Nylon strings suggestions for Martin guitar?

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 31 Mar 2016 10:56 am

I have a Martin nylon string guitar and have tried different "tension" strings. This guitar is not a classical guitar but a standard nylon string. I bought it new and Martin said it comes with their hard tension nylon strings but when I changed strings to the same type they did not feel the same. Also, is there any downside from using ball end strings rather than tying them off in the traditional manner?

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 1 Apr 2016 5:26 pm

Willie uses ball end on Trigger, which is a Martin (I think), with fairly good results.

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 1 Apr 2016 5:48 pm

Actually I checked some photos and looks like he uses ball end for the wound strings and wraps the unwound 3.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 2 Apr 2016 5:38 am

Thanks for the response and Information. There are also different gauges as well as various tension strings. Pro Arte has many models so I am checking their line out.

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 2 Apr 2016 7:39 am

FWIW, I have a Cordoba and I've been using Pro Arte EJ43. No ball ends. It's quite easy to learn how to wrap them correctly and it looks much cleaner on the bridge end.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 9 Apr 2016 6:00 pm

Len, its a trial and error method of finding the right string. I play classical guitars and I have gone through many sets by various makers. What sounds good on one don't work for the other. Savarez red label and Pro Arte seem to give me the best results. I also like the Pyramid trebles with Pro Arte bottom 3 strings. If you research this its a common dilemma. Good luck. Also I never use ball end strings and if needed I would cut the ball off and tie them in the traditional manner.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 10 Apr 2016 6:25 am

Michael & Larry,

Thanks so much for the input and suggestions. I restrung the Martin with Pro Arte hard tension nylon strings. Also, there is a short tutorial on YouTube by Córdoba on how to install nylon strings and I did a nice neat job tying the ends and tucking the excess in to the adjacent string.

Nice feel with these strings. This forum is great as you get so much valuable info rather than walking in a music store and taking a shot on what strings are hanging on the wall.