#1
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Anyone tried converting a steel acoustic........
.........guitar to a nylon strung guitar. I reckon it's viable. The only two concerns may be needing to change or modify the nut and could I get enough string winds on the tuners too get the strings up to pitch.
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#2
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Indeed, it's done all the time. Widening nut slots is often the only modification needed. If it is a pin bridge, you can learn to tie big "granny" knots in the strings to simulate ball ends (that's what was done in the 19th century) tie on some string balls or other beads, or obtain ball end "folk" nylon string sets.
The result is a quiet sounding guitar with easy left hand action - just as you'd expect.
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Cheers, Frank Ford |
#3
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To elaborate: string tension and the energy that goes from strings to top will be less with nylon. Steel string guitars are built to cope with higher tension and more energy, so the top will vibrate less with nylons.
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Breedlove, Landola, a couple of electrics, and a guitar-shaped-object |
#4
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Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#5
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Thanks for the advice guys. The viability / outcome will be known pretty soon. I've got the guitar.....got many nuts that I've attempted to alter over time in an effort to lower my acoustics nut action (always manage to file one string slot just a little too much) that I could use as a new nut.....have a number of saddles too (yes, many of which are from failed saddle alterations). Just waiting for ball end nylon strings to arrive in the post. Should be good to go in 2 days time. If it works then great. If it doesn't then I've got a set of my usual extra light phosphor bronze strings to put on it. Nothing ventured.....nothing gained.
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#6
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I've done it a few times that I can remember for people and none of them ever sounded any good. I try to convince people to just get 10 gauge extra light strings instead.
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#7
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The details have been well covered so far. It can be made to work mechanically, but the tone will likely be lacking. Steel string guitars are braced to handle the tension of steel strings (~165 pounds for light gauge) whereas nylon string guitars are more like 90-100 pounds. So your converted guitar will be WAY over-braced for best tone. But it will be easy enough to undo if you don't like it.
I have an old Sears Silvertone folk guitar that sometimes wears nylon strings. I swap out the nut and use ball-end nylon sets. I do this when I'm learning something elaborate and playing the same passages over and over. That's just easier on the callouses. Or sometimes for hand rehab after an injury. |
#8
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Did it also, not as quiet as I expected, did not sound too bad. Saw the virtue in nylon strings and built me one.
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Fred |
#9
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It's worked out ok. Ok in the sense that the strings are on the guitar and I've made some temporary adjustments that I hope to make more permanent at a later date.
NUT.........Had to make slots for strings 1,2 and three a little wider. Strings 5 and six buzzed out at first fret so bunged a sliver of plastic credit card to raise nut action. NECK.......Loosened truss rod and put a shed load more relief into neck. SADDLE....Raised saddle by around 2mm (plastic credit card again). It plays. Loud enough for my usual bedroom nurdlling. How can I post pics on the forum? |
#10
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Best way to post images is to host them somewhere else, and make a photo link here. I prefer Flickr.
There's a Gallery here too, but it is a bit limited: http://www.acousticgallery.com/photopost/
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Breedlove, Landola, a couple of electrics, and a guitar-shaped-object |
#11
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Quiet is right. You might try a classical or purpose-built nylon-strung guitar before you do a changeover. I was stunned by the wonderful feel and tone/projection you can get from even a pretty "cheap" nylon-strung guitar (if you shop around and avoid the clunkers). It's hard (impossible) to get that in a converted steel-stringer, and you lose so much of the unique pleasure of playing nylon when the guitar is choked.
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#12
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Quote:
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