minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Feb 3, 2024 12:25:15 GMT
Anyone use these on a classical? I really loathe string squeak, which is why my baritone uke has all unwound strings. But classical don't come in unwound, except for gut. Do they have special requirements when stringing up/tuning? And are they way more expensive than regular classical strings?
|
|
juliant
C.O.G.
Posts: 329
My main instrument is: Lowden L23
|
Post by juliant on Feb 4, 2024 21:23:41 GMT
I've not tried real gut, but in the lute world it's quite common to use nylon strings that mimic gut, like Aquila Nylgut. From what I've heard, real gut is a bit of a pain to use, and the nylon ones are an acceptable alternative (unless you are really intent on living in the 1600s). I've got them on an old fretless banjo, and they do the job very well.
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Feb 4, 2024 21:36:50 GMT
I've not tried real gut, but in the lute world it's quite common to use nylon strings that mimic gut, like Aquila Nylgut. From what I've heard, real gut is a bit of a pain to use, and the nylon ones are an acceptable alternative (unless you are really intent on living in the 1600s). I've got them on an old fretless banjo, and they do the job very well. I've been googling since I posted this. They're flipping expensive! And apparently gut is still used in surgeries! Question is, are there any unwound nylon classical guitar strings out there? And does anyone use flatwounds on their steel string guitars?
|
|
colins
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 2,320
|
Post by colins on Feb 4, 2024 21:41:02 GMT
I used gut strings on both my 'Torres' tornavoz classical guitar and on my lutes. Once settled in they are fairly stable, but I always pre-stretched mine to pitch on a frame for a few days. Tonally there is nothing quite as beautiful as well made real gut strings, so I always used them for my recordings. However, they are still very susceptible to humidity changes, so although the very best strings for recording, I used mainly Aquila Nylgut (with silver wound bases) for recital and concert playing. Changing them on my Torres La Lena was simple enough, but it did mean having two lutes as changing 19 gut strings with one-to-one pegs can be time consuming.
Gut string basses are wound over gut, usually silver plated copper, though you can get solid silver windings. A plated set would be about £100, lute string sets over £300.
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Feb 5, 2024 8:02:31 GMT
Yikes!
|
|