Nylon strings on steel string acoustic?

[hopefulpicker]

I own a Martin Dreadnaught Junior guitar. Teaching myself (trying) from Frederick Noad and Mel Bay books. I would like to try nylon strings. Can I replace the top 3 strings with nylon without damaging the balance of the neck?
Should I instead replace all 6 strings with nylon? I know the sound will be totally
different, but my main concern is not to damage the neck. Thanks for your advice.

[Ben M.]

You won’t hurt anything but I doubt it would sound very good.
Make sure you get ball end nylon strings if you try it.
Silk and steel strings might do a better job giving you what you’re looking for

[pickinray]

You won't damage the neck, but the slots in the nut of your Dread Jr. are cut for steel strings, so the nylon strings won't fit. And, as mentioned above, nylon strings won't sound very good on that guitar. What is your purpose for switching to nylon?

[Silly Moustache]

I wouldn't receommend this plan.
Your dreadnought is built to take the tension of steel strings. The tension of classic strings in inappropriate, and will neither sound right nor be easily playable, if at all.

Similarly, you could feasibly put bicycle wheels on a four by four, but no good will come of it.

[printer2]

No harm to the guitar but the nylon strings are greater in diameter than steel strings and they may not fit in the nut. The intonation will be wrong with the saddle up the neck but starting out the ease of playing of nylon and just getting down open chords make it less of an issue. Silk and steel might be a better alternative without having to change anything on the guitar.

[hopefulpicker]

Call me a wimp but I'm trying to give my tender 77 year old fingers a break.
I'm unfamiliar with silk and steel strings. Will research them.
Never thought of the slots in the nut or bridge being too narrow.
Thanks for all the advice.

[birdsong]

Originally Posted by hopefulpicker

Call me a wimp but I'm trying to give my tender 77 year old fingers a break.
I'm unfamiliar with silk and steel strings. Will research them.
Never thought of the slots in the nut or bridge being too narrow.
Thanks for all the advice.

Not wimpy at all. A decade ago I needed some major chemo/radiation which left me with some noticeable nerve damage. I could not play guitar for a couple years. Upon return, everything hurt.

I had a baby Taylor (like a 3/4 size guitar, so similar to yours). I put extra light (10's) strings on it. That really helped and it sounded fine. After a few months, it was clear that I was on a long road to get back to really playing and I remembered my middle management training - this isn't a problem, it's an opportunity! To buy a new guitar. So I went looking, discovered AGF and the classifieds, and got a very nice but inexpensive nylon "crossover" - a Cordoba model. Loved it so much that after a couple years I sold it and bought a different crossover for a LOT more $$ (beware the AGF classifieds!).

Later, I purchased a baritone Ukelele.

You have options but the one you asked about is, as has been noted, not the best. Silk and steel strings are nice as has been said. But you could also just try some 10's for a few months, get your callouses and strength worked up, and then move back up to whatever you are currently using.

If you want the sound of nylon, there are numerous inexpensive nylon stringed guitars. But it sounds like you want relief for your fingers and for that, try different varieties of steel strings.

J

[xzy]

Silk and steel are good, so are Thomastik Plectrum AC111... IMO.

I tried every string on my acoustic I could think of, and except for the two mentioned above I couldn't live with the metallic sound or tension. Then I tried a nylon set with ball ends....it was more of what I was looking for.

So, I sold my acoustic and bought a luthier built Classical....now I play on gut strings and couldn't be happier. The instrument just sings...so I'm glad I tried nylon.

Give it a shot....or better yet, go to a Guitar Center and try a Cordoba C5. It's a nice entry level classical that sounds good and nice quality for $300.

[JERZEY]

Its not going to work. The nut is cut for steel. The guitar is built for steel. Its a very short scale as it is. Nylon strings will not work out well.

[pickinray]

Originally Posted by hopefulpicker

Call me a wimp but I'm trying to give my tender 77 year old fingers a break.
I'm unfamiliar with silk and steel strings. Will research them.
Never thought of the slots in the nut or bridge being too narrow.
Thanks for all the advice.

You're not a wimp at all. Congratulations on starting your guitar journey! It's a lot of fun at any age.

The Martin Dread Junior is a wonderful instrument for a first time player. It has a short scale length (24"), which will make it easier to play. Now that I understand what you're looking for, I recommend starting with a set of silk and steel strings like these:

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-EJ40...s%2C184&sr=8-5

I think you'll find these to be more comfortable to play. You can also tune your guitar down a half-step to reduce string tension even further. Good luck and have fun! And don't be shy about asking questions. That's what the AGF is for.

[wkbryan]

I too think Silk & Steel strings are a good option. I put some on an Ovation with a bad neck and the reduced tension makes it tolerable for occasional patio playing, and they are soft on the fingers.

This does raise an interesting question. If someone tried the cheap experiment of putting nylon strings on a typical steel string instrument and they liked the sound/feel, couldn't the bridge slots be re-filed or replaced to accommodate the nylon strings? Perhaps this is an OK option when on a modest budget. Maybe even a good option for my old Ovation that has some sentimental value but simply won't handle normal use now.

[pickinray]

Originally Posted by wkbryan

If someone tried the cheap experiment of putting nylon strings on a typical steel string instrument and they liked the sound/feel, couldn't the bridge slots be re-filed or replaced to accommodate the nylon strings? .

The slots in the nut would have to be re-cut only for the treble strings. For a light gauge steel string set, the treble strings are typically .012, .016 and .024". For a normal tension nylon set, the gauges are typically .028, .032 and .040. So the nut slots would have to be made wider for the trebles. I don't think any modifications would be necessary for the bass strings.

[rstaight]

Sore fingers are part of the game when starting out. Usually takes a few weeks to get through the worst of it. And they will still hurt after longer periods of playing.

Try light or even extra light strings to start. I have not used the Silk and Steel strings but have heard a lot of good about them.

If you really want to try nylon strings check into a guitar built for nylon.

[AndrewG]

Intonation will be shot to pieces using nylon strings with a bridge intonated for steel strings. A classical guitar typically has a straight-across bridge saddle with no compensation because the strings don't vary as much in dimension or mass from E to e as they do in a steel strung guitar.

[pickinray]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Intonation will be shot to pieces using nylon strings with a bridge intonated for steel strings. A classical guitar typically has a straight-across bridge saddle with no compensation because the strings don't vary as much in dimension or mass from E to e as they do in a steel strung guitar.

Excellent point. Then perhaps silk and steel or some other type of low tension steel string would be better.