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Nylon vs. steel strings

Steel Strings are 10 times Better !

Submitted by DrZeldaFreak on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 06:24.

Steel strings are harder to play, but they have a clearer and better sound !

I go for Steel

Submitted by Rafaga on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 16:52.

Why? Because im used t them, i can bend a lot easier too... and i use it a lot.

1) Regardless of the guitar, i think Steel chords are ftw becaus it's a strong and warming... if you made an error you can identify instantly...
1.1) Nylon strings DOES tune out.. even if they ar enot new, sometimes, if you don't play with the guitar a bit, fam, tunes pout... it's not hard to tune it right again.. but it just tires me :P
1.1.1) String chords need strong to put them down and make it sound right, so i can train with my fingers to make them stronger... what for? Bars.
1.1.1.1) Nylon strings tend to tune out if they are new, and you can't use them first day ):
1.1.1.2) Steel strings tend to tune out too, but you just need a half hour to make them tune perfectly.
1.1.1.3) Nylon strings are good for classical themes... i go for neo-classical ones... so... of course i'd like steel better...

and i have a ton more of reasons :P

You should be able to

Submitted by Parhelion on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 18:37.

You should be able to identify errors instantly regardless of the string material...

I choose nylon on the basis of changing "tonal color". All the time, I hear how Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, Pierre Bensusan, etc. can play expressively, but to my ears, they don't measure up to the manipulation of tone by trained classical guitarists.

Personally, I'd go for

Submitted by 1219sean on Sun, 07/26/2009 - 09:24.

Personally, I'd go for either. Eventually I'm going to get used to it so I don't really mind. :)

nylon is king

Submitted by bluefox90 on Sun, 07/26/2009 - 02:50.

nylon users have more of a better tech than those of steel..no offense. many great sounds can come from both, regardless of what many says nylon is the art of music.(Steel players just stick with powerchords)

bluefox90 said nylon users

Submitted by auriplane on Sun, 07/26/2009 - 04:14.

bluefox90 said

nylon users have more of a better tech than those of steel..no offense. many great sounds can come from both, regardless of what many says nylon is the art of music.(Steel players just stick with powerchords)

Hahaha. Yeah right XD

idort

Submitted by Mash on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 17:23.

i like both

Longevity and Sound Quality

Submitted by kurebisubarudo on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 12:28.

I go for Nylon 'cause they have a pure and beautiful sound.
And my pack of Giovanni Classical Nylon Strings are lasting for about 4 months.. o_o
And i play my classical guitar every day!

On the other side, my electric guitar's steel strings lasts for about 1, 2 months with the same play rate...

I just got my new classical

Submitted by TheDophine on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 09:25.

I just got my classical guitar not to long ago, and love it to death! Something about it really gets to me, unlike the steel string acoustics I've played.

I love the feel of the nylon strings, how smooth it feels when you move from fret to fret. ^^; I always shutter at the sound of the screech that steels strings sometimes make when playing. It just kills my focus and immersion while playing (though, it may just be a fault of my own in technique).

Also love the mellow tone the nylon strings have, its easy on the ears, and really cools me down on a stressful day. In a way it feels like you can even put more emotion while playing it.. lol, not exactly sure how to explain it (but I'll try!)

From my experiences with my new classical guitar, it just feels like I can really change the feeling of the song by the way I pick the strings, being more gently/soft to firm/quick (hehe, firm & quick). I've noticed that I always sound different depending on my mood (>> I record every time I play, to check my progress/accuracy). On the steel string acoustics I've tried, you can play more gently/soft, but no matter what I can't seem to get the same level of emotion through. Since it seems like all that is changing is it's loudness, not so much it's sound/tone(^^; not sure what word I'm looking for).

I've only played for roughly 2-3 months though, so I guess this is more of a inexperienced opinion then anything, haha.

I just bought a classical as

Submitted by archard on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 13:06.

I just bought a classical as well after only having steel strings for so long. I understand what you're talking about now when you say things like you can change the feeling of the song by the way you pluck the strings. And it definitely has a more intimate feel as Kabuki says. I really like that about nylon strings.

