Strings for better sound

The best strings in the world won't make a poor classical guitar sound great but poor strings will ruin the sound of a great classical guitar. You may or may not have a great guitar but you will certainly be better off with the best strings you can find for it. High quality classical guitar strings that feel right for you and also improve the sound of your nylon string guitars. This issue shows you a way to find some of the best sounding strings for your guitar.

Finding the finest classical guitar strings

Three things to consider when selecting strings are tension, string material and string quality.

1. Tension -- Classic guitar strings are made in different tensions. They are: low tension also referred to as moderate or light, normal or medium tension, hard or high tension. There are some other tensions but we don't need to be concerned with them now.
2. String material -- Treble nylon guitar strings can be made with clear or rectified nylon. Clear nylon strings are extruded and then calibrated for accuracy. Rectified nylon strings are extruded and then ground to produce a string that will play in tune. They have a very fine roughness of texture. Treble strings are also made of carbon fiber and composite materials. Bass strings are primarily made of bronze wire or silver plated copper wire wound around a core of fine threads.
3. Quality of manufacturing -- The strings must play in tune and be made from high quality materials that hold up well.

How to select string tension

To find out what string tension works best for you buy a low, medium and high tension set of the same series and manufacturer. Lets use D'Addario as an example and choose the Pro Arte series J43, J45, and J46 sets. Use a peg-winder to change strings and try the three sets out over a few day period. Go back and forth between sets until you determine the tension you like.

Once you have selected the string tension you prefer try a few other brands in the same tension. It's better, for the sake of comparison, you choose silver plated bass sets. Some classical guitar string manufacturers that offer excellent quality strings are Savarez, Hannabach, La Bella (the 2001 Professional series) and D'Addario.

If you have settled on the string tension that feels right for you and tried a number of brands you have probably found some classical guitar strings you are pleased with. Use the set you like the most as a comparison set. Keep the tension the same.

Try different String materials

If you want to explore further try some rectified nylon trebles like the J29, J30 and J31 sets by D'Addario to compare the feel of rectified nylon to clear nylon guitar strings. The J29 - J31's are made with the old standard Dupont nylon and have a wonderful tone and feel. There are a lot of musicians who likes them very much even though they tend to be somewhat temperature sensitive. But beware, just because someone likes them doesn't mean you will. Savarez also makes excellent rectified nylon trebles.

Try some carbon fiber trebles. Carbon trebles are slightly smaller in diameter than nylon guitar strings of the same length and tension. Carbon fiber tends to give a brighter edge to the sound which can be a plus or minus depending on the guitar. My number one choice for carbon fiber classical guitar strings are the Savarez Alliance trebles.

A word of caution. Carbon fiber treble strings are prone to slip at the tie block as can nylon. Before puting the treble strings on classical guitars better hold the string tip above a match flame. The melted string tip balls up and prevents the string from slipping at the tie block.

Try some bronze wound basses. They tend to go dead sooner than silver-plated strings but they work well for many players.

Make your strings last twice as long

Now that you have found some excellent classical guitar strings here's a way to make them last twice as long. It's not a joke. This simple tip will cut your string cost by half and you'll not find it written on the back of a set of strings either.

The bass strings on a classical guitar often go dead before the trebles. The strings are usually not worn out. The windings are dirty. Remove the bass strings only. Loosely coil them and place them in a large basin, bathroom sink or whatever. Submerge them in room temperature water. The water can be lukewarm but NEVER HOT. Hot water will cause nylon guitar strings to play out of tune.

Add about 1/4 cup of ammonia to the water and let the strings soak for about fifteen minutes. More time won't hurt them. The ammonia and water mixture breaks down crud that has built up between the windings on the strings. Put a washcloth in the water and pull each string through it a couple of times. Rinse the strings under cold water. Pull them through a dry towel and put them back on your guitar.

The cleaned basses often sound better than they did when new. They don't squeak as much and they don't need to stretch out like new strings. The washed strings also work well for recording because they are somewhat smoother since they have been played in and they have a lively, clear sound.