Any other fingerstyle players switching to mainly nylon string guitars?

BigLicks67

menamestom said:

Also this:-

https://youtu.be/VNkvI2DPPzw?si=75LLx417WqHN_8IT

Struttin' is a great tune, looks pretty tricky though.

BigLicks67

Timcito said:

BigLicks67 said:

I think if good quality nylon string crossover guitars were more widely available by respected builders it might be more popular. I think nylon works well for jazz finger style due to the shorter sustain from the strings.
Brooks Robertson seems to be comfortable playing both nylon and steel string.

That's nice playing and a nice guitar, too - bet it cost him a bob or two! I think American luthier Kirk Sand makes guitars that look a bit like that. It also looks a bit like the Gibson slimline that Chet Atkins played in his latter years. 

I think it is a Kirk Sand, maybe even a signature model.

Shadow

Richard Smith plays a Kirk Sand pretty much exclusively. I'd recommend listening to anything he does.

menamestom

I think this sounds nice.   

https://youtu.be/Dlv-KXecLfA?si=u4HpNC9SYyYhBAPV

Quite a few crossover guitars tend to go too far to appeasing steel string players with narrow nuts.  This is just over 49mm, so definitely crossover, but not too narrow.
Also sounds good.  Many crossovers tend to lