Can You Put Steel Strings on a Nylon String Guitar

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Final Updated: May 20, 2019

Massimo Asks:

"Hi Bobby, this may be a stupid question, but can I utilize nylon strings (for classical guitar) on an audio-visual (usually fitted with steel strings)?"

Hi Massimo:

This isn't a stupid question at all! In that location are a lot of guitarists out there that'll be glad you lot asked it.

In fact, yes, yous tin can… but you lot can't use "traditional" Classical/nylon guitar strings if your steel-string acoustic is like about–where your ball-end audio-visual strings are held in identify with bridge pins. I'll assume that this is why you're asking: Classical guitar strings don't take these ball ends, and have to exist tied onto the span:

On the left is a typical steel-cord audio-visual guitar bridge, which uses ball-end strings held in identify by bridge pins. On the correct is a typical Classical guitar span, which uses nylon strings that lack ball-ends and are tied onto the bridge.

And so, what can you lot practise?

Some may think their only choice is to braze some sort of object to the end of the string–something that tin be held in place by the bridge pivot. Or, some might even attempt to remove the ball-ends from steel strings and necktie them onto the ends of nylon strings.

None of that is necessary.

Ball Finish Nylon Strings to the Rescue!

There are actually ball end Classical guitar strings bachelor. They're popular with a lot of Folk guitarists, or anyone simply wanting to get the the smooth, mellow sound of nylon strings on their steel-string audio-visual guitar. And yes, they are used by some Classical guitarists also, who like the fact that they're so quick and like shooting fish in a barrel to install.

Beneath, I've gathered together a partial listing of nylon brawl end guitar strings to become you started, merely if you just search google with phrases like "ball end Classical guitar strings" you'll probably observe many more than.

Ball-Terminate Classical (Nylon) Guitar Strings

Martin M260 Classical Ball-End Strings

Ernie Ball Earthwood Folk Nylon Ball End Strings

Ernie Ball Ernesto Palla Nylon Ball Terminate Strings

D'Addario Folk Nylon Ball End Guitar Strings

Fender Nylon Classical Ball Terminate Strings

Cleartone Sevilla Classical Ball Finish Strings

A Quick Note for Classical Guitarists

For any Classical guitarists out there who might be reading this postal service:

You lot too can utilize ball-terminate nylon strings on your Classical guitar. There's no police force that says you have to use traditional necktie-on nylon strings, even if y'all play an expensive, high-end Classical guitar. Some Classical guitarists prefer the ease-of-apply of ball-end strings, and so if you're non a purist and are open to brawl stop strings, give 'em a endeavour.

Just be sure at that place's enough clearance behind the span for the brawl-terminate, and that information technology doesn't dig into your guitar's soundboard back there.

How Nylon Strings Will Effect Your Guitar's Setup

I should betoken out to anybody that nylon strings behave differently and exert different forces on a guitar than steel strings. Also, the trebles (the 3 highest strings) are thicker than their steel-string counterparts. This means:

If you put nylon strings on your steel string acoustic guitar, you'll probably need to brand adjustments or even practise a total setup.

When you put nylon strings on a steel string audio-visual guitar you may experience some weirdness including:

1. The high G, B, and Eastward strings may be too thick for the nut slots.
2. The strings may buzz excessively.
3. The action may feel too low (normally goes hand-in-manus with buzzing).
4. The outer E strings may occasionally slip off the edges of the fretboard when yous're fretting notes or chords.
5. Related to #1, some of the strings may bind (stick) in the nut slots, because nylon treble strings thicker than steel trebles.
6. You're going to have to tolerate some intonation issues, which can't exist corrected.

If you lot're lucky, simply loosening your truss rod a bit may be all that'south needed to gear up #2 and #3 above. However, it's more likely that yous'll demand to accept a total setup performed to truly eliminate them. If you're experiencing #iv or #v, you will nigh definitely demand your guitar prepare (modified, in fact) to play properly with nylon strings.

If this foray into nylon strings is simply a temporary thing (say, to record simply a song or two) and you plan to switch back to steel strings, then you may be willing to tolerate these things and leave your guitar'due south setup lonely. On the other hand, if this is a more long-term (or permanent) switch, then yous may need to accept your guitar ready or modified to accommodate the nylon strings. This could hateful having the nut and span modified specifically for nylon strings. If you do, ask your guitar tech to save your old nut and span saddle, and then that you can easily switch back one day.

Important: Don't Put Steel Strings on a Classical Guitar

Lastly, don't always go the other manner: don't put steel strings on a Classical guitar or a guitar that was designed to use only nylon strings. Without going into specifics, suffice to say you will permanently impairment the guitar if you practise this.

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Source: https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/nylon-guitar-strings-steel-string-acoustic/

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