Since drivin' through Texas, I've seen more windmills and less water, more cows and less milk, seen farther and seen less than any dadburn country I was ever in - A.P. Carter, "The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers in Texas"
I Am currently shopping around for a cheap Parlor guitar that I can use on the couch...around the campfire...something that I don't have to be anal about taking care off as much as my new Larrivee. Anyway...I was in ashop this weekend and had the chance to play several Art & Lutherie AMI...not too shabby...its hard to shop for a "cheap" guitar after finding a really good one. Anyway...what really suprised me was that I picked up a nylon string version and really liked it...totally different sound but very mellow and much nicer to my fingers.
Does anyone out there play blues on a nylon string? I was listening to Muddy Water's Folk singer...he plays nylon and makes it sound pretty good...just wondering.
I've got a real cheapo 'classical' guitar with old nylon strings. I find it very nice for blues playing, including bottleneck....it's weird but because it has such a 'dead' sound compared to steel strings, it somehow makes it sound like a lot of the old records.....as opposed to modern guitar recordings.
Does anyone out there play blues on a nylon string? I was listening to Muddy Water's Folk singer...he plays nylon and makes it sound pretty good...just wondering.
Blue in VT
Well, I don't play with nylon strings, but I hope that you just follow your muse, and play whatever YOUR blues tell you to play. If it is what your heart really has to say, it will be unquestionably authentic.
This is not an answer to your question, but decades ago Martin Mull did a parody tune where he played a uke slide style with a baby bottle. In the seventies, I saw Ken Bloom do a slide version of "Sittin' On Top of the World" on an autoharp.
We tend to take this music a little more seriously than these two instances of comic relief, but I guess almost anything is possible.
Duck Baker usually plays nylon strung flamenco guitars. While Duck bills himself as an "American Fingerstyle Guitarist" and tends to do more jazz, celtic and ragtime stuff, he has also done some blues stuff.
He's done some instructional DVDs for Stefan Grossman... And his website is http://www.duckbaker.com/
Why not! I've played nylon stringer a lot. I like it, the mellow sound is beautiful.
The only problem I see is that nylon strings don't do well for alternate tunings. They seem to have a "tuning memory", so changing tunings doesn't work as well as with steel strings.
Keep finding these interesting threads (at least to me) because I went looking?
I have to admit that though I love some dread, the guitar I can't put down lately is an entry level Yamaha classical CG111S. Yeah I do mostly fingerstyle but also play nylon with a pick. Any doubts about nylon with a pick? Check out the now reposed Tommy Tedesco's offerings.
With respect to blues on nylon, years ago I had a girlfriend who played blues on nylon...let's just call that some initial inspiration.
It's easy on the old fingers and has a unique sound.
There's quite a difference between a "classical" and a "flamenco" guitar. The flamenco guitar is louder and has a more percussive and dryer sound than a classical; plus usually the neck is somewhat thinner/smaller (nutwidth around 48-50mm - classical will be around 52mm) and the action is lower.
I own a Alhambra crossover nylon string (nutwidth 48mm and radiused fretboard - easier for barchords complared to the classical's flat fretboard)
Hear the difference with a flamenco guitar
I love this guy from Japan (he recorded the whole Robert Johnson songbook with a classical)
As an aside, I also think you get more bang for your buck with classical/nylon string guitars at lower prices points. For those pursuing classical music (not me) you'd flip for something up there, but for popular music, Latin and jazz and blues and even country with vocals, I think you can get the job done for less coin than an equivalent (though apples and oranges?) very good sounding steel-string. I should add that this view is probably based on the price/value ratio I find in Yamaha classicals.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2011, 03:20:35 AM by stevej »
You know, I done been wrong so many tines lately, 'til I got used to it. So here goes: Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't Arthur Crudup record using a nylon strung guitar? Because, if I'm right, then I am vindicated in being a little surprised that he hasn't already been mentioned in this thread.
Again, this thread has been a good one for me. Not looking for a "concert level" classical guitar or classical music, the nylon string option has quickly become my option again. Over the past 6 years denied hand pain/numbness on my part (experienced then trivialized) and basically forgetting that the last time I gigged on a weekly basis I was indeed using a nylon string with vocals...in short, laying down the Strat and the dread for a guitar I can play for hours and actually sound better playing with and a guitar (at least for me) more inspiring to write songs with. I also love Latin music, Spanish pop and Brazillian. It's a perfect fit. Will add that listening to John Miller's guitar with Zumbido and his duos with Ginny Snowe also helped close the deal for me.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2011, 04:35:32 AM by stevej »
Thanks. You're probably right; it must just have been the capo that altered the sound. More ignorance dispelled through the collective power of Weenie Campbell!
Just wanted to add that Chris Thomas King's CD, Red Mud, has a few nylon strung blues tunes on it. He gets fantastic rhythm and ripping single note lines out of it.
I love the feel of nylon strings, loved all the comments-tips and the Daddy-Stove videos, awesome stuff. I just like how someone like me with long abused hands can practice for hours without aggravating old injuries and they're just FUN to play...
I love the feel of nylon strings, loved all the comments-tips and the Daddy-Stove videos, awesome stuff. I just like how someone like me with long abused hands can practice for hours without aggravating old injuries and they're just FUN to play...
For me the "abuse" part included "playing through" even with a numb left hand (Strats, dreads and a 00) and even waking up later with some pain. This NEVER happened for me on nylon. But the ridiculous part is this: that looking back, I have always been able to kick on a nylon and my most distinctive stuff has been on nylon.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2011, 03:28:42 PM by stevej »