The best classical guitars in the world chosen by 1000 of the world’s best guitarists

An artist’s choice of classical guitar is a personal choice, but there’s much to be learned from the world’s best. The searchable table at the end of this article lists the guitars chosen by more than 1000 renowned classical and flamenco guitarists and the 320-plus luthiers who built them.

The table provides valuable insight into the most popular choices (with indicative prices) although keep in mind that what is right for one guitarist is often wrong for another.

There are inevitably errors – this table was originally based on two versions which did not include the original sources while guitarists invariably change instruments. However, I will regularly update this table and add sources when the guitarist confirms their preferred instrument.

UPDATED January 2023: Made 41 updates, corrections and new additions to entries. Added ‘Source’ and ‘Date Entry Added’ columns (view new entries by sorting on these columns).

Ignacio Fleta (38 guitars)

The most popular choice of instrument from our survey of 1000 classical guitarists are those built by Spanish luthier Ignacio Fleta (1897-1977). Some of the finest artists in the world have played his instruments, including Andres Segovia and John Williams.

It is no surprise given Fleta has been referred to as the Stradivarius of the guitar. His career began studying violin, cello and bass-viol construction before opening a workshop in 1915 with his two brothers. (You can see a cello built by Fleta here.)

But it was only after opening his own workshop in 1927 that he turned more seriously to guitars. Hearing Segovia play in 1955 proved a pivotal experience. He devoted the rest of his life exclusively to the art of guitar making, building his first guitar for Segovia just two years later.

Fleta’s guitars are known for their stiffness and heavily-braced tops, which creates a more powerful sound well-suited to large concert halls.

Price

Expect to pay $20,000 – $30,000 for an Ignacio Fleta guitar.

Auction house Christie’s has sold three Ignacio Fleta guitars about a decade ago although prices are likely to have appreciated since then. The most expensive was a 1960 model, which sold for $30,000 in 2010. It has also sold two 1961 models for $23,750 in 2010 and $20,000 in 2011.

A 1976 Ignacio Fleta owned by musician J. Warren Geils Jr – who founded the Grammy-nominated J. Geils Band – was auctioned after his death in 2017 for an indicative price of $20,000 – $30,000. The sale result was not released.

A 1957 Ignacio Fleta was put up for auction in the UK in late-2015 for £15,000 – £18,000 but went unsold.

Daniel Friederich (36 guitars)

The next most popular luthier among our survey is French luthier Daniel Friederich.

He built his first classical guitar in 1955, copying a design by Francisco Simplicio. He showed his fifteenth guitar to luthier Robert Bouchet in 1950 who offered advice and encouragement.

In 1967, a Liege international lutherie competition jury including both Fleta and Bouchet awarded one of Friederich’s guitars a silver medal for sound quality and gold for craftsmanship.

Between 1960 and 1970, he built ‘Concert’ models, as well as less-expensive ‘Recital’ and ‘Arpege’ models. Since 1970, he has focused exclusively on his ‘Concert’ guitars.

In 2006, Uruguayan guitarist Eduardo Fernández told the Americas magazine that his preferred Daniel Friederich guitar is “well balanced, precise, of sufficient power for the recital hall, yet rich in a tonal sense”.

“What I look for in a guitar is an instrument that is obedient to my ideas. The Friederich is very good for that if you can steer it. It has volume, but I care more about the quality of the sound.”

Price

A 1962 Daniel Friederich flamenco guitar was sold for $7,500 by auction house Christie’s in October 2011, although expect to pay more for later models.

Thomas Humphrey (26 guitars)

The next most popular luthier in our survey is American luthier Thomas Humphrey (1948-2008), who took guitar making in a new direction with his Millennium model.

After a career building traditional classical guitars, he built the first Millennium in 1985 after dreaming of the design. The guitar body is tapered – deeper at the bottom and thinner at the neck – resulting in a raised fingerboard that makes it easier to play, especially towards the higher frets.

“There was a mystique before he died,” Bill Kanengiser, a friend and guitarist from the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet told the San-Antonio Express News in 2009. “Tom was always looking for the next great idea to revolutionize the classical guitar… He was an uneven genius. He sometimes built brilliant guitars, greater than anyone’s ever made, and sometimes he built a couple of dogs.”

Price

In early-2020, a Humphrey Millenium Cedar Jacaranda was offered for sale at $13,995 by Savage Classical Guitar.

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