GEWA VG500178 Classical Guitar: Full Review

The GEWA VG500178 is an entry-level classical guitar made by the German musical instruments company GEWA Music. Belonging to GEWA's Student Series line, this nylon-string guitar is designed to be accessible and easy-to-play for beginning guitarists.

Founded in 1922, GEWA has been manufacturing guitars, violins, cases, and accessories for nearly a century. While not as well known worldwide as American or Spanish classical guitar brands, GEWA has a strong reputation in Europe for making quality student instruments.

The VG500178 features a standard classical guitar build with a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and nylon strings. It's designed to be lightweight, affordable, and to produce a warm, balanced sound suitable for classical repertoire as well as other fingerstyle genres.

Physical Features

The GEWA VG500178 is a full-size classical guitar with a traditional fan bracing pattern underneath the spruce top. It features a cedar body and neck with a rosewood fretboard.

• The top is made of solid spruce which provides a balanced tone across the tonal spectrum. Spruce is a common tonewood choice for classical guitars.

• The back and sides are cedar which adds warmth and sweetness to the sound. Cedar is a popular wood for classical guitars in this price range.

• The body has a matte finish that enhances resonance. The neck has a satin finish for smooth playability.

• The neck joins the body at the 12th fret. It has 19 frets total and a 25.6 inch scale length which is standard for full-size classical guitars.

• The fretboard is rosewood which is typical for classical guitars. Rosewood provides a warm, rounded tone.

The GEWA VG500178 has traditional construction and materials found on most full-size classical guitars. The spruce and cedar tonewoods provide a balanced and warm sound. The rosewood fretboard and matte body finish further enhance the resonance and playability. Overall, this is a quality instrument well-suited for classical guitarists. It competes with other models in this price range such as the Traveler Guitar Redlands Concert which also features solid spruce and rosewood at an affordable price point. While the Redlands model has a slightly smaller body size, the GEWA remains a full-size instrument with rich, nuanced tone perfect for the classical repertoire.

Sound Quality

The Gewa VG500178 student classical guitar delivers impressive sound quality for its price point. The combination of solid spruce top wood and mahogany back and sides produces a balanced, rich tone with good projection and sustain.

The solid spruce top is a high-quality tonewood that provides volume and responsiveness. Spruce is known for its crisp, bright sound with excellent resonance. This allows the VG500178 to produce clean articulation and a singing treble register.

The mahogany back and sides add warmth and depth to the guitar's voice. Mahogany has a focused midrange and round, full bass frequencies that complement the bright spruce top. This wood pairing creates a versatile classical guitar tone suitable for various musical genres and playing styles.

Overall, the VG500178 has a loud and resonant voice that belies its budget-friendly price. The quality tonewoods allow this classical guitar to produce compelling tone and sustain, with enough projection for solo practice and ensemble playing. While not as rich sounding as high-end classical guitars, the VG500178 delivers impressive sound that exceeds expectations.

The Ibanez PFT2NT is another excellent entry-level classical guitar to consider. It features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides, similar to the Gewa VG500178. However, the PFT2NT has a slightly fuller low end and warmer tone, making it well-suited for rich classical and flamenco styles. Its smooth fretboard and comfortable action also make it great for beginners learning fingerstyle techniques. While the Gewa offers great bang for buck, the Ibanez provides an alternative option with a darker, earthier voice. Check out more details on the Ibanez PFT2NT here.

In the end, choosing between the Gewa VG500178 and Ibanez PFT2NT comes down to tonal preference. The Gewa has a balanced, versatile sound with crisp treble and focused mids. The Ibanez delivers a warmer, rounder tone with extended bass response. Both offer quality construction and playability for the price. Consider which sound profile better suits your musical tastes and needs. You can't go wrong with either model as an affordable classical guitar for practice, lessons and performance.

Playability

The GEWA VG500178 student classical guitar offers excellent playability for beginners. The neck has a comfortable C-shape that fits nicely in the hand. The action is also set low and smooth right out of the box, making it easy for new players to press down the strings. The fretwork on this model is well-done, with smooth and evenly finished frets. There are no sharp or protruding edges that can cause discomfort. The wider classical neck and nylon strings mean this guitar feels very easy to play compared to steel-string acoustics. Fretbuzz and other issues are minimal even in lower positions. Overall, the playability of the GEWA VG500178 makes it a pleasure to learn and practice on. The smooth neck and low action allow students to focus on proper technique and developing their skills rather than fighting the instrument.

