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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
Beginners and young learners alike will appreciate the quality found in this Yamaha C series classical guitar. This quality instrument delivers outstanding cost performance with exceptional playability and tone. The C40 is a full-size nylon-string guitar.
Product Description
The Yamaha C40 is an affordable, classical guitar from a respected company in the music industry. Yamaha craftsmen have assembled spruce, mahogany and rosewood to form an instrument with excellent tone and playability that will inspire and encourage a player to pick this guitar up again and again! Yamaha classical guitar craftsmen learned the fine art of guitar making directly from the masters. Under the tutelage of Manuel Hernandez and Eduardo Ferrer, Yamaha guitar craftsmen acquired skills that have been handed down from master to apprentice for generations. These acquired skills are put to use every day in the making of Yamaha classical guitars. Through extensive analysis, research and experimentation, Yamaha has succeeded in blending the best and most critical aspects of traditional Spanish guitar making techniques with modern guitar manufacturing processes. These processes include a comprehensive quality check system that ensures each instrument is of the highest standards possible. As a result, Yamaha brings to you an instrument that delivers outstanding quality and performance, at a price that is hard to beat. The Yamaha C40 classical guitar is an excellent choice for the beginning guitarist.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
408 of 419 people found the following review helpful
When you approach the purchase of a musical instrument you can face a real minefield of decisions. You can pay a lot of money for a real quality instrument, but if you can't play it - then the money is wasted. You must buy the instrument that suits the kind of music you want to play.
This is especially true with Guitars. Broadly you can have classical, spanish, folk, acoustic, steel and electric guitars (but there are lots of in-between categories)
This is a classical guitar. So what does that mean, and what should you be looking for?
First off, it has the strings set widely apart, since a classical guitar is designed to be plucked, not strummed. Wide spacing between the strings allows you to get your fingers into the strings to pluck them.
Secondly : The fretboard is flat, and this means you need to reach further with your fingers to cover all the strings. If you have a small hand, or are buying a guitar for a child, this could present difficulties. Folk (acoustic) guitars have slightly curved fretboards.
Thirdly, this is a guitar designed to take soft strings of nylon or gut. Metal strings could damage a classical guitar, cutting into the wood and overstraining the neck. The soft strings give the guitar a full, but soft and gentle tone. It is not designed for playing heavy metal. It is a guitar for a small room, not for a stadium.
Probably the most important elements you want in your guitar are that it be easy to tune and has a good action. Yamaha have a great reputation for quality and consistency, which is why you can think of buying one of their guitars without playing it. You can pretty much guarantee that the tuning keys will operate properly and will not wiggle around, spoiling your tuning.
The action is the one thing you cannot gauge without holding the guitar in your hands. This is a combination of the tension of the strings and the height of the strings over the fretboard. If the strings are tense (steel strings or 12 string guitar) they can pull the head of the guitar upwards, bringing the strings farther from the fretboard. This means your fingers have to be very strong to depress the strings and make clear notes. A tightly strung steel string guitar needs a very low action or it is unplayable. But an action that is too low will leave strings vibrating against the frets, disrupting the sound of the guitar. This is less of a problem with classical guitars, because they have soft strings and lower tension. Even if they are set high you will rarely have difficulty bringing them down to the frets.
For the price it is hard to beat this guitar as a starter instrument for someone learning from scratch. You will be able to learn the rudiments of classical, spanish and folk music, and this will give a student a route into electric guitar should they want to go the rock route later on.
Anyone who can master the wide frets on this guitar will easily be able to transfer to a folk or electric guitar later. But if you start with a folk guitar, where the strings are set close together, you will find it difficult to move out to a classical guitar.
If in doubt, go to your local music shop and spend a day messing with the stock to get a feel for what is important to you.
This is especially true with Guitars. Broadly you can have classical, spanish, folk, acoustic, steel and electric guitars (but there are lots of in-between categories)
This is a classical guitar. So what does that mean, and what should you be looking for?
First off, it has the strings set widely apart, since a classical guitar is designed to be plucked, not strummed. Wide spacing between the strings allows you to get your fingers into the strings to pluck them.
