Cordoba Fusion 12 Orchestra CE Nylon String Acoustic Guitar - Cedar Reviews

I am a full time musician. I do a 10:00 am to 1:00 pm brunch gig every Sunday. This guitar plays great and sounds very pleasant for my morning gig. I have received many compliments on the sound from both patrons and fellow musicians. Zero buyers remorse. Thank you Mike Sopar.

This guitar blew my expectations out of the water!! The guitars not only sounds beautiful but looks beautiful!! Super impressed by Sweetwater as a company as well. They will be my only source for purchases like this from now on!

I've owned a dozen or so electric and acoustic guitars, and this Cordoba nylon string guitar is by far the best sounding of them all.

I had been looking for a nylon string guitar to complete the sounds I want for writing and performing. The description for the Coronado made it sound like it would fit the bill, mainly because it has the neck size for someone used to playing steel strings. The surprise was its size and its weight. It is smaller than I had anticipated, which worried me at first, but the sound is warm and, once the action was adjusted, it is working out well. I am not afraid to adjust truss rods, so, over time, the action is getting that much better. I like how light it is, which is appropriate for a classical guitar. The overall finish is excellent. I have had to replace one string since receiving it. That was an interesting exercise, but Sweetwater had sent over information as to how to do that. It shouldn't be a problem for anyone who has replaced strings on a guitar, but I will definitely buy ball end strings once I go through the straight ones that I have.
Can't say enough about Sweetwater's support. AJ Delong stayed with me as I pondered whether to keep the guitar. That made all the difference. I am a consistently satisfied customer.

Had the Cordoba Fusion guitars on my radar for a few years. Glad I finally pulled the trigger. Very nice sounding and playable guitar. The narrower neck/nut, super smooth neck, and the added curvature to the fretboard really makes a difference in playability. Thanks to Kevin Scott and the Sweetwater Team. Always top notch and very helpful A+++

My wife bought this guitar for me 3yrs ago and I haven't been able to stop playing it since she brought it home. I have another Cordoba and a Martin nylon string and the Orchestra CE is easily my favorite of the three. Its playability is completely unmatched in any crossover under the $ price point and I've played them all. I could not be happier with this gift and how this guitar sounds three years later.

Out of all the nylon crossover/fusion guitars I tried this was the best as far as sound, comfort and overall quality of the instrument. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nylon guitar, also very inspiring for songwriting as well.

Like many who play guitar, guitars are like potato chips: one cannot just top with one. I own several guitars--all steel string, acoustic and electric--and just had to have one more. I began my research and consulted my guitar playing friends. I watched YouTube videos and read reviews. Having dealt with Sweetwater before, I cheerfully chatted with my salesperson. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers. Armed with knowledge, I pulled the trigger and ordered the Cordoba Fusion 12. One of my friends, strongly suggested that this was a great choice for me (he, too, has one and loves it--he even recorded one of his compositions which he played on this model guitar to demonstrate how it sounds for me). I was hooked. I ordered it and a decent hard case to protect it--Sweetwater has done its homework and can recommend the right case for the right guitar so that it fits it well. I received the guitar in its case and excitedly opened it. Wow! Gorgeous. I tuned it up and played it. Lovely sound. Nice feel. Nylon strings feel good on this old geezer's fingertips.

The sound projects well. With my Fishman Mini Loudbox amp, it sounds fantastic. Great fun. I am having a blast playing this guitar. Finally, after playing guitar for 52 years, I finally have a nylon string guitar! The crossover style neck is brilliant as I am usually a steel string guitar player. The Cordoba Fusion 12 is a great crossover guitar and it is just what I needed to round out my guitar collection. I play it often and am impressed with its playability, rich sound, and drop dead good looks. I adore this guitar and am delighted to have it. I recommend it highly to those steel string guitar players who want an acoustic-electric nylon string guitar that is comfortable to play and that has a warm, rich sound.

Being a primarily steel string player I wanted a nut width more comfortable than my Cordoba C5. The Fusion gets me closer to the nut with of my steel strings (which are 1.75"). It is very comfortable to play.

