Looking for bright sounding nylon strings

[gip111]

No experience with nylon string guitars, recently got me an Epiphone Masterbilt en-546c crossover that sat in a closet for years, amazingly even though the low strings looked oxidized, didn't sound bad, the top strings had brightness to them, it made the guitar ring nicely. I just put a new set of D'Addario ej27n and the sound got darker and not as bright, I like the old snappy bright sound better.
So my question, what strings would be brighter than the ej27n?

Thanks!

[CoastStrings]

If you really want bright, then you want carbon strings like Savarez Alliance (540J for hard-tension, 540R for regular tension, and 540ARJ for mixed tension [hard basses and normal trebles]).

Carbon strings tend to have higher tension than nylon, so I would start with the 540R.

In general, titanium trebles are brighter than nylon while carbon trebles tend to be the brightest.

Some people don't like the brightness of carbon for the 1st and 2nd strings because they sound "pingy". I've recently switched to Savarez 510MRP which uses their bright nylon Cristal strings for the 1st and 2nd strings, and their carbon Alliance for the 3rd string.

[Jamolay]

There was a thread on the Thomastik folk fingerstyle strings as in between steel and nylon with 85 lbs tension.

[gip111]

I would like to stay on the "normal" range of tension, I'm not sure if this is asking for too much since I get the feeling there is more snappiness and highs using high tension strings. Being well into my 60's, my hearing has changed quite a bit, I need all the highs I can get!

[Carey]

If you want nylon, you could Savarez New Cristal trebles. They are clear-sounding and relatively bright.

Knobloch fluorocarbon Active CXs sound closer to nylon than the other carbons I've tried, and I especially like their third string.

[gip111]

I appreciate all the replies. Thanks everyone!

[Baldrick]

There are other carbon string sets by La Bella and D'Addario (to name just two) available in medium tension, which might work well for you. You can find a lot of information and choices on the Strings by Mail website - just select "classical guitar strings" and start clicking on the brand name links. La Bella Vivace carbons and D'Addario EJ45FF have both worked well for me. But there are lots of others.

Here's the link: https://www.stringsbymail.com/classi...tar-strings-1/

[fitness1]

Let the strings you just put on settle in for a week or so before you pass judgement.

[Dragonbones]

To the OP: EJ27N are student-grade strings, and are really lacking in brightness to begin with IMO, so I'd avoid them. I'd move up to D'Addarios EJ45 instead, just for quality and durability, based on personal experience. They're the most reliable brand, supposedly, and my EJ45s have been great. Don't sweat an extra dollar or two. You get what you pay for.

However, the D'Addario G strings are sometimes 'tubby' sounding (I had that problem repeatedly), so many replace it with a G from another maker, or often, with a carbon string. D'Addario recognizes the problem and sells an EJ45C which supplies you with both the nylon G and a composite (top-secret) material G which is coffee colored, and you can compare the two. I found the composite G to be better, so I'd go for EJ45C off the bat if you stay with D'Addario. However, there are brighter strings than any of the above. Titanium is brighter (I've got a titanium E1 on now), carbon is brighter yet, and D'Addario has carbon sets too, one of which (XT) also has treated basses to avoid corrosion.

Savarez actually specializes in carbon aka fluorocarbon strings which I've tried, and yes, they're nice and bright. Both makers sell treble sets and bass sets separately as well as single strings, which is awesome, as many companies don't, so you can mix and match. I've got carbons from both makers but haven't been allowed near all but one of my guitars in 7 months, so haven't had a chance to compare the two side by side. Based on what I've read, some find carbons sound good in the middle register, such as for G, or G and B, but report they're weak in the highest range, high on E1, and so use nylon for that one. Carbon also reportedly breaks more often on E1, so some use titanium. That's just what I've read. Some consider carbon to sound 'shrill' or harsh, and others love them. YMMV. You just have to try each.

Hannabach 815 Silver Specials (bylon) are said to be bright, with good projection, and they come in FIVE tensions, which is awesome, so you can even try medium low if you want. But higher tension is louder, so you could compare their MT and MHT (medium high).

If you want to try carbon and want more durable basses, try the D'Addario XT45CC, which are carbon trebles and specially treated basses that last a very very long time. The price tag may look high, but they're said to more than pay for themselves because of how much longer they last.

