Switching from steel to nylon strings?
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- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 11 months ago by Rick Graham.
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Hey guys, i have a quick question. Lets say I have an electro-acoustic guitar with steel string, but i wanna change those strings for nylon strings. Is it possible? i mean, ive heard that it is not recomended on some guitars, is this true? or can it be done on any guitar, or should it never be done?
Thanks! š
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@FretDancer69 6182 wrote:
Hey guys, i have a quick question. Lets say I have an electro-acoustic guitar with steel string, but i wanna change those strings for nylon strings. Is it possible? i mean, ive heard that it is not recomended on some guitars, is this true? or can it be done on any guitar, or should it never be done?
Thanks! š
Hey FD69, š
You might want to get the one IG instructor (Rick Graham) who is an expert at both nylon and steel stringed instruments to chime-in on your topic. However, I will speak to the opposite of your question (just for perspective.) š
You should never try to put steel-strings in a guitar that is designed for nylon strings (often referred to as a classical guitar. The reason for never attempting this is simply because nylon strings (up-to-pitch) have much less tension than the steel-strings would (again, up-to-pitch.) Therefore, if you tried to put the steel-strings on a classical (nylon intended) guitar, the bridge would lift away from it’s adhesive or maybe even “snap” away from the body! (Becuase I teach out of a local music-store, I’ve seen many a distraught classical-owner come in puzzled as to why their bridge disintegrated after they tried to put steel-strings on their (now useless) classical guitar!) It’s always a shame to see that! š
The bottom line here is that there is a BIG difference between stell-strings and nylon strings (besides timbre/sound!) That difference is “tension up-to-pitch!”
To answer your initial question directly, I’m NOT sure, but since the steel-string intended (“folk-guitar”) is designed/built for the higher-tension steel-strings, I would think that there would be NO structural harm in putting nylon-strings on the “folk/steel-string guitar.” However, I’m NOT sure about this? Perhaps Rick, or someone similarly knowledgable could address this a bit more confidently than I can! :confused:
Sorry that I couldn’t be of more help… :rolleyes:
~Bill Meehan~ š
@billmeedog 6199 wrote:
Hey FD69, š
You might want to get the one IG instructor (Rick Graham) who is an expert at both nylon and steel stringed instruments to chime-in on your topic. However, I will speak to the opposite of your question (just for perspective.) š
You should never try to put steel-strings in a guitar that is designed for nylon strings (often referred to as a classical guitar. The reason for never attempting this is simply because nylon strings (up-to-pitch) have much less tension than the steel-strings would (again, up-to-pitch.) Therefore, if you tried to put the steel-strings on a classical (nylon intended) guitar, the bridge would lift away from it’s adhesive or maybe even “snap” away from the body! (Becuase I teach out of a local music-store, I’ve seen many a distraught classical-owner come in puzzled as to why their bridge disintegrated after they tried to put steel-strings on their (now useless) classical guitar!) It’s always a shame to see that! š
The bottom line here is that there is a BIG difference between stell-strings and nylon strings (besides timbre/sound!) That difference is “tension up-to-pitch!”
To answer your initial question directly, I’m NOT sure, but since the steel-string intended (“folk-guitar”) is designed/built for the higher-tension steel-strings, I would think that there would be NO structural harm in putting nylon-strings on the “folk/steel-string guitar.” However, I’m NOT sure about this? Perhaps Rick, or someone similarly knowledgable could address this a bit more confidently than I can! :confused:
Sorry that I couldn’t be of more help… :rolleyes:
~Bill Meehan~ š
Thanks bill, dont worry, its always nice to read your answers! š
Ok, so maybe Rick can help me a little here? :p
Unfortunately I can’t tell you whether it would be OK or not because I don’t know. Bill’s Logic does seem to make sense but I would probably take some sound advice from someone who can tell you for sure just in case.
Bill is definitely correct about doing it the other way round.
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