Do stings have to fully stretch to sound their best?

[Quickstep192]

I'm in the process of experimenting with several different types of strings on my first nylon string guitar. I'm accustomed to steel string guitars where the strings sound their brightest when they're first put on and get progressively deader sounding over time.

So far, on the nylon string guitar, the trebles always sound dead to me. I'm wondering if I'm giving them enough time before deciding that a certain set is not for me.
Do nylon strings get brighter as the reach their ultimate elongation?

[Bax Burgess]

Especially the 3rd (g) string, gains clarity. Different brands and different string types take from almost immediately to several days, maybe a week, to get past the tubbiness.

[rick-slo]

Just takes a short time - well less than a day - for the strings to settle in.

[Red_Label]

No. They don't sound brighter as they age. Nylon strings are more "plucky" and subdued sounding than steel strings. Steel is brighter and "zingier". Both types of strings only deaden with age.

Some brands of nylon strings sound brighter than others. I prefer my nylons to be as bright and snappy sounding as possible, because I play flamenco inspired styles on flamenco guitars these days. I've been through most brands in my 32 years of playing classical and flamenco. All I play anymore is Luthier Populare Supreme 20 sets (those are the ones with Paco's picture on the back). I find them to be livelier than other sets.

P.S. I also play steel string acoustic and electric styles, so my stement regarding the relative brightness of steel versus nylon is born from extensive experience with all. I've always changed my strings before every performance or recording session, because they all sound their best when new.

[Quickstep192]

Do Higher tension strings sound brighter than medium tension strings? (all other things being equal)

[Carey]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Do Higher tension strings sound brighter than medium tension strings? (all other things being equal)

No, and high tension provide fewer of the kind of overtones I'm looking for. YMMV, of course.

[Bax Burgess]

From what I've read, depending on the guitar, high to very high tension can limit the movement of the top, so there's that. From personal experience, to the extremes of boring comparison, a 3rd string, until it is stretched out and settled in, won't be at its brightest best.

[Red_Label]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Do Higher tension strings sound brighter than medium tension strings? (all other things being equal)

They did in my experience... all other things (brand and model) being equal. I used to use D'Addario Pro Arte Composites. I started out using med-high tension... but ended up strictly using extra hard tension sets because I wanted bright, snappy flamenco tones and the extra hard sets were better at that. But that's a lot of extra tension to be putting on the necks and I'm over all of that. Besides, my regular tension Luthier set sounds brighter than the extra hard D'Addarios that I was doing.

[redir]

As Bax said you can indeed take out the responsiveness of the classical guitar top by using too high tension. When ever you get a new guitar you should also probably buy ten sets of strings in various tensions and materials and find the one that works.

As for stretching. I don't change the clear treble strings on my guitar till like 5th string change, so they stay on the guitar for a year or more. I just change the bass strings. I find the bass strings wear out fast but the trebles get nice and hard and sound better and stay in tune when they get a month old.

[gigmaster]

Yeah. They will sound better and behave a lot better once they have stretched fully, and the wraps have snugged up.

[LOSTVENTURE]

Nylon strings are always stretching, although later in life they tend to stabilize. And there is a tremendous length on that time that they really sound good. I was told by one of my early mentors that, when he strings stop stretching, it was time to change them.