Crossover Players - what are your favorite strings?
 

I just welcomed into my collection a brand new Taylor 812ce-N crossover guitar and I’m quite pleased with the tone. Andy Powers re-braced and stiffened the back and sides of this series and I think it works well. This guitar is now as light as comparably priced classical guitars (3 lbs, 14 oz) and it shows as it is responsive and loud. You probably cannot accurately state anymore that Taylor over builds their nylon stringed guitars.

The guitar came with D’Addario Pro Arte Extra Hard strings. The lower bass strings were rich and full with strong sustain. The upper treble strings I found to be dull and “wonky” relative to the bass strings. I changed these out to the John Pearce/Thomastik Infeld Folk nylon strings and the improvement in the treble strings is significant compared to the D’Addario’s.

I don’t play classical. I added this guitar to add another voice to complement my steel string guitars. Would be curious to know what other crossover players might like or prefer string-wise.

Thanks!

I have a cordoba fusion maple. I quite like the standard savarez corum alliance 500AJ, these are high tension fluorocarbon.
I did try a change and I am currently using d’addario EJ45FF, normal tension fluorocarbon, which, quite subjectivity, seem a bit more mellow. I think these will be what goes back on next time.
Having said that I have been taking lessons so it could be an improvement in technique.
For certain my cordoba prefers carbon strings, with standard nylons it feels dead.
Mostly I play classical, leaning towards baroque.

I have a few notes about different configurations of crossover strings. Notes about a few I've used and a few I didn't end up getting to can be found at the bottom of this page:

Crossover Guitar

I like Savarez 520 F

These have a wound G, helps to keep the intonation a bit cleaner IME

https://www.juststrings.com/sav-520f.html

Rudy4, patiently waiting for an update... I just put the D'Addario EJ46 on my Kenny Hill crossover and don't like the tone.

Hi Todd,

Unfortunately I did not get any further along on the posted string sets, the last EJ46TT set is still in use, although I just don't play the Cordoba much. I'm hoping to do more with it later but I've got a bunch of projects that take precedence.

So many instruments, so little time! ;)

I play a Cordoba Orchestra CE crossover (Fusion series). After trying many strings in the first year or so after I returned to nylon strings I settled on…

Oasis GPX+ Carbon HT Classical Guitar Strings, Treble Set, Model: GX-1123H
These are flourocarbon, which to my ear (lifelong “steel string” player) have a much less “tubby” sound than standard nylon treble strings. The high tension feels more comfortable under the fingers for me than medium tension strings. Very good intonation up and down the neck.

D'Addario EJ46LP Composite HT Lightly Polished Strings LCH-3B Bass Set
Great sounding bass set, lightly polished to help reduce string squeak when sliding notes. Plenty of warmth, nice “presence”, and very good intonation.

Never had much luck in getting the tone I was after from a full set of anything I tried. But mixing the treble set that I like with the bass set that was more comfortable did the trick. Strings By Mail stocks a lot of partial sets and make it easy to tweak until you find the combination that really “does it” for you. So that’s where I find what I need.

I agree with others that regular nylon strings sound a little dead on the trebles. I have been playing nylon for about 10 years. I have a Fernandez grand concert, a Takamine Santa Fe and a Babilon N which is similar to a Godin solid body nylon. All of these are strung with either Savarez Corum or Aquila Sugar.

I like La Bella 2001 Classical strings a lot. I currently have a Medium Hard set on my Kremona Verea, and these sound and feel great. On my Godin ACS SA, I have the Hard tension set. Again, these sound great, even when detuned to DADGAD and open C.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I think there are so many different strings to choose from, it’s hard to tell what to try next. Especially when people suggest different bass strings and different treble strings from different sets! I am slowly trying more types but it’s a slow process as I don’t like to change all that often. Always looking for a good guide to different strings…
Do crossover guitars voice differently than a standard classical with the same strings (assuming the crossover is not overbuilt but similar build to the classical)??

That's about a pound heavier than my average guitar

For crossovers I think high tension carbon strings will give you the most steel string feel of the available options. My preference is for Knobloch but I've enjoyed the Saverez carbon's I've tried too.

Another vote for Savarez Corum Alliance
 

Depending on how responsive the instrument is you might want to try a harder tension set. I like the rounded bass strings and bright fluorocarbon trebles but the latter do feel a bit skinnier than typical nylon trebles.

I guess my nylon-stringer would qualify as a crossed-over :D

After lots of experimentation, I use
- Aquila Rubino trebles. These are about as a significant step up carbonfluor strings, in my opinion
- GHS 2100w PB-wounds D and A. These are the only PB strings I can stand, and actually love. The low E from this set sounds even deader than the average PB steel low E, so:
- a high tension 80/20 bronze low E, currently from a Galli Aureum set. These live almost forever so I don't really care I can only get them in a full set.

I have D'Addario Classic XT normal tensions on mine. (The strings are over 2 years old, but lightly played)

Here's a short tune with them. I had started learning to use finger picks and at the time of this recording I was using ProPik steel picks. The guitar isn't a crossover, it's a Cordoba C5. I should try hard tension on
it now that I'm using finger picks. I hate changing strings on classical though because it seems like it takes forever for them to stretch out and settle in.