Another thing I really like is the blended electronics. I prefer the sound of mics vs under saddle pickups for recording and the Fusion does a nice job with its internal mic. I wanted something I could record directly without an external mic and the Fusion gives me that with very little room/background noise coming through on the recordings.

I'm happy with my decision to purchase this guitar.

I played this guitar at a box store because I was looking for something special.... I found it on a business trip across the street from my hotel. I looked at it long and hard but it was near closing time for the establishment so I decided to "sleep on it".
The next day I knew I had to return and make the purchase. I am so glad I did! It plays flawlessly and sounds incredible plugged direct into the board, in a tube amp, or in to my gig ready JBL ONE PRO.
I am so in love with this guitar I am making arrangements to have my signature inlaid in the freeboard!
I would certainly recommend this guitar to any gigging musician.

Having purchased five guitars from Sweetwater, this is my go to for fun. Love the look's, the tone, the quality of construction and the ease of play.

The Cordoba Fusion 12, Orchestra CE is a beautiful guitar in sound, looks, and playability! The neck is thin and the action is appropriate for various playing styles. I am impressed with the adjustable sweet tone and volume control. Having the tuner built-in is a major plus. When it is engaged the signal is cut so that my audience doesn't hear me tuning. I find that I can play quick passages much faster and further up the neck (because of the cut out) on this instrument than on my traditional ($1,200) classical guitar. In addition, the weight balance is perfect. The only down side is the inability to attach a strap to the heel because there is not enough wood in the design. (However, after much thinking, studying, and praying I figured out a way to do it and so now I can play standing as if I were sitting, but you'll have to figure that one out for yourself.)

I bought this guitar mostly based on reviews. I wanted a nylon string for recording that sounded more balanced than the sort of tubby sounding Yamaha I have. This is exactly what I was hoping for! It's fun to play and sounds great plugged in as well. Built in tuner is nice. I highly recommend it.

So I've the last 10 months or so, I've been accumulating gear through my Sales Engineer, Matt Emick. We were talking about a month ago and I mentioned that my next buy would probably be a classical guitar but I want to wait until I have the $ to afford a really good one. Matt said something to the effect that I should not rule out the Cordoba Fusion guitars. I said I'd like to have something from the America's or Spain. Matt's reply to that was that I would be amazed by the quality control coming out of China, and I should not write off this guitar. Well, I kept coming back to this guitar so I finally bought it last week and it showed up on Friday. Let me tell you, this thing is built with GREAT PRECISION! The sound is HUGE! I can't wait until I'm a little further along in my classical training, and I move onto flamenco as well. I will be buying another Cordoba when the time comes! Matt also let me know that in buying the Cordoba Humicase, it also gave me a limited lifetime warranty on the guitar! Thanks again, Matt!

I originally learned to play on a classical instrument and after decades of playing a 12-string for church services I was looking for a good classical guitar that I could use for a different sound as well as to re-learn the classical style. After comparing to other instruments I found this Cordoba Fusion 12 Orchestra to have a most excellent deep full tone, excellent playability and, with the narrower neck width and geometry, is easier on my hands (not getting any younger or more flexible!). Since I just purchased this instrument I'll give it some time and may revisit the review with additional comments. I have yet to fully explore the capabilities of the electronics, for example. Overall very, very happy with this guitar so far.

The luthiers workmanship on this guitar is flawless to these elder eyes, more like a fine art sculpture than an ax. Yet the sound to these ears makes me grin and feel like those days of my life with CCR dialed up. Just GREAT.
Kudos to Sweetwater and Chris Lewis for bringing this great guitar to me.
Have tried 4 sets of strings and a bit of setup changes, I'm very happy with this overall. It sounds good both plugged in or by itself on the back porch.
To you other elder players an wannabe players out there like me who were finding hand limitations with steel strings, this ax has opened a new chapter for me.
Steve

