One of the biggest questions you will probably have when playing guitar is the differences between steel strings and nylon strings? Everyone seems to have a particular preference, and everyone tells you something different about them.
Steel strings and nylon strings differ in many ways, from how easy they are for beginners to use to their costs. They even produce different sounds and require different methods of care.
There is no one-string-fits-all answer, but you will know what string you need by the time you finish reading this post. The differences shall be explained, and your many questions shall be answered. Keep reading to find your perfect string and to spend your time focused on music, rather than worrying if your string is right for you.
Steel Strings Vs. Nylon Strings: Beginner Friendliness
The first thing you should know when it comes to guitar strings is the level of beginner friendliness to each kind of string. If you are just starting out playing guitar, nylon strings are probably going to be better for you. They tend to be a lot softer on your fingers, which is something beginner guitar players look for.
Using nylon strings will help you keep from experiencing a lot of the finger pain that can come when first starting to play. However, it does prevent you from delivering the necessary calluses to be able to play without a guitar pick.
Steel strings, however, are under a much higher level of tension and thus are much harder to play with just your bare fingers. This makes steel strings a more challenging choice if you are just starting when it comes to playing.
However, the benefit of starting right away with steel strings is you will get the chance to begin building your calluses. You will have many sore fingers in your near future, but if you are planning on sticking with playing, it will be well worth it.
Nylon strings will be easier on you as a beginner, but you may find yourself regretting the choice of starting with nylon strings, especially if you are hoping to play like on the radio. It can be better to start with steel strings and just take the small disadvantages of them.
Steel Strings Vs. Nylon Strings: The Sounds They Make
Steel strings and nylon strings both have unique sounds, making them suited for different kinds of music. If you have no preference for the type of music you are playing and just want to play music, it will not matter which strings you go with.
Most music that you will hear nowadays comes from steel-stringed guitars. This includes music genres like rock, bluegrass, and country, all of which are very popular music forms. Steel strings offer you a much crisper sound because they can provide more volume and power to their music.
Not only do steel strings deliver that crisper sound, but they also bring that bright twangy sound that they are infamous for. The sound produced by steel strings also lasts longer, allowing for more of an echo effect. You cannot find the echo effect as prominent with nylon strings.
However, nylon strings lack the power that comes with steel-stringed guitars, making them much more suited for softer music. Nylon strings are often used in classical and jazz music, giving them their recognizable mellow sounds. This comes from nylon strings being more flexible and less tense under pitch.
Nylon strings also typically have a much warmer and smoother sound to them. It is a lot less jarring of a sound than steel-stringed guitars, so they are used amongst most classical musicians.
The Construction of Steel and Nylon Strings
Nylon and steel strings are different in how they are constructed and how they fit in with the guitars. If you have a particular preference for the way you play, that will heavily influence which string you will go with based on construction. Nylon strings are used for guitars that:
- Are much smaller in size compared to steel-string guitars
- do not use electronics, fretboards, or cutaways
- Have wider necks
All of this helps nylon strings produce the mellow and softer sounds they are well known for. Without the unique designs that go hand in hand with nylon strings, they would be unable to produce the incredible and haunting sounds you hear so often from them.
Steel-strings come with fancier guitars that incorporate electronics and fretboards to help them give the powerful sounds everyone knows and loves. They are also easier to reach higher frets with and solos when you are playing your music.
The Physical Differences Between Steel and Nylon Strings
Nylon and steel strings both have many differences, most of them lying in the way they sound or operate, but they do have many physical differences. It is these physical differences that help each type of string stand out as its own being.
Steel strings tend to be thinner, which helps create the echo and twangy sound you hear in the music genres that use them. They are typically made of either steel or nickel, with pure steel or nickel strings becoming more and more popular. Many steel strings are also coated in nickel, which lets them create more tones versus pure steel strings.
Nylon strings are much thicker than steel strings due to the material that they are made of. This helps make them much more flexible but also unable to hold as high of tone as steel strings. They are much softer of strings, however, which comes with its own set of benefits.
However, at times, you can find both nylon and steel strings on a guitar together because together, they can create a long-range of tones and notes. The nylon strings will probably last a lot longer, however, and you will find yourself replacing both more often than if you were only using steel strings or nylon strings.
Will Nylon or Steel Strings Last longer?
You will have people swearing up and down to you that steel strings last longer, and you will have others doing the same when it comes to nylon strings. However, in truth, nylon strings will last way longer than steel strings.
Steel strings will rust, unlike nylon strings, and thus are much more likely to snap over time. Nylon strings are also more flexible and durable due to them being created out of plastic, so you will not have to be replacing your strings as often if you use nylon ones.
However, nylon strings can sometimes snap sooner than steel strings if you are continually keeping them at a higher tension than they should be. They will also break sooner than steel strings if you use picks on them frequently. Nylon strings are not built for pick usage and so should not have picks used on them regularly.
In the end, the life of your guitar string, whether it be nylon or string, is going to depend entirely on how well you take care of it. You could have nylon strings that break within a month because you do not take care of them and then have steel strings that last for months with proper care.
