Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar 

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I bought this guitar to use as a teaching instrument so I would not have to endanger my Spanish made classical (Alhambra)with something happening to it at my teaching studio. This guitar suits my needs perfectly. This guitar would be well suited as an advanced players 2nd guitar or for a beginner/intermediate guitarist's guitar to go from beginner status to early intermediate. The action is a bit low which affetcs the tone. My experience with classical guitars has shown me the action needs to be a tad bit higher than a steel string to allow the tone to reach its potential. I have also read the other reviews about the poor original strings & I do agree. I have tried lots of different strings but must say the clear winner for this guitar seems to be the Dean Markley Master series. These strings seem to bring this guitar to life. In short this guitar is very affordable, very playable & very practical. However, if it lacks in any certain area it seems to be lacking in the inspirtational category for seasoned players. Of course for the price it is tough to beat. The Cordoba C3M is a direct competitor. Also, the Musicians Gear case is a perfect companion to this guitar.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

Plays and sounds like an instrument that costs twice the money. I would suggest that you replace original strings.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I was looking for a low-priced, but not junk classical acoustic. I already own a Washburn D10SCE standard steel-string and love it, so I figured I'd give Washburn another shot. This is a great guitar for the beginning classical guitarist or someone getting into classical fingerstyle. Fingerstyle is so much easier on a wide, flat neck! As other reviews state, you need to change the strings (I use D'Addario Pro Arte)and the sound just opens up. My guitar's neck has some small spots where the stain looks washed-off and the fretwork, while not terrible, isn't great...a few rough edges on some frets. But you have to consider the cost of the instrument when evaluating the finish work. The nut and saddle are cut well and the tuners don't slip. String height is perfect, IMO. It plays well, sounds great and I expect to enjoy it for a long time. BTW: The Washburn GC77 case is perfect for this guitar.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I spent some time looking for an inexpensive, but good quality classical guitar. I read reviews and tried different ones. I finally decided on this one, and was not disappointed. For the money, this is the best one I played. It is even made with the woods that are recommended in a high end classical guitar (spruce top, rosewood back & sides, etc), and the guitar comes close to sounding like the same. I love playing & practicing on it.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I bought this guitar a few weeks ago and haven't been able to put it down. I'm new at playing classical guitar and wanted a quality guitar at a reasonable price. This Washburn C80S Madrid certainly fit the bill. Its a well made nicely finished guitar with a great sound. It compares well to much more expensive guitars. I'm glad I settled on this one. Its a beauty.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I purchased this guitar about 3 months ago. I have been playing the guitar for over 35 years and was pleasantly surprised by this guitar. I have given it a good work out with a few hundred hours of playing time. After putting on a set of my preferred d'addario strings, this guitar feels and sounds nearly as good as some of the high end classical guitars I have had the pleasure to play on. The action, tone and volume of this guitar is excellent. I didn't care for the strings that came on it, I replaced them the first hour out of the box. It also had a few finish blemishes (a few runs in the clear finish) other than that it is beautiful.This is the perfect choice for someones first venture into the world of playing classical guitars. If you already own a higher end Classic guitar, this is also a great choice to have as a second/travel guitar.If you are looking for quality classical guitar for a low price, the Washburn CS80 Madrid is the best quality in the price range.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

I bought this in the shop, and compared it to other similar (and some dissimilar) classical guitars. Its sound and ease of playing held up against three cedar top Rodriguez guitars, in the $500-$1000 bracket. Mind you, I'm a beginner, & anything sounds better than the free piece o junk that I started out playing on. On the other hand, I shopped wisely when I actually went at buying something. As far as basic features go, that an informed, conscientious novice would notice, the Washburn shares all the charm and beauty of more expensive Spanish guitars. The action on mine is perfect, not too low or high, but the fretboard is a little wide for my small hands. Pretty much what you'd expect from a classical guitar, though--short, wide neck. If you don't like that, there are classical models out there that accommodate more frets and have narrower necks.Overall, I'm VERY pleased with this guitar. It's fun to play. I've only had it for a few weeks, and am still experimenting. So far, I love its sound both fingerpicking and playing rhythm. It's great for the erie folk sound that I prefer.

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

Based on the value/playabillity of some of Washburn's other budget-priced acoustic guitars that I'd tried previously, I was confident that the C80s would be adequate for a knockabout for practice and sit-around writing...It did not disappoint! Flawless finish, exceptional rosewood grain pattern, nice honey colored cedsar top...it is NOT satin, thankfully, but a high gloss finish.Out of the box, it was almost in tune, and the action where it should be. A solid top in theis range? Yes, and it sounds great. No truss rod in the neck (morm for classicals), very lightweight, and sweet bound bridge base, with G-compensated saddle notch. I can't stop playing it! Thanks Washburn and this site for the great deal!

Comments about Washburn C80S Madrid Classical Guitar:

This is actually pretty good guitar more the money, the guitar looks fine, the head is beautiful, and the sound is more than you'd think. The neck feels a hair flat, but you have to be feeling for it. But a huge value for the little you spend. This guitar should actually be priced two or three times higher than it is.