Aston Classical: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Choosing an Aston Classical guitar is a decision that rewards patience. Hannah Roberts finds that many buyers, particularly those new to the instrument, focus on price and appearance rather than the construction details that actually determine how the guitar plays and sounds. This guide addresses the right questions to ask before purchasing.

Construction Level: The Most Important Decision

Before considering any specific model, establish what construction level is appropriate. The difference between a laminate-top student instrument and a solid-top intermediate guitar is not incremental — it is categorical. A solid cedar or spruce top vibrates as a single piece of wood, generating far more complex overtones and resonance than a laminate (plywood) top, which is glued in layers and behaves more like a fixed board than a flexible soundboard.

For a serious student intending to study classical technique properly, a solid-top Aston Classical at intermediate level is the right starting point. The instrument needs to reward developing technique — to respond to the subtle differences in right-hand touch that classical playing depends on. A laminate-top instrument does not provide that feedback reliably.

Cedar Top vs Spruce Top

When buying an Aston Classical, the soundboard wood is one of the primary tonal choices:

• Cedar tops respond more quickly and produce a warm, direct tone with good fundamental and relatively less brightness. They suit early music, Baroque repertoire and intimate chamber playing. Cedar tops are often preferred by players with a lighter right-hand touch.
• Spruce tops are brighter initially but develop more complexity over time. They offer a broader dynamic range and handle heavier right-hand attack more clearly. Spruce is often associated with a more projecting sound suited to larger performance spaces.

Neither is inherently better — the right choice depends on the repertoire and the player's developing technique.

Neck Width and Profile

The neck of an Aston Classical is wider than that of a steel-string acoustic — typically 52mm at the nut, compared to around 43mm for a standard acoustic. This width is fundamental to the instrument's design: classical technique requires the fingers to approach strings at an angle without accidentally resting on adjacent strings, which the wider neck accommodates.

Players coming from steel-string backgrounds may find the width challenging initially. This is normal and usually diminishes within a few weeks of regular practice. Buying a narrower-necked instrument to make the initial stages easier undermines the purpose of the instrument — the wider neck is a technical tool, not a design flaw.

Scale Length and Body Size

Most full-size classical guitars use a scale length of 650mm (the vibrating string length from nut to bridge). This is slightly longer than most steel-string acoustics, which contributes to string tension that is appropriate for nylon strings. Players with smaller hands sometimes prefer 630mm or 640mm scale instruments, which are available but limit the range of repertoire that can be played at standard pitch.

Finish: French Polish vs Lacquer

Higher-end classical guitars often use French polish (shellac applied in many thin layers) rather than modern lacquer. French polish produces a thinner, more acoustically transparent finish that allows the wood to vibrate more freely. The trade-off is fragility — French-polished guitars require more careful handling and are more sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Lacquer finishes are more durable and suitable for players in varied environments, at some cost to acoustic response.

What to Check Before Buying

When examining any Aston Classical instrument:

• Action: the height of the strings above the fretboard. Classical guitars traditionally have slightly higher action than steel-string acoustics, which contributes to sustain and clarity. Action that is too high makes the guitar physically hard to play; too low causes buzzing and limits dynamic range.
• Intonation: fret the guitar at the 12th fret and check whether the octave is in tune. Poor intonation means the guitar cannot be played in tune across its full range, regardless of how well it is tuned open.
• Top tap tone: lightly tap the soundboard and listen. A responsive top has a full, singing quality when tapped; a dead top sounds dull and thin.

For a broader view of what an Aston Classical involves and who it suits, the guide covers the fundamentals. Before committing, the common mistakes to avoid is worth reading too.

Bottom Line

Buying an Aston Classical guitar comes down to construction level, top material and setup quality. Get those three decisions right and the instrument will serve a developing player through years of study; get them wrong and it will limit progress rather than reward it.

Frequently Asked Questions