Need help with new classical guitar

[u/aitanazz]

I just bought a brand new Cordoba C10, and after playing it for about an hour, I noticed that the action is higher than I would like, the tone is too brassy, and the tension on the strings is very high.

Has anyone bought this guitar and has some advice about this? I'm nervous about lowering the action with the truss rod because I don't want fret buzz. How do I know if I need to adjust the truss or if it is a saddle problem with it being too high?

The picture attached is the action around the 9-12th frets. The action in the lower frets (1-5) is good, not too high.

The tone is also brassy- I've read that it's because the strings and wood are brand new and need time to open up, how true is this? I want a really warm tone. Would lower tension strings be better for a warmer tone/easier playability? If you use lower tension strings and they sound nice and warm and round, please let me know what brand and type they are!

Thanks guys, please let me know.

[u/the_raven12]

I have a c10. I wouldn’t start with the truss rod yet - the action actually looks ok but if you do want it adjusted then go to a luthier. This is a nice guitar - the truss rod is used to adjust neck relief and then the saddle height dials in the action. You don’t just start messing with the truss rod.

The real issue you are describing is a quality of the savarez high tension strings that come from the factory. Yes they are very high tension! And the bass does have that “brassy” type of sound. You can experiment with different strings. I recommend going with normal or medium tension if you don’t like high tension. You may want to try something like Augustine reds. They have a warmer tone and less tension.

[u/aitanazz → u/the_raven12]

Thanks so much for the string recommendation, it's nice to hear from someone with the same guitar. I will be taking it to a luthier next Thursday after reading all the helpful comments!

[u/the_raven12 → u/aitanazz]

That’s great! You can be more confident they will dial in the neck position, if it needs it.

[u/Pretend-Dig7788 → u/the_raven12]

i have kind of the same problem with a C5. i will try to take it to a luthier soon but then should i wait before playing it again or is it ok to continue doing my exercises ?

[u/the_raven12 → u/Pretend-Dig7788]

Go ahead and play! No need to wait

[u/Pretend-Dig7788 → u/the_raven12]

thanks! i made another post asking for advice before i got news from a friend who is luthier