Classical guitar strings are strings manufactured for use on classical guitars. While steel-string acoustic guitar strings and

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

strings are made of metal, modern classical guitar strings are made of

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pe ...

and nylon wound with wire, which produces a different sound to the

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

strings. Classical guitar strings were originally made with animal intestine and silk wound with animal intestine up until World War II, when war restrictions led Albert Augustine Ltd. to develop

strings. Nylon guitar strings were put into production in 1948. Strings made from fluorocarbon

polymers A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic an ...

have since been developed and are the main alternative to nylon strings.

String construction

Traditional

The three treble guitar strings are made from sheep or cow intestine, referred to as plain gut, while the three bass strings are made of a silk thread core wound with gut.

Modern

Since the development of nylon guitar strings by Albert Augustine Ltd. in 1948, the three treble strings are a single nylon filament, while the three bass strings are made of a core of fine nylon threadlike filaments wound with silver-plated bronze or copper wire.

History

Up until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

animal gut and silk were the materials from which guitar strings were manufactured. Albert Augustine, an instrument maker from New York, USA, was the first to produce guitar strings with

. According to Rose Augustine, his wife, he was unable to secure source materials due to the war restrictions and happened upon nylon line in an army surplus store in Greenwich Village. When initially approached by him the DuPont company, who manufactured the material, were unconvinced that guitarists would accept nylon's sonic characteristics. Augustine staged a blind test with company representatives from DuPont, they happened to choose nylon over gut as having the best "guitar sound". The DuPont company then supported Augustine's initiative. Augustine classical guitar strings were first commercially manufactured in 1948, in conjunction with Olinto Mari, President of E.& O. Mari/La Bella Strings at their factory in Long Island City New York. When

Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the m ...

, the great Spanish guitar virtuoso, discovered Augustine's strings he was an immediate convert. Fluorocarbon

have recently become an alternative to nylon treble strings. The sound is preferred by some

luthiers A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...

and players, especially for the smooth transition provided by the G string from treble to bass.General remarks on strings for the classical guitar, Sebastian Stenzel

Notes

External links

Tilman Hoppstock Tilman Hoppstock (born 1961) is a classical guitarist, cellist and musicologist from Germany. Biography He studied both guitar and cello in Darmstadt and Cologne. His concert career began in 1978 and brought him to about 40 countries all over the ...

- 2006 Interview with lacg (Los Angeles Classical Guitar)
How to Select the Best Classical Guitar Strings
by Tom Prisloe

Article about how guitar strings are marketed, written by Professor String
ProfessorString.com
Guitar string research
How to Change Classical Guitar Strings video
by Strings By Mail

A quick look at the composition of Strings, Frank Ford, 5/18/00.
How to Attach a Guitar Strap to a Classical Guitar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Classical Guitar Strings Classical guitar Guitar parts and accessories