Are you primarily a classical player or just meddle with one?

[Dru Edwards]

Hey. Just wondering ... who here is primarily a nylon string guitarist (whether classical or hybrid), who just meddles with one and is more of a steel string guitarist, and who doesn't play nylon string at all?

[zhunter]

These days mostly nylon string playing Spanish/Latin music in a band. Trying to learn flamenco in my spare time. I still do electric steel string work but I probably spend 75-80% on nylon. Leaving the pick behind has been a big work out for my right hand.

Sometimes I wish I had had some classical schooling since I think it would contribute to some extent to learning flamenco, even though they are different things.

So classical? No.

hunter

[Dru Edwards]

Thanks Hunter. I was trying to set this up as a poll and messed up.

[scottishrogue]

Hey Dru, that's an excellent idea for a poll...keep trying!

I'm neither, I would describe myself as a "dabbler" mostly, the vast majority of my experience has been with steel-string guitars, but after I watched Sharon Isbin on YouTube, I was smitten, and knew right away I had to expand into the world of classical guitar.

Glen

[paullouisf]

I do not have a classical/nylon but I would like to get one, and possibly make it my only guitar. The typical 2" nut may or may not be a problem. I played a La Patrie Etude and it felt pretty good, so 2" may be okay. I would like to try a Cordoba Fusion Orchestra hybrid, although it is out of my price range. A Cordoba C3M or C5 would be in my price range. I hear Yamaha is also good.
Anyway, I am not a classical player but I would like to be.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by scottishrogue

Hey Dru, that's an excellent idea for a poll...keep trying!

I'm neither, I would describe myself as a "dabbler" mostly, the vast majority of my experience has been with steel-string guitars, but after I watched Sharon Isbin on YouTube, I was smitten, and knew right away I had to expand into the world of classical guitar.

Glen

Hey Glen, I thought I was a "meddler" on my classical but now I think I am a "dabbler", just like you. I do enjoy my steel strings more.

Originally Posted by paullouisf

I do not have a classical/nylon but I would like to get one, and possibly make it my only guitar. The typical 2" nut may or may not be a problem. I played a La Patrie Etude and it felt pretty good, so 2" may be okay. I would like to try a Cordoba Fusion Orchestra hybrid, although it is out of my price range. A Cordoba C3M or C5 would be in my price range. I hear Yamaha is also good.
Anyway, I am not a classical player but I would like to be.

I have a LaPatrie and it's a nice little guitar but it is a classical and does have the wide nut width. There are hybrids with the smaller nut width. Taylor has the 200 nylon series ... not sure if that's in your range or not.

Do you play much steel string?

[Roselynne]

I still consider myself a rank beginner on both nylon and steel, but I play more classical, early and traditional music (and newer stuff that mimics those styles to some degree) on the nylon.

I'm sorta careful with fingering (PIMA), but my sitting position varies wildly, and I often lose track of where my left thumb should be. Maybe "dabbler" covers it for me.

[mtdmind]

Classical guitar performance was my major in college. I play about ninety percent on my nylon string guitars, but I also love playing bluegrass and blues on my new dreadnaught.

[Sentinel]

About 20 years ago, I played classical guitar a lot. Now I just play around on it a bit, and I'm mostly a steel string player.

[paullouisf]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I have a LaPatrie and it's a nice little guitar but it is a classical and does have the wide nut width. There are hybrids with the smaller nut width. Taylor has the 200 nylon series ... not sure if that's in your range or not.

Do you play much steel string?

I played steel string electric and 12-string acoustic for almost 10 years, then didn't play play for about 25 years. I recently got the old 12-string (1975 Conn F-1512) out and have been trying to get back into playing but am having difficulty with the oversize dread body and the 2" nut. I think I can get used to the 2" nut again but that big body has to go. I have been thinking about a classical for a while and this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2a_yfT84KQ is reinforcing those thoughts, this is the sound and the music I would like to concentrate on. I am now a huge Ana Vidovich fan. I suppose this type of music could be played on steel strings but may not sound as good, although the Seagull Coastline S6 Folk Cedar Top is pretty nice for steel strings. I love the sound of a classical guitar.
Anyway, for the past few months I have been trying to do something with the steel strings but I have a feeling I should go with a classical, or maybe a cedar top folk steel string.

[wcap]

My first guitar that was not a guitar shaped object was a Takamine classical. My first really nice guitar was a Spanish made classical, which was my only guitar that I played for about 5 years. More recently I have gotten a few nice steel strings, including, very recently, a 12 string.

I play all of these. I view myself as a guitar player, and I play the things I play on whatever guitar I think it sounds best on (and I think a lot of my "fingerstyle" pieces sound best on the classical). My classical gets more time than any single steel string guitar otherwise, and when we perform as a family, and when I have done some performances of various sorts myself, about a third to a half of what I play is on the classical.

Though I have some nice steel string guitars, if I had to keep only one guitar I'm pretty sure it would be the classical.

[jmiked0]

I regard myself as primarily a classical guitar player in the sense that I mostly play on a classical guitar, not that my repertoire is mainly classical music. I started back in 1960 with a steel string electric, then switched to only playing on a Goya nylon string guitar for the next 30 years. I started playing electric again in 2002 or so, then went back to a classical last year. I'm mainly into classical music now, and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future.

I currently play a La Patrie Concert for just noodling around, and a Francisco Navarro Garcia Concert model for seriously playing.

[Paikon]

I studied classical guitar for years so my main instrument is classical guitar.I play music from Renaissance till now.
I bought an acoustic because i thought that some of the music i play would sound good or interesting with steel strings and it does.

[reholli]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hey. Just wondering ... who here is primarily a nylon string guitarist (whether classical or hybrid), who just meddles with one and is more of a steel string guitarist, and who doesn't play nylon string at all?

I don't play nylon string guitars at all only because I don't have one. I bought my first wife a Guild classical in the late '60s, and it was a fine guitar...haven't played one since then. I definitely wouldn't mind having a classical guitar.

When I play my steel string guitars, it's from classical position, even my dreadnought.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by paullouisf

I played steel string electric and 12-string acoustic for almost 10 years, then didn't play play for about 25 years. I recently got the old 12-string (1975 Conn F-1512) out and have been trying to get back into playing but am having difficulty with the oversize dread body and the 2" nut. I think I can get used to the 2" nut again but that big body has to go. I have been thinking about a classical for a while and this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2a_yfT84KQ is reinforcing those thoughts, this is the sound and the music I would like to concentrate on. I am now a huge Ana Vidovich fan. I suppose this type of music could be played on steel strings but may not sound as good, although the Seagull Coastline S6 Folk Cedar Top is pretty nice for steel strings. I love the sound of a classical guitar.
Anyway, for the past few months I have been trying to do something with the steel strings but I have a feeling I should go with a classical, or maybe a cedar top folk steel string.

That's some amazing playing (I listened to the entire video), and she is so beautiful too. That makes me want to pick up the classical too. Good luck!