Secondly : The fretboard is flat, and this means you need to reach further with your fingers to cover all the strings. If you have a small hand, or are buying a guitar for a child, this could present difficulties. Folk (acoustic) guitars have slightly curved fretboards.
Thirdly, this is a guitar designed to take soft strings of nylon or gut. Metal strings could damage a classical guitar, cutting into the wood and overstraining the neck. The soft strings give the guitar a full, but soft and gentle tone. It is not designed for playing heavy metal. It is a guitar for a small room, not for a stadium.
Probably the most important elements you want in your guitar are that it be easy to tune and has a good action. Yamaha have a great reputation for quality and consistency, which is why you can think of buying one of their guitars without playing it. You can pretty much guarantee that the tuning keys will operate properly and will not wiggle around, spoiling your tuning.
The action is the one thing you cannot gauge without holding the guitar in your hands. This is a combination of the tension of the strings and the height of the strings over the fretboard. If the strings are tense (steel strings or 12 string guitar) they can pull the head of the guitar upwards, bringing the strings farther from the fretboard. This means your fingers have to be very strong to depress the strings and make clear notes. A tightly strung steel string guitar needs a very low action or it is unplayable. But an action that is too low will leave strings vibrating against the frets, disrupting the sound of the guitar. This is less of a problem with classical guitars, because they have soft strings and lower tension. Even if they are set high you will rarely have difficulty bringing them down to the frets.
For the price it is hard to beat this guitar as a starter instrument for someone learning from scratch. You will be able to learn the rudiments of classical, spanish and folk music, and this will give a student a route into electric guitar should they want to go the rock route later on.
Anyone who can master the wide frets on this guitar will easily be able to transfer to a folk or electric guitar later. But if you start with a folk guitar, where the strings are set close together, you will find it difficult to move out to a classical guitar.
If in doubt, go to your local music shop and spend a day messing with the stock to get a feel for what is important to you.
208 of 213 people found the following review helpful
I have been playing the guitar for a couple of years now. This was my first guitar, and was great to learn on. It may not sound like a $5000 Martin, but this is a ton of value for the dollar. The price is about as low as you can get for any guitar, period. And this guitar is not merely a learners guitar. I've played it for a couple of gigs, and it performs great. The real advantage of this guitar is the ease of picking. The strings are set much farther apart than on a standard guitar; the neck is much wider. Thus, you can pick much easier than on a standard folk guitar. Because of this, however, and the nylon strings, it leaves something to be desired on the strum, but will perform good enough for most occasions. Overall, get this guitar if you are a beginner, don't want to invest a lot of money, or just want to experiment with the style of guitar, but not if you want a classical guitar to play professionally.
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
When I was 15 years old I bought this same or similar Yamaha Classical Guitar model. It was one I bought used from a friend's guitar teacher. I loved that guitar. Never did I have a single complaint about it. And I had it with me everywhere I went until I was almost 40 years old.
My son was an avid electric guitar player who wanted to give acoustic a try. Since I didn't have time to play my guitar during that time of my life I LENT my guitar to him. When I eventually had more free time and wanted to get back into my music I asked my son to please return my guitar, the one I let him BORROW. It was at that time he informed me that he SOLD it to a buddy when he needed money buy a Fender bass. Kids...
So...I bought this one and am very happy to have a Yamaha Classical Guitar back in my possession. The only differences I can see between my old one and this one are the colors and design around the sound hole and the absence of Yamaha on the headstock. To be sure this was the brand of classical guitar I wanted, I tried several different brands and models available on Amazon.com at local guitar stores.
Every other brand of classical guitar, regardless of the price, did not hold up to the sound of the Yamaha guitars. I'm not saying the other brands did not sound good. What I'm saying is the Yamahas sounded great. Should I ever decide to upgrade to a better classical guitar, I will stay with Yamaha.
I could not find a lower price for this model than the Amazon.com price...anywhere. Having the Free Shipping option was a major plus.
