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GMC Forum _ GEAR & PRODUCTION _ Got Problems With Nylon Guitar

Posted by: Martin la guitarra May 31 2008, 04:37 PM

Ok, so here is the problem:

For a week ago, i bought a nylon guitar (in the internet). The reason why i bought it was because so i could play blues
(bending, vibrate etc - i really like to just sit down and play blues on a acoustic guitar.) I was interesting in some lesson where you had to do full bend and stuff like that - something that i cant do on my steel guitar as the strings are too hard to make full bends.

Well, after i've bought it, i noticed a huge different between steel and nylon stringers guitar. I tried to do albert king lesson (By ivan) and did the first intro bends - it all sounded the same - weak and lame - the bends did not sound as i wanted.

I tried to make this scream (you bend the strings really quick - works on a eletric guitar) - what did i get? A lame sound.

I am very disapointed as it cost me 350 $.
Its like the guitar cant notice the different between half and full bends....

It also feels like the nylon stringer do not have a "soul", it all sounds nice and silky - but without soul!

What should i do, i want more the sounds of an eletric guitar on my nylon - could i switch the strings or what?

Need help, cheers

Posted by: Mark. May 31 2008, 04:43 PM

Well I also play a nylon guitar, and I dont think that they're ment for blues with vibrato and bends.
Nylon guitars aren't guitars that you can make a screaming sound with, they're ment for classical and spanish pieces with smooth vibratos, not really for screamy blues soloing (imo)
I'm kinda sorry to say this Also switching strings wont make a difference and DONT put steel strings on a nylon guitar they will screw up ur neck.

Posted by: Martin la guitarra May 31 2008, 04:55 PM

lol ok, thanx for telling me the truth.

Posted by: Tolek May 31 2008, 07:15 PM

I have been playing classical guitar for 6 years now and I also tried do make bends. It never worked because the guitar and nylon strings aren´t created to do such things with it. Here´s a video where a great guitarist called Tommy Emmanuel does some bends while he´s playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWSVTaytOw
Another tip: never put steel strings on a classical guitar!!! It will be destructed because in the neck isn´t a piece of steel which makes the neck stable. In the past, being a noob, I put such strings on it and my teacher immediately told me to put them down. ^^"

See you.

Posted by: Martin la guitarra May 31 2008, 07:26 PM

thx, i was thinking of buying a semi acoustic eletric guitar

Do they sound like an eletric guitar - and acoustic together unplugged?

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 31 2008, 07:48 PM

Nylon guitar is not made for bends!

You can only do half step bends with it effectively. Even steel string guitar is not made for whole step bends. It can be done but not made for that.

Posted by: Martin la guitarra May 31 2008, 07:49 PM

do you know anything that is made for bending (except eletric guitar)