I recently added the Cordoba Fusion 12 to my arsenal of acoustic and electric guitars. Many years ago I had a cheap classic guitar, it was so long ago that I don't remember the manufacturer. But I do remember that it was impossible to play; the strings were so far off the fret board. I really wanted to get back into finger picking but the steel strings don't always lend itself to that style of playing. Well, I am not disappointed; the Fusion 12 is a classic crossover and very versatile, so you get the best of both worlds. With the Fusion 12 you satisfy your inner-classic while not abandoning your steel string mentality. Like most of my guitars, I adjusted the action to my liking; was able to lower the E down to 3.5 mm and the e down to 2.5 mm without any fret buzz. The fret board is almost perfect and the neck truss rod is accommodating. Cordoba equips it's guitars with high tension strings (which says a lot about the strength of its neck) but I will be changing them out for a normal set for better playability. So, I highly recommend this guitar to anyone who is looking for versatility. Also, I would be remiss if I failed to give a shout out to Luke Herian, my sales engineer, who is extremely helpful and has been assisting me the last couple of years. Thanks Luke!

I'm new to guitar playing,well under a year but committed to learn to play for myself and friends. I started with a Fender acoustic steel string and ready for a upgrade . The sound is incredible; even for novice; money well spent!

I have been playing this guitar for several weeks now, and each time I play it, it is like spending time with an old friend, even though I have only had it for a few weeks. I replaced the high tension strings with normal tension strings, and the sound is rich, clean and pure. I play finger style, but my left hand usually plays chords so the slightly narrow neck make this easier for my old arthritic hands. This is a beautiful instrument. I am 66 years old, and I expect I will be playing this instrument until the day I die, or until they put me away in a nursing home. Thank you Sweetwater for your prompt delivery of a beautiful instrument in perfect condition.

This is a very nice guitar and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again. Great sound, awesome craftsmanship, and add a tonewood amp and it just gets even better. I have friends with classical guitars that cost way more than this one and mine sounds just as good as theirs do. But in the end you have to make up your own mind.

I've been a classical guitar player since I was 10, have a BA in classical guitar and have taught lessons off and on for over 30 years. However, at almost 55 arthritis has started making it much harder to barre on a standard flat and 50-52mm wide classical neck. It's taken me a couple weeks to get used to the slightly narrower string spacing, but the slight radius of the fretboard is sooo much easier on my aging hands! I've had a Studio Negra for several years as my primary gigging guitar, but this Fusion Orchestra will soon be my main axe. I was surprised how bright and punchy this guitar is for a cedar top -- very nice tone. May play around with different string options as I've never been a fan of the high E on the Alliance and other carbon strings, but otherwise I am loving this instrument. I tried several other makes of "crossover" nylon guitars with radiused fretboards, but the unplugged sound was just not up to par. This instrument lends itself well to about any style of playing.

I bought my Cordoba fusion 12 Orchestra CE guitar and been playing for 3 years now. The acoustic sound is amazing, I have short arms and it fits perfect from the distal to the proximal fret. The comfort of playing for hours without changing your body contour or shoulder just makes it very comfortable and fun. Highly recommend this guitar.

I am more of an electric player but wanted to return to classical after over 40 yrs of playing. I have very short fingers so this neck is really nice for my hands, slightly narrower and with a slight radius as compared to a normal classical. The tone of this guitar is amazing! The fit and finish are outstanding. Wonderful craftsmanship all around. Sweetwater is the best! super fast service and the guitar plays great right out of the box. I haven't touched any of my electric guitars since I got this one - it's just a joy to play. New inspirations abound. I would highly recommend this guitar for anyone who normally plays electric or steel string acoustic but who wants to add a nylon string guitar. This instrument could easily be in the $1000+ range and still be a good value. I would (and plan to) perform gigs with this instrument any day of the week. I couldn't be happier.

I don't claim to know a great deal about guitars, even though I've owned a D35 since 1978. I also own a Guild 12 String and a Taylor 814ce. I can tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed this guitar since receiving it a couple of weeks ago. The action is as good as, or better than any of my other guitars. The guitar sound projects nicely and the tone is good either my itself or through my Marshall Amp. I got this guitar because I picked up my classical guitar music book, but I've also began learning some Joplin Rags on it. I am also in the market for a present for my son who is just starting out. I thought the nylon strings might help reduce the pain of fretting. I fine that the fusion neck is much more comfortable that the classic neck. So far I am extremely excited with this purchase.
Although I researched this buy on youtube, the Sweetwater personnel seemed poised to answer any questions that I might have had. I sort of regret not taking advantage of that. I ordered on a Sunday night, they shipped Monday morning, I unpacked it Wednesday afternoon and followed it online from Indiana to Oklahoma.

