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Beautifully Constructed and Powerful Sounding
By: Travis
Submitted: 5/27/2021
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Rating
Product Review
While I have had my eye on the Cordoba C12 for awhile now, I took a chance in ordering the spruce version instead of the cedar, as I wanted to have a bit more lively sound. I am very glad that I did. The sound and clarity of this instrument is simply astounding. I will say that after about a week, I decided to switch the strings to La Bella 2001 Medium Tensions, as the Cristal Corums that come with it were not to my liking, but that is 100% a personal preference.
The raised fretboard is also a nice feature to have, and while it is not as extreme raised as other luthier made guitars, it is more than capable, allowing me to access the 13-19th fret with much more ease. The turners are of a high quality and keep the tune of the string throughout hours of playing. It must be noted that as with ALL classical guitars, you will need to tune this guitar everyday, but with the C12, the tuning is very minimal. That is just a characteristic of nylon strings.
The weight of this guitar is amazing for an all solid wood construction, and therefore is easy to play for longer periods. I have seen some complaints for the higher than usual action for this instrument, even among classical guitars. What one needs to remember is that this is a near-concert grade guitar (the power and volume produced by the C12 Spruce is absolutely amazing, and I would not hesitate in playing in a recital setting with it) and as such, many higher priced, luthier built guitars will have similar action height. Once again, this is where that raised fretboard comes into its own
The provided humicase by Cordoba is of vey high quality, and this guitar should be stored in a humidity controlled environment if you are not able to do so via room humidity control.
I would recommend this guitar to any serious enthusiast or intermediate player. I'm not sure if I would recommend it to a beginner, though. I believe a C5 or C7 would be much better suited for someone just now looking to get into classical guitar.
Final thoughts:
This is an amazing instrument, from the power, the dynamics, it's clarity up and down the fretboard, this guitar is one that I will be keeping for a long, long time. It is one of the best guitars out there in it's price-point. Honestly, to get any better, you would have to get into hand built guitars from a respected luthier in order to match or exceed the quality of the C12.
The one negative that I had about this guitar, and it's more of a personal taste as stated above, are the strings that come with it. They are fine, but after a few weeks, the basses will become soft and not as dynamic. The La Bella's 2001 MT are just a better class of strings in my opinion. I recommend to those who do purchase this fine instrument to experiment with different string makers once it is time to replace them.
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The sound from this guitar is absolutely SUPERB !!
By: Jay Bee
Submitted: 2/26/2021
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar sounds as good as ANY classical I have ever played over my 35 years as a performing artist and MUCH better than most .. period !! The playability is very good and the fact you have a truss rod available for the sake of adjustability is GREAT !.. The wood and the finish are gorgeous. I just don't have anything bad to at say about this guitar, even the case is spectacular with a built in humidity control system !! You can spend more for a luthier guitar but you won't get more !! The C12 is 99.99 out of 100 !!
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The Córdoba C-12 Gives You Quality and Top-Notch Craftsmanship
By: Mike M.
Submitted: 1/10/2021
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The Córdoba C-12 classical guitar is a masterpiece of craftsmanship and perfection, backed by a team of professional luthiers who take their skill and craft to the next level. The elegance, attention to detail, and simplicity of the design of the Córdoba C-12 is in a class all of its own. The ease of playing this masterpiece I know will bring me years of joy. Any guitar player, beginning to professional, will be proud to own and play this quality instrument.
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Exquisite Tone and Sustain!
By: Ron in Cape Girardeau, Mo
Submitted: 4/28/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Honestly, I am very surprised with how good this guitar sounds. The clarity, resonance, and tone are all on point. It also has plenty of volume. Much more than I thought it would. Of course it will never compete with my Martin D-28 for shear loudness, but it still rings true and well. Also, when I play either a note or a chord, the sustain has the hang time of a hot air balloon.
100% recommend this guitar with no reservations!
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Great Playability, tone and projection!
By: Ray Absher
Submitted: 6/5/2019
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
When I inboxed the Córdoba C12, I was pleasantly pleased at the fit and finish. The rosewood has a rich grain and almost reddish hue which seems to glow under stage lights!
I played a gig on it the same evening, and the quality of the tone was remarkable. I noted that the response was crisp and the deep lows and highs rang through with clarity and precision!
I would recommend this classical guitar to any one looking for a quality nylon string axe!!!
The Córdoba feels like a custom guitar costing much more than the great price from AMS!
RG Absher
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Solid instrument, great sound and value
By: Peter Muszka
Submitted: 1/27/2019
8 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Solid craftmanship, great sound, keeps up with much pricier luthier models.
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I’m so happy with this guitar.
By: TJSLA
Submitted: 12/27/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I didn’t have a chance to play this before I bought it. Turns out it was well worth the chance of buying without playing it. The guitar is loud, clear and has great tone. I really like the cedar. I’m really happy with this guitar.
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Great quality and a Beauty
By: msantiago628
Submitted: 8/9/2018
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Great projection, beautiful tone!!! Only complaint is that thee action is set high and very little room to set lower but definitely worth the money
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Absolutely amazing classical guitar
By: joshua
Submitted: 4/16/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The fit and finish is flawless. The lattice bracing on the top makes this the loudest and sweetest sounding classical I have ever owned. I've owned two high end Alvarez Yairis, and this blows them both away. But this guitar is amazing. I highly recommend this guitar. You will not find another at this level for this cost.
