What is your favorite classical guitar string tension?
 

What is your favorite classical guitar string tension? and Why?

I am not a classical musician nor do I play guitar professionally. I play mostly as a hobby for my own entertainment so the tone I get from the strings and/or the tension is not that important to me. However, I do appreciate a good sounding guitar. I am posting here because we all get old and our bones, fingers, etc start breaking down and causing us pain that makes it difficult to continue with our love of the guitar. I have this problem and have searched countless hours for an answer. So far the best answer is to drop each string three half-steps. Then capo on the third fret if you must play in standard. With out the capo the strings do seem a little loose, but nice for hours of practice or playing for yourself. Minus surgery, this seems the best way to go.

I can't believe I'm actually participating in a string discussion. I think strings are one of things guitar players waste the most time obsessing about.

But...I do have a preference for hard tension (nylon, not the skinny carbons).

The reason I prefer hard tension isn't for tone or projection. I just like the way they feel under the fingers. I'm a fairly advanced classical player, and I do a lot of intricate, finger-knotting stuff on the fretboard. Hard tension strings are very stable, they don't flop, buzz or move around as much as lighter tension strings, so they're always exactly where they're supposed to be. They also don't move or bend out of shape and mess up the intonation.

I like hard or extra hard tension (or high, if you like), probably because that's what I'm most used to using. The few times that I've ventured over to the normal side, I've not especially liked the feel.

Hard and normal, very rich in low tunings. Could be what standard players hear with low tension strings.

I use carbon strings:

Normal tension E string, hard tension for B and G.

Normal tension for bass strings.

Maybe the poll should be adapted for choices for both the bass and treble strings.

The categories in the poll do not mean much since what one maker means by low, medium/normal, or high/hard tension is not the same as other makers. For one maker, medium tension could be higher than high tension from another maker. Also, it is often unclear what method or scale length makers use to gauge the tension of their strings. Finally, there is often inconsistent labeling within a given maker's product line, resulting in the same strings being identified as having different tensions depending on where you get the information on their website.

^^^ This ^^^

That being said, I prefer medium tension EJ45s with an Alliance 543 third string.

After all that I'm kind of ashamed I voted in the poll. It seems so meaningless now. (lol)

Oh, and I have been playing what ever a particular string maker calls their stiffest strings; be it hard, heavy, high or what ever, for years now.

Dave

Depends on the brand/set. Normal for some, high/hard for others. Some normal sets have about the same tension as other's hard tension sets

hunter

I'm very happy with normal tension strings. While there might be a load of volume by not using high tension strings. I gain a lot of left hand comfort by playing normal tension strings.

I have found that lighter tension strings can also sound sweeter/more musical, have greater dynamics/volume range, allow for better vibrato, and have longer sustain.

Hard tension. Soft feel spongey and roll around under my fingertips.

I use D addario Pro Arte Hard Tension 80/20 Bronze Wound EJ48

The Bronze on the bass is so dark and rich. I love it.

Have no experiences with hard tension but would like to try.