Making the Case for Nylon-Strung Guitars

After almost eight years of reading MMR, I admit to feeling somewhat left out.

There is such a thing as a “nylon-strung” guitar, traditionally (and erroneously) referred to as a “classical,” but you would never know it by reading the trades. 

Granted, MMR is the trade mag of MI and granted the majority of guitar sales are hard-body electrics and steel string flat-tops – (and erroneously) referred to as “acoustics” – hence the emphasis on these guitars. But as the trade mag for MI, I’d hope MMR would give nylon-strung guitars some coverage.

Let us be clear here. A nylon-strung guitar is just as much an acoustic as a steel stringer. Tone-wood issues and the Lacey Act are just as important – and, as a matter of design, construction, and sound, probably more important as with steel stringers. The essential, and substantial, difference in tension between nylon and steel strings dictates the differences in architecture and construction which, in turn, will make for substantial differences in tone-wood use and tone-wood response; thus the difference between using mahogany vs. rosewood on a nylon strung is far more significant than on a steel stringer.

But, though the issue of “green” guitars has been reasonably well covered in MMR, there has been nary a word regarding nylon-strung guitars.

The dealer reading this will by now be thinking, “But I can’t sell nylon strung guitars.” Well, have you tried? Or does your store simply have a wide array of steel stringers on prominent display and a couple of nylons sitting in a back corner collecting dust? Yes, many customers come into a store knowing exactly what it is they think they want, but many are new to the instrument and look to the dealer for guidance and knowledge before they make a purchase. For these latter, do you show them a nylon strung, explaining and demonstrating its advantages, or do you just shove a name brand steel stringer in their hand and say, “This is what you want.”

And do you make the mistake of going with the nomenclature flow referring to the nylon strung as a “classical” and the steel stringer as an “acoustic”? Therein lies your first marketing problem – by referencing the nylon as a “classical” you implicitly, and complicitly, re-enforce the misperception that a nylon is for “classical” music only. Which is simply not true. 

It’s a guitar. It has six strings. It plays music. It plays all kinds of music. It plays any kind of music that can be played on a steel stringer. You can play jazz, blues, rock, folk, classical, flamenco, and just about anything else one might want to play. And, being as objective as I can about this: it plays that music better than a steel stringer.

Unamplified and all other things – finger-style, flat-picking, tone-woods, price range, et cetera being equal – a nylon strung has a more complex sound and better projection, which means greater dynamic range than a steel stringer. In other words – a nylon strung has better acoustics than “acoustics.” I’m certain that luthiers who specialize in nylon strung guitars can describe the why of that – and I hope they will, with articles on construction, tension, and bracing differences.

I am constantly amazed by the people who don’t get this, who say, “Well, you can’t (fill in the blank)”. One guy who used to work in a guitar store told me, “Well, you can’t play harmonics on it.” Yes, you can – I had to actually show him this. And, yes, you can bend notes as well. 

When the customer says, “Isn’t that a classical?” you say, “Used to be, but many of the younger generation of concert guitarists are playing a much wider variety of music” – then lay down a sweet little blues lick. When the customer says, “Well, what about an acoustic?” you say, “This is an acoustic.” A little education can go a long way to making the sale.

Potential customers are constantly amazed when I take out a nylon strung and play all the things that they think can’t be played. That can become a selling point.

Other selling points: 

Nylon is easier on the fingers than steel – for new guitar players, of any age, this is a plus.

The slightly wider neck makes fingerings easier and more forgiving.

Most importantly, the slightly smaller body makes it easier to hold – actually, most of my 9 year-old students can wrap themselves around a full-size classical. I once met a young woman – early 20s, who was about 4’6” –struggling to play her grandfather’s dreadnought. Very sad. But, not knowing any better, parents will buy their kid a monster steel stringer – and far too many dealers will go along with this in order to get a sale.

 Of course, it helps the marketing of these guitars if the dealer knows how to play one well and has a personal appreciation for the instrument.

 And it would help the marketing of these guitars if MMR were to apply their solid writing to articles specific to the nylon-strung. I look forward to reading such! [Very good points – we’ll get to work on it! Check out the article on page 72 of this issue and keep an eye out for our August 2016 issue – Ed.]

Richard Hannemann

Hannemann Music

Los Alamos, New Mexico