Chapter 9. My Collection: A Legacy of Choices

Chapter 9. My Collection: A Legacy of Choices

So, now we come to my two boxes of strings, containing about 70 packs of classical guitar strings from approximately 18 brands. Thankfully, for my sense of sanity, I know I’m not the only player who has accumulated such a collection over several decades.

This collection is a legacy of choices and experimentation over the years with at least twenty guitars. It represents a huge learning curve and considerable expense. These boxes function as a replenishment store, a string graveyard, and a waiting room for string brands that have not been fully evaluated.

On the positive side, the boxes contain string brands and gauges that suit my guitars, playing technique, and tonal preferences. I can rely on these for my current six nylon-string guitars, including: one lattice-top, one double-top, two fan-braced 6-string guitars, a seven-string Brazilian guitar, and a replica of an 1860 Johann Stauffer.

Here is my list, just for the record:

Trusted & Regularly Used String Sets & Individual Strings

 Treble Strings

For the trebles, nylon strings are my preference for B and E strings: they provide the texture and tone that I have always aimed for.

• Savarez Cristal Normal Tension: Currently works very well on two of my concert guitars in terms of feel and tone/resonance.

• Luthier Concert Silver (aka “Luthier Blue”, mid-high tension): Always provides a rich tone and resonance for many of my guitars, with a nice resistance under left-hand fingers. I use them on my lattice-top guitar to soften the tone and also on my Brazilian 7-string guitar. Strangely, none of the other string sets in the Luthier brand have ever equalled Luthier Blues in resonance and feel.

Higher-end Hannabach Strings: Refined tone and texture that have worked well on several 7-string Brazilian guitars. Notably:

• Hannabach Silver 200 (mid-high tension)

• Hannabach Custom Made 728 High Tension

• Royal Classics SCN 10 Normal Tension: High E string similar in feel to Luthier Blue but slightly stiffer. I use this string on my Spanish-made spruce-top fan-braced guitar.

• Aquila Alabastro Low Tension: Polished nylgut high E string used on Stauffer replica 63 CM scale length.

• Savarez Rectified Nylon Series “for Early Period Instruments”: Selected gauges fitted as G and B strings on Stauffer replica 63 CM scale length.

For G strings, I use the following carbon strings for better tunability and thickness than the nylon equivalents:

• Savarez Alliance Normal Tension: Used on guitars fitted with Savarez nylon normal tension.

• Paulino Bernabe Carbon G String (medium-high tension) or

• Luthier Blue Carbon G String: For guitars fitted with Luthier Blue medium-high tension nylon trebles or Hannabach Silver 200 nylon trebles.

 Bass Strings

Preferred Bass String Sets:

• Aquila Alabastro Superior Tension: Firm under fingers but with enough elasticity for a soft tone. A nice option that works well on my 64CM scale cedar-top guitar.

• Aquila Ambra 800: Soft, smooth-toned basses fitted on my Stauffer replica, 63 CM scale length. I don’t use the rectified nylgut trebles in this set because they break too easily.

• Arunjuez Concert Silver 400: The E and A basses work well on my fan-braced spruce-top guitar (all-solid mid-range Spanish-made) with a rounded bass resonance.

• Paulino Bernabe (medium-high tension): These basses have an ideal tension for me with a good response. I fit them on my George Ziata lattice-top guitar.

• Savarez Cantiga Normal Tension: Strength with an edge of brightness. Works well on two cedar-top concert guitars.

• Savarez Cantiga High Tension: Snappy but smooth on my Brazilian seven-string for E, A, and D basses (Seventh bass string tuned to C is either Giannini or SG brand, as mentioned above).

 Trouble-Shooting/Remedial D Strings

The high oscillation rate of D strings often produces an annoying buzz between the 2nd and 4th-5th frets on certain guitars. To alleviate this, I opt for using higher tension D strings, preferably:

• D’Addario “Extra Hard Tension” D String (0.030”)

 But most recently:

• Royal Classics Sonata Forte (SN70) High Tension D String (0.032”): Provides greater sonorance at higher tension than the D’Addario.

 Seventh-Strings for Brazilian Seven-String Guitar, Tuned to Low B or C

I purchased a stock of these 7th strings when I was studying guitar in Brazil and use them as regular replacements.

