Fingerstyle players: nylon or steel?

[EllaMom]

Originally Posted by sirwhale

If you have seen my other recent posts, you will have noticed that I'm moving to "carbon" strings only.

I got tired of the to plain steel strings, just to metallic for me. I prefer the warmer carbon and nylon strings. Saying that, I am using the brightest carbon strings I can find, but here, I couldn't be happier.

When I bend they are only subtle bends, so I can do that on these strings. A semi-tone bend becomes more difficult but doable if I really need to. If not, then I might just do a slide up a fret instead.

You get next to no sustain with nylon strings, but you can get a substantial amount more sustain from carbon strings. With the music I play, the sustain with the carbons is sufficient.

The bonus is that I also get more projection for half the effort. I play with more enjoyment and for longer.

I do seem to recall your mentioning carbon strings in another string/post somewhere, and wondered at the time what those are. I've never heard of carbon strings. I wonder what they would sound like on my nylon crossover Taylor? Hmmmmmm........

[EllaMom]

Originally Posted by dkstott

About 2 years ago, I became infatuated with the sound of nylon string guitars. My steel string guitar has been collecting dust since then.

My primary nylon string guitar is not a true classical. It has a flat fretboard with 2 inch wide at the nut.

I find the wider spacing between strings & at the nut make fingerstyle playing easier for me.

Wait, dkstott, are you saying that YOUR nylon string guitar has a flat fretobard and 2-inch nut, or that true classical guitars have that? I guess I'm confused...I thought that true classicals had flat fretboards and that wide nut, but maybe I am misremembering the information I read when shopping for my crossover.

Can you clarify?

[dkstott]

I play a Cordoba GK Pro Negra which is technically a flamenco guitar.

BUT the guitar has a rosewood back and sides & that is certainly not Flamenco

It has a 1.96" inch width at the nut and a flat fretboard... It also has a very slim neck, truss rod & a cutaway with electronics

Most of the above immediately disqualifies it as a classical guitar. The 1.96" width at the nut disqualifies it for the typical crossovers too.

Most "crossover" nylon guitars that I've played have 1 7/8" width at the nut and radiused fretboard.

I've owned a few Cordoba crossovers with the 1 7/8" width... It's like trying to put 10Lbs in a 5lb sack for me. My left hand felt very cramped with the thicker nylon strings.

Hope that helps

DAVE

Originally Posted by EllaMom

Wait, dkstott, are you saying that YOUR nylon string guitar has a flat fretobard and 2-inch nut, or that true classical guitars have that? I guess I'm confused...I thought that true classicals had flat fretboards and that wide nut, but maybe I am misremembering the information I read when shopping for my crossover.

Can you clarify?

[sirwhale]

Originally Posted by EllaMom

I do seem to recall your mentioning carbon strings in another string/post somewhere, and wondered at the time what those are. I've never heard of carbon strings. I wonder what they would sound like on my nylon crossover Taylor? Hmmmmmm........

Carol,

I very much recommend you try carbon strings, that meaning they are made from fluorocarbon polymers. They give more projection than nylon, more sustain, better bending and a brighter tone. The b and g strings are not as floppy as nylon strings either.

If you are interested, I posted this thread about them yesterday:

"In search of a better carbon E string"
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=466680

[Bikewer]

I've "gone nylon" for several years now. I play using classical-guitar technique, nail and flesh, and that's essentially impossible on steel strings unless you do artificial nails or something similar.
I play fingerstyle jazz almost exclusively... Chord-melody stuff.

When I want to play my steel string, I get out a flatpick.

[EllaMom]

Originally Posted by sirwhale

Carol,

I very much recommend you try carbon strings, that meaning they are made from fluorocarbon polymers. They give more projection than nylon, more sustain, better bending and a brighter tone. The b and g strings are not as floppy as nylon strings either.

If you are interested, I posted this thread about them yesterday:

"In search of a better carbon E string"
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=466680

Thanks so much. I will look into this!

[Pitar]

Left steel string for nylon a couple years ago. I play solo, plugged, so I don't pretend to be acoustic at all. Steel became grating to my ear so I left it.

[Earwitness]

My nylons are kind of unclassical, but I love to play them. I use the same technique and play the same songs. With the particular steels I have--rich--and nylons I have--more muted--the nylons are much easier to sing over for singer/ SW type stuff.

