Who Else Has Been Seduced By Nylon Strings?

[Michael Jewels]

I have been playing bass since I'm 15 years old, I am now 69.

But, I started on acoustic guitar, but was never very good.

Since I retired, I have returned to guitar out of love for the sound and complexity of it.

I own three steel string acoustics, but since I bought a Cordoba Stage guitar, which is a nylon string electric, I don't want to play my steel stringers anymore.

The warmer tone and easier tension of the nylon strings has converted me,

Has anyone gone down this same path?

Mike

 

[Michael Jewels]

My Cordoba Stage.

It sounds fantastic through an acoustic guitar amp.

 

[Gopherbassist]

I have one, I really like it.

 

[dlmarquez]

I fell down the classical guitar rabbit hole in 2010!

 

[Danny O Danny]

Funny you should ask, just today I took delivery on a Washburn EACT425 electric/acoustic classical guitar. I had read and watched several positive reviews and it was only $550.00 new. I've only spent a little bit of time with it today but it looks and feels like a good quality guitar, and the electronics sound really good.

.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I have been playing bass since I'm 15 years old, I am now 69.

But, I started on acoustic guitar, but was never very good.

Since I retired, I have returned to guitar out of love for the sound and complexity of it.

I own three steel string acoustics, but since I bought a Cordoba Stage guitar, which is a nylon string electric, I don't want to play my steel stringers anymore.

The warmer tone and easier tension of the nylon strings has converted me,

Has anyone gone down this same path?

Mike

I went the other direction. Nylon -> steel (-> percussion -> bass).

 

[ajkula66]

Not me.

Many a times I've tried excellent nylon string guitars and couldn't get anything out of them. I'm pretty competent on a "regular" steel strung acoustic.

For those of you who can ride that horse, enjoy it. I wish I could.

 

[zontar]

I started on classical guitar, still have it, still play it.
This is an old Asian made student model, with great woodgrain, and a nice bassy tone.
I play electric guitar and bass more overall, but I still play the classical.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Chieli Minucci with his Gibson Chet Atkins.



I got my first Special EFX CD in 1984 and finally got to see them the first time in the late '80s.

That guitar looked brand new when I first saw it!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I started on classical guitar, still have it, still play it.
This is an old Asian made student model, with great woodgrain, and a nice bassy tone.
I play electric guitar and bass more overall, but I still play the classical.

I learned guitar on Mom's old Silvertone Spanish guitar. It had no truss rod and had been in the attic a few years at full string tension, resulting in severe neck warpage. There was no way to use it with steel strings so I restrung with nylon and got the action down to about an inch at the 12th fret. Needless to say, I stayed on the lower frets most of the time!
It was later stolen by someone with the apartment I was living in a few years later but by then I was mostly playing electric. It was still a big sentimental loss, cheap guitar though it was.

 

[zontar]

I learned guitar on Mom's old Silvertone Spanish guitar. It had no truss rod and had been in the attic a few years at full string tension, resulting in severe neck warpage. There was no way to use it with steel strings so I restrung with nylon and got the action down to about an inch at the 12th fret. Needless to say, I stayed on the lower frets most of the time!
It was later stolen by someone with the apartment I was living in a few years later but by then I was mostly playing electric. It was still a big sentimental loss, cheap guitar though it was.

Mine has sentimental value.
When the headstock broke, I was devastated until a friend was able to fix it. He did a great job and added the headstock inlays.
Later the bridge was reglued.
Even if it became unplayable, I’d keep it.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I most definitely love my Yamaha.

 

[Major Seven]

I have been playing bass since I'm 15 years old, I am now 69.

But, I started on acoustic guitar, but was never very good.

Since I retired, I have returned to guitar out of love for the sound and complexity of it.

I own three steel string acoustics, but since I bought a Cordoba Stage guitar, which is a nylon string electric, I don't want to play my steel stringers anymore.

The warmer tone and easier tension of the nylon strings has converted me,

Has anyone gone down this same path?

Mike

Yes. Lately I have been wanting to use a guitar to figure chord changes to better inform my bass playing.
Of the guitars I have looked at so far, the nylon string guitar necks are wider and flatter radius than those usually fitted with steel strings.
Putting nylons an a steel neck could be done but would probably sound different as well as quieter due to body construction.
I have been wondering if nylon string guitars with a narrow neck even exist. Say under 2".

 

[Michael Jewels]

Yes, I think my guitar, the Cordoba Stage has a nut width of 1 7/8 inches.

There is another version of the Stage that has. 2 inch nut width.

Mike

 

[Major Seven]

Yes, I think my guitar, the Cordoba Stage has a nut width of 1 7/8 inches.

There is another version of the Stage that has. 2 inch nut width.

Mike

But what is the radius? There aren't enough guitars at stores to try out to see if any have a rounder radius.

 

[Michael Jewels]

The radius is 16"

The nut width is 1.875

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Man I have to say i think a flat wide fretboard is ideal for nylon strings, but all I really want to use mine for is hearing chords, with no plans to ever amplify this guitar in any way.

 

[bassbrad]

I have a deep love for classical guitar, it is the only 6 stringer that gets regular play. I started on a nylon string guitar and eventually found a nice mid quality Aria that has stayed the longest in my collective of instreuments. I also owned a Hirade and Sakurai both sold in times of financial need and were way beyond my meager skills.
Studying, practicing and adapting classical guitar skills is a part of my foundation of chops . When studying classical guitar in college making the switch was a consideration but alas I am a bass player at heart.

 

[MonetBass]

When a friend who was running the music for a local production of "Man of La Mancha" asked if I could play nylon string guitar in the show, I found a nice used Hernandis for very little money. I still have it and record with it regularly. It sounds wonderful and the neck is as stable as they come.

 

[Michael Jewels]

Ok, what’s busted?

My D string.

I didn’t break it, it broke itself.

The last time I played my Cordoba Stage guitar was about a week ago.

I always put it back in its bag, but this time I didn’t, I left it leaning against my bass amp.

I play bass almost everyday, but after not playing anything for about 3 days,
when I plugged in one of my basses, I noticed the D string on my Cordoba was broken.

There was no one there to break it.

So, it’s broken; must be replaced.

My question is: which strings should I replace the old ones with?

The strings that came on the Cordoba were, Suarez Cantiga High Tension 510 AJ.

These strings sound great, and I didn’t realize they were high tension.

Another brand I’m considering is,
D’Addario EJ45 Pro Arte.

Can anyone recommend anything better? I’m just curious.

I’m probably going to buy the Suarez.

Thanks.

Mike