Common Aston Classical Mistakes to Avoid

The mistakes players make with an Aston Classical guitar fall into two groups: those that happen before purchase and limit the instrument's potential from the start, and those that happen in practice and damage either the guitar or the developing technique. Catherine Allen identifies the most consequential and how to prevent each one.

Mistake 1: Buying a Laminate Top When a Solid Top Is Within Budget

The most consequential buying mistake is choosing a laminate-top instrument when a solid cedar or spruce top is available at a similar price point. Laminate tops are durable and stable in varying humidity conditions, but they lack the acoustic response of solid wood — they do not vibrate as a unified surface, and they do not develop or open up over time. A beginning student buying a laminate-top Aston Classical when a solid top was within reach is setting up a ceiling on the instrument's tonal development that will feel limiting within a year or two.

Mistake 2: Wrong Playing Position

Playing the Aston Classical in a casual position — guitar on the right thigh, neck angled low, right hand positioned without a clear arch in the wrist — stores up technical problems that become harder to correct the longer they are established. Classical playing position exists to place both hands in their optimal alignment. Playing in an incorrect position from the first session means practising errors into muscle memory.

The correct position: guitar on the left thigh, elevated by footstool or support cushion, neck angled upward at approximately 45 degrees, right hand with a clear wrist arch over the soundhole. This should be established from lesson one with a qualified teacher.

Mistake 3: Neglecting Humidity Control

Classical guitars are built with thinly graduated solid tops that are sensitive to humidity changes. A centrally heated UK home in winter can reduce indoor relative humidity to 25–30%, which is damaging to the wood — causing the top to shrink, potentially cracking, and changing the action significantly. Storing an Aston Classical on a wall hanger or in a room with central heating without humidity control is a common and avoidable cause of damage.

A case humidifier and a hygrometer (a small humidity meter) cost very little and should be considered essential accessories. Store the guitar in its case when not in use, particularly in winter.

Mistake 4: Rushing Right-Hand Development

Many beginners on an Aston Classical focus almost entirely on left-hand chord shapes and finger positions while treating the right hand as mechanical — just something that plucks strings. The right hand is where the tone comes from. Nail shape, the angle of finger approach, the balance between flesh and nail contact, the depth of stroke — all of these produce dramatically different results and require as much deliberate practice as any left-hand position.

Spending the first months of study developing a clean, consistent free stroke and rest stroke, independent of musical demands, establishes the foundation everything else rests on.

Mistake 5: Ignoring the Setup

A new classical guitar — at any price — may not arrive with an optimal setup. Action that is too high makes fretting effortful and inaccurate; action that is too low produces buzzing and limits sustain. Nut and saddle height are adjusted by a luthier and should be checked when a new guitar is purchased. Many retailers do not set up guitars to classical standards before selling them.

Budget £40–60 for a setup from a qualified luthier if the guitar has not been professionally adjusted. The difference between an unset-up and a well-set-up instrument — in terms of playability and enjoyment — is larger than the cost suggests.

Mistake 6: Not Changing Strings Often Enough

Nylon strings lose their pitch stability and tonal brightness relatively quickly — more quickly than steel strings. A student practising regularly should expect to change strings every two to three months. Playing on dead strings produces a flat, unresponsive tone that makes technique development harder. New strings take a day or two to settle and hold pitch, which is normal and not a fault of the instrument or strings.

For guidance on choosing and setting up an Aston Classical, the buyer's guide covers construction and what to check. And for a clear explanation of the instrument's fundamentals, the guide to Aston Classical has the full picture.

Bottom Line

The mistakes that limit an Aston Classical player are largely preventable: buy the right construction level, establish the correct position from the start, control humidity, develop the right hand deliberately, get a proper setup and change strings regularly. These are not advanced considerations — they are the basics that protect the instrument and allow technique to develop without interference.

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