I have wondered what it would be like to have a straight up fine classical. Nice , I'm sure.

[mercy]

I had a really good classical guitar but I never could accept the plastic sound of the treble strings. Then I got a steel string flat top and have had several since. I have arrived. I love the sound when playing a song. The strings by themselves just plucked dont sound good but together they are wonderful.

[JohnDWilliams]

There's some crossover between what I feel comfortable playing on nylon vs. steel. There are some things that don't cross over at all.

Anything Spanish or Flamenco style (I don't claim to do either authentically) is better for me on nylon. I'm getting a lot of gigs playing a Cordoba studio for this easy-listening stuff and it really is better on nylon.

On the other hand country blues is not as good on nylon. I don't do as many country blues gigs but my preference for those is a recent Gibson L00. Maybe a Waterloo soon.

But the steel strings wear my nails down. That's no problem for the country blues gigs 'cause I play steel strings just fine with flesh. The nylon string stuff really sounds better with nails. I've been trying to juggle my schedule for blocks of time when I need nails vs. when I don't.

This Friday I have to do Spanish-flavored stuff for a Cinco de Mayo event. After that I might start gigging with an OM or an X-braced parlor of some sort. That would cover the relaxing stuff and the country blues with one guitar and one nail setting. Not as good as specializing but it's close.

[Arthur Blake]

Here's a video of Michael Chapdelaine playing Romanza beautifully on steel strings:

https://youtu.be/_6RkGvZ9zGo

I like the steel string OM because I can play a classical piece and then immediately shift to a ragtime blues tune without changing anything but my attitude.

I do love playing classical music, but not exclusively.

[Pitar]

Steel born and bred, nylon by evolution.

I have no quarrels with steel other the metallic sound I've lost a fondness for. I say that but in all the years of playing steel strings I'm not sure if I found a sound I was looking for. You wouldn't think so by all the buy/sells and finding myself completely devoid of steel strings in the end. I think the journey and the search were interesting (and expensive) and mostly positive but here I am playing only nylon now.

From a strictly acoustic POV -

Steel does certain dynamics better if you use them. Bends in particular hang in there longer than with nylon. And, sustain is inarguably a feature of steel over nylon. Everything else is a function of personal skills.

But -

I don't play acoustically. I'm always plugged and by far plugged nylon completely waxes plugged steel in every nuance of my ear. The Piezo systems don't do steel strings very well, or rather vice versa. Piezo is a very sensitive material and the sonic busyness of steel is grabbed by it for amplification. The characteristic quack of steel/Piezo cannot be tamed. Nylon does not have the frequency busyness of steel. Nylon is a natural attenuator and will tame itself where steel won't. Nylon smacks the Piezo one good time and then sonically settles down where steel just keeps grinding its sonic teeth with each pluck and, in a sense, rubs the Piezo raw. Sustain? We have FX and knobs for that.

Playability. No problem. I have large hands so a wide flat neck is actually better for me. More real estate, less cramping. Less tension speaks for itself.

In a perfect world I'd take the best of both and combine them if I had an alchemist's magic to do so. Steel's dynamics with nylon's sound and playability would be very nice. Maybe I should ask on the acoustic guitar forum if anyone can "recommend me" such a guitar.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Pitar

In a perfect world I'd take the best of both and combine them if I had an alchemist's magic to do so. Steel's dynamics with nylon's sound and playability would be very nice. Maybe I should ask on the acoustic guitar forum if anyone can "recommend me" such a guitar.

Perhaps a classical guitar with a double top and using spruce rather than cedar or redwood for the top.

[TBman]

I play 99.99% of the time on steel strings, but sometimes I get the urge to play on nylon. I have a classical (soundclip below) that only cost me $99 at the time I bought it, a Lucero LC-100. I may breakdown one day and pick up one of those Cordobas. For less than $500 you can get a great sounding classical.

[Gitfiddlemann]

I have a classical (soundclip below)

Barry, a lot of good in there. You phrased that nicely. The only suggestion I would have is to turn the volume UP. (On an "amp" scale of 0 to 10, you seem to be playing somewhere between 1/2 and 1.)
Playing that nylon would be a great way for you to practice digging in and getting a bigger sound. You'll sound more like the way you should!