There is only one reason I needed to call the Yamaha Customer Support Line. I needed to ask where the serial number is located. I couldn't find it to save my life. On the C40, look inside the sound hole to the inside edge of the fretboard.
My guitar was wrapped very well for shipping. It came with "The Yamaha Guitar Quickstart DVD." The DVD has some very useful information to help you get started if you have no idea what to do with your guitar once you take it out of the box. A "Welcome" sheet with some good basics for beginners was also included.
It is so good to have another Yamaha Classsical Guitar back in my life.
My son was an avid electric guitar player who wanted to give acoustic a try. Since I didn't have time to play my guitar during that time of my life I LENT my guitar to him. When I eventually had more free time and wanted to get back into my music I asked my son to please return my guitar, the one I let him BORROW. It was at that time he informed me that he SOLD it to a buddy when he needed money buy a Fender bass. Kids...
So...I bought this one and am very happy to have a Yamaha Classical Guitar back in my possession. The only differences I can see between my old one and this one are the colors and design around the sound hole and the absence of Yamaha on the headstock. To be sure this was the brand of classical guitar I wanted, I tried several different brands and models available on Amazon.com at local guitar stores.
Every other brand of classical guitar, regardless of the price, did not hold up to the sound of the Yamaha guitars. I'm not saying the other brands did not sound good. What I'm saying is the Yamahas sounded great. Should I ever decide to upgrade to a better classical guitar, I will stay with Yamaha.
I could not find a lower price for this model than the Amazon.com price...anywhere. Having the Free Shipping option was a major plus.
There is only one reason I needed to call the Yamaha Customer Support Line. I needed to ask where the serial number is located. I couldn't find it to save my life. On the C40, look inside the sound hole to the inside edge of the fretboard.
My guitar was wrapped very well for shipping. It came with "The Yamaha Guitar Quickstart DVD." The DVD has some very useful information to help you get started if you have no idea what to do with your guitar once you take it out of the box. A "Welcome" sheet with some good basics for beginners was also included.
It is so good to have another Yamaha Classsical Guitar back in my life.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nice little Guitar.
This is a nice guitar for the money. I bought it mainly for strumming chords, and it has a nice sound. My son ended up using it so much I gave it to him. Read more
Published 2 months ago by James Bougioukos
Excellent Value
I have owned this guitar for about 6 years now and in my opinion it is the best value for a beginner level classical guitar. It stays in tune and produces warm tones. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Big Tex
Excelent everyday classical
I bough this guitar for my youngest brother as a gift. I like the setup, it is pretty soft, with the correct action and no fretting or buzzing, the sound is not too bright but the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Luis GP
Good guitar at a good price
I've always been a fan of Yamaha instruments and electronics. I like this guitar. It sounds and plays nice. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ramblin' Man
Stable tuning. Perfect for beginners.
This is a great beginners guitar. The sound is brighter than my teacher's Alvarez but also it requires less tuning. Nylon-classicals are famously finicky to temp and humidity. Read more
Published 18 months ago by BlueSkyRains
Good classical guitar
I picked up this one and fell in love with it. How I wish I could have it 20 years ago when I was in college. :)
Well built, good sound quality. Read more
Well built, good sound quality. Read more
Published on April 26, 2010 by Johnny
yamaha classical guitar
I got this guitar 2003 and seven years later it still has an amazing sound. This guitar has a strong neck and keeps its tune for a long time. Read more
Published on January 24, 2010 by P. Martinez
Good starter guitar
I bought a Yamaha C-40 on EBay for $60 (and had to add strings, so I guess that was another few bucks). But it is a nice-sounding guitar, the type I learned on in the early 70s. Read more
Published on September 25, 2009 by Cynthia J. Mahaffey
great
I recently took this guitar off the wall rack in my home studio where it sat for 2 years and played it and stayed nearly in tune, it was only a flat from standard E tuning. Read more
Published on August 12, 2009 by Marco A. Tejada
Stop searching! This is the real deal for entry level
I'm a beginner and I have owned previously another guitar of a different brand at aprox. the same price and it was not as nearly as good as this one. Read more
Published on April 1, 2009 by C. Cheng
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