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Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis Lopez...
Hi All,
few weeks ago i bought a new Negra from Hnos. Sanchis Lopez (Model F03 India) on ebay for 750 Euros. This is my second guitar. Before that i had a cheap flamenco guitar called AZAHAR Model 132 cypress. The sound was not bad but i had the feeling that it is time to step forward a bit and some friends told me that the Guitars from Hnos. Sanchis Lopez do a good job and that they have a very good price-performance ration.
Now i want to try out different strings to find the best strings for the new Guitar.
At the moment i have Luthier MT but the sound is not "flamenco" enough and a little bit dissapointing, specially concerning the 3 bass strings.
Well i know that the sound of cypress guitars is more flamenco. The reason why i bought this palisanto guitar is because i also like this voluminous and warm sound. When i play (or let say try to play ) taranta, i love the sound. But when it comes to Bulerias (specially rasgueos) i miss that typical crisply flamenco sound.
However, i think with the right strings (maybe combination of strings from different manufacturers?!) , it should be possible to bring out the best of this Guitar.
I want that sound from Ricardo in his Bulerias Video
If anyone has the same Guitar, please let me know your experiences and suggestions.
So far i had following suggestion (from some members in a German forum): 1) Conde Hermanos MT 2) D´addario composite MT
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Bikhiyal I want that sound from Ricardo in his Bulerias Video
Join the queue. I think 15 odd years of hard graft, accompanying dancers and singers, annual visits to Spain etc. might JUST help get that sound
It sounds you want to brighten the guitar - try the non-nylon strings like Savarez Alliance or D'Addario Composites. Both can help with a dull/mellow sounding guitar.
Posts: 143
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
From: New York, New York
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
I agree with Jon that Ricardo's sound is in his hands, as is Grisha's, and ToddK's and yours.
However, if you're looking for generally brighter, snappier bass strings, I'd take a look at dedicated flamenco strings. I think that the composite strings usually only have composite trebles. The basses are relatively standard, so you won't get much of a difference in their brightness. All of the classical strings I've tried, even those that are supposed to have "bright" basses, have a relatively large diameter. I have an Indian rosewood guitar, too, and at least on my guitar and with my hands, I can't get a bright sound out of thick classical strings.
I have had much better luck with Hannabach 827Flamenco's, or LaBella 820B's, or LaBella 2001F's. The basses go from thickest to thinnest in that order. The Hannabach's seem to have the highest tension and the trebles are a little too warm for some people's taste, but the bases are bright and polished smooth as an added bonus. They might be better in medium tension instead of the high tension I've tried. I was using the LaBella2001F's for awhile. They are really snappy strings. Even the high tension basses are thin and bright, but the G string was a little "tuneless" on the sets that I tried. The 820B's are what I'm using right now. They have a great tension, not to soft, not too hard. The basses are bright and the trebles are percussive but seem to have a little bit more "music" in them than the 2001F's.
Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Hi Travis,
thanks a lot for the infos.
Whats your opinion about mixing strings? would this cause any problems?
For example bass strings from La Bella 820B MT which you recommand and trebble strings from Luthier MT? . I like the trebbles from Luthier which i am using right now. Only the bass strings are the problem.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to tmock)
quote:
ORIGINAL: tmock However, if you're looking for generally brighter, snappier bass strings, I'd take a look at dedicated flamenco strings. I think that the composite strings usually only have composite trebles. The basses are relatively standard,
No, thats not true with either of the examples I gave - in both sets the basses have non-nylon cores. The D'Addario composite sets actually have regular nylon 1st and 2nd strings, but from the 3rd downwards its all composite.
Both sets I mention are actually brighter than a set of Hannabach flamenco strings I tried, which I found rather tubby.
PS to Bikhiyal - my guitar is a Sanchis too, though its a blanca.
Posts: 143
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
From: New York, New York
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Jon Boyes)
quote:
No, thats not true with either of the examples I gave - in both sets the basses have non-nylon cores. The D'Addario composite sets actually have regular nylon 1st and 2nd strings, but from the 3rd downwards its all composite.
Both sets I mention are actually brighter than a set of Hannabach flamenco strings I tried, which I found rather tubby.
Thanks for the correction, Jon! I was not aware of that. I'm pretty happy with the strings I'm using now, but maybe I'll have to try some composites the next time I'm string hunting.
I thought I remembered that you had posted about not liking Hannabach flamenco strings. I haven't been terribly impressed, either, though I think the trebles might have a nice warmth on a really raspy guitar. Generally, I like the LaBellas much better.
quote:
Whats your opinion about mixing strings? would this cause any problems?
Bikhiyal, I've not experimented personally with mixing strings. However, I know that people do it. The most common method is just to use the basses from one manufacturer and the trebles from another. I think that some people take that a step further by swapping out individual strings that are not sounding right. The only thing I wouldn't mix is tensions, because I don't know if there's a risk of screwing up the neck.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to tmock)
quote:
ORIGINAL: tmock Generally, I like the LaBellas much better.
