What to Expect When Upgrading to a Handcrafted Spanish Guitar

A guide for players ready to move beyond their first classical guitar

You've been playing for a while now. Maybe a few years, maybe longer. Your technique has developed, your ear has sharpened, and increasingly you notice that your guitar isn't keeping up with you. The tone sounds thin compared to recordings you admire. Notes don't sustain the way you want them to. The action never quite feels right despite multiple adjustments.

If this sounds familiar, you're ready for a real instrument—a handcrafted classical guitar built by skilled luthiers using traditional methods and quality tonewoods. But making the jump from a $300 factory guitar to something in the $1,000 to $7,000 range raises questions. What exactly are you paying for? How do you know what's worth the investment? And what should you actually expect once you start playing a professional-quality instrument?

The Difference You'll Hear Immediately

The most striking thing about playing a handcrafted Spanish guitar for the first time is the responsiveness. Factory guitars, even decent ones, have a ceiling—you can only coax so much sound out of them before they compress and flatten out. A well-made instrument opens up. Play softly and you hear delicate nuance. Dig in and the guitar projects without breaking up. There's headroom you've never experienced before.

This responsiveness comes from the top—specifically, from how the top was selected, aged, and voiced by the luthier. On a factory guitar, tops are cut to standardized thickness and braced according to a template. A handcrafted guitar's top is tap-tuned: the luthier listens to the wood, thins specific areas, and adjusts bracing until the plate resonates optimally. Two guitars from the same workshop using the same wood species will sound distinct because each top demanded different treatment.

A handcrafted guitar doesn't just sound better on day one—it continues to improve for years as the wood opens up and the top becomes more resonant.

You'll also notice separation between voices. On a factory instrument, bass notes can blur together and the trebles may sound thin or brittle. A properly built guitar maintains clarity across the entire range. You can play contrapuntal passages and actually hear each voice. Chords ring with complexity rather than mush.

Why Solid Woods Matter

Most entry-level guitars use laminated wood for the back and sides—thin layers glued together like plywood. Some use laminate tops. Laminate is stable and inexpensive, but it doesn't resonate. It acts more like a wall than a speaker.

Solid wood vibrates. It transmits energy. And critically, solid wood changes over time. The cellular structure loosens as the wood ages and as the guitar is played, allowing the top to move more freely. This is why vintage instruments often sound remarkable—decades of vibration have literally transformed the wood's acoustic properties.

When you buy a handcrafted guitar with a solid top, back, and sides, you're buying an instrument that will improve with playing. That $2,500 guitar will sound noticeably better in five years than it does today, and better still in twenty. A laminate guitar sounds the same forever.

French Polish vs. Polyurethane: More Than Cosmetics

Factory guitars almost universally use polyurethane or polyester finishes. These synthetic coatings are durable, easy to apply, and protect the wood from humidity swings. They're also thick enough to dampen the top's vibration. Think of it as wrapping a speaker cone in plastic wrap—the sound still comes through, but it's constrained.

Traditional Spanish guitars use French polish, a labor-intensive technique where thin layers of shellac are applied by hand over many sessions. The resulting finish is measured in microns rather than millimeters. It allows the top to vibrate freely while still protecting the wood.

French polish does require more careful handling. It can be damaged by sweat, solvents, or impacts that wouldn't faze a polyurethane finish. Many players find this acceptable trade-off for the acoustic benefits. Others prefer the peace of mind that comes with a more durable coating—and for these players, high-quality instruments with thin lacquer finishes offer a middle ground.

Where Your Money Goes

Understanding the price tiers helps set realistic expectations.

$1,000 to $1,500 gets you into solid-wood construction from established Spanish workshops. These are real instruments built by trained craftspeople using traditional methods. They're not "student" guitars—they're professional tools at an accessible price point. At this level, you'll find consistent quality, proper construction, and tone that will satisfy most players for years.

$1,500 to $3,000 brings upgraded tonewoods, more refined construction details, and often a more seasoned builder's hand in the voicing process. You may see European spruce rather than Sitka, or higher grades of rosewood. The difference is audible—more complexity, more sustain, more dynamic range—though it requires an experienced ear to appreciate fully.