CoastStrings links to StringsByMail, which is also my preferred site for buying strings due to their fantastic customer service (you can ask them questions like your current one, and they'll take time to answer with suggestions, or explain differences if you're confused). Prices are also very reasonable. They also have a string filter that can find strings for you based on what set (trebs or basses or full) you want, or singles, and what material you want, e.g. nylon, carbon etc., and whether you want basses that are treated, coated or regular, and even what maker you want, as well as tension level. The filter's quirky and hard to use at first but once you figure it out, it's fantastic. Sometimes it gets stuck once you're at a certain level of specificity and works again if you click on classical strings and then start using the filter again from there.

CoastStrings's recommendations on tension are good too. Like he/she said, some think carbon is too bright for E1 and B2, or a bit harsh or strident, but it totally depends on the guitar and the player's ear. You just have to try each and see what's best for you. It's not uncommon to get a Savarez or D'Addario set with nylon E1 and B2 then carbon G, or nylon for E1 and then carbons for B and G.

There are also alternative materials you should consider, some of which are even brighter than carbon, and sound REEAALLY sweet, based on recordings I've heard of their whole line, not tinny or pingy. Aquila's Sugar, Rubino and Alchemia are their brightest, in that order, out of a wide range of innovative new formulations. All their strings sound gorgeous IMO.

Based on their own lab tests, Aquila say the Sugar (made from plastic derived from sugarcane) are the brightest strings in the world, and have sustain 24% longer than carbon, with high projection and brilliance. I've not tried them but an E1 of each of the above three arrived yesterday and I have sets of all three on order. The first two also have varnished basses to prevent corrosion and make them last longer. These three strings also have the best sustain out of their line, in the order Rubino, Alchemia, and Sugar. Rubino blends the sugar material with nylon. Alchemias are nylon but a special, bright, melodious, sweet formulation with good vibrato, and reportedly more durable than the above two. Their Zaffiro, made from plants rather than petrochemicals, are said to be bright and fast, similar to carbon, with trebles louder than nylon, and are said to feel lighter and easier to play.

I HAVE put a set of the guitalele strings from Aquila that are comparable to the Rubinos, in high E linear tuning on my son's Yamaha Guitalele, and they completely transformed the tubby, boxy little guitar into one with simply brilliant sound. The improvement was jaw-dropping.

The Sugar and Rubino are reportedly a bit fragile and have to be brought up to tune gradually after installation; a few have had Sugar trebles snap, but they've worked out fine for most. Check to make sure your nut grooves and saddle are very smooth before installing. They also definitely warn you to tune them up slowly after installation. I suggest picking up a spare set of trebles when you buy a full set, just in case of breakage. The Sugars are also reportedly a bit stiffer than nylon but not as stiff as carbon. But the reason reviewers have loved the Sugars is that they're SUPER bright, with super sustain, and also are the sweetest, most lyrical strings ever, according to some (and from the recording I heard). Brighter than carbon but less strident, one put it. Brilliant, clean, and prompt, with excellent vibrato, and excellent tonal variation as you move your right hand higher or lower, another said. So I'm really looking forward to putting those on and trying them.

I probably went way overboard in terms of caution, and did the following for the Rubino-like Guitalele set: tune basses up normally. Trebles: tune them up to a few steps below pitch, e.g. 2 steps below for G, 3-4 steps below for B, and 5-7 steps below for E1, then raise that a step two to four hours later, leave it overnight, bring the G and B up to pitch, tune the E1 up to a step short, wait an hour and finally bring it up to pitch. No breakage. Aquila has a video of someone installing Rubinos properly, and he only took a few minutes, so I think I went overboard, LOL.

Give all strings a week to mature before judging their sound, as a few kinds really change over the course of a week.

If you're looking for brighter basses too, the ones that are most ringing, bright (and to some, metallic) are reportedly Cantiga Premium NT, La Bella 2001 MT, Augustine Black, and Augustine Imperial Red. That's just from comments I collected from reviews by many players.

So, bottom line, I'd suggest doing what I'm in the process of doing while awaiting medical clearance to pull my guitars out, which is getting a full set of Sugar, Rubino and Alchemia, with a spare trebles set for the first two in case of breakage, and a D'Addario XT Carbon dynacore (or their EJ45FF carbons if the XT are too pricey for you), and the Savarez CoastStrings mentioned, and try each of those in turn. If the carbon E1s turn out to be too strident, pick up a bright E1 single in titanium to try, but you definitely won't have that problem with the Aquilas (Sugar, Rubino, and Alchemia), based on the scores of reviews and recordings I've heard

[AfterViewer]

Silver or silver-bronze coated strings are as bright as the sun in your eyes when you are trying to drive.