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The guitar strings. A soul to take into account
One of the fundamental parts in the Spanish guitar is the guitar strings. They are one of the great responsible for the type of sound and melody that can be achieved when using this musical instrument. In the market there are different types of guitar strings made with different materials. The choice of a rope type depends on a number of factors. But above all the preferences of the musician that will make them vibrate to get the sound out. Your personality, pulse and type of music you play will have a great weight in the type of ropes to use.
Throughout history, man has perfected this subtle element until finding a perfect combination of material, position and vibration that make possible to extract that musical essence to the strings that form this musical instrument.
Trying different types of strings is one of the best practices to find the perfect choice. The one with which the best results are obtained and that allows to obtain the greater comfort for the musician.
The historical evolution of guitar strings
Antiquity
The appearance of strings in the world of music predates the appearance of the guitar as an instrument. In ancient Egypt, string instruments were used to create melodies for a unique entertainment. One of the eastern instruments where this element appears was known as the rebab whose appearance dates back to the 8th century BC. This instrument was played with a bow.
Middle Ages
The first ropes were made of materials such as hair or various parts of the cattle, mostly intestines. The popularity of the use of animal intestines to give life to these musical elements grew and soon all the cords were made with this material. The first guitar emerged in the thirteenth century had strings made with sheep’s intestines.
The main disadvantage that the cords made with animal intestines presented was their high sensitivity to the climate and humidity. The instrument was quickly out of tune, and in many cases even broken. With the appearance of plastic the panorama of musical strings changed radically. Nylon began to be used in the elaboration of these elements as they presented better results than those previously used. In spite of this, the strings elaborated with guts even today are used since they provide a very warm and harmonic sound. They are specially reserved for instruments like the vihuela, the thiorba, the lute or the key.
Present
Advances in strings continued and you can find carbon or titanium guitar strings that provide a different feel and a special kind of sound that makes it possible to open a very wide fan as to the melodies that the guitarist can get.
Things To Keep In Mind To Choose The Right Guitar Strings
When you go to a store to buy guitar strings we check how a great variety exists. Many brands and brands compete for a good position in the market. Because of this, knowing which rope to choose is becoming more complicated. There are many brands in the market such as, Which is the most appropriate, it may not be an easy task. To ease that moment, let’s explain a number of basic concepts that must be known before buying guitar strings.
There are two basic factors that must be taken into account before buying guitar strings and they are:
- the tension
- the material
How to choose the ropes depending on the tension of the ropes
Taking into account the string tension, there are three types of strings. The strings of low tension, those of medium tension and those of high tension.
Each of these guitar strings presents specific qualities that must be known to know what type is most suitable for the purpose sought:
Low Voltage Strings
These strings are easier to play, making it much more enjoyable to merge with the melodies. Similarly, using low tension strings makes it much easier to make nuts. They can be used practically on any type of guitar, so they can be adapted even for old guitars. They produce a more serious sound and have less volume. One point to keep in mind is that they can lead to further fires.
Medium Voltage Strings
These types of strings are the most suitable for those who start in the world of music. They are able to maintain a good balance between the advantages and disadvantages of high and low tension cords.
High Voltage Ropes
this type of strings are recommended for those people who already have some experience with guitars as they are more complicated to play and can be very annoying for beginners. They produce a sharper sound and have more volume.
Evaluating the type of string that is most appropriate depends on the experience, skill of the musician. Also of its type of pulsation and its tastes, since some ropes can be much more pleasant in certain occasions, allowing to create a more gratifying experience in function of the tension of said ropes.
Select ropes depending on the material from which they are made
If we pay attention to the strings that make up a classic guitar we will see that there are two great types of strings, the first three or more acute and the last three or more serious. The sharp ones have a plastic appearance and the bass has a more metallic look. In fact, the bass is also made of plastic material of silk or nylon, but except that they have been covered by a wire in a process called a wound.
Usually for the wound of the strings bronze is used in the case of the strings used for guitar. There is also the option of using copper, nickel, gold, silver or tungsten. Gold and silver, although more expensive, are often used because they have excellent corrosion resistance and are hypoallergenic.
The wound can give rise to round ropes which are those where a round wire is used to cover the core of the rope. There are also flat or semi-flat gutters, where other types of flat cables are used.
Acoustic Strings
The main considerations to take into account in the sharp strings of a guitar are:
- They are usually made of nylon. We speak of clean nylon as the most commonly used material. It is able to properly maintain the sound, resulting in a rich, balanced sound and easy vibrato.
- The “rectified” nylon is another type of material used in this type of string that has a longer duration.
- Titanium is also used as it has characteristics very similar to those of clean nylon. They have the ability to maintain sound and vibrato. The main differences are that these types of strings usually have a higher pitch sensitivity with temperature and are usually more brittle than nylon strings.
- The carbon fiber strings produce a strong and bright sound, provide stable tuning, good durability. In contrast they have a low resistance. In addition, it usually results in a less rich sound.
- Composite strings produce brighter sounds with great projection.
Bass strings
These strings are composed of a core of silk or nylon that is covered by a filament that can be of bronze or silver like materials more used. In the case of bronze it is possible to obtain a dark sound and of shorter duration. If the rope is covered with silver it is possible to obtain a brighter sound and of longer duration and resonance.
Some tips for making the right decision
A good tip to start playing the guitar is to start with strings of medium tension that present good characteristics for those people who do not yet have too much skill in this art.
The material of the rope is not the most relevant decision, it usually has more influence in terms of comfort and touch. Testing strings made of different materials makes it possible to find the ones with which to play the guitar is more enjoyable.
Sometimes new guitars are usually provided with very soft strings that tend to tangle. This is solved by using harder strings. It is advisable to explore the type of ropes most appropriate for each person to try with different string tensions as you progress in the skill of this skill.
Aim impressions of each set of strings
It is advisable to point the marks of the strings that are used and to point the first impressions when putting them. These impressions, could be, valuing factors like touch and pulsating comfort; hardness in the pulsation and in the position of the nut; in addition to the high and low frets, the cerdeo in the points and also in the strumming. The impressions we recommend that they are always made with the same musical pieces, so that they are the most objective possible. We even recommend storing the prints in the string package that has been purchased. So we will know what type has been tested and we will be able to acquire the same ones that we have liked. Or switch to a different mode on the next purchase.
Final conclusion
The strings are sold in complete sets or as individual strings. This makes it possible to prove endless combinations. In this way you will be able to find the most appropriate in each specific case.
To select the most appropriate strings for a guitar there is nothing like trying. Experiment with different stresses. Try with various materials until you find those strings that give us a pleasant sensation. A vibration that translates into an unforgettable melody making it possible to enjoy quality music.
