Vangoa Premium VC-2 Classical Guitar: Full Review

The Classical Guitar Vangoa Premium VC-2 is an affordable entry-level classical guitar model designed for beginner and intermediate players. Vangoa is a relatively new brand started in 2017 that focuses on providing good quality classical and acoustic guitars at lower price points.

The Vangoa Premium VC-2 features a traditional classical guitar shape with a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and mahogany neck. It comes equipped with premium features like a solid wood top and Savarez Cristal Corum high-tension strings, which help provide excellent sound and playability for the price. This makes the Vangoa VC-2 a great choice for new players looking for a well-constructed, rich-sounding nylon-string classical guitar that won't break the bank.

Construction and Materials

The Vangoa VC-2 is constructed with quality tonewoods and hardware designed for the beginning classical guitarist. The body is made of solid cedar, which produces a warm, resonant tone perfect for nylon strings. Cedar is lightweight yet strong, contributing to the guitar's comfortable playability.

The neck is Nato, also known as Eastern mahogany, which provides stability and durability. The fretboard is rosewood, which helps produce clear notes and smooth playability on the 19 nickel silver frets. The bridge is also rosewood, providing a solid anchor point for the strings and helping transfer vibrations to the topwood.

Overall, the all-wood construction of spruce and mahogany results in a lightweight yet sturdy guitar built to last. The combination of tonewoods produces a balanced, rich classical guitar tone. The Vangoa VC-2's high-quality materials like cedar, mahogany, and rosewood produce excellent sound and playability. This is an ideal choice for beginners looking for a well-constructed, durable classical guitar. The VC-2's comfortable size and lightweight build make it easy to hold and play for extended periods. Its warm, resonant tone will inspire new classical guitarists to keep practicing and improving.

Players looking to upgrade from a beginner classical guitar may want to check out the Fender AUS-0970710103-COMBO-DLX. This model steps up both build quality and sound. It features a solid spruce top with scalloped X-bracing for excellent resonance and sustain. The back and sides are rosewood rather than mahogany, adding complexity to the tone. Upgrades like a bone nut and saddle further improve sound quality. The Fender combo package includes a humidified case to protect the guitar, along with accessories like a tuner, strings, instructional DVD, and polishing cloth. While it costs more than a beginner model, the superior materials and accessories justify the price for intermediate players ready to invest in their musical growth.

Style and Design

The Vangoa VC-2 has a beautiful and elegant classical guitar design. It features a smooth semi-gloss finish in an attractive natural wood color. The top is made of solid spruce which has an appealing straight grain pattern. The back and sides are made of mahogany with a nice reddish-brown hue.

The headstock has an ornate shape with a carved scroll at the end. The fretboard edges have a smooth binding that complements the rosette inlay around the soundhole. The bridge has a classic look with a bone saddle and pins. The body shape is a traditional concert-sized cutaway style that fits nicely against your body when playing. It has soft rounded edges for comfort. The VC-2 looks like a much more expensive classical guitar, with high-end appointments like the abalone rosette and gold tuners. Overall it has a gorgeous and luxurious design befitting the rich sounds of a nylon-string classical guitar.

If you're looking for a high quality classical guitar with beautiful visual aesthetics, be sure to check out the Cordoba 02503. This model from Cordoba's Loriente series has impeccable attention to detail and craftsmanship. The all-solid rosewood back and sides paired with a solid Canadian cedar top provide deep resonance and crystal clear tones. The Indian rosewood fretboard and bridge are elegantly adorned with mother-of-pearl inlays. The headstock features Cordoba's signature seven-ply purfling and mosaic rosette design. From its rich warm brown hue to its gold hardware, the 02503 is a stunning instrument that looks as good as it sounds.

Neck and Fretboard

The Vangoa Premium VC-2 features a cedar neck with a standard 52mm nut width, making it comfortable for most adult hands. The nut material appears to be a synthetic bone, providing proper spacing and height for the strings over the fretboard.

The fretboard itself is made of quality rosewood which is known for its hardness and ability to bring out warm, rounded tones from the strings. Rosewood is an excellent fretboard material that helps enhance the overall resonance and sustain of the instrument. The frets are smoothly finished along the edges and consistent in height along the length of the neck.

This combination of neck width, nut material, rosewood fretboard, and smoothly dressed frets makes for a guitar neck that is comfortable, durable, and designed for optimal playability. The materials seem well-suited to classical guitar performance.

Hardware

The Vangoa Premium VC-2 classical guitar comes equipped with high-quality hardware that enables smooth, reliable tuning and great sound.

Tuning Machines

The guitar has sealed die-cast tuning machines with pearloid buttons. These are an upgrade over basic open tuning pegs and provide very smooth and accurate tuning. The sealed design prevents contamination from dust and debris. The pearloid buttons are attractive and comfortable.