Which ones Travis? I've never tried La Bellas and yet they are really cheap over here. The flamenco 2001 set is only £5.20 from the web supplier I use, which is pounds cheaper than my usual brand (Savarez Alliance). Mind you, I don't care for black trebles. Hard to see against an ebony fretboard if the lighting is poor.
If La Bella make a decent bright set I'll give them a go though, I like saving money
Posts: 143
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
From: New York, New York
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Jon Boyes)
Hey, Jon. Right now I'm really comfortable with the 820Bs. I was using the 2001F high tension for awhile before that. They both have an earthy, percussive sound, with good overtones and both are dirt cheap, especially the 820Bs on Strings by Mail. The two are a bit different, though
2001F LaBella's packaging bills these as high tech strings for modern players. They seem most appropriate for negra guitars. I think they might be too brittle sounding on a bright blanca. The trebles are ultra percussive with lots of rasp. The basses are engineered so that even the high tension strings have a small diameter, which added a little zing and flexibility that made it easy to get a nice rattle. The small diameter basses also felt more secure under my right hand during picado. The downside for me was that the G string on nearly every set I got had a very plastic sound to it and some of them had a noticeable flat side; it was very percussive and it sounded okay in pulgar passages, but picado and arpeggios sounded terrible. I suppose if you were really attached to the set overall you could just sub out the G string, maybe with the one from the 820Bs.
820B This set is a little thicker than the 2001F high tensions I used, even though they only come in medium tension. I think they're still smaller in diameter than most high tension classical strings, though. When I first strung them up, they felt really tight compared to the 2001Fs, but they settled in and loosened up a bit. The slightly higher tension just allowed me to bring my action down a tad, which was nice. The basses are still really bright and punchy sounding, but the big improvement is in the trebles. They're still percussive and bright, but there's a little more "music" in them. I think it's because the nylon is just a little softer - but not as soft as the red trebles on the Hannabach 827s. Ricardo's videos should give you a good idea of the general sound of these strings (on a great guitar in the hands of a great player). They're simple, cheap, no frills, and I think work really well.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Hi Arash, did you manage to get that flamenco sound you were looking for?
I am looking for something different also and Tom at La Falsetta advised also to look at Sanchis Lopez, and my eye felt at the F03 also. If everything turns out well I will try this one and I also want to try the Francisco Navarro Student model peghead.
Just looking for a different sound, more authentic.
Almost the whole weekend I was reading the archived posts and came up with something like a Negra with Cedar top. Just have to do some brand searching for this combination. It doesn't have to be loud, because my furniture would not complain anyway.
Just curious how you like the F03 now, assuming you haven't changed in the last 3 years.
Posts: 1025
Joined: Oct. 14 2009
From: New York City
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Whatever you try, remember that you can definitely mix different strings, as long as you use the same basses as a set and the same trebles as a set. Strings by Mail sells bass sets only and treble sets only, so it's easy to mix and try different combinations.
Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Arash, you might want to try Hannabach 827 flamenco trebles and Aranjuez 200 basses to get a brighter/crisper sound. One thing though, Hannabach tensions tend to run higher than most strings--their super low tension is the equivalent of La Bella 2001 medium tension. The 827 trebles are described by Hannabach as being brighter than clear nylon (the Hannabach's are a light peach color) and do not contain metals (i.e., titanium, etc.). The 827 basses have an interesting winding that is suppose to be easy of the nails. The Aranjuez 200 are bright--the trebles are black and basses are crisp.
Whatever you decide, Stringsbymail is the place to buy them--one can easily mix and match which I have done for years.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
I really wanted a dark, and evil sounding Negra, so I asked Tom at LaFalseta and he recommended a Pedro De Miguel 27F Negra. For 2-3 years I fought with that guitar, it sounded dull and thuddy, and overly deep, and I just never could seem to get the sound I wanted. I tried almost every string on the market. I came very close to selling it, and giving up on Negra's forever.
Finally after 2-3 years of on and off hatred of the guitar, it seemed to transform itself, and now it sounds like what I was originally after. Now it sounds good with Luthier's, or D'Addario's or pretty much whatever I put on it. The only thing I can attribute it to is that I think it just took it a very long time for the wood to settle in, and open up.
Now it is my favorite guitar. Which I really cannot explain, since for so long I hated it's sound. Which was - Dull and Boomy, thuddy. However that sound is a thing of the past, it doesn't sound that way at all anymore.
Perhaps a Luthier can explain it better, but I think the Spruce/Rosewood just takes longer to develop it's sound ...
Posts: 15242
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Can't compare your negra to mine cuz it is Arce, maple. It does not sound like any negra I have played. It is closer to a blanca, but with a added sweetness and overtones. Miking it up is super easy, just cut bass and it is a great sounding guitar w/out too much feedback like negras get. I get good results too with dry blancas when miking up, so I equate my guitar more with a blanca (same Eq, just don't cut as much bass).
The strings are luthier 20. Maybe you could try harder tension on the basses and see if that helps. Or keep the luthiers, but try labella 820's on the basses. The other string set that worked good for my sanchis was "Conde Hermanos" strings, can't remember which model...and honestly I thought by the tone and feel that they simply WERE luthiers with a different package.
