Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
|
|
|
String questions from a mostly lurker
|
You are logged in as Guest
|
|
Users viewing this topic: none
|
|
Login  | |
|
   
Downing
Posts: 15
Joined: Jun. 3 2004
From: Portland, Oregon USA
|
 String questions from a mostly lurker
|
|
|
Pat's recent "Ask A Member" thread has inspired me to post some string questions. However, since I'm secure enough to freely acknowledge that I know next to nothing about playing flamenco guitar as I grind through Dennis Kostner's book (except that I love to play it), I thought I would post my questions publicly.
Ahhh, the mystery that is strings. The brands and types out there are, to say the least, bewildering to me. So are the brand and tension preferences expressed on this and other forums by experienced players. People are all over the map.
Some strings are designated as "flamenco" as opposed to "classical" on the package and on various websites like Strings by Mail and GSI. Why? What makes a particular set of strings flamenco?
Given how hard flamenco is on the nails, shouldn't low or medium tension strings be the way to go? Is there some sound quality, like brightness, sacrificed if you do that?
I play one to two hours a day, sometimes more, switching back and forth between three guitars but mostly on my Sanchis. How often should I change strings? Right now, it's about once a month, I think.
I suspect that many of the answers will be a matter of taste, and I haven't been around long enough to develop a preference. If there was one perfect brand and tension, everyone would play only them. My teacher uses the high-tension Savarez set with the white G string. He swears by them. I dislike them if for no other reason than the G string feels like a braided rope under my fingers. Probably not the best reason but there you go.
And while I'm at it, I can't quite describe this but to me no matter what set of strings I use the G string always sounds a little off from the others. Maybe it's just me but there's just something different about the G. Am I crazy or is there something to this?
I see where some folks advocate switching basses more often than trebles. Some advocate doing some weird-sounding things to worn strings, like boiling them, to bring them back to life. Personally, I'd rather just toss on a whole new set. Strings are relatively cheap and changing them is fun, once you get the hang of it, and after they've settled down the guitar sounds just so great.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 12 2004 15:57:24
 |
|
Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
|
|
RE: String questions from a mostly l... (in reply to Downing)
|
|
|
Downing, hi there:
People are all over the map.
> before I go on, here in Phoenix, all gigging and pro players use D'Addario classical guitar strings. The reasons are that: 1) they are widely available, 2) they are good and last a long time.
What makes a particular set of strings flamenco?
> marketing
Given how hard flamenco is on the nails, shouldn't low or medium tension strings be the way to go? Is there some sound quality, like brightness, sacrificed if you do that?
> tough question. for the first, it is mainly the wound, thick strings that mess up your nails. Most flamencos use some kind of nail polish, glue, or get fake acrylic nails, which makes the choice of string irrelevant. As far as the sound quality, most people think you get a tighter, louder sound with harder strings.
How often should I change strings?
> when the basses lose their snappiness and tone, then you change it. As far as the trebles, who knows? Everyone has different opinons about this one.
And while I'm at it, I can't quite describe this but to me no matter what set of strings I use the G string always sounds a little off from the others. Maybe it's just me but there's just something different about the G. Am I crazy or is there something to this?
>there is, I was just talking to the professional classical/flamenco guitarist Craig Alden Dell and he mentioned this to me. He also said that in the past, it seemed to be teh "D" string that was a bit weird.
I see where some folks advocate switching basses more often than trebles. Some advocate doing some weird-sounding things to worn strings, like boiling them, to bring them back to life. Personally, I'd rather just toss on a whole new set. Strings are relatively cheap and changing them is fun, once you get the hang of it, and after they've settled down the guitar sounds just so great.
>yes, unless you're quite poor just put new ones on. Or sacrifice some cigarrettes for strings! Let's play!
[/quote]
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 12 2004 19:05:18
|
|
Jon Boyes
Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
|
|
RE: String questions from a mostly l... (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
|
|
|
Hi Downing. I agree with all Mike's answers to your questions, just a couple more points:
"Given how hard flamenco is on the nails, shouldn't low or medium tension strings be the way to go? Is there some sound quality, like brightness, sacrificed if you do that?"
The answer is yes, there is a basic rule here: the harder the tension=the thicker the string= the less bright sound. As you go up through the tensions of a particular string, the tone will get thicker and less bright.
However, the amount that brightness that may be 'sacrificed' may be neglible when weighed up against the beneifts of going up a tension *on a particular guitar*. For example, we play with very low actions, and a lower tension string may cause a little too much buzzing. Moving up a tension may remove that buzzing. Also, moving up a tension may have other beneifts - many players feel that harder tension strings have less overall sustain but greater volume and attack as Mike says, and these are very desirable in flamenco. As we play mostly nearer the bridge anyway, sacrificing a little brightness may not be that big a deal. Here is another benefit - most people find that picado and alzapua are easier if the string is firmer. try doing both these techniques an inch or so from the bridge, and then over the soundhole (where there is less tension) to see what I mean.
The other issue that affects the brightness of the strings is the material ie nylon vs carbon/composite whatever. Here, the denser the material =the brighter the sound, so D'Addario Composites are a lot brighter than their nylon counterparts for example.
"And while I'm at it, I can't quite describe this but to me no matter what set of strings I use the G string always sounds a little off from the others. Maybe it's just me but there's just something different about the G. Am I crazy or is there something to this?"
Nope, you are right. The G is normally far thicker and without going into the physics, will indeed be slightly off. Some guitarists (mainly classical, rather than flamenco, I think) compensate for this by cutting a saddle in such a way that it that increases the scale length of the G, and helps its overall intonation. For more info on this, ask one of our luthier friends.
Jon
PS I have a Sanchis too - bought it a few months back and I'm still really in the 'which string is best' phase myself, especially as I've just had it set up and the action is lower . Interestingly, it was strung with flamenco strings (black trebles) when I bought it, and I thought they sounded pants.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 13 2004 8:22:38
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts
|
|
|
Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET |
0.046875 secs.
|
Printable Version
Can also can depend on your guitar, of course - resonance, harmonics, materials etc. 