The only thing I don't like about nylon is that it is somewhat limited in the styles you can play. It is excellent for pure fingerstyle pieces, but for example if you want to do something more jazzy, or something that has a lot of strumming, nylon doesn't come close to steel. For that reason I chose steel for this poll.

>>

Submitted by Parhelion on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 15:48.

>> jazz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_GLfsqi0hg&feature=channel_page ~45 seconds

Nylon

Submitted by meh on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 20:27.

I have to say that the nylon just has a certain quality to it, that has made me fall in love
I love both, but I agree with kabuki, nylon won because I love the subtlety and the tones of it

I vote steel because the

Submitted by Zero on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 20:23.

I vote steel because the majority I play is with steel. Also has nice sustain and sound and you can do squeelies... =D just my opinion.

Steel is louder, but nothing

Submitted by SpiderTemplarius on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 11:42.

Steel is louder, but nothing can be compared to smooth nylon sounds...

Steel

Submitted by Rohanz882 on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 20:25.

Nylon is easy and soothing, but steel comes first for the sound, also for being useful for all songs

Nylon is the ultimate

Submitted by Kabukibear on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 20:11.

Nylon is the ultimate challenge for a guitarist. There is no space for poor technique. Steel is louder, to be sure, but nylon offers more of a compressed sound. It's almost the same volume compressed in a tighter more controlled package.

It's a much more intimate sound. You can play carefully with steel but you can't replicate the closeness of nylon.

If steel is a CD then nylon is vinyl.

going with what surreal said,

Submitted by BluePhoenix on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 19:01.

going with what surreal said, I'd have to say steel. Steel can create a sound kind of similar to nylon but the opposite is not true.

I always thought the rule was

Submitted by Rick on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 17:17.

I always thought the rule was Nylon Acoustic and Steel Electric

and I can't really say I have an opinion to give one

I'm definitely going to say

Submitted by yoshistrings on Sun, 07/19/2009 - 17:08.

I'm definitely going to say nylon strings are the best, but certain songs do sound better on steel strings.

I haven't played with both

Submitted by Tanimax on Sun, 07/19/2009 - 12:24.

I haven't played with both enough to compare, but I'd currently go for steel, cause my freind has steel strigns... but his gutiar as a million times better than mine anyway. I'll think on it.

Nylon

Submitted by natenmn on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:40.

I prefer the sound of nylon strings, but I miss the sustain of steel. Currently I am using d'addario titanium trebles which have the same sound, feel, weight, density, tension, etc of nylon. Supposedly it is much stronger and retains its intonation much better, though. This is good for me because I am poor and can't spend money on strings as often lol... they are cheap, too. Anyways, I guess I'll find out if these really do last much longer... so far so good and I have had them on for about 3 weeks.

Oh yeah, and they are a translucent purple color.

Having played both types

Submitted by surreal on Sun, 07/19/2009 - 01:03.

Having played both types extensively, I have to side with the sound of steel out of personal preference.

While nylon has a wonderful smooth mellow sound, Steel has life! in its every vibration. I simply substitute normal overly bright steel strings with Silk and Steels to get a the mellow of nylon without the loss in energy.

Steel

Submitted by cosmicz on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:31.

Nylon is very nice but I'm a fan of steel strings.

Generally I think nylon

Submitted by archard on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:14.

Generally I think nylon strings have a more pleasant sound than steel, but I think with nylon strings you're more restricted in what you can play. They just don't have enough sustain and sharpness in the notes to do really crazy stuff. Advanced fingerstyle guitarists like Andy Mckee and Don Ross don't use nylon for a reason. That's why I choose steel ;)

Nylon

Submitted by SalemJeanette on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 20:40.

theyre both made for different styles. John Williams or Kaori Muraji uses Nylon while that Mckee and Don Ross uses steel. But i see Williams and Kaori playing crazier stuff than Mckee and Don Ross. I have to go with Nylon.

.

Submitted by SalemJeanette on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:13.

Nylon period.

Nylon is KING

Submitted by Vic9mm on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:09.

Nylon is the best. Steel strings dont stand a chance! :P

:E~~

Submitted by auriplane on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:12.

:E~~

Silk and steel THEREFORE

Submitted by auriplane on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:07.

Silk and steel THEREFORE steel. :E~~