# Nylon string shred - does one use a classical guitar or something different?



## Charles (Dec 24, 2009)

I was watching a John McLaughlin video this morning when it occurred to me that he does all of his righteous shredding stuff on a nylon string. Now, thinking back to the horrid old days where I learned on a Yamaha classical guitar, it's hard to imagine that anybody with a choice (let alone the legendary John McLaughlin) would attempt to burn on an instrument so cumbersome in neck profile and body type. Granted, there's an astronomical difference in quality between my Yamaha student classical and the hand made stuff John McLaughlin struts, but my question stands. Do these guys use a "classical" guitar with traditional classical string spacing and neck profile? Or is it a nylon string guitar with different spacing?

Charles


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## Trespass (Dec 25, 2009)

Al Di Meola uses a hand made flamenco guitar, the same luthier Paco De Lucia and other accomplished players use. He started using it around 2004, for the Grande Passion. I'm pretty that's nylon, with nylon spacing. It sounds utterly fantastic - Yet it's all picked.

McLaughlin used to use a scalloped steel string for Shakti, now he uses that nylon thing. I don't know who made it. 

That's all I've got.


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## Charles (Dec 26, 2009)

I've seen him with that nylon thing for ages. There's a clip of him playing on the Carson show with it. That's gotta be at least 35 years old, right?


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## splinter8451 (Dec 26, 2009)

Well I believe the spacing and all that is the same but the string action is a lot lower. 

I have an Alvarez "classical" and the action is pretty high because higher action enhances sustain; which is wanted in classical guitar.

I also have a Cordoba nylon string which is more flamenco style. The action on it is extremely low and the sound is bright with a lot of attack; which is what you would want for playing ridiculous finger picked flamenco lines. I can definitely play a lot faster on the Cordoba then the Alvarez. 

I used to think my Alvarez just sucked because of the high action but then I played some really high end classical guitars and found they had the same high action. 

There is definitely a difference between classical and flamenco guitars and I am sure McLaughlin is playing a guitar more towards the flamenco side with low action. However the string spacing and no radius fretboard would be the same as any other nylon guitar. The strings are spaced that way so it is easier to finger pick.


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## Tom Drinkwater (Jan 5, 2010)

There are a lot of non classical nylon string guitars available now. Ibanez has a whole line of narrow spaced nylons and I have seen similar models from Wechter, Carvin and many other builders. If you are into shred and want to transfer your skills over onto a nylon guitar definitely go for something like this-
Buy Ibanez EW Series EWN28BGENT Cutaway Nylon String Acoustic-Electric Guitar | Acoustic-Electric Classical & Nylon Guitars | Musician's Friend
I used to own an Ibanez GA5TCE which was one of there eariler thin line models but I sold and bought a standard classical becuase I am more of a fingerstylist. The wider spacing is good for me. The GA5TCE sounded like crap until I put on D'addario Pro Arte composite strings. Then the guitar sounded great. I must warn you about nylon string guitars, they are very addictive.


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## Esp Griffyn (Jan 5, 2010)

Other than Paco, no one uses those big horrendous old fashioned necks. Mclaughlin uses Wechter customs. The Ibanez AEG10NE is a super cheap, awesome playing, awesome sounding modern nylon string, and a good example of the sort of thing you use for real technical jazz. No one is trying to rip ridiculous lines on those huge old necks nowadays.

Like I say, if you are interested in trying this kind of thing out, I'd fully reccomend the Ibanez AEG10NE. They are so good, I've owned two, though sadly had to move both on when I needed money. If I felt like playing that style again, I'd buy one in a shot.

If you hate it, at least you won't have spent much money on it either.


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## Tom Drinkwater (Jan 6, 2010)

No one but Paco and tens of thousands of other great flamenco and classical players use the traditional classical neck. 

If you think that a traditional classical is wide try a 10 or 11 string!!

The AEG10NE is probably the best deal for a guitar like that. I played one at Guitar Center and was very impressed. I can't stress the importance of putting good strings on whatever you buy. A really good set of strings would transform the AEG10NE into an amazing guitar.


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## Trespass (Jan 7, 2010)

Tom Drinkwater said:


> No one but Paco and tens of thousands of other great flamenco and classical players use the traditional classical neck.
> 
> If you think that a traditional classical is wide try a 10 or 11 string!!
> 
> The AEG10NE is probably the best deal for a guitar like that. I played one at Guitar Center and was very impressed. I can't stress the importance of putting good strings on whatever you buy. A really good set of strings would transform the AEG10NE into an amazing guitar.



I've heard this time and time again. I imagine you'd have to match the strings to the guitar.


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