Luthiers of course worked great on the conde guitars I have, but I prefer the percussive snap of la bella 820 on those instruments. The trebles don't go over any wear near as well on the Sanchis for some strange reason.
Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Jon Boyes)
quote:
No, thats not true with either of the examples I gave - in both sets the basses have non-nylon cores. The D'Addario composite sets actually have regular nylon 1st and 2nd strings, but from the 3rd downwards its all composite.
I agree
D'addario composites are definitely brighter in the basses, and they last longer. Though not as long as d'addario claim. As with most strings the D wears through at the second fret while the A and E are still good.
Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Hey guys, first of all, this thread is 3 years old :)
Ricardo and others, thanks for the advices but i sold the F03 long time ago. ---
kozz, honestly, it was an ok guitar for a short period of time, but after a while, for me something was missing.
i tried many different strings, but i guess the guitar was not built for me, or maybe i got better in playing and needed another guitar or whatever.....
i don't know if all F03s are like that or if it was just me who was not satisfied at the end.
you should try out the guitars and compare.
but if you ask ME , i won't recommand this guitar anymore. but thats just me (and my F03 at that time). for me, it was not "flamenco" enough (and yes, i considered that it is a negra) maybe it will be completely different for someone else.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Thanks Arash I was just wandering if you had stayed with it. Are you playing a negra nowadays?
During the coming holidays I'll make some trips around Belgium and The Netherlands just to listen and feel. I've also listend to the Madagascar and Coral from Anders. They have some nice basses and open sound.
Hahahha, I was laughing my ass off on all the well-served replies
Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
at the moment, i am playing a rodriguez blanca. i also have a felix manzanero (student guitar) blanca. but i am still not fully satisfied and since more than 1 year i am puting aside money and intend to buy 1 or 2 killer guitars soon (one blanca and one negra maybe). i guess i will go to "mundo flamenco" and try out each and every guitar which johannes has there for a full day (maybe 2 days ;-).
i will never buy a guitar online again. no matter how many people tell me, what is good or bad , recommanded or not. i learned my lesson.
i am willing to pay a little bit more, but TRY OUT the guitars and see if they are built "for me" or not. specially re. the high priced guitars which i am going to buy,,,, i will not order anything before intesively played them.
and thats what i can recommand to everyone, even for mid price range guitars.
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
you have a manzanero? How is it? Ive heard they are great. I was pretty close to buying one. Well i like to be up to date, but im not really searching, since i am happy with my hippner. Its been built in May this year and gets better and better and better... its time to say goodbye to my second guitar, Sanchis Carpio 2F
Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to XXX)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Deniz
you have a manzanero? How is it? Ive heard they are great. I was pretty close to buying one. Well i like to be up to date, but im not really searching, since i am happy with my hippner. Its been built in May this year and gets better and better and better... its time to say goodbye to my second guitar, Sanchis Carpio 2F
well, as mentioned , my manzanero is a student guitar (an old one from 50s or 60s), not built by manzanero himself, i bought it very very cheap on ebay. but sound is fantastic (crisp and "blanca" ;-) problem is , that it is a bit smaller than normal size and therefore (and some other issues), the playability is not ok for me.
from what i heard in your youtube vid, this hippner guitar of yours seams to be a nice one.
but i decided not to order a guitar to be built for me. even if i have tried another guitar (same model). i will buy an existing guitar "AS IS", after trying it out and after beeing fully satisfied with all aspects
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
I have quite small hands, so the manzanero could be interesting for me. Be sure to leave me a message if you want to sell it. Maybe there is also a chance to meet each other at a flamenco show or something. Are there good shows in Frankfurt you attended to? Are going to see Tomatito in January in Köln?
Posts: 4516
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to XXX)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Deniz
I have quite small hands, so the manzanero could be interesting for me. Be sure to leave me a message if you want to sell it. Maybe there is also a chance to meet each other at a flamenco show or something. Are there good shows in Frankfurt you attended to? Are going to see Tomatito in January in Köln?
i have small hands too, but still some problems with the spacings (strings, frets, etc). i guess, that was also a reason, why it sold cheap on ebay. but sure, you could try it out and see yourself, if we should meet. i will let you know.
i don't know about any good show in frankfurt, but i have not checked recently. but i would like to come to koeln for tomatito and of course paco in berlin , feb. 2010, if i should be able to manage it. maybe it will be his last tour, who knows.....
RE: Best strings for Hnos. Sanchis L... (in reply to Arash)
Deniz, I´ve seen your videos and you dont have small hands. Well maybe in Germany yes, but compare to Spanish players, and your hand is normal or big. Besides, for the flamenco you like, dont go for a smaller scale and nut. You´ll get tired of it. You have improved a lot lately and I´m sure that in a matter of little time your hand strength and flexibility will be so good that you wont even think about the guitars size.
Printable Version
) taranta, i love the sound. But when it comes to Bulerias (specially rasgueos) i miss that typical crisply flamenco sound. 
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