The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Classical

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-07-2021, 01:58 AM
Gibbo Gibbo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 92
Default Handling nylon string breaks mid-performace?

Hi -- I've recently started using nylon strings on my Gibson Hummingbird. Yes, there is a volume drop acoustically (though not as much as you might think), but the tone is great, and the melow sound complements my (bass-baritone) voice much more so than the steel strings. (If you listen to Leonard Cohen, his nylon guitar is typically down in the mix and almost "dull" -- but it works perfectly with his voice.)

My only qualm about this is the scenario in which I might break a string in live peformance. With steel strings, you can fairly quickly get a new string on, up to pitch, and tolerably stable. But my brief experience of nylon is that it takes a long time to get pitch stability. Just wondering: surely there must be some nylon-string performers with just one guitar, and the last thing they'd want to do is pack up in the middle of a performance because of single string breaking! Are there any pro "tricks" to get that string on and up to pitch fast?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-07-2021, 04:07 AM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SE PA
Posts: 2,482
Default

The #4 string is the one most likely to break, so that's a good case scenario - bass strings stabilize quickly.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-07-2021, 04:38 AM
Gibbo Gibbo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 92
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bax Burgess View Post
The #4 string is the one most likely to break, so that's a good case scenario - bass strings stabilize quickly.
Thanks -- more generally, are the bass strings more likely to break than the trebles?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-07-2021, 05:33 AM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SE PA
Posts: 2,482
Default

Generally, very durable strings. The nut slots can be the biggest threat, when the fingerboard end of the slot has a sharp edge to it, which will especially nick the trebles. But the #4 is most likely to break due to tension/age.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-07-2021, 07:35 AM
Guest 928
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I wouldn't call it a pro trick, but when I change strings I always keep the used strings and then, when a string breaks, I have broken in strings ready for emergency use.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-07-2021, 11:52 AM
Gibbo Gibbo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 92
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
I wouldn't call it a pro trick, but when I change strings I always keep the used strings and then, when a string breaks, I have broken in strings ready for emergency use.
Thanks -- that's a good one!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-09-2021, 09:54 PM
ssynhorst ssynhorst is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 220
Default

Before you come out, behind the chair and the microphone, put another guitar in a stand. - Stevo
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Classical

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:34 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=