Project Headless Horseman

[DustyCat]

Has anyone built a guitar with the intention of being able to alternate between (acoustic) steel strings and (classical) nylon strings?

What kind of complications might arise (if any) from swapping (acoustic guitar) steel strings with (classical guitar) nylon strings?

I anticipate 2 problems: the first being different gauge wire, as in the thickness of each string might vary, leading to a widening of the nut slots creating complications for whichever set of strings is thinner.

The second is the difference in tension between the two sets.

Maybe someone has been successful or might be able to offer advice or suggest a solution.

Thanks

 

[swarfrat]

I have "gut feeling" you're going to need to 1) swap nuts 2) major intonation adjustment, perhaps even more than you have saddle travel, 3) truss rod adjustment each and every time you switch.

Guitars don't really "dual boot" well.  Even if you're more than competent to do your own setup (more or less assumed given the forum) its still a tedious pain in the butt.  And like who needs much excuse for another guitar anyway??? If you want to be silly and impractical, then make it a doublneck steel string/nylon.  At least that's just a pain in the neck (or shoulder)

 

[chubs]

Go for a double neck

 

[DustyCat]

Ooooh Double neck!

NICE!  :headbang:

 

[keeper006]

I've done this with a couple of guitars with no problems, other than the noticeable difference in volume and tone. Quality guitar makers design the bracing and materials for a certain balance tone, which the type of strings it's made for play a large role. But as far as just switching to experiment, there are no real issues. Just look for these...

 

[jmavl]

What kind of guitar are you building?  I have an Alvarez classical that I once strung up with extra light steel strings... I was concerned that anything larger may cause damage.  The only real problem was that the action is extremely high on a classical guitar, and the steel strings were brutal on my fingers-- even the extra light gauge.  I suppose that's why they put classical strings on classical guitars and steel strings on steel string guitars.

 

[Cagey]

I have an Alvarez classical that I once strung up with extra light steel strings... I was concerned that anything larger may cause damage.  The only real problem was that the action is extremely high on a classical guitar, and the steel strings were brutal on my fingers-- even the extra light gauge.  I suppose that's why they put classical strings on classical guitars and steel strings on steel string guitars.

It's a tonal thing more than anything else.

If steel strings are tearing up your fingers, you're probably not playing enough to condition them. Your fingertips will go from painful to tore up and comfy to smooth and painless over time, given enough exposure to the stress of playing. Back when I gave it several hours a day, nobody who looked at my fingers would know I even played guitar. No callouses, no loose skin, etc. If I ran that kind of schedule today, my fingers would look like I stuck 'em in a chain saw for the first couple months.

 

[DustyCat]

What kind of guitar are you building?

There was a hollowbody wenge VIP that won GOM not too long ago that was the genesis of this project (well, that and having all my bases covered guitarwise). I have a Martin twelve string that sounds great. A dreadnought I believe, very strummy, as you can plainly see from a noob scratch when I was much more excitable, many years ago.

I have a Fishman pickup that I can insert under the strings. The problem is that single notes, while sounding great from the doubling of the octave or unison are not always consistent in volume from the alien pickup that may or may not jostle around from movement (or more excitable noob scratches)  :toothy11:
No. It is a purely acoustic guitar with no fixed onboard and choreographically stable pickup system.

The Fishman pickup sounds great btw, even without an acoustic preamp, D.I box, straight into the front of a clean tube amp at reasonable volume levels.
$66 (or whatever it was) and you're in the game.  :icon_thumright:

I could use a hollowbody acoustic guitar with stable/fixed pickups capable of single notes (or two voices etc. Even my $99 classical is strummable) and easy to plug into an amp or PA.

Solidbody feel for bonus points. I had my eye on a carved top hollowbody Z, maybe with a similar wenge top as The Scarecrow.  :guitarplayer2:

 

[jmavl]

I have an Alvarez classical that I once strung up with extra light steel strings... I was concerned that anything larger may cause damage.  The only real problem was that the action is extremely high on a classical guitar, and the steel strings were brutal on my fingers-- even the extra light gauge.  I suppose that's why they put classical strings on classical guitars and steel strings on steel string guitars.

It's a tonal thing more than anything else.

If steel strings are tearing up your fingers, you're probably not playing enough to condition them. Your fingertips will go from painful to tore up and comfy to smooth and painless over time, given enough exposure to the stress of playing. Back when I gave it several hours a day, nobody who looked at my fingers would know I even played guitar. No callouses, no loose skin, etc. If I ran that kind of schedule today, my fingers would look like I stuck 'em in a chain saw for the first couple months.

My fingers have been adequately calloused from playing a D-18 for nearly 40 years.  The pain created by the increased string tension and especially high action of a classical guitar strung-up with steel was related to tendonitis, not fingertip soreness.

 

[Cagey]

My fingers have been adequately calloused from playing a D-18 for nearly 40 years.  The pain created by the increased string tension and especially high action of a classical guitar strung-up with steel was related to tendonitis, not fingertip soreness.

I see. That's different. And I understand the pain you're talking about, I get it periodically myself. At least, I think that's what it is. Could also be early onset arthritis. I haven't been to a doctor to figure out exactly what it is. All I know is the finger(s) get useless.

 

[DustyCat]

The pain created by the increased string tension and especially high action of a classical guitar strung-up with steel was related to tendonitis, not fingertip soreness.

You might be interested in R.I.C.E (rest Ice compression elevation)
I also recently stumbled upon muscle cream (basically Ben Gay, but I just never thought to use it before)
And of course, cold showers  :icon_thumright: