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  #1  
Old 12-03-2010, 07:47 AM
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open-road-matt open-road-matt is offline
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Default Have Other Steel String Players Completely Switched To Nylon?

I learned to play on an old nylon string guitar I found in my grandma's attic when I was 11 years old. I played that until I convinced my parents I was serious about guitar and then moved on to an electric guitar with a loud amp.

Thankfully my electric phase didn't last too long and I wanted an acoustic guitar. I got a steel string in early high school and never looked back.

2 and a half decades of steel string playing have gone by and I've been making my living since 1999 as a touring, performing songwriter, all on a steel string guitar.

But...for the last 2 months or so, since getting what I think is a wonderful nylon string guitar, I have no interest in steel string at all! None, zip, zero!

Is this a phase? Are there support groups for this kind of thing?

This past summer I bought what was supposed to be a lifetime guitar. THE most beautiful sounding steel string I have ever played. It was the perfect guitar!

Now, every other day or so, I get it out, play a couple of chords, still marvel at how wonderful it sounds, then put it away and go back to my nylon. Every song I play, both unplugged and plugged in sounds and feels better on my nylon. (I think)

I told my wife this morning that I was even thinking of selling my steel string because I can't stand to have a guitar in the house that goes un-played and I can't see ever going back to steel!

I am on the road playing for the whole month of February and I'm only bringing my nylon string.

Is this kind of thing normal? Has anyone else gone through this?

Matt
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Old 12-03-2010, 08:09 AM
Ryan Alexander Ryan Alexander is offline
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Hey Matt,

I'm going through a similar situation. After 17+ years (10 dedicated steel string fingerstyle), I recently became hopelessly addicted to flamenco and sold the last of my steel strings to buy 2 flamenco guitars (blanca & negra). The idea was to completely immerse myself in flamenco so the techniques would come easier and faster. Personally, I feel that selling my last SS was a mistake. I felt good about it at the time, but regretted it almost immediately. I've decided to keep the better of the 2 flamenco guitars and now have the other up for sale to fund another SS. My impulsiveness got the better of me this time. YMMV
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Old 12-03-2010, 08:15 AM
Kindness Kindness is offline
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I am right with you both! Loving my nylon string right now. Just cannot get connected to the steel string. That's why my Voyage Air is up for sale. I don't want to sell my other steel string yet, so I'm freshening her up with some Newtone strings to see if it helps. If that does not work, then she's going up for sale too. I hate having guitars lying around not in use!

When you get the right nylon stringed guitar with a fantastic tone (and they are hard to find), with the right strings, you just cannot beat it!
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Old 12-03-2010, 11:16 AM
Dark Eyed Junko Dark Eyed Junko is offline
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There must be something going around.

I have played exclusively steel string for over fifteen years. Recently I pulled out my Yamaha classical from 1989 and it has become the guitar that sits on the stand next to the couch (as the poor Martin stays in its case, waiting for the next gig). I'm also saving up for a nicer nylon string (probably the Godin ACS-SA), as I'm getting into more bossa and latin music.
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Old 12-03-2010, 12:29 PM
Play2PraiseHim Play2PraiseHim is offline
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I made the switch to only nylon at the beginning of the year. I still desire to get a 12 string to compliment my nylon. But I must admit that I have no desire for a steel string 6.
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:21 PM
sunpadre sunpadre is offline
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I started learning on SS 3 years ago but just got a vintage classical and plan on using it exclusively going forward - least that is the plan for now. Still keeping the SS though.
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:16 PM
Gtrfinger Gtrfinger is offline
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just out of interest to the OP what is the model of nylon string you've become so attached to?
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:17 PM
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open-road-matt open-road-matt is offline
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I'm glad I'm not alone on this!

I think it's interesting to read that in Ryan's case and in Dark Eyed Junko's case the move to nylon was to explore different styles of music. Have the rest of you who have switched to nylon kept playing exactly the same stuff you were playing on steel and preferred the way it sounded, felt, etc. when played on nylon strings?

For steel string coverts to nylon, are you using a flat pick? I started with a flat pick and in the last month or so that is completely gone and now I'm playing with bare fingers, no nails and occasionally trying a thumb pick.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan Alexander View Post
Personally, I feel that selling my last SS was a mistake. I felt good about it at the time, but regretted it almost immediately. I've decided to keep the better of the 2 flamenco guitars and now have the other up for sale to fund another SS. My impulsiveness got the better of me this time. YMMV
Ryan,
Why do you regret selling your steel string? That is something I've been pondering. I talked with a friend of mine today who plays primarily nylon and he said it would be nice to have a steel string around for when the steel string mood hits but we both agreed that a Collings (my current steel string) is probably too much guitar to have just "laying around!"

Matt
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gtrfinger View Post
just out of interest to the OP what is the model of nylon string you've become so attached to?
I have a Taylor NS74ce.

It was a weird journey. I started playing the ukulele about a year ago and slowly added it into my live shows. This summer I was up to sometimes 15-20 ukulele songs per show depending on the gig. It seemed like a harsh transition to go from the ukulele to a huge steel string so I started pondering nylon.

I looked at the Taylors because I'm a Taylor fan and I knew it would be a good instrument but even the lowest end Taylor nylon seemed like too big a step for something I had never tried to play live.

I pulled out an old one that I had that is in pretty bad shape and thought about having it worked on but the amount I would spend for new tuning pegs, a case, a pickup, etc. would put me into a decent new guitar.

I settled on a Yamaha NTX700. That looked nice and felt good but I've never cared much for sound board transducers. Wonderful at low volumes but this seemed to get lost a bit if I had to be a little loud.

I found a great deal on a Taylor NS24ce and traded the Yamaha in on that. The NS24ce was a better fit for me than the Yamaha both acoustically and plugged in but when I compared it to the 74 I knew I was in trouble! Not that the 24 was bad but the 74 was just so much richer and more complex.

My 74 had some string balance issues when plugged in so I took it to a local repair guy who got a few saddles from Taylor and tried some things and got the balance really close. Just last week, on the recommendation of someone here at the AGF I put a set of GHS La Classique Doyle Dykes strings with a wound G. I've loved the 74 since the day I bought it but with these strings now I really can't put it down!

I run it through a Radial Tonebone PZ-Pre and I couldn't be happier!

So there's my nylon journey. Probably too long an answer!

Matt
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Old 12-04-2010, 09:37 AM
chinmusic chinmusic is offline
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I couldn't give up my Collings dread, but I have been considering giving up my Telecaster for the warmth, intimacy and "space" offered by a nylon-string guitar.

I haven't fully made up my mind yet, but boy, it feels close...
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Old 12-04-2010, 11:17 AM
Bobby1note Bobby1note is offline
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Matt,

Similar situation here. Two years ago, I dusted-off my old nylon string, which had basically sat in a cupboard for close to 20 years. I struggled for a couple of weeks due to the string spacing, but now, I'm on the nylon-string guitar over 90% of the time. I play mostly finger-style, and the nylon-string just seems to be better suited for the tunes I play.

Will I give up my steel-stringed guitars? Nope. I confess that I'm somewhat of a pack-rat, and in the past 45 years or so, I don't recall ever selling off a guitar. I've flirted with the idea from time-to-time, but just can't bring myself to do so. I guess I've got 20 or so guitars laying around, and they're like old friends. They all have their unique personalities, and when I need them, they're there for me. I guess a lot depends on the type of tunes I'm playing, and who I'm playing with at that moment. I seldom go anywhere without my old Guild JF-30.(Westerly R.I.) When I need that certain "woof", nothing comes close.
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Old 12-04-2010, 12:16 PM
brad4d8 brad4d8 is offline
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I migrated from steel to nylon in the 70s, after 10 years of steel string, mostly on 12. BUT, at the same time I started a serious study of classical guitar and played very little else. I always kept a six and 12 steel around for when I wanted to accompany a song or jam with my country/folk friends. Recently, I've migrated back to steel almost exclusively, although fingerstyle is split between the two. I still think that there is nothing quite like the sound of a good classical guitar.
Brad
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Old 12-04-2010, 04:42 PM
rgregg48 rgregg48 is offline
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Played nylon since 1965..
"I was Nylon, when nylon wasn't cool"

Rickr
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Old 12-04-2010, 07:49 PM
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I went through all manner of steel string guitars for several years, trying to find a few that had unwound strings that didn't drive me absolutely nuts. I gave in to nylon almost exclusively about a year ago ... sold (or am in the process of selling) all of my steel strings except one, and couldn't be happier.

I still play fingerstyle on a few select electric guitars pretty often, but acoustic steel is just not the thing. I have a steel string OM due from Julius Borges this month (that I ordered a couple of years ago) and it will be interesting to see if it can make a home around here. If anybody can do it, he can ... but I definitely have a very, very strong preference for nylon at this point and cannot imagine ever getting off of the train.
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Old 12-04-2010, 09:32 PM
Jhengsman Jhengsman is offline
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Even though most of the acoustic music i listen to featured nylon players when I started I followed someone's advice and started on steel. It only took me three years to make the switch.

Now I just have to keep explaining to Jheng why the acoustic and the 12 string just sits in the corner.
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