Classical guitar strings tension issue ??


mathieurevel
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mathieurevel
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08/18/2019 11:11 am

I just purchased a nice 2nd hand classical guitar, Yamaha C80, great condition, I notice that obviously the nylon strings feel different but I am very surprised with how flexible the strings are compared to steel ones and I must say it s making it harder to play or at least as they bend so easily I tend be much less precise and therefore I end up muting other strings, especially on barre chords.

I just purchased a new set of strings in store and a friend installed them, also after a few minutes only the tune goes off (especially the G chord) but I heard it can take a week or 2 for the strings to settle as well. However even when I tune all strings, it still feels super ''bendable'', not like on my accoustic where the strings feel solid and dont move up and down when i play chords.

Is it normal on classical guitar or is there a reason why i dont feel this tension ?


# 1
manXcat
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manXcat
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08/18/2019 2:55 pm

Nylon strings for Classicals come specified in set tensions not gauges. In general, low/light, medium/normal and high/hard, and even extra hard. e.g. EJ44. Which did you fit? Medium aka normal is default fitment on Yamaha's C40/70/80 series.

If lightening your touch isn't working, try Pro Arte EJ46 hard or even EJ44 extra hard. Higher tension will also result in more pronounced tone as a rule.

It's normal for a fresh set of nylons to go out of tune spasmodically after a change until played a while.


# 2
K-rad
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K-rad
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08/18/2019 9:06 pm

I ended up trading-in (throwing in a woodchipper) my steel string for a nylon. It took a little getting used to, yeah the strings are way more bendy - it's one the charms of nylon.

Another thing, is it is likely that the neck of your nylon guitar is wider. When I first started out on mine I ended up noticing I was reaching from the side rather than the top as I wasn't used to reaching as wide. So I was muting strings a lot. But it didn't take too long to get better about adjusting my fingers.


# 3
mathieurevel
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mathieurevel
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08/18/2019 10:07 pm

Thanks for the input, manXcat i dont know, a bought it at the music store and my friend installed them straight away I didnt pay attention to it unfortunately, i d say they are light or medium at best.

I have been for example playing Banana pancake from Jack Johnson where you have slides in the 5 to 7th fret and barre chord from 3rd to 5th fret, and it s like I can t het a proper hold of the strings vs my accoustic guitar with the same songs. The strings kind of slip out of my fingers. I might try those Pro Arte EJ46


# 4
manXcat
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manXcat
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08/19/2019 12:48 am

Good plan. He possibly put Pro Arte EJ43s (light) or more likely student EJ27N (medium) strings on. But they could be anything. Ask him.

D'Addario's Pro Arte series strings are pretty much like everything D'Addario do IME. Solid performers coinciding with high expectation at a reasonable price.

They're a known setting a standard of consistency where it won't be the strings limiting playability or tone for the majority of players including moi. Although Savarez aren't all that much dearer in my country as D'Addario are also imports subjected to GST, exchange rate and single line distro gouging, the difference still adds up, and would in the USA where D'Addario are [u]significantly[/u] cheaper.

I like fitting fresh strings to my guitar inventory as regularly as possible contigent to each guitar's use, so I'm always on the scout myself for anything representing better value, the 'value' defined as there being a significant saving to make it worth my while without sacrificing anything in the way of [u]discernible[/u] performance.

[br]Always willing to explore options without illogical bias, I've got some Alice Classical Pro strings (85/15 bronze wound silver plated) winging their way to me right now. Similar to their plectrum product options and range of electric strings, Alice make a range of price pitched quality segments in Classical strings. Available in normal and high tension, the AC139s are their higher end and a more expensive product. I hear very good things about them as Pro Arte peer equivalents, and I can source them delivered to my door from my country for less than half the cost per set of the [u]very best price available to me[/u] of an equivalent set of Pro Arte EJ47s (80/20 bronze wound silver plated copper). Only way to know for sure how good or bad they are is to experiment by trying hands on.

Apart from feel, I'm interested to see what their tone is like, and if being coated dulls the wound strings. Although Alice do claim in their product spiel the coating treatment is fade proof, I'd suspect it more likely fade reducing or resistant in truth. I have the very popular EJ45s and EJ47s to compare.


# 5
mathieurevel
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mathieurevel
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08/19/2019 6:38 am

Very resourceful ! thank you for your time and effort. I ll go back to the music store, the right word to define my experience with the string is that they slip out of fingers like i m rolling over them it s terribe, i can t get a proper grip on my bar chord, especially on fret from 4-5 to 12 as the strings are higher


# 6
manXcat
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manXcat
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08/19/2019 8:00 am

Well higher action is part and parcel of traditional Classical as is the lesser tension & string friction of the nylon strings against the fingertips. Without a truss rod, it is what it is. As you're aware, only 12 frets to the body and a thicker neck with wider fingerboard and string spacing. Long skinny fingers are better.

My very first guitar of my youth was Yamaha's Japanese made antecedent of the current C40/70/80 series. Not knowing any better at the time, it was what I bought in high school to teach myself on. When I bought my lawsuit SG a year or so later and experienced an electric neck and action for the first time, I thought I'd discovered my guitar heaven.

I bought my current Classical for nylon tone and exploring relevant fingerstyle, and have electrics and acoustic tools for anything else I want to do. I was tossing up whether to buy a nylon slimline acoustic instead, but after deliberation the Classical got my $$$. Maybe an addition in future. The nylon tone is very useful with many vocals.


# 7
mathieurevel
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mathieurevel
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08/20/2019 4:39 am

I guess it s a matter of getting it used to it then. On some fingerstyle songs, i must say it sounds much better than accoustic but not all fingerstyle songs. Great to have both, now i need to practise more, it s a very different feel. I do have very long and thin fingers so at least that s my luck, i dont see how you can press a string in those frets 7 to 12 without mutting the string next to it with such high action if you need to strum a bit on top of fingerpicking. it requires a lot of precision !


# 8
manXcat
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manXcat
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08/21/2019 12:45 am
Originally Posted by: mathieurevel

Great to have both[/quote][p]

+1


# 9

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