Differences in Taking Care of Nylon and Steel Strings
Nylon and steel strings both require different methods of care. You do not want to be taking care of your strings with the procedures for a completely different type of string. All that will lead to is you getting frustrated over your strings breaking and functioning wrong. When you are taking care of nylon strings, it is essential to remember:
- Check your strings each time before playing for wear or fraying
- Decrease the tension on them after playing
Nylon strings can easily last you a reasonable amount of time if you make sure you are correctly taking care of them. Do not keep them under constant tension when not in use, as this will start to decrease their ability to hold their form correctly.
When taking care of steel strings, it can be useful for you to make sure to wipe down the strings regularly. One of the biggest causes of steel strings breaking and becoming useless is rust. This comes from you keeping your strings in an area with too high humidity or letting them get exposed to sweat and other liquids.
Steel strings should be given a little looseness while in storage, as that will keep them from losing any of their flexibility. It is not as likely as nylon strings due to steel strings being metal, but it is still something to keep in mind when taking care of your strings.
Tuning Nylon and Steel Strings
When it comes to tuning strings, that is when nylon and steel strings show their true colors. Nylon strings can be great for beginners in terms of how they feel and since they will not cause you to suffer from too many sore fingers. However, they are terrible when it comes to the tuning department.
If you are using nylon strings, you will be continuously stuck tuning them and could very well spend more time tuning than actually playing some days. Due to nylon strings being made from plastic, they are more susceptible to getting out of tune.
If you want to decrease the amount of time that you spend tuning nylon strings, try to play in an area with lower humidity or moisture. The drier the air, the less likely it will cause your strings to get out of tune.
Steel strings shine through when it comes to the tuning department. You will have to continually tune steel strings when you first get a new set, as they take a fair amount of time to get broken in. However, once you finally have them tuned, they will likely stay like that most of the time.
Moisture in the air and humidity do not affect steel strings when it comes to tuning, so as long as you continue taking good care of your steel strings, they will be best for high humidity locations.
Steel Strings Are Harder for Small Players
Steel strings have a lot against them at times, but another big difference in guitar strings is the size of the guitar they are attached to. Guitars that use steel-strings tend to be much larger in size.
This makes it a lot harder for smaller guitar players to play steel-stringed guitars easily. The strings are also typically closer together, meaning that you have to have greater hand precision when playing, and when you can hardly reach around the body, that is almost impossible to do.
If you are a smaller player, using steel strings means you will get stuck with a large guitar. This will make it harder for you to play correctly, and you are going to have to spend more time getting used to the size early on in your beginning days.
Overall, steel strings will prove much more challenging to get into when you are first starting. It will seem very disheartening, especially if you choose steel strings because they seem so much worse than nylon strings, but they do have their benefits.
Nylon Strings and Problems You Can Face
While yes, nylon strings are easier typically for beginner players, they have many disadvantages that just cannot be ignored. These disadvantages may not be a big deal to you if you do not care to play most of the songs you hear on the radio. The disadvantages of playing nylon strings include:
- If you choose to play nylon strings, you are not going to be able to play solos. This is because guitars that use nylon strings have smaller necks.
- You are heavily limited on the type of music you can play with nylon strings, which means that unless you are dedicated to classical music, nylon strings are unlikely the choice for you.
- You will not be able to reach higher frets if you use nylon strings because guitars using nylon strings start at the 12th fret rather than the 14th fret. This also means that you will be unable to play rock music or most contemporary music.
- Not only are nylon strings affected by moisture in the air, but they are also affected by heat. This makes them just all around very unfriendly when it comes to different types of environments.
Which Has Higher Tension and Is That Good?
When it comes to choosing between nylon and steel strings, knowing the differences in their tension and how it affects them is essential to keep in mind. The more tense a string is, the higher its sound shall be, but there are disadvantages to having strings under high tension.
When it comes to just base tension, steel strings tend to have higher tension. They require the higher tension to create the loud, powerful sounds they are known for and to keep the strings in line on the guitar as you play.
On the other hand, nylon strings tend to have less tension to them, as the plastic material they are made of does not require high tension. This can seem like a good thing because then the strings are not as likely to snap from the tension, but it decreases the level of sound they can create.
Tension in and of itself is not a bad thing on your guitar, and it is necessary for you to play correctly. However, it does place a strain on both steel and nylon strings, and that can lead to some problems. Higher tension can lead to a higher frequency of your steel strings snapping or your nylon strings losing their elasticity over time as you play.
Which String Will Cost You More?
You can easily find steel strings or nylon strings for very cheap or very expensive. There is no clear-cut distinction typically between nylon and steel, for which is more costly. However, they will cost you differently in the long run in other ways.
Nylon strings are going to be your cheapest bet, especially when first starting. They tend to require less upkeep, do not need things like electronics to improve their sound, and the strings are less likely to break.
Steel strings, on either hand, are going to cost you more in the long run. Since they are made out of metal, they do tend to be a smidgeon more expensive starting out, and then they tend to require a lot of upkeep. Steel strings are also:
- More likely to snap, meaning you will have to purchase new strings often
- Going to require special treatment to help keep from rusting
Nylon strings do not win out much when it comes to the battle against steel strings, but they win with ease when it comes to the pricing department. However, you have to remember you do get what you pay for, and you do not get a whole lot when it comes to nylon-stringed guitars, which is why they tend to be cheaper.
Conclusion
Nylon and steel strings both have a lot of differences, which means that it is essential to be aware of all the differences that exist for them. By knowing these differences, you make sure that you can choose the right string for your playing needs.
Recent Comments