning on purchasing one of their more expensive models within a year or two. Well, on top of all that, I just wanted to state that the 55-point product evaluation at Sweetwater Music is the best in the industry. My personal Sales Engineer, Stephen Oppenheim, personally checked out my order from top to bottom to ensure everything was up to specs before the product even left their store! I cannot speak highly enough of Sweetwater Music and their dedication to taking care of their customers. But the best part of the experience was that I never felt like a customer; I felt like a friend! These guys are not just sales clerks; they ARE musicians! They know what real musicians want and need, and they speak our language. Dealing with Sweetwater music was a great experience; I will never go anywhere else!

It's been a long time since I touched a guitar. I had recently mentioned that I needed a hobby, and mentioned classical guitar to my wife and son. My son surprised me today, (Christmas), with this wonderful guitar. It's beautiful. Love the sound. I'm back at it. An excellent choice for someone who wants to learn. Thanks Jeremy.

nice guitar
is my 3-th guitar try on
is good for price good for start
i like it.
mat version is so cool

Product is excellent and was promptly delivered.

Haven't noticed any major fret buzz at all. Tuners do stay in tune fine. Guitars are supposed to inspire you to play better music. This thing does that. I feel like I play different things I couldn't normally play or hear. Got this to play Bach music and I could play parts much easier compared to steel string acoustic, even with a wider 2" inch nut and flat neck. It didn't take long at all to adapt.

Been playing guitar for 10+ years and never really played a decent classical nylon string guitar, played mostly steelstring acoustics and electrics. This guitar is not cheap at all. Never a fan of glossy finishes and the matte finish is smooth as silk feels very natural. Would be cool if the Cordoba C5 came in matte finish. Came with D'addario Pro Arte strings, after strings settled, this thing really shined. Do wish it had a cutaway, but for the price I can't complain. Can access upper frets fine.

I will playing this thing for years to come! Highly recommend for beginners or even players that just want try out a decent classical guitar without breaking the bank.

I love this guitar so far I have had it for roughly 2 weeks and have played it roughly 5 hours. I recommend replacing the strings when you get the guitar. I also oiled the fretboard because it seemed to be pretty dry. So far I don't have any complaints as my first classical guitar. Prior to this I only have played acoustic steel string and electric guitars.

I've had this the longer for a bit and the longer I have it, the better it looks, sounds and feels. If there's a better beginner classical guitar at this price point, it must be a well held secret. This guitar should do well for you beyond the beginner stage and does well as a backup. Not for small hands (pre-teen). It does have the wider classical neck. Not chunky, just wider than a steel string acoustic (compare specs). The nut and saddle are fine, but I've replaced mine with a bone. My C3M lives in my locker at work for break-time noodling and it goes with me on camping trips. So it gets bang around a bit. It has the the odd scratch and ding, but still soldiers on. It stays pretty will in tune despite the abuse. There was a bit of fret sprout earlier in it's life, but that's to be expected as it ages. No issue now. If this is you price point and this guitar suits your needs, it's a good choice.

This was me first time using Sweetwater and won't be the last,it was incredibly easy to use on app

With a solid top, this guitar rings out nicely with clear sustain. I prefer high tension strings on it. The action is good; intonation is correct. The guitar is attractive, very playable, and an excellent value. This is a lower priced classical guitar that plays and sounds like a much more expensive instrument. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

Great, great projection for such a starter price! It easily compares to many classical guitars $500+. It was the only guitar I found that sounded mature under $500. It has a very warm sound but also can be very punchy and loud with rest strokes on treble strings. Very impressed overall and would recommend this guitar alone over any manufactured guitar. Of course if you have a luthier, nothing beats that, but if not, this guitar takes it.

One complaint, because it's factory made, the neck wasn't perfect but it wasn't bad either. Needed a little touch up.

Not a bad guitar for the price. I use classical guitars when composing. It keeps me from relying on hooks and guitar tricks to write a song. Classical guitars keep you honest. When first writing in the early 60's I was given this trick by an established "star". Went out and bought a cheap Kent classical. And proceeded to write all of the songs our band recorded on this guitar. Dropped it during a move som e time ago the cordoba is the replacement. It is a far better instrument than the Kent. But all and all it's just ok nothing special but nothing really bad. Well constructed nice neck. Ok tuners they do hold tune once the nylon strings are properly stretched Attractive finish. Pretty box. No super figuring but hey we're talking solid spruce top here. Sweet tone. Haven't been moved to write a new song yet but soon. More than I expected but not an "oh Wow" moment.

The Cordoba C3M is a nice guitar for the price. It sounds good, has a mellow tone and plays well. I would recommend it for beginners or advanced players alike.

The fretboard and action are set well enough, and the sound isn't bad, but most everything else is crooked. The sides are different heights (1/4" off in places) which gives the back a weird shape. Looking down the length of the instrument, the neck is 3" off to one side, and the bridge is offset to compensate. You have to wonder how they can make such a lopsided guitar with modern manufacturing processes. Otherwise, it's a handsome instrument for the price.