Hardware

The GEWA VG500178 classical guitar features quality hardware that enables smooth and stable tuning. The guitar has open gear chrome tuning machines with white plastic buttons. The tuning machines keep the strings tuned precisely and allow for easy tuning adjustments.

The nut and saddle are both made of synthetic bone. The nut is cut and slotted smoothly, providing low friction as the strings pass over it. This helps produce clean notes and chords, especially when playing up the neck. The saddle has a compensated design that sets each string at the optimal height and break angle over the bridge. This improves intonation and reduces string buzz.

Overall, the hardware components on the VG500178 are very good for a beginner classical guitar in this price range. The tuning machines, nut, and saddle all work together to enable solid tuning stability and intonation.

Craftsmanship

The GEWA VG500178 classical guitar showcases excellent craftsmanship and build quality, especially considering its beginner-friendly price point. The all-laminate construction may not offer the resonance of a solid wood instrument, but it does provide durability and stability.

Attention to detail is apparent across the guitar. The neck joint and fret ends are smoothly finished. The tuners turn smoothly and hold tune reliably. Inside the soundhole, bracing and kerfing are neatly fitted and glued. From a distance, the guitar looks comparable to models costing twice as much.

Up close, a few signs of the guitar's mass-production origins are visible. Tooling marks can be spotted here and there, and some excess glue and finish remnants are visible. However, nothing stands out as sloppily done or likely to impact playability or tone.

Overall, the craftsmanship is impressive for the price. While this guitar may lack the meticulous hand-crafted details of premium classical guitars, it delivers reliable playability and quality construction.

Tone

The GEWA VG500178 classical guitar produces a warm, balanced tone that is pleasing to the ear. The solid spruce top contributes to a bright, sparkly treble, while the mahogany back and sides add depth and richness to the midrange and bass frequencies.

The combination of spruce and mahogany creates an evenly balanced tonal profile without any frequencies overpowering others. Both the treble and bass notes ring out with clarity. The mahogany helps rein in the sometimes sharp treble of an all-spruce classical guitar, making this model an excellent choice for long practice sessions or recitals where listening fatigue could set in.

The GEWA guitar offers a sweet, singing voice when playing melodic passages and impressive richness on chordal accompaniment. From dazzling arpeggios to thundering rasgueados, this instrument provides a nuanced tonal palette for classical players. The tone has enough projection to be heard in an ensemble setting, yet maintains an intimate, refined character during solo playing.

Overall, the GEWA VG500178 produces a warm classical guitar tone with bright highs and a balanced frequency response across the tonal spectrum. This makes it a versatile and enjoyable instrument for diverse repertoire from Baroque to modern eras. The guitar's musical voice encourages good technique and expression.

Versatility

The Gewa VG500178 student classical guitar offers a good amount of versatility for a beginner instrument. Its nylon strings and smaller body size make it well-suited to playing classical and flamenco style music. The wider neck and nylon strings facilitate techniques like tremolo, rasgueado, and legato lines.

While not as versatile as a steel-string acoustic, the VG500178 can still handle simple fingerpicking and strumming for folk, country, rock, and pop songs. It may notproject as loudly or have as complex a tone for these genres, but can be used to practice basics. The lack of a cutaway does limit high fret access compared to other classical guitars.

Overall, the VG500178 is designed primarily for classical and flamenco, but has enough versatility for a beginner to explore other styles, albeit in a more limited capacity. More advanced players may find it somewhat restrictive.

Pros

Great Sound Quality

The GEWA VG500178 classical guitar produces a rich, warm sound thanks to its solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The tone is very balanced across the frequency range, with clear and articulate trebles and full, resonant basses. Many reviewers comment on the impressive volume and projection from this instrument.

Easy to Play for Beginners

This classical guitar features a comfortable neck profile and string action height that makes it very playable, especially for beginners. The nylon strings are soft and easy on the fingers. The wider nut width provides enough room for proper classical guitar technique. Many describe this as an ideal "student model" classical guitar.

Attractive Styling

This guitar has an elegant and refined look, with intricate rosette and headstock designs. The all-wood construction and sunburst finish give it a beautiful appearance that looks more expensive than its budget price tag. It's a guitar you'll be proud to play and display.

Cons

• The action is a bit high, making it difficult for beginners to press the strings down. This can cause fret buzz and difficulty forming chords.

• The included gig bag does not provide much protection. For a guitar at this price point, a hard case would be expected. The gig bag offers minimal padding and exposes the guitar to dings and weather conditions.

• The tuners feel flimsy and can go out of tune frequently. Upgrading to higher quality tuners would improve staying in tune.