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A 21st Century Classical Guitar for Every Working Musician
By: Greg Lygon
Submitted: 7/17/2015
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The Cordoba C12 is the flagship of the Iberia range. Produced in China, this is a solid-wood guitar with an elevated fingerboard and lattice bracing . . . a lot of guitar for the money!
I tried the Cedar top in a local shop and after a while I chose the spruce from AMS.
I really appreciated AMS gallery allowing you to pick your instrument by serial number. Looked for the one with the weight and figuring in the "mini wedge".
All the tone woods are excellent, wood binding and maple mini-wedge are elegant. The rosette is growing on me . . . and the guitar even smelled nice (lemon oil?) coming out the case. (Kudos for AMS double-boxing the shipment!).
The guitar sounds spectacular; powerful lows and warm mids. Clear but not thin or shrill. Never muddy.
The guitar records very well, easier to work with than some classicals.
I've owned a Solista and C7-CE; frankly this C12 is better and I feel it will be a keeper.
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WOW!!! Great tone and projection!
By: Brian
Submitted: 10/15/2014
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I have had a Yamaha cg201 for almost 3 years and have been looking to upgrade for at least 1 year- I thought I would never be able to upgrade. Was thinking I needed to spend $5000, which I never have, to get quality wood and craftsmanship. I got an email about a daily 12 pay no interest deal and surprise it was for a c12. I started to research and it seemed great. I went for it. I got the guitar the NEXT DAY!! So happy!
I unpacked the box pulled out the guitar and even when tuning it up I could already tell I loved it. Just louder and more crisp than my Yamaha(nothing wrong with Yamaha btw) I thought I would need to change strings as I like LaBella but the Savarez strings that came with it sound great. I am not going to change them until needed! The looks of the guitar are great - the neck wood looks great, the maple wedge a nice touch. Can't be happier about my spur of the moment purchase. Thank you so much AMS!!
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absoloutely stunning
By: courtney fleming from new hyde park ny
Submitted: 9/4/2014
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
this product is beautifully crafter. it has a warm tone that stuns everyone i know and have played for. projects great. the raised neck makes for easy playing and i would never want to go back. the maple wedge is goregeous but i can't stress the sound enough. it is truly beauituful you will not regret getting this guitar
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WOW!! Splendid guitar. Cordoba C12 SP
By: Christopher G. from S.C.
Submitted: 12/4/2013
3 people found this review helpful.
Your general opinion of this product.
So I gave everything 5 stars and I'll explain each one in a second. First off let start by saying that I received a shipping notification on Monday and the guitar was here on the following Wednesday. Very fast shipping as you would come to expect from AMS. No damage from shipping as well.
The first thing I do when I get a new instrument is do a full Quality Assurance inspection on it. I QA heavy machinery for a living so a guitar is no problem. The first thing I noticed was the case it came in. I thought it was somewhat cheap looking on the outside but with a vintage feel to it. It does have brushed brass locking tabs on it. I opened the case and confirmed that it indeed was a pretty cheap case. From the seams to the padding. Not at all bad and protects the guitar just fine. But enough about the case because its what's inside that counts.
The pictures on the internet do not do this guitar justice. The rosette was the the first thing that popped out at me and let me tell you that it is one of the most beautiful designs that i have seen on a factory guitar. Taking it out of the case, I noticed the weight, or lack there of, a surprise. I'm not sure if this is do to the new bracing or not but it is very light. After 15 mins of inspection ( I even got a mirror and checked the inside of the guitar, mostly to see the new bracing but also to check the quality), the only thing I found was, to me, the frets of the fingerboard seemed to be a tad bit sharp on the end of some of them, almost like when they were rough machined it didn't get finished machined just right. Had no effect on playability at all. Other than that it was absolutely perfect.
The guitar is very light for it's size. Again, I probably contribute this to the new bracing. The neck is fast and smooth. I really like the finish on the guitar. It seems like they put just the lightest coat of lacquer on it which i prefer. The raised fretboard on the guitar body is there but I guess my long fingers don't really notice the difference between this guitar and my other classics. I doesn't hurt but it doesn't help either.
This is where the expression "music to my ears" comes to mind. The first B minor I played really let me know what this guitar was about. The lows rumble throughout the guitar and your body. The highs sing with that warm buttery sound and the mids fill the void between very nicely. The projection is second to none but not the annoying overly loud kind. Everything is very well balanced.
Action was perfect for me right out of the box. But this will depend on the player.
The finish on this guitar is the way I would finish a guitar. The "flame" maple strip in the back is a very nice touch. Although I think I could be a bit more "flame" and be alright. Any less and I think they would call it just a maple strip. And again, the pictures of the rosette on the internet doesn't do the guitar justice. It is just beautiful.
From the time I took it out of the box and after playing it for about 5 hours straight, it has stood up very nicely. Everything seems very well built. It's not made in the U.S. of A. but what is these days. But really I don't think it would have mattered anyways.