Saga J.Navarro NC-61 – Pick It, Take Care Of It, Love It

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

• Check Price

J. Navaro is not a very popular brand. As a matter of fact, only a few have ever heard of it at all. However, it's usually brands such as this one that often surprise us the most. What we have here today is a great classical guitar that features a pretty solid build quality, great choice of materials and pretty impressive tone. All that at a price that is competitive, to say the least. Because of these features, it's among the best beginner acoustic guitars on the market at the moment. If you are still skeptical, let us take you on a tour and show you exactly what we mean.

Body And Neck

In terms of body shapes, Saga J.Navarro NC-61 features a standard concert style body. J.Navarro went with a pretty solid combination of a solid cedar top and rosewood back and sides. Everything is put together solid and there are no red flags in terms of build quality. The neck is made of mahogany and features a pretty standard rosewood fretboard on top. With the addition of fine dark brown binding, Saga J.Navarro NC-61 looks pretty sophisticated from a distance as well as from up close.

Hardware

Here's where the real surprises start. Bridge design is nothing unusual. You are looking at a standard rosewood piece that features a compensated saddle. However, the saddle is made of genuine bone and so is the nut. Seeing real bone in this price range is a rarity, to say the least. Most popular brands opt for Tusq or lower grade synthetic substitute. Let's keep going. Tuning machines, also an important part of the hardware section, are gold plated and come with a black ABS button. Sporting a 12:1 ratio, you can bet that tuning accuracy is not an issue. Overall, the hardware is better than the one you can find on more expensive guitars of this type.

Sound

Combining a decent solid cedar top with very hard rosewood back and sides means you are getting a pretty specific type of tone. Saga J.Navarro NC-61 offers an abundance of projection and volume, while that rosewood is making sure that you are heard even through a relatively saturated mix. On its own, this guitar offers a very warm but imposing tone. All of your subtle details will be yanked into the foreground, thus giving you a lot of versatility for not a lot of money.

Conclusion

If you are one of those people who judges an instrument solely based on what logo is printed on the headstock, you might want to reconsider your position. Saga J.Navarro NC-61 is one of the more obscure classical guitars which is a real hidden gem in its segment. The type of performance, components and overall quality it offers is well worth checking out. Especially if you are looking to get the best your limited budget
can buy.

The Verdict

The NC-61 is rarely matched in its respective category, it costs around 350$, but it’s tough to distinguish it from a 500$ fiddle. The obvious sound difference comes when you are willing to spend a bit more than that. For what it is, the NC-61 is a fantastic selection for any guitarist, regardless of playing background and experience. It can be your first git, or your tenth, and you will be equally satisfied.

For more info on the J. Navarro NC61, click this link.
For more beginner acoustic guitars, click here.