Trigger, Nylon, Crossovers, Etc...

[Puma 165]

I keep being drawn back to the sound of classical guitar and nylon strings, but don't have the training to pull off truly "classical" music. Mostly messing around with fingerstyle blues and light jazz standards. Thinking about the Taylor nylon model, or maybe the Breedlove...
Anyone have any other choices to check out? I'm in need of a nut width that's not as wide as a standard classical guitar...

[bfloyd6969]

Originally Posted by Puma 165

I keep being drawn back to the sound of classical guitar and nylon strings, but don't have the training to pull off truly "classical" music. Mostly messing around with fingerstyle blues and light jazz standards. Thinking about the Taylor nylon model, or maybe the Breedlove...
Anyone have any other choices to check out? I'm in need of a nut width that's not as wide as a standard classical guitar...

Perhaps you might get more hits over in the nylon string forum - but I want to add not to rule out the Yamaha NTX series. These budget friendly crossovers are pretty nice for the buck. Cordoba is making some crossovers as well but haven't played them. The Taylor and Breedlove crossovers should be very nice. Not sure of the higher end Breedlove crossovers, but their Passport line has a 1 3/4" nut width - may be a bit tight...

Ah, I just checked and the Breedlove Atlas has the 1 7/8" nut width.

[Matt Mustapick]

I know a guy who makes those...
http://mustapickguitars.com/70stawarz/3/index.htm

[bfloyd6969]

Originally Posted by Matt Mustapick

I know a guy who makes those...
http://mustapickguitars.com/70stawarz/3/index.htm

What a beautiful guitar!! The simplicity is just gorgeous!

[Wade Hampton]

Puma, another possibility to consider is looking for a turn-of-the-last century parlor guitar, like an old Lyon & Healy, Washburn or Martin made prior to the changeover to steel strings.

These guitars typically feature pin bridges, which makes some players mistakenly assume that they're intended for steel strings. But they're not - they were built for use with gut strings, with the ends of the strings tied into knots about the size of the balls on the ends of steel strings today.

There are several brands of ball-end nylon strings available, with the Ernie Ball brand being the easiest to find in stores.

These parlor guitars also usually have narrower widths at the nut than classical guitars have today, generally around 1 7/8". So they're a bit more comfortable to play than most classical guitars.

And because these guitars aren't of much interest to either classical guitarists or most modern folk, bluegrass and country players, the prices on them remain fairly reasonable. Vintage instrument dealers like George Gruhn or (my personal favorite) John Bernunzio will usually have a few in stock, at prices that are nowhere nearly as high as those for pre-war steel string instruments.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[bfloyd6969]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Puma, another possibility to consider is looking for a turn-of-the-last century parlor guitar, like an old Lyon & Healy, Washburn or Martin made prior to the changeover to steel strings.

These guitars typically feature pin bridges, which makes some players mistakenly assume that they're intended for steel strings. But they're not - they were built for use with gut strings, with the ends of the strings tied into knots about the size of the balls on the ends of steel strings today.

There are several brands of ball-end nylon strings available, with the Ernie Ball brand being the easiest to find in stores.

These parlor guitars also usually have narrower widths at the nut than classical guitars have today, generally around 1 7/8". So they're a bit more comfortable to play than most classical guitars.

And because these guitars aren't of much interest to either classical guitarists or most modern folk, bluegrass and country players, the prices on them remain fairly reasonable. Vintage instrument dealers like George Gruhn or (my personal favorite) John Bernunzio will usually have a few in stock, at prices that are nowhere nearly as high as those for pre-war steel string instruments.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

Speaking of older guitars, I would love to get my hands on an old Goya nylon string. Those are very folk like, IMO. I don't know if they classified them as clasicals or not, but they played soooo easy, nothing like the thick necks of many classical guitars. I played a G-10 back in the early 90's at a local music shop where they had it for a ridiculously low price. I kick myself in the butt for not grabbing that one everytime I think about it...

[john bange]

as an all solid wood alternative, you might consider a Recording King ROS series 000 shaped 12 fret. They can be had at auction for a reasonable price.
they are lightly constructed and have a short 24.5 inch scale, all of which make for a good sounding nylon conversion using high tension ball end strings.
I just sold mine to a fellow in New Mexico to buy another banjo but I am sure I am going to miss it...just a thought. There are lots of great nylon string guitars out there with 1 7/8th nuts and radiused fretboards but the RK's are very good. There is another thread about my conversion under Recording King ROS 616 on this site. john

[robot]

Hello Puma, Everyday ones guitar skills grows. It is a progressive thing. Both present day and future needs must be addressed.

[Polyhymnia]

I'm a steel-string player, but I recently purchased a Taylor NS24CE and a Cervantes Crossover. They're both relatively affordable and have narrow necks in comparison to classical guitars. The Taylor is a good gigging guitar; just plug it in and go, and its satin finish makes it not so fussy as a glossy one. The Cervantes has a great sound for the price. Both of them have cutaways.

A nylon-string for steel-string players requires a different head and touch, but give it enough time, and it'll flow. You can even do light classical piece w/o too much trouble. I wouldn't want to perform in front of a master class of classical guitarists, but most average listeners aren't going to give you grief for having a clawlike technique.

Just do it.