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  #1  
Old 07-03-2017, 09:59 AM
JEM1032 JEM1032 is offline
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Default String question from steel string player.

I have an Alhambra 5P I traded for a couple of years ago. I liked the sound of the strings that were on the guitar, but they weren't the originals from the factory. The last set I bought sounds muddy, not clear. I can't remember what brand the are. The music store I bought them from has closed. The top strings are gold colored, and the bottom strings are black. Could someone recommend some strings that are clear sounding. I just play at home, so it only has to sound good tome. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Old 07-03-2017, 11:55 AM
47gene 47gene is offline
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JEM,

When I jumped from steel stringed to nylon I found that Savarez Corum 500AJ strings to give me a clearer, brighter sound.

Savarez 500aj corum alliance

These are High Tension carbon fiber strings.....

Read about them here:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...01caAnVT8P8HAQ
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Old 07-03-2017, 12:43 PM
dkstott dkstott is offline
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People will chime in here that brand XYZ is the best... use that one... LOL

There are a lot of options when choosing strings and its going to depend on your personal opinion.

High tension will drive the top of the guitar and produce louder sound... But it may wreak havoc on your left hand when fretting chords, especially Barre chords.

My personal favorite is the Savarez Cantiga 510AR normal tension. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of the volume for a happier left hand.

Strings By Mail is a great place to look into strings for your nylon guitar AND they are the only place that you can buy half sets for just about every brand out there. They have some nice tips on choosing strings too.

Here's a link to their basic guide to choosing Classical Strings

https://www.stringsbymail.com/pages/...basics-19.html

FWIW- Half set is buying just basses or trebles. (Bass strings wear out faster than trebles on nylon stringed guitars)

Plus you can go crazy and mix and match brands
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Old 07-03-2017, 06:17 PM
hesson11 hesson11 is offline
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Good advice from dkstott, with one footnote. As Strings By Mail points out on the linked page, there are drawbacks to high-tension strings which mean they may not, in fact, be the best choice for some guitars. Check out the bullet-point caveats. I've found high-tension strings to actually restrict the volume/projection of some guitars (perhaps they "hold" the top too tightly, restricting movement/vibration).

My favorite strings are Aquila Alabastro and Savarez 540R.
-Bob
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Old 07-06-2017, 05:36 AM
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SprintBob SprintBob is offline
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Check out John Pearse Folk, big improvement to my ears over the OEM Saverez 500CJ's on my Cordoba Studio Pro Negra.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:41 AM
DupleMeter DupleMeter is offline
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I've always been a fan of the La Bella 2001s. My wife prefers the D'Addario Pro Arts.

It's really hard to suggest strings for someone else, since there are so many variables: the guitar, the woods, playing styles, preference for tone, etc.

I'd suggest trying a few of the suggestions made in this thread and letting your ears be the final judge.

Also, keep in mind that RH levels will effect tone. I find that I lose some articulation when the RH gets above 55%. I used to blame the strings, now I realize it's just my guitars taking on extra moisture. You may not live in an area like I do where the RH levels wildly fluctuate (here in CT we can have 80+% RH in the summers and 15% RH in the winters).

HTH
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:59 AM
JEM1032 JEM1032 is offline
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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try a set of the strings mentioned, and see which one my ears prefer.
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