·       Giannini Bronze/Copper 65/35 Wound Bass String: High Tension .058”

·       SG (Sound Generation) 65/35 Wound Bass String: High Tension .058”

 Graveyard, Limbo, and Waiting Room

Aside from these trusted strings already described, how can I explain the remaining packs of other brands and gauges of strings that are lurking in those boxes and represent perhaps half of the total collection?

They remain because either:

Category 1. They have worked on previously-owned guitars, or they are hanging around waiting to be tested when the time comes.

Category 2. I have tried them and they haven’t impressed me or functioned well on any of my guitars, current or previously.

Some of the least useful sets or remnants of sets still remain in the boxes because, though I have thrown out some old disused packs of well-known but disappointing brands, I’m too lazy, nostalgic, or both, to discard the others.

I’ve calculated that my expenditure on strings that have failed to deliver performance on my guitars probably amounts to over $2,000 over a couple of decades – enough for a plane ticket for a holiday somewhere!

Under Category 1 I would include:

• Hannabach Goldin Carbon Treble Sets: Enlivened the sound of several guitars which have since been sold.

• Jim Dunlop Concert Series Nylon High Tension: Bought out of interest several years ago but not yet tested on a guitar.

• Knobloch Actives Nylon QZ 400 ADQ Medium High Tension: Purchased due to recent publicity hype. Given experience with one medium tension set already (see section 2 below), I’m not expecting a miracle. Waiting to be tested.

• Knobloch Actives Nylon SN 500 ADN High Tension: As above.

• Savarez Corum Basses, Normal and High Tension: Fitted to several guitars previously and performed well until I discovered Savarez Cantiga basses, which I now prefer for their edge of brightness.

• Ramirez High Tension: A very robust string set that worked well on a Ramirez guitar that I subsequently sold. One pack remains as a memento.

Under Category 2:

• Augustine Regent and Imperial: Despite their famous brand name, the treble strings on these sets have always felt too thick and sounded plasticky and muted on my various guitars. I have long since discarded them.

• D’Addario Pro-Arte Medium Tension, High Tension, and Extra-High Tension: Strangely, these strings only sounded reasonable on the workshop-fitted Alhambra guitars. On any other guitar, the trebles felt greasy under my fingers without the tone delivered by Savarez strings. Bass sets have been used on occasion, but otherwise, I have always been disappointed with these strings as complete sets.

• Hannabach 800 HT High Tension Nylon: Thick and muted trebles, clangy basses. Not used since the first trial.

• Hannabach 815 MT Medium Tension: Same as above.

• Knobloch Actives Nylon SN 300 ADN Medium Tension: Bought due to publicity – nothing special compared to Savarez nylon equivalents. Relegated to string limbo in one of the boxes.

• La Bella 10PH Professional High-Tension Silver: Flat tone, slack under the fingers. Tried once and relegated to boxes.

• La Bella 500 Professional: Same as above.

• La Bella 850 Gold Nylon (no tension indicated): Thick & unresponsive. Relegated to boxes.

• La Bella 900-B Black Nylon: As above.

• Luthier Concert Silver Hard Tension Set 50: High tension at the expense of resonance. Never worked on any of my guitars. Relegated to boxes.

• Luthier Popular Supreme Medium Tension Set 20: Muddy, never worked on any of my guitars. Relegated to boxes.

• Oasis GPX HT Trebles MHT Basses. Carbon: Bought on a whim, like most carbon strings too zingy for my taste. Relegated to boxes.

• Pepe Romero Hard Tension: Rectified Nylon set & Clear nylon set – nothing special, lack adequate tone on every one of my guitars. Same quality as La Bella. Relegated.

• Phillipe Bosset Prestige Hard Tension Nylon: A robust string set, though trebles are a trifle too thick for my liking. Tried once, then fitted to a mid-range guitar which I later sold. Package only remains.

• Savarez  HT Alliance Normal Tension: Carbon trebles far too harsh and thin for my liking. I only use the carbon G string from these sets on my guitars. Partial packs still in box.

• Savarez HT Alliance High Tension: Purchased on the recommendation of a dealer for a specific high-end guitar. My reaction is the same as above. Packs remain in boxes.

• Savarez 520R (aka “Red Pack”): Rectified nylon medium tension – the most overrated and underperforming Savarez string set in my experience. Though the basses seem okay, the trebles have a rough surface which produces scratching on left-hand movement and right-hand strikes. Maybe good for players with no nails. The intonation benefits of these rectified nylon strings are outweighed by the negative results of their texture. Nice mellow tone, but that’s it. Relegated to boxes as a graveyard item.