Has anyone played a Nylon Hybrid guitar?

[Gcunplugged]

I'm primarily a fingerstyle steel-string player so I thought I wanted a nylon hybrid... That is until I tried a couple of them. I went to my local shop and didn't play any of them well, finding the lower tension strings, radiused fingerboard, and narrower string spacing to be a bad combination for me.

I walked out with a Cordoba GK Studio, and have been very happy with it.

My advice would be to play as many as possible and decide if it will work for you.
GC

[keembo]

That is a trip. I am really not having much problem getting used to my Pono Cross Hybrid with 1-7/8 nut, and I am normally a steel string fingerpicker. It is a little strange at first in that the bass strings pluck so easily. I am not sure what kind of strings came on mine, but I may get high tension ones when I replace. I don't find it hard to go back and forth to the steel strings though, as it just seems to take a couple of minutes and then everything seems to work fine.

[strongdad]

I have a Cordoba Fusion 12 CE with a 1-3/4" nut and radiused fretboard that I really love. You can see and hear it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wF1oOqj5dY

I play all kinds of different music with and without percussion and it handles everything pretty good. Like Mike (lodi_55) I like playing lots of different styles on one guitar.

[87Standard]

Originally Posted by strongdad

I have a Cordoba Fusion 12 CE with a 1-3/4" nut and radiused fretboard that I really love. You can see and hear it here.

Very nice video. The Cordoba Fusion sounds great.

I hate to keep nitpicking but checking the specs on the MF website seems to indicate that this too has a 1 7/8" nut width (48mm).

A 1 3/4" nut width would be 44.45 mm which is my preference for steel-string but seems like it would be a bit narrow for the thicker nylon strings.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by 87Standard

Hmmmm...

According to Yamaha's site the NTX 700 has a 48mm nut width -

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music...00/?mode=model

I don't think I've ever encountered a nylon string guitar narrower than this.

Personally I like the 48mm because it makes the guitar play more like a steel string.

And both my Yamaha and Ramirez have what seems like low action for a nylon string which also helps them feel more like steel strings to me and makes them easier to play.

The NTX1200R also sports a 48mm nut, end-to-end. Seriously. That's the dimension reading on my caliper from one flat side to the other. New, E-E string spacing was less than 40mm so I had a new nut installed and cut the E-E to 40mm (1-9/16"). I think I can get it a bit wider now that I've had some play time on it and bump it out to 42mm (1-5/8").

[strongdad]

Originally Posted by 87Standard

Very nice video. The Cordoba Fusion sounds great.

I hate to keep nitpicking but checking the specs on the MF website seems to indicate that this too has a 1 7/8" nut width (48mm).

A 1 3/4" nut width would be 44.45 mm which is my preference for steel-string but seems like it would be a bit narrow for the thicker nylon strings.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar

You are right 87Standard, it does have a 1-7/8" nut! I can't hardly tell a difference when switching back and forth between my 1-3/4" steel string though. I find the neck to be very comfortable for my hands. I liked the GK Studio Negra a lot as well and even though the neck has a very thin profile, it felt a little too wide for my hands. The Fusion fit like a glove and I really thought it was a 1-3/4"!

[87Standard]

Originally Posted by strongdad

You are right 87Standard, it does have a 1-7/8" nut! I can't hardly tell a difference when switching back and forth between my 1-3/4" steel string though. I find the neck to be very comfortable for my hands. I liked the GK Studio Negra a lot as well and even though the neck has a very thin profile, it felt a little too wide for my hands. The Fusion fit like a glove and I really thought it was a 1-3/4"!

Well in all fairness, 1 3/4" would be 1 6/8", so it's only a few millimeters narrower than a 1 7/8". That's why I say I hate to nitpick...

I do like the 1 7/8" from a playability standpoint. My Yamaha plays like a steel-string and is very comfortable - probably the most naturally comfortable nylon string I've played. But it can get a bit cramped in there though on the left hand fingering for some classical pieces.

The neck on my Ramirez is only 2mm wider (50 mm) but for whatever reason that 2mm helps in those instances.

[Nort]

I'm primarily a steel string player, so, my preference in a nylon string hybrid is to have one setup with high tension strings.

a friend of mine has a Kirk Sand classical setup with high tension strings,
while it's not a hybrid, the high tension strings help it to feel more comfortable under my fretting hand, and the tone is beautiful.

I've tried the Taylor nylon string models and have not found one yet that I like the tone of.

I've played one Lowden S25J that was very comfortable to play and sounded great as well.

I'm fortunate to live near The Guitar Shoppe, and visit there and have played many of Kirk Sand's nylon hybrid guitars, imho, they are the ultimate nylon string hybrid, based on my limited experience.

Now if I could just get the coin together

[87Standard]

Originally Posted by Nort

I've tried the Taylor nylon string models and have not found one yet that I like the tone of.

I unfortunately must concur.

I love the sound of Taylor steel-strings and I love the 'idea' of a Taylor nylon.

But after trying a bunch I haven't yet been overly-impressed by their tone.

[john bange]

Originally Posted by 87Standard

I unfortunately must concur.

I love the sound of Taylor steel-strings and I love the 'idea' of a Taylor nylon.

But after trying a bunch I haven't yet been overly-impressed by their tone.

me too...beautiful guitars, superb construction, very thin sounding

[scottishrogue]

I don't want to sound stupid, but will somebody PLEASE tell me, what exactly does the term "hybrid" mean? I mean, I might have one and don't even know it! I have 2 classical models in my signature, and they both take nylon strings. Does either one qualify? I just gotta know!

[john bange]

Originally Posted by scottishrogue

I don't want to sound stupid, but will somebody PLEASE tell me, what exactly does the term "hybrid" mean? I mean, I might have one and don't even know it! I have 2 classical models in my signature, and they both take nylon strings. Does either one qualify? I just gotta know!

your Martin 000c is a hybrid(crossover) by virture of it's 17/8th nut and radius fret board...your other Martin, while having dimentions of a classical guitar might be called by some, a nylon "folk" guitar. I think both are wonderful instruments

[scottishrogue]

Originally Posted by john bange

your Martin 000c is a hybrid(crossover) by virture of it's 17/8th nut and radius fret board...your other Martin, while having dimentions of a classical guitar might be called by some, a nylon "folk" guitar. I think both are wonderful instruments

Thank you John. That clears up a few things. I have Martin steel strings on my 000-16, but nylon strings on my Gibby CE. I can, however, make my Gibson CE, sound like a Fender Strat (using DFX on my amp), even though the fingerboard is flat. But, I have a little trouble bending notes with it, due to the nylon strings being so slippery.

[lpa53]

Originally Posted by Nort

Now if I could just get the coin together

Right. You could get this baby.

[Nort]

Scottishrogue,
John hit on a couple of the key things that would seperate what we call a Hybrid nylon string from a standard nylon string guitar.

The narrower nut width, anywhere from 1-15/16" down to 1-3/4"
the raiused or arched fingerboard vs. the flat fingerboard,
different scale lengths, different body shapes or contour, a cutaway
a hollowbody acoustic/electric like the Kirk Sand nylon, or Paul McGill's nylon

the Lowden S25J I referred to earlier, is considered a hybrid nylon string acoustic, it has a narrower nut width, radiused fingerboard, cutaway,
I don't remember the scale length on it.

lpa53:
Yeah, I've played that guitar down at the shop, it's wonderful, but, if I could find the funds, for $500 more, I'd go for this one
http://www.sandguitars.com/2007-526-pics.htm