Yamaha CS40II 3/4-Size Classical Guitar

The Yamaha CS40II 3/4-Size Classical Guitar is the nylon-string most teachers point to for primary-school starters. A 580mm scale and 920mm total length fit a smaller player, and nylon strings are kind to fingertips that are still toughening up. Spruce top in a gloss finish.

580mm scale on a 3/4 classical body

The body is 340mm wide and 84 to 88mm deep, so a young player can sit with it in proper classical position without stretching. The spruce top gives single notes a clear voice, which matters when a student is learning to read melody lines. It comes with medium-gauge nylon strings fitted.

48mm nut on a flat rosewood fingerboard

A 48mm nut with 10.6mm string spacing is narrower than a full-size classical but still leaves room for clean right-hand work. The fingerboard is rosewood and flat, as a classical should be, and the neck is matt-finished so it never feels sticky. Chrome RM-1252X tuners and a rosewood or walnut bridge keep it stable once the strings have stretched in.

Set up and ready

Nylon strings keep stretching for a week or two, so the 580mm scale and urea nut and saddle get their action and intonation checked here first. Set up in-store by Guitar World Australia's techs before it ships to you.

Specifications