Considering trying a nylon string guitar

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by perttime

"Real" classical guitars don't have straps So, if you want to play one with a strap, you need to figure out a way to attach one. A drill for making holes also works on classical guitars. A classical guitar is usually lighter than a steel string, so some seem to get by with something that attaches to the sound hole: a bracket on the bottom side of the soundhole, light strap that goes between guitar and you, and around your neck.

It is quite possible to put a nylon string guitar on your right knee too.

Strap? Just watch any video on YouTube of Willie Nelson playing Trigger.

[brucefulton]

[QUOTE=Mikeleric;4027036]

Originally Posted by brucefulton

Many classical pieces will require techniques you may not be used to from other styles. Study #5 is a difficult piece to play well.

I believe I can figure out how to play pieces like this one. It looks like in each measure, you arrange your fingers of your left hand into the right position and then you do a certain fingerpicking pattern with your fingers of your right hand, except that I take too long to rearrange the fingers of my left hand for each measure.

If you try it that way and look at it as a series of blocked chord shapes, you won't get smooth transitions between measures. You'll need to learn planting and pre-barring to connect the three voices linearly (horizontally) rather than vertically. This is a study in applying three-voice vocal harmony to the guitar, so block chords aren't the way to approach it.

[perttime]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Strap? Just watch any video on YouTube of Willie Nelson playing Trigger.

That's what I meant by my second option for using a strap.

[Mikeleric]

Thanks for your replies. I suspect that I would like to try playing a classical or nylon stringed guitar, although I wonder whether I should or could just save my money and put up with the Gibson j-50 I have. In case I find an appealing classical guitar at a guitar store I'll ask whether it can be ordered without the electronics, which I don't imagine I would have use for, and I'll ask whether somebody can attach an end pin to the guitar so I can play with a guitar strap, standing.

I would like to think I can just look at various music and figure out how to play it. At the moment I am too cheap to see a guitar teacher.

[Mikeleric]

Originally Posted by perttime

That's what I meant by my second option for using a strap.

Willie Nelson actually played his guitar with a pick and he banged the pick against his guitar so hard and/or so many times that he wore a hole in his guitar.

[dosland]

If I were in your position, I'd stick with the current instrument, for now, and save a bit of money until I knew what I wanted, if anything. BUT I'd get a decent setup job done by a competent tech or luthier (and I'd be nervous about having something like that done by whatever person happens to be running the desk at the big guitar/music equipment stores). You'll enjoy the playing experience a lot more if the action can be adjusted a bit to bring the string height down without adding fret buzz.

On a related note, you mentioned that your guitar has the (in)famous adjustable bridge - I wonder how easy/safe it is to just do the adjustment there yourself? Anyone else have experience with that device, seems straightforward enough to me. If the neck relief is ok and the frets aren't too heavily worn down, then a slight adjustment down might make a big difference in how hard you have to work to depress the strings.

Just an opinion from someone out here

[FloridaGull]

Have you considered purchasing an OM or OOO or OO steel-string guitar, and fitting it with ball-end nylon strings? These are sometimes called "Folk" strings...

[Blueser100]

I love my La Patrie Concert. Solid cedar top, mahogany back and sides. Wonderful tone, slightly curved fingerboard, and yippee a truss rod. I am so smitten I may not soon return to my steel string guitars for a while.

[creamburmese]

Speaking as someone who switched from acoustic steel string to classical (mostly) I wouldn't be tempted to go to a classical guitar to make it easier to play... I'd listen to others here on the forum and either get your current guitar set up with nice low action or buy another guitar where the neck fits your hand and have that one set up with low action ... learning classical is a whole other ball game and not something to do if you just want an easier to play guitar. If you really like the sound of nylon though and still want to play a nylon guitar like you play an acoustic, you could consider a crossover that has nylon strings, narrower nut and radiused fingerboard... However In my opinion the only reason to go nylon is if you really prefer the sound - you get less sustain, but with the right technique each individual note can be a pleasure to hear.

As the OP suggests they have small hands, as someone with really small hands compared to most men here, here's what I have found makes a steel string easier to play .. assuming that the guitar is set up right..

1) nut width - I can only stretch comfortably to 7.5" between thumb and pinky. I'm most comfortable with 1 11/16 nut but OK with 1 23/32.
2) Relatively shallow neck shape. V-shaped necks are out. I prefer the shallow C Martin shape.
3) Short scale. Shorter scale means lower tension strings that are easier to fret.
4) Light strings. I play finger style and I don't see an advantage from medium weight strings and light strings are easier to fret. Some people prefer "low tension" strings like DR's.
3) 12 frets to the body. My arms aren't very long and I play in classical position so this brings everything into easier reach.

Sounds like you have some research to do.. Best of luck and tell us what you decide!

[Blueser100]

I'm a petite lady with small hands and I don't have any trouble with the wide nut of a traditional nylon string guitar.

[2toss]

Have you visited the Del Camp Classical Guitar Forum? Lots of good info there....

Have a Cordoba C7 with dots at frets 5, 7, 9 & 12

[creamburmese]

I agree with BluesER100 - classical guitars are a different animal. Although I am much more comfortable with a narrow nut on a steel string, my classical has a 2" nut

[GHS]

Originally Posted by FloridaGull

Have you considered purchasing an OM or OOO or OO steel-string guitar, and fitting it with ball-end nylon strings? These are sometimes called "Folk" strings...

Good idea but wouldnt you have to open up the nut slots for the strings? Also would the strings have enough power to drive the top of a guitar built for steel? I thought about this too but just dont know.

[Mikeleric]

[deleted]....

[Mikeleric]

I took my guitar to a small guitar store and had the guy who works there look at it and he insisted that the action or height of the strings above the neck is fine.

I also briefly tried playing a classical nylon stringed guitar, a Washburn model that costs 299 US dollars (+ tax, + cost of case, and so on), not that I necessarily want this guitar. I did not find it unplayable but I had to stretch my fingers to the max. I was told that I could not get a Washburn or Ibanez classical guitar with a cutaway but without electronic components. Those are the only brands of nylon stringed guitar this particular store sells.