Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?

Subject: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,Geoff
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 08:30 AM

For reasons too dull to bore you with, I'm without my usual steel strung guitar for a few weeks.

Because I've been missing playing, I've got my old dusty Spanish guitar out.

It hasn't been used for years, so the first thing that needs doing is to put some new strings on it.

I change the three wound bass strings. They are dirty so a new set obviously sounds a lot better.

I change the plain nylon G, and to be honest it sounds worse than the old one?!?

Gets me to wondering, is there any point changing the plain nylon ones?

I can understand dirt, rust etc with metal or wound strings, nut nylon?

Any thoughts?

Geoff

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Deckman
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 09:02 AM

Yes, change them. Even solid (plain) nylon loses it's brilliance quickly. Obviously the more you play, the more often you need to change them. But even if the guitar is kept in the case, unless you lower the pitch greatly, the strings will need replacing in 3-4 months. Just my experience. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,Geoff
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 09:15 AM

Thanks, Deckman

As I said the changed G has a lot less brilliance than the old, unchanged B and E...

None sound particularly brilliant anyway...

Can't wait to get my steel string back

Geoff

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 02:30 PM

Couple of things:-- the plain nylon treble strings fret-cut over a period of time (just like the wound strings) and this affects their intonation. Also, they tend to lose their resilience. Yup, you do need to change them periodically.

Just like with steel strings, your classic guitar will sound good with one brand of strings, not so good with another. My classic sounds best with D'Addario hard tension strings. I also have a Flamenco guitar that sounds good with D'Addario strings, but a set of Savarez hard tension strings really brings out the sound. I have a third guitar, a Go travel guitar that I play a lot, but it's fairly new and I'm still experimenting. Try different brands and tensions until you hit the happy combination.

I've found that when it's brand new, the G is probably the clunkiest sounding string, but once it's had a chance to stretch a bit, it sounds better. If the plain nylon G sounds too clunky to you, Savarez makes both a plain nylon G and a wound nylon G. I use the plain one on my Flamenco, but the wound Gs sound pretty good.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:39 PM

I only run Nylon on my Yamaha classical and I use D'addario also. Haven't had a problem with them. neil

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: bflat
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 04:07 PM

Ditto for me with Neil, a.k.a.,Irish sergeant. They need to be changed when you begin to notice a flat spot occuring, I think.

Ellen

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 04:16 PM

Here's a good discussion of Classical Guitar String Basics (no brand names). Notice he says a set of strings should last about 3 months for a 2-hour-a-day player. During the brief period of time I took beginning classical guitar lessons (early 80s), my teacher recommended Augustine strings. If this isn't your primary instrument, any reputable brand would probably work. The difference in sound could be due to a difference in tension between the old and new set. Good luck on getting your baby back!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: 53
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 04:28 PM

I have a Yamaha CG-70 Classical Guitar, and I can't find out any info on this certain model, does anybody know anything about this model?

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,Geoff
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 05:50 PM

Thanks everyone.

The set of strings I bought were Augustine.

At the moment I'm still leaving the (5 year) old top E and B on, as the new G just sounds really dull in comparison.

It's not a guitar that I will (hopefully) be playing for long, so it's not really an issue.

My question was more out of curiosity than anything.

Thanks for your input,

Geoff

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From:
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 05:46 AM

The "G" string does seem to be the greatest problem. The D'Addario strings with the "coffee colored" "G" string seem better to me; but they supply a conventional "G" string in case you don't like the special one.

My favorite classical strings are Augustine Blue for the bass and Regal for the treble. There is a set of six strings sold with that combination.

Apropos of nothing. The mention of strings reminds me of something I heard Thom Bresh say about his father, Merle Travis. He said they at a festival and on the grounds after Travis's performance a young teenager asked Travis what kind of strings he used. Travis answered with a big smile, "Why, I use guitar strings, son." and he walked away pondering why people ask such silly questions.

Murray

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 01:45 PM

It's really hard to advise someone on what kind of strings to use, because the strings that sound best on my guitar may not sound that good on yours. Every guitar is different, even the same model by the same maker. The only way you can determine the best strings for your particular guitar is through experimentation. It's a long process and it can get a bit pricey over time, but once you hit the happy combination, it's worth it.

Flat statements like "D'Addarios are the best" or "Augustines are the best" just won't wash in the real world. Read the Classical Guitar String Basics link that Mark posted. Good info there.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Deckman
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 01:50 PM

Doggone it Don! There you go, helping people again. I wish you'd stop doing that!. Bob

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,c-flat
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 03:05 PM

I have tried many different types of string on my classical and, whilst agreeing with Don Firth,can reccomend D'addario "Pro-Arte"(composites).These include an extra G string(composite)which may feel a bit plastic by comparison but seems to solve the old G string problem especially when amplifying.At about £10 a set,they're a little more expensive than some but have a great tone and last well.I love to pick up my classical after a long spell of steel stringing,it's tones are more subtle and your playing develops more expression as a result.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:33 PM

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 01:18 AM

At a loss for words again, eh John? :-)

Thanks for the info, all! I've always wondered about this thing with nylon strings, although I don't use them much these days.

