Our Nylon String Crossover Models: A Closer Look at the Cybele 1310C, and Cybele 312C

By: Josh Lucas

You may be wondering, “What’s a crossover guitar?”

Well, the answer is probably the one you’ve got in the back of your head–It’s a nylon-string guitar for players who are used to steel-string acoustics, or electric guitars.

So why get a crossover rather than a traditional classic guitar? What’s the difference?

A traditional classical guitar has:

• 2” Nut
• Flat fretboard
• Meets the body at the 12th fret

Our Crossovers have:

• 1 ⅞” Nut
• 400mm Fretboard Radius
• Meets the body at the 14th fret

So what’s the big deal?

If you’re predominantly an electric or steel-string player, you’re going to be used to a narrower nut, a radiused (curved) fretboard, and a guitar that meets the body at the 14th fret. 

When you pick up a classical guitar, you quickly realize that it’s an entirely different beast. A serious classical style  player needs a guitar with a wider nut and flat fretboard to be able to play intricate contrapuntal lines. Plus, it’s a 12 fret neck.

The good news–it’s a big, big world with a ton of guitars! More importantly, there’s one that will meet everyone’s needs.

Whether you’re a classical guitarist who occasionally plays steel string, or a steel string player who occasionally plays nylon string, these crossover guitars bridge the gap between those two worlds, and offer a unique and versatile playing experience. Got a gig with a huge repertoire, but don’t feel like bringing more than one guitar? These guitars have got you covered.

I personally fall into the latter category–I love and respect traditional classical guitars, and took classical lessons for years. But I’m mainly an electric guitarist who is used to fairly narrow necks, and somewhat radiused fretboards. So when I want to add that timbre to a song, it’s a much easier transition for me to drop my electric or steel-string and pick up my crossover in the middle of a studio session.

Plus, I feel like it’s kind of a sin to play a classical guitar with a pick–with a nylon crossover, I have no mercy! I shred that thing, with a big ol’ pick! 

For my money, the 1 ⅞” nut is wide enough, and the 400mm radius is flat enough for me to do what I need to do on a daily basis with a nylon string guitar. On the flipside, the nut is thin enough, and the board is radiused enough to play chords comfortably. While I do like to have the traditional classical guitar in my (entirely too large) collection it is a specialty instrument for me, reserved for the off-chance that I play a full-on classical gig.

The 312C And 1310C each offer something unique in their price range and construction. Take a look at each one below.