The CL450 nylon string guitar made it's debut in 2001, as Carvin's first-ever classical acoustic electric guitar and proved immediately popular among guitarists that wanted the sound of a classical acoustic with the functionality of an electric. At just 4.75 pounds, the CL450 is extremely light and comfortable to play, and it's thin 2.5" body makes this instrument far easier to play than a standard, full-bodied classical acoustic. The CL450 is loaded with features generally only found in boutique instruments, but because we sell direct to you, you don't have to pay a boutique price. And with hundreds of available options, you can build your CL450 classical acoustic/electric exactly the way you want it, and be the proud owner of a totally unique instrument that will last you a lifetime.

The CL450 is a set-neck instrument, meaning the neck is set into the body providing additional sustain and stability versus bolt-neck instruments, and allowing the body to be chambered which adds to the acoustic tone of the guitar. We start with hand-selected mahogany for the back and sides. Mahogany is a popular tone wood used in many guitars, chosen for it's clear, warm tone and attractive grain. The mahogany construction produces clear, warm tones, perfect for a classical guitar. The back and sides are braced for additional strength and longevity. All of our neck, body and fingerboard woods undergo a long conditioning process in our de-humidification chambers to remove any stress in the wood and prevent future warping or twisting.

CL450 Cedar Top

A beautiful AAA cedar top is standard, which is higher quality than Sitka spruce tops used on many guitars by other manufacturers. Cedar is a warm tone wood, and has been used on classical and flamenco guitars for hundreds of years. You may also choose an Engleman spruce top, bookmatched mahogany top, bookmatched koa top, a highly figured bookmatched AAAA flamed maple top, bookmatched AAAA quilted maple top, flamed koa top or California Claro walnut top. Carvin offers a huge assortment of finishes on all our top woods, including standard solid colors, optional translucent stains and metallic solid colors, and finishes developed specifically for our flamed and quilted top woods. You can also choose one of our exclusive deep triple-step finishes, which creates an almost 3-dimensional depth to the figure of the flamed or quilted top. Multi-layer tortoiseshell body binding is also standard. The CL450's top is fan-braced, which provides strength and prevents the top wood from warping over time, while creating an optimal classical tone whether plugged in or unplugged.

Classical Headstock

The CL450 features a standard 25.5" scale ebony fingerboard with no inlays, a semi-flat 20" radius and 21 medium-jumbo nickel frets. Carvin offers a number of fretwire options, including jumbo, low-wide and stainless steel. Carvin's "Rapid Play" low action neck assures effortless playability throughout the entire fingerboard, while the smooth neck heel allows easy access all the way up to the 21st fret. The fully-adjustable dual action truss rod allows you to set the action exactly the way you want it. The standard headstock on the CL450 is a mahogany 3 X 3 classical design with exposed truss rod and gold Carvin logo.

Ebony Classical Bridge

A standard ebony classical bridge for smooth sustain and clear open notes. The nut is graphite, with further contributes to the sustain of the instrument. Traditional classical tuners ensure your CL450 will stay in tune, no matter what your playing style is. Standard hardware is gold.

The CL450 has an Fishman® Acoustic Matrix pickup and Fishman® Prefix™ Pro active electronics. Controls consist of master volume, 4-band EQ, variable-frequency notch filter, phase switch and battery status LED. A flip-top battery compartment makes changing the 9V battery quick and easy. Plugged in, the Prefix™ Pro faithfully amplifies the acoustic tone of the CL450, and the EQ allows you to shape your sound just the way you like it.

Carvin also offers the NS1 Nylon String MIDI Synth Access guitar. While similar in appearance to the CL450, the NS1 can open up an entirely new dimension in your playing with it's acclaimed Graph Tech synth access system. Just add a guitar synth controller of your choice and you'll be adding orchestras, flutes and virtually any instrument sound to your electric guitar tone!

The only way to appreciate the performance of a Carvin product is to use it in your own environment, giving it the test of "real world" performance. Take 10 days to try out your Carvin CL450. If you're not completely satisfied, you can return it - no questions asked. Your trial period starts when the merchandise is received by you, not when it's shipped. Really give it a workout. If you're not satisfied for any reason, send it back for a prompt refund or exchange - you would only be responsible for the return shipping. (US and Canada customers only; international customers, see your dealer for details)

The CL450 is built at Carvin's Custom Shop in San Diego, California.