Overview
Yamaha 3/4 size classical guitar - and ideal starter guitar.
With its compact body and short 580mm scale length, the affordable Yamaha CS40 is designed with comfort in mind for the young learner (who may find a full-size instrument too cumbersome). Despite the reduced dimensions, the guitar still produces a responsive, well balanced tone and the specification includes a genuine rosewood fingerboard and bridge. An excellent starter instrument that will encourage youngsters to keep playing.
Features
With its compact body and short 580mm scale length, the affordable Yamaha CS40 is designed with comfort in mind for the young learner...
Specs
Color/Finish
Control Interface
- String Strings Scale 580 mm (22 13/16")
Design/Architecture Detail
- Body Depth 80-84 mm (3 1/8"-3 1/4")
- Finger Board Width (Nut/Body) 48 mm (1 7/8")
Material
- Top Spruce
- Back Meranti
- Side/Rib Meranti
- Neck Nato
- Finger Board Rosewood
- Bridge Rosewood
CITES Information
| Covered by CITES | Yes |
| CITES Scientific Name of Wood or Woods Used | Dalbergia latifolia(Indonesia) |
| CITES Country or Countries of Wood Origin | Indonesia |
Questions & Answers
Question: Please can you tell me how the CS40 II and CGS103AII three-quarter size classical guitars compare? Which would you recommend for a 10 year old beginner?
Answer
Thank you for your interest in Yamaha guitars. The CGS103AII and CS40 II are very similar guitars, made to the same specification (with spruce top and meranti back and sides with a nato neck) but in different guitar workshops (which allows us to keep up with the high demand for our three-quarter size classical guitars across the world). The CS40 II tends to be the more popular in the European market, but essentially, both are great guitars.
However, for beginners aged around 7 and up, we'd strongly advise starting on a full-size classical guitar, such as the C40 II (available by itself in natural wood or black finish, or as part of a starter pack) - see the links below.
At ten years old, playing a full size classical is manageable and ensures the player becomes accustomed to playing a full size instrument.
Question: Can the CS40 Classical Guitar be played using a plectrum without causing damage to the nylon strings? If so, are nylon plectrums the best option?
Answer
Thank you for your interest in the CS40 Classical Guitar. Generally, classical guitars are played without plectrums - instead classical guitarists usually play with their fingers directly on the strings.
Using a nylon plectrum shouldn't cause any significant damage to the strings (which should be replaced relatively regularly in any case); however, be aware that classical guitars like the CS40 don't have a scratchplate/pickguard - and so there's an increased risk of a plectrum damaging the guitar's finish.
We'd usually recommend nylon plectrums (for both acoustic and classical guitar) unless you're after a specific guitar tone; Dunlop's Tortex range is very popular:
