nylon and "gut" strings

[jpd]

How long do these typically last for the home player? Lots of discussion on steel strings...little to nothing on these

[musicman1951]

Fortunately for the sheep, I don't know anyone who uses gut strings.

Longevity of nylon strings depends on how many hours a day you play and how much you like the sound of new strings. I don't have any trouble getting 2-3 months, but I hate changing nylon strings. The changing part is OK, but the stretching drives me crazy.

[Dogsnax]

As stated above, longevity of nylon strings depends on how much you play. Trebles tend to last longer than basses, so many players switch out the basses and replace the trebles less frequently. From my experience as a steel string player for many years, I find that I don't change my nylon strings nearly as m as often as I did steel strings. I've always played for about an hour each day, longer on the weekends.

[redir]

You can still get real gut strings but they cost a fortune. I have never tried them. I did just try a set of NylGut strings which is a synthetic 'gut' string and the one thing I found impressive about those is they stay in tune when you string them up. Even the next day the guitar was still very close to in tune.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by redir

You can still get real gut strings but they cost a fortune. I have never tried them.

Lute players sometimes use real gut strings. Lute makers often use real gut for traditional tied-on frets - nylon won't make the tight bend at the edges of the fingerboard, making the nylon frets high at their ends.

Gut strings are/were notorious for being hygroscopic and changing cross-sectional shape inconsistently, the result of which is that they didn't play in tune well, particularly as weather changed. History reports that Segovia was thrilled when Dupont introduced nylon for guitar strings, allowing him to abandon gut strings.

[brad4d8]

Originally Posted by redir

You can still get real gut strings but they cost a fortune. I have never tried them. I did just try a set of NylGut strings which is a synthetic 'gut' string and the one thing I found impressive about those is they stay in tune when you string them up. Even the next day the guitar was still very close to in tune.

Agreed, just put them on one of my classicals and was pleasantly surprised by their stability.

[Raining Notes]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Fortunately for the sheep, I don't know anyone who uses gut strings.

Longevity of nylon strings depends on how many hours a day you play and how much you like the sound of new strings. I don't have any trouble getting 2-3 months, but I hate changing nylon strings. The changing part is OK, but the stretching drives me crazy.

Hello in regards to strings I find 3 months they last with one hour or less per day before they don't tune up nice anymore. However in saying this I got closer to 4 or 5 months with Ernie Ball nylon strings although thought they sounded very 'pure' and closer to steel strings while being slightly louder.

If you want some strings to last a while can suggest these Ernesto Palla Clear and Silver 2403. They lasted longer than D'Addario, Savarez, or the original on my Yamaha C40, but in my opinion did not sound as 'classical'.

[Carey]

I've used gut trebles by a couple of makers, though not recently, and the high e strings didn't last long at all; maybe a day, IIRC. Intonation was also an issue.
The sound was alive and vibrant, but not really a workable set for me.

Adding: as for nylon trebles, I generally use them until they stop playing in
tune, and that can be a long time (better part of a year). Sometimes the top
string gets too scratchy sounding and I'll change it because of that, as well.

[nightflight]

I use nylon and gut strings...

Nylon strings are pretty long wearing, and I get 2 or 3 months of optimal use out of them. Mind you, I don't perform. If I did, I might change them more frequently.

You say "gut". Do you mean sheep gut or the "nylgut" strings... nylgut are synthetic and wear is comparable to nylon.

If you mean sheep gut, I use them on my baroque guitar. They don't corrode, so there isn't that problem. And the sound doesn't degrade with time. However, the higher strings wear and break with some regularity. It depends on how much you play. Mostly I break my high e string the most. And on my guitar, the high e is a single string... the other strings are courses of 2 strings. My frets are also gut, but I haven't worn any frets out to date.

I get my gut strings from GAMUT in Duluth, MN. They are approx $10 per string, so about $90 to replace all at once (which I do not do). Note that sheep are not killed to make strings... strings are made on the coat tails of the meat industry.

[JLT]

Originally Posted by redir

You can still get real gut strings but they cost a fortune. I have never tried them. I did just try a set of NylGut strings which is a synthetic 'gut' string and the one thing I found impressive about those is they stay in tune when you string them up. Even the next day the guitar was still very close to in tune.

I notice that Aquila has a number of Nylgut string sets.

https://www.stringsbymail.com/classi...s-1/aquila-52/

Which one did you use? And does anybody else have any recommendations?

I'm also looking for recommendations for reasonably priced string sets for a classical guitar my neighbor gave me to re-string.

[Bax Burgess]

Here are some notes on the Alabastros and Rubinos.

Aquila Alabastro Normal:
Cervantes Crossover 1 S/R (corian saddle) (jump between #3 and #4, #3 oversmoked fretter)
Cordoba F7 (corian saddle) (balanced, sonorous, dry, airy, good volume/definition, bell-like percussiveness when played hard, good fretters that begin to strain over body)

Aquila Rubino Normal:
Aranjuez No. 6 w/ La Bella 2001 Medium Hard basses (bone saddle) (#3 has a gutteral quality, but is in keeping with #1 and #2, dryish, clear, but with some body)
Aria A544F (bone saddle) (balanced, clarity at low volume, clear/bell like at high, dry/excellent fretters, #3 dries at soundhole)
Asturias C150S (bone saddle) (balanced, airy, slappish, sonorous bass, stern, rounded/dry, ringing trebles when played hard, clear when played softly, good to excellent fretters, #3 dries at soundhole)
Breedlove Passport N200/CMP (corian saddle) (basses dry, but lively, trebles ring when played hard, balanced, good fretters)
Cervantes Crossover 1 S/R (corian saddle) (a focussed cathedral vibe, balanced, good definition, good/dryish fretters, #2 and #3 smoky in the higher fretters)
Ibanez Salvador 7 (micarta saddle) (balanced, clean, crisp, sound expands to inside the body, good to excellent fretters)
Rainsong NP12A (micarta saddle) (powerfully lush presence [too much?], smoky, good [if subdued] fretters)

[nightflight]

Originally Posted by JLT

I'm also looking for recommendations for reasonably priced string sets for a classical guitar my neighbor gave me to re-string.

A good all-around classical set... D'Addario Pro Arte EJ45s. They also have a set with a composite g string, which I like... EJ45C. Under $10.

[chas5131]

Most sources note that gut strings now come from cows.
Sheep are still used for a different product that is sold by Trojan and others.

[Carey]

Originally Posted by nightflight

A good all-around classical set... D'Addario Pro Arte EJ45s. They also have a set with a composite g string, which I like... EJ45C. Under $10.

Another vote for D'Add EJ45. They're a very good baseline set.