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Nylon String On A Steel Guitar


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hi there !

i just got a cheap yamaha guitar, but i dont like steel acoustics at all !

so, i just got a set of nylon strings here, and gave it a go ! well, it works, and sound nice, until i plug it :D

not so nice ! but my guitar got a craaaaapy system, so.....

would i got any kind of issues using nylon ? i just need to widen the nut a bit ! :D

thanks

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Got a bit more information on the nature of the 'crappy system'? Is it a magnetic pickup? Soundboard piezo? An under-saddle piezo? A jack with wires just dangling in the soundbox? :D

Since they have no steel in them, nylons won't drive magnetic pickups.

The soundboards of steel-string acoustics are quite a bit more stiff than nylon-strung classicals, so nylons won't drive a soundboard piezo nearly as hard as steels.

An under-saddle peizo should work fine, but you might think about lifting the saddle to check for good uniform contact....and replace that piece of plastic with a bone saddle. :D

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Got a bit more information on the nature of the 'crappy system'? Is it a magnetic pickup? Soundboard piezo? An under-saddle piezo? A jack with wires just dangling in the soundbox? B)

Since they have no steel in them, nylons won't drive magnetic pickups.

The soundboards of steel-string acoustics are quite a bit more stiff than nylon-strung classicals, so nylons won't drive a soundboard piezo nearly as hard as steels.

An under-saddle peizo should work fine, but you might think about lifting the saddle to check for good uniform contact....and replace that piece of plastic with a bone saddle. B)

the crappy system is a under-saddle piezo, but a real bad one !1 it just have a volume and a gain controler, and no batteries :D when i pluged it, i got sound but a not so nice one, so im thinking thats the bad electronics fault :D

tomorrow i will buy a new saddle, and double check the piezo/saddle contact !

also, later i should have no problems instaling a new under-saddle piezo, with proper controlers, right ? (besides the problem of fitting the new one in the body)

thanks for the answers - i realy liked the neck of this guitar, sonce a normal classical guitar kill my hands in no time :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

The reason it sounds like crap probably isn't the UST ... especially if it sounded OK with steel strings.

As mentioned, nylon strings don't have the tension to drive a guitar top designed for light gauge steel strings.

Plaus, if you didn't adjust the rod, the neck is almost certainly backbowed if the rod works at all. You've got about 60% (or less) of the string tension you had before. Unfortunately, unless you've got a double action rod, that's probably out of the range of the rod. Try loosening it anyway if the neck's too straight or backbowed.

And, like someone said, you'd probably need to raise the saddle unless the action was high before.

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The reason it sounds like crap probably isn't the UST ... especially if it sounded OK with steel strings.

As mentioned, nylon strings don't have the tension to drive a guitar top designed for light gauge steel strings.

Plaus, if you didn't adjust the rod, the neck is almost certainly backbowed if the rod works at all. You've got about 60% (or less) of the string tension you had before. Unfortunately, unless you've got a double action rod, that's probably out of the range of the rod. Try loosening it anyway if the neck's too straight or backbowed.

And, like someone said, you'd probably need to raise the saddle unless the action was high before.

well, even if a bit late, thanks for the answer ! i just replaced the nut, and it plays fine ! i got some tuning problems, specially with the bare nylon ones ! maybe i should change the tuners ?? do i need tuners for nylon, or can i use just better tuners ?

about the electronics, i didnt liked that much the sound, even with steel strings ! but i found a new under-saddle kit, with eq and all thw fancy stuff, designed for nylon ! will put that on my guitar someday :D

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