Dumb question?

[gibpicker]

I have a Yamaha FS-800 steel string couch noodle that is strung with 10's to cut down on finger tip pain, and a friend suggested stringing it with nylons to further lesson the pain.

My first thoughts are: How would the top vibrate? How would the fatter strings fit the slots in the nut, not to mention being anchored to the saddle, and the buzzing etc. etc. Bad idea is my thought, but I would like opinions from others who know a lot more than I do. Thanks!

[JonnyBGood]

Yes, its a bad idea and you are absolutely right for all those reasons. If you want a nylon strung guitar, go get one, an entry level classical guitar is very cheap and secondhand entry level is peanuts. I see these going on Facebook locally for about the same I pay for a pack of strings!

So to summarise - yes you would probably need to recut the nut in order to get the strings to fit, on a guitar with a top they won't be able to drive properly (tension far too low), and the result with buzzing all over the neck unless you shim your saddle way up as a low action on a classical would be what I would consider unplayable high action on a steel strung.

Try putting on a set of silk and steel strings instead, much softer on the fingers than steel strings

[rmgjsps]

I'm going to answer this only because I have done it. I was starting to play after a 20 year break, I bought two CHEEEEP guitars, a classical, and a steel string acoustic. I also have a touch of neuropathy in my hands, so I can sympathize with your pain problem.

The cheap acoustic was almost unplayable, so I learned to do some basic set-up and improved it immensely, but, it was still just haed, even with re-stringing with lower tension 11's (I now use 11's on my current collection of acoustics.) So, I restrung with a low tension set of nylon strings. I didn't make and mods to the saddle or the nut. The strings rode a little high at the nu, but the lower tension nylons compensated in the small increase in action height. The bass strings drove the top pretty well, but the trebles were thin.

You will not get the same volume from the guitar as you do with steel strings, but, since this is your couch noodler, that may not be important. I'm also a livingroom player,so I didn't care.

I have one steel string that I usually keep strung with 11's or even 10's, that I am going to run an experiment on by re-stringing with am electric set of 9.5s. Probably be a couple of months before I actually try this.

Another thing you might try is tuning down a half step or a whole step and capoing up to pitch. If you don't care about playing (or singing) in full pitch, then forget the capo!

FWIW, I hope this helps.

[gibpicker]

Thanks for the thoughts, and there really are some real cheap nylon guitars out there, so I think (like I did before) that it would be a bit silly to even try putting nylons on a steel string guitar.

The only problem is that it seems that buying a 200 buck nylon guitar might not have the playability and decent sound that the FS-800 Yamaha couch noodle has. I'm guessing as far as nylon is concerned, anything under $400.00 new might be a waste of time and money? Thoughts?

When I bought the FS-800 I was very surprised that it would be the one I pick up the most for practice even though it's not in the same world sound wise as my J-30 dread, but the FS is so easy to play with a pretty nice neck. I was hoping to find a classical with the same basic qualities.

[lar]

Go over to the Classical forum, you should find some relevant threads/posts. But you should be able to pickup a used Cordoba Fusion for around $400.

[gibpicker]

Thanks again to all for the good advice. I am going to try using 9's or 10's in silk & steel if they make them, and will try dropping it down a notch. I haven't even had a setup done yet! First things first. I will have the set up done for 9's or 10's, and with a little luck it might just workout with the finger tip pain.

[Sonics]

I tried it once a long time ago (...in the interest of science) and it impressed me to the degree that I didn't try it again. However YMMV. I suggest you invest in a pack of ball-ended nylon strings, before you even entertain the possibility of buying another guitar.