I got the Cordoba fusion ce Orchastra and have had it for a couple of weeks. I love it. I researched it a lot. I have several other guitars like Strats and a Yamaha LL-TA and so on. I've always had a fondness for nylon and have had a couple but this Orchestra Ce is definitely the answer both plugged in or mot.

It caught my eye... I played it and fell in love! Made in China, but the workmanship is amazing! Tom Maxwell was fantastic as always in getting it to me ASAP. I had it for Christmas eve services and it was simply incredible. That was 18 month ago. It's now my everyday guitar. It goes with me on gigs. Great for classical and ballads. Even many Celtic tunes.
I love it!

Beautiful acoustic-electric guitar. Good quality and sound. Haven't really played much or tried the Presys preamp yet.

Has a great sound, but the high action makes it difficult to play. I have had several other classical guitars with good action. I did the neck adjustments per instructions of Sweetwater luthier, which made it a little better but still action is too high. Anyway, unless you like high action I would steer clear of this guitar.

I am a professional solo performer (female guitarist/vocalist - who simultaneously plays drums with her feet) working 4-5 days per week to earn a meager living. See my other honest, real-life reality-check, reviews on the Roland Street Cube, cover and HumiCase. Hope all of my reviews reach the readers as well as the product manufacturers - if not censored or circumvented by Sweetwater ........

Bought this C-12 Fusion Orchestra to replace my old Spanish-made Cordoba C5/CE. Because of my gig schedule, I need durability, reliability, consistency and resistance to wear and tear. This guitar smelled nice when it arrived - but the honeymoon was soon over. Poor, poor pitiful me. The frets were a bit sharp which broke my strings at a greater frequency than my old worn-out C5/CE - at $14 a set for Savarez strings - this kills my profit margin. But let's not stop there ...... the way the guitar is made along with the finish, when I move from temperature gradients (which I do all the time) - prepare to do a lot of tuning adjustments - but do not forget to turn off the tuner - because there is no automatic tuner turn-off and your expensive 9V's will quickly die - thus costing you more money. But the Fishman electronics eat 9V's for breakfast - so you might as well buy stocks in Eveready. Next, on my first string change I discovered that the bridge and saddle are not properly engineered (slight factory over-sight?) so that the high E and B strings have to be knotted (actually double-knotted) at the end in order to keep them from slipping completely out no matter how many times you might try to intertwine them (never seen this before). Lest we forget .... this past week during an intensive gig schedule playing a number of two-gigs per day (post COVID social resurgence movement) - the input jack came completely loose - which can only be repaired if you take all the strings off. Of course as would be expected, I just changed my $14 Savarez strings prior to the input jack coming dislodged. In the meantime had to resort to taping the input jack in place to get through the gig schedule til I can find the time to fix it and find the missing parts. Of course a loose input jack gives you a great rattling sound that is greatly amplified through the saddle pickup as well as providing a very interesting harmonic sound (somewhat alien in nature) to go along with your regular carefully rehearsed captivating musical entertainment that you hope will induce your listeners to tip$$ you for. I do not know what to tell you folks - this is the new-world we live in. You do not get what you pay for, no one can produce a product that works and you (we, us) pay for all of the product defects. We cannot win this war and at best pray for the best and expect the worst - be prepared to super-glue, tape, file-down, tighten, adjust, re-adjust, tie knots and do what-ever it takes not to suffer inevitable embarrassment in front of your audiences. But these product defects are not limited to this product, for example I just bought a new capo to replace my 10 year-old capo from a national vendor (Guitar Center) - the capo fell apart (this week) and broke on the first day out. Of course I anticipated the worst and bought two of the capos when I placed my order, one to immediately break and the second as a back-up. Good luck fellow professional performers.