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by Jillifish on September 21st, 2005

Jillifish

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Why do some acoustics have nylon strings and others have steel?

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  • by Southpaw Pete on September 22nd, 2005

    Southpaw Pete

    The simple answer to this question is, "because they'll sound different". Historically, as the guitar developed from earlier instruments such as the lute, it inherited the strings in use at the time. These tended to be made from natural materials such as animal "gut". Of course, as soon as synthetic materials were developed that could mimic the characteristics of these natural materials, they were put into production, as they are cheaper to produce in large volume (and kinder on the poor animals!!). These nylon stings typically have a relatively "soft" sound, and are ideally suited to classical and flamenco style playing. However, as the guitar became a more prominent instrument within a band context (I'm talking big-band, rather than rock band at this point), the lack of volume lead guitar builders to look at larger bodied guitars, with metal strings which would create a greater acoustic output. "Steel" string acoustics are therefore more commonly (although not exclusively) associated with accompaniment of vocals and other instruments.

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