Bridge

It features a rosewood bridge with a compensated saddle. The compensated saddle helps maintain consistent string spacing across the fretboard for even intonation. The rosewood matches the fretboard material and provides a nice look.

Strings

The Vangoa comes strung with D'Addario Pro-Arte nylon classical guitar strings. These are excellent strings that produce a warm, balanced tone. They have increased tension compared to basic nylon strings, improving the guitar's volume and response. The Pro-Arte strings really help the Vangoa sound its best.

Tonewoods

The Vangoa Premium VC-2 features all solid wood construction using high quality tonewoods that give this classical guitar its characteristic warm, balanced tone. The top is crafted from solid cedar, while the back and sides are made from solid mahogany.

The combination of cedar and mahogany produces a guitar with excellent resonance and balanced tone across the frequency spectrum. The cedar top offers sweet and mellow highs with a quick response. Cedar is a popular choice amongst classical guitars for its ability to deliver complexity and nuance. The mahogany back and sides add warmth and fullness to the midrange frequencies, providing a rich supportive foundation.

Together, these tonewoods give the Vangoa Premium a versatile sound profile suitable for various classical guitar techniques and repertoire from delicate passages to aggressive rasgueados. The all solid wood construction allows the guitar to blossom and mature sonically over time. Overall, the tonewood combination produces a guitar with singing trebles, supportive mids, and tuneful basses ideal for the classical guitarist.

Sound and Playability

The VC-2 produces a warm, balanced tone with good projection and volume. The cedar top provides a sweet, mellow sound while the mahogany back and sides add depth and resonance.

The guitar has decent sustain, allowing notes to ring out clearly. The action is set up well from the factory, making it comfortable to play right out of the box. The intonation is accurate across the fretboard.

The lightweight build and comfortable neck profile make the VC-2 a pleasure to play for extended periods. It's an responsive, easy-playing instrument suitable for fingerstyle and classical repertoire. The nylon strings have a smooth feel and balanced tension.

Overall, the VC-2 offers very good sound and playability at this price point. The materials and construction allow it to produce a rich, classical guitar tone. It's enjoyable to practice and perform on thanks to the comfortable playability.

Accessories

The Vangoa VC-2 classical guitar comes with several useful accessories including a footstool, gig bag, and guitar picks.

The included footstool is padded and adjustable, allowing you to position your left leg at an optimal height for proper posture and technique when playing classical guitar. This helps take pressure off your back and shoulders, while enabling your left hand to access the fretboard more comfortably. The footstool's height can be easily adjusted by twisting the knob to raise or lower it.

Also included is a durable, padded gig bag with backpack straps, providing a convenient way to transport and protect your VC-2 guitar. The bag features ample padding to guard against bumps and minor impacts while on the go. The padded interior helps keep your instrument snug and secure as well.

Lastly, a variety of guitar picks are included to accommodate different playing styles and techniques. The assortment contains picks of various thickness and shapes, allowing you to find the right fit for your needs. Whether you prefer a more rigid feel or a flexible, softer pick, you'll have options to experiment with.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Well-constructed guitar with premium materials for the price
• Attractive rosette and body binding add visual flair
• Solid cedar top produces warm, balanced tone
• Mahogany back and sides provide good mid-range resonance
• Smooth finished neck for comfortable playability
• Includes useful accessories like strings, picks, tuner, and polishing cloth

Cons

• Factory setup may require professional adjustment
• Screws inside the guitar may need tightening over time
• No cutaway limits access to higher frets
• Lack of electronics limits sound amplification options
• Not the best option for advanced classical guitarists

Overall, the Vangoa Premium VC-2 offers beginners a high-quality classical guitar with great tone and playability for the price. While it may require some minor tweaking out of the box, it provides good value given the included accessories. The lack of electronics and cutaway limit options for performing guitarists. But for practice and developing classical technique, the VC-2 is an excellent choice for the budget-conscious novice.

Final Verdict

The Vangoa Premium VC-2 classical guitar offers beautiful traditional styling paired with quality materials to deliver rich and balanced sound at an affordable price point. This is an excellent beginner classical guitar that enables new players to learn on an instrument with good intonation up and down the neck.

The spruce and mahogany tonewoods produce a full-bodied, resonant sound. While not as complex as high-end classical guitars, the VC-2 provides warm and bright tones suitable for various musical genres. The included accessories like strap buttons, gig bag, and digital tuner add value.

Overall, the Vangoa VC-2 classical guitar represents a great value for aspiring classical guitarists looking for their first nylon-string instrument. While not suitable for advanced players, it excels as a starter guitar with good playability straight out of the box. The beautiful design also makes it a joy to practice and perform with. For beginners seeking an affordable, quality classical guitar to start lessons and progress their skills, the Vangoa Premium VC-2 is easy to recommend.