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Author Topic: Nylon String for the Blues???  (Read 7845 times)

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Offline Blue in VT

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Nylon String for the Blues???
« on: April 03, 2006, 08:28:13 AM »
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.

Blue in VT
Blue in VT

Wayne

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2006, 11:11:47 AM »
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.

JasonE

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2006, 08:28:44 AM »

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.

Good luck

JasonE

Offline Stuart

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2006, 09:46:07 AM »
Hi Blue:

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.

Offline Doug

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2006, 04:05:51 PM »
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/

Offline weelie

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2006, 03:25:41 AM »
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.

Mister Steve

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2011, 03:27:47 AM »
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.


Offline daddystovepipe

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2011, 11:39:02 AM »
I always enjoy playing nylon string guitars.

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)


So go for it!

Offline daddystovepipe

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2011, 11:40:30 AM »
oops, here's the guy from Japan

Offline Richard

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2011, 12:01:55 PM »
I like nylon, a warm sound.
(That's enough of that. Ed)

Mister Steve

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2011, 02:53:31 PM »
Daddy Stovepipe, Thanks for those great posts.

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 »

Offline Stumblin

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2011, 03:03:31 PM »
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.

Offline daddystovepipe

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2011, 11:55:41 PM »
I doubt that, I've never seen a picture of him holding a nylon string; his recordings from the 40ies and later are all amplified.
He was alway capoed up high so maybe that gave you the impression of a different sound.
Here's a link to some pics
http://www.google.be/search?q=arthur+big+boy+crudup&hl=nl&sa=G&prmd=ivnsl&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=i5mmTainEoKEOvvphO0J&ved=0CEoQsAQ&biw=1902&bih=899
He seems to be fond of cheap archtops.

Mister Steve

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2011, 03:30:08 AM »
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 »

Offline Stumblin

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2011, 03:44:20 AM »
I doubt that, I've never seen a picture of him holding a nylon string; his recordings from the 40ies and later are all amplified.
He was alway capoed up high so maybe that gave you the impression of a different sound.
Here's a link to some pics
http://www.google.be/search?q=arthur+big+boy+crudup&hl=nl&sa=G&prmd=ivnsl&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=i5mmTainEoKEOvvphO0J&ved=0CEoQsAQ&biw=1902&bih=899
He seems to be fond of cheap archtops.
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!  8)

Offline Norfolk Slim

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2011, 03:47:43 AM »
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.

Offline LB

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2011, 08:48:18 AM »
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...

Mister Steve

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Re: Nylon String for the Blues???
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2011, 09:25:27 AM »
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 »

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