Antonio Hermosa AH-10CE Classical Cutaway Guitar, Solid Cedar Top

Just got this today. Headstock is black on front (not brown as in pict). Guitar is darker than expected. Tuners look incredibly cheap. Guitar looks like it's coated in lacquer.That being said - it sounds pretty good unplugged. It's an Xmas gift so I just got it out to make sure it made the trip ok and sounded alright. Just thought you might want to know the overall look of the guitar is rather "inexpensive."My dad has a Yamaha classical and I'd say the sound is comparable. I'll update after Xmas.

I’m a veteran student of music and guitar, but I’m by no means an expert. When we went looking for an upgrade to an old ply-top classical guitar, the Antonio Hermosa AH-10CE fit the bill. The cutaway gives it a refreshing fusion look between pop and classical styles of play. The solid top plays with more clarity than ply, and being a solid top, its sound should only improve with age.Pros Solid Cedar Top Low String Action Cutaway Design Plug-n-play Sound PickupCons Poor Quality Control/Inspection Poor SoundThe guitar is striking and very nice looking. The color of the solid cedar top may be a common shade, but the veneer mahogany body is lighter than other folk-classicals of this style. The fretboard appears solid rosewood. The neck may be of cherry or walnut, but the color matches the wood style, grain and color of the sides and back nicely. The outer edge (purfling) of the front and back, and also the top and bottom edges of the neck are inlaid with a lighter colored wood throughout that contrasts nicely with the medium brown of the mahogany.There is an absence of strap buttons anywhere on the instrument, suggesting it more a classical variety than folk or electric. The overall size is that of most other 000 (Martin) Folk Guitars and is within the same length and width as my other folk/classical guitars. The neck is wide like that of other study instruments and the cutaway provides access beyond fret #12 comfortably. The electric pickup and tone controls work as expected and the amplified sound is an acceptable match of its acoustic tone.The guitar feels good to hold, finger and strum. The finger action (distance between the string and the fretboard when fingering or pressing) of the strings is the smallest I’ve ever seen on a classical guitar. It more closely matches an all-electric guitar and makes it easier and faster to finger chords and notes. But the low action may come at a price.When strumming the guitar gently, the strings ring well and produce a warm tone. But when strumming fortissimo and when plucking, the strings tend to strike the frets further up the neck and cause a slight buzzing. It took some effort to produce a sound without the buzzing I’ve described. And be aware, a similar string buzzing can be heard when failing to press the string with enough force while strumming or picking, but I don’t think this the cause.A fret hammer to tap an outlying fret may help. The ends on some of the frets are sharp to the touch and may catch on clothing and snag on things. The fretboard fails the straight-edge test. There is a definite bump at fret #12, where the neck meets the body. This is where some of the buzzing originates. Setting a new nut (and maybe a bridge) to increase the string action may be all one needs to correct string buzzing.Although the tone warm, there is a dullness to the sound. It lacks the brightness heard in other cedar guitars with nylon strings. I expected much more brightness than this model produces. The sound seems imbalanced because the lower strings play much louder than the upper strings. Replacing the strings may be all one needs to fix brighten things up. But a solid cedar top is no guarantee of superb sound. We don’t hear any evidence the engineering is there.I cannot recommend this guitar as one for classical study where string plucking is essential. Yet for strumming chords and sing-alongs, it could do just fine. It’s a striking instrument and would make a nice gift or a delightful prop in a play or movie.Our first shipment contained a defect (bump at fret #12) and was replaced by a second (also bump #12, neck cracking 5-inch long beginning at nut), and then a third (bump #12, crack beginning at nut), before returning it to buy a different brand. Sadly, the defects discussed in this review seem common to all three units. When compared with another solid top classical guitar, the Antonio Hermosa doesn’t measure up. We purchased the Yamaha CG122MCH Solid Cedar Top Classical Guitar and have no regrets.With that said, product inspection may be the weakest link in manufacturing the Antonio Hermosa AH-10CE. The first unit also had an unsightly knot on the faceboard, which is uncustomary for guitars. If you can find one that looks and plays well out of the box, you have a keeper.The pickup is trendy and a nice option, but I may never have a need to amplify THIS guitar. A pickup is a $10 kit and could be added to nearly any classical guitar, if needed. The cutaway is pretty eye-catching as well. But honestly, I’ve never read or heard of a classical guitar piece that could NOT be played on standard guitars missing the cutaway.So what are you buying, here? Really, its the solid cedar top. And in my opinion, this is the poorest sounding solid cedar top guitar we ever played. We give it two stars for looks and features.

Good sound - love the cut out. Not afraid to take this on road trips. Haven't had a chance to try the electrical connection yet, but it's not important to me. Bridge seems to be the right height - no adjustments needed.

Very nice deal for a steel string player wanting "some nylon" and pickup.edit: 2018- removing a star from 4 to 3, but only if you can find it on sale less than $200Frets have "sprouted", very rough at their ends. Also neck has developed a curve that creates buzzing when playing 4, 5 , 6 strings higher than 8th fret.

I got this guitar today. I have a steel string acoustic guitar (Yamaha FG 700S) that I got for a similar price and I absolutely love, but I wanted to add a nylon string guitar, easier on my fingers and with a different, warmer tone, for finger style. This guitar would have been perfect if it wasn't for the quality of the wood on the top. It sounds fine, it's a comfortable size an the fact that is slightly narrower than my other guitar makes it feel very comfortable to play. I know the look shouldn't be the most decisive factor, but I just can't have a guitar that I don't love and even thought this is an economical guitar, I think I deserve better quality for this price. The top had ugly, uneven, visible wood grains/fibers that looked awful. If these were visible on the sides or the back, I wouldn't care, but the top! Sorry, but I think it's not acceptable. I'm returning it today.

I've been playing a little jazz and bossa nova and wanted a nylon string guitar both to learn on and to use playing out. That said, this Antonio Hermosa AH-10CE is the best deal on a guitar I've ever gotten. Both acoustically and electrically this instrument sounds superb. It plays like a dream and looks remarkably good. If you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a nylon string acoustic guitar before you play one of these you're making a huge mistake. The wood is excellent. The tuning pegs are inexpensive but they are tight and hold the note. They look perfectly fine. There are placement dots on the side of the fingerboard at the fifth, seventh and twelfth frets, very useful and not always included on Spanish style guitars. The electronics sound just as good as the Fishman in my Martin does. If you are buying an acoustic/electric guitar to play and not as an investment this is absolutely the way to go. I'm not sure it won't be an investment too. They cannot keep these prices this low and the quality this high without making an adjustment someplace. I am absolutely blown away by how much I'm enjoying this instrument. I had low expectations buying this guitar. It didn't need to be as good as it turned out to be. I doubt I'll play anything else for several months.

I have borrowed this from a friend for a couple days and I dearly love it! I am saving up to buy my own! sounds great!

The guitar looks great and it has a solid top and sounds good but I am not happy with mine. It came with a back bow which can't be corrected since it doesn't have a truss rod. I will never buy another classical guitar without a truss rod. Taking it to a luthier or guitar tech. to straighten the neck would cost more than the guitar is worth. Mine had sharp fret ends. Also, it has a cheap water slide decal for a rosette. I don't recommend this thing at all.