$3,000 to $5,000 represents the sweet spot for serious players. Here you find master-grade tonewoods, meticulous construction, and instruments that can hold their own on any concert stage. The gap between a $4,000 guitar and a $10,000 guitar is far smaller than the gap between a $500 guitar and a $1,500 one.

$5,000 to $7,000 approaches the work of recognized masters. These instruments feature the finest available materials, decades of building experience, and often substantial wait times. They're investments that hold value well and can be expected to appreciate, particularly from established makers.

The biggest leap in quality comes when you move from factory to handmade. After that, improvements become incremental—meaningful to serious players, but subject to diminishing returns.

The Importance of Setup

A properly set up guitar plays effortlessly. An improperly set up guitar—even an expensive one—fights you at every turn.

Setup encompasses action height (how far the strings sit above the frets), nut slot depth and spacing, saddle height and compensation, neck relief, and fret leveling. Factory guitars typically receive minimal setup because labor is expensive and most buyers won't notice. They ship with action high enough to avoid buzzing regardless of playing style, which means harder work for the left hand and less sensitivity to right-hand dynamics.

When you buy from a dealer who specializes in classical guitars, you should expect a thorough setup tailored to professional standards. This means action that allows clean technique without excessive effort, a nut cut so open strings ring clearly without binding, and a saddle shaped to optimize intonation. These adjustments make an immediate difference in playability—arguably more difference than moving up a price tier in the guitar itself.

This is why buying from a specialty retailer matters. Large online marketplaces move guitars like commodities: boxed, shipped, and forgotten. A proper classical guitar dealer inspects each instrument, addresses any issues, and sets it up before it reaches you. The guitar you receive should be ready to perform, not ready for a trip to a local luthier.

What to Listen For

When evaluating handcrafted guitars, listen for these qualities:

Balance across the range. Play scales from the lowest to highest notes. Do any registers feel weak or overpowering? A well-made guitar presents an even voice from bass to treble.

Sustain on single notes. Pluck a note and let it ring. How long does it last? Does it decay smoothly or drop off abruptly? Quality construction allows strings to vibrate longer and more freely.

Separation in chords. Play a full barre chord and listen to the individual notes. Can you distinguish them, or do they blur into an indistinct mass? The best guitars maintain clarity even with all six strings ringing.

Dynamic range from soft to loud. Play the same passage pianissimo and then fortissimo. Does the guitar respond to your touch, or does it sound similar regardless of attack? Responsiveness is the hallmark of fine construction.

Projection in a room. This matters more for performance, but even at home you'll notice whether the sound carries or dies a few feet from the guitar. Well-voiced instruments fill a space without effort.

Spanish-Made: Why Origin Matters

Classical guitar as we know it is a Spanish invention. Antonio de Torres established the modern design in the 19th century, and Spanish workshops have refined it ever since. This matters for two reasons.

First, the tradition runs deep. Many Spanish workshops have been operating for generations, passing down techniques and accumulated knowledge that can't be replicated in a factory startup. The luthiers learned from masters who learned from masters. This lineage informs every decision in the building process.

Second, and more practically: resale value. A guitar from a respected Spanish maker holds its value better than comparable instruments from less established origins. If you decide to upgrade later, a Raimundo, Alhambra, or Ramírez will find a buyer far more easily than an unknown brand at the same quality level. You're not just buying an instrument—you're buying into a recognized tradition with market credibility.

Making the Decision

Upgrading to a handcrafted guitar is a significant investment, but it's also a transformative one. The right instrument doesn't just sound better—it makes you want to play more. It rewards good technique and reveals new possibilities in music you thought you knew. It becomes a partner in your development rather than an obstacle to overcome.

If you've reached the point where your current guitar limits rather than inspires you, you're ready. Trust your ear, buy from a dealer who understands these instruments, and expect to be surprised by how much better playing can feel.

This guide was written by the team at XGuitars, specialists in handcrafted Spanish classical and flamenco guitars. Questions? Contact us—we're happy to help you find the right instrument for your playing.