- LH

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Grab
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 07:40 AM

I never got on with the D'Addario brown G - it doesn't seem to have quite the right tone. ATM I'm trying a set of normal D'Addarios (the higher-tension ones) but I may revert back to my Augustines - the D'Addarios have a nice rounded sound, but seem to be lacking the "snap" that new Augustines have. At least on my guitar, anyway.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: C-flat
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 09:51 AM

I think the benefits of the composite G become more apparent when using amplification and as one who likes that extra "snap" myself I always use hard tension strings.A lot depends on the instrument itself so I guess it's just trial and error.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,Slack Key
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 01:45 AM

For black nylon
No. Do not change black nylon strings. Ever.

They sweeten with age...and by age I mean over a decade. Years 1-5 the sound will become dull. 5+ years, the sound improves tremendously. For all my recordings, I use a guitar where the black nylon strings that are about 30 years old. It's one of the best sounding / and recording guitars ever.

People will think I'm exaggerating or trolling, but I'm not. I'm dead serious.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 05:33 AM

And what brand are these black nylon strings? Mysterious! Incidentally Ry Cooder hates changing strings and avoids it. Richard Saslow ragtime guitarist, prefers old dead martin strings, but of course these are steel not nylon strings.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: redhorse
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 06:45 AM

It's plausible.

Nylon when produced contains plasticizers to make it more flexible: these slowly evaporate out over time (5-10 yrs sounds about right for something of the diameter of a string) so you'd end up with a significantly stiffer material that will support higher overtones and give a brighter sound.

Not sure why black would make a difference: one thought is that the colouring would improve its resistance to UV, so would maintain the molecular structure of the plastic better. Over 10 years or more, micro-cracking of the outer layers of the string from UV damage could tend to produce damping of the sound. I'd be surprised if that was a large enough effect to make a noticeable difference though, compared with normal temperature/humidity variation.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Anne Lister
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 03:04 PM

When I played a nylon strung guitar I always preferred the wound nylon flamenco strings ... but the biggest difference to the way strings sound is the way you play them. I was always asked questions such as what tuning I used and so on, and vividly remember telling people that I used flamenco strings and getting the reaction "So that's why it sounds the way it does!" - although of course the truth was it was how I played the strings that made the sound what it was. Which is another reason, apart from the guitar itself, why one set of strings will suit someone but not everyone.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 07:09 PM

My ears never have been good enough to hear these differences between makes of strings. I'm reassured to see that evidently applied to Merle Travis as well.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,Tony
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 08:51 PM

I can't tell the difference between brands either, just between different materials and gauges. But material and gauge make a big difference to me. I'd rather die than use a different set of gauges or a different type of bronze in the windings on my steel strings, and I like the sound of even a cheap classical guitar much better than any steel-string. And while new strings do sound a little better to me for the first week or two, that goes away quickly and then they sound about the same for the next couple of years, so I usually keep them on until one breaks.

And that's another thing. I never saw any difference in durability between different brands of steel strings. The only difference I could see is if one brand had sets with exactly the gauges I wanted. But with nylon strings that's a completely different story. The nylon D string of most brands doesn't last very long, and with some brands the strings soon become impossible to tune. I bought three sets of Martin nylon, and their D strings withered and broke after a month or two. Black Diamond was even worse, a week or so for each D string. The only ones I've found that really last are D'Addario Pro Arte. I've got at least two years on my current set. I've never tried Augustine, but maybe I will some time after seeing them praised in this thread.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Nov 13 - 12:57 AM

yes I put black nylon ones on my classical model. I think after seeing flamenco players in Spain I agree they last very well.

Mind you, I've got this thing about ladies in black nylon panties - there could be a connection and degree of self delusion at work.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: GUEST,DrowningInBlues
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 01:14 AM

I have an acoustic nylon with standard nylon, hand-made in 2003 without string change, the strings are rusty but sound really good for blues it's really good, plus they don't got any UV damage so i can describe it as a perfect bluesy sound like lightnin' hopkins or robert johnson, thats why i loved that guitar when i got it by a cousin that never touched on it, i usually play it to practice and avoid to use my electric one, because i use electric just like an 1 hour and the rest is acoustic like 2 or more hours, the height is very high for slide and tension the same i think it's like 2 times harder to play than electric because of tension, a good way to practice bends but vibratos are hard to do but i'm getting better with vibratos cause its harder now to execute it.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Bert
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 02:19 AM

Rusty nylon? that's a new one. Sorry, I'll crawl back in my hole.

Subject: RE: Guitar: Do Nylon Strings need changing?
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 05:43 AM

Back in the day when I was playing professionally, changing guitar & mandolin strings was a fortnightly chore. Always complete sets. Only ever changed individual strings if one broke, mid-gig, then as soon as was convenient, replace all. The strings were tax deductible which mediated the nuisance value somewhat. Not a problem now, since Dystonia has robbed me of the motor control I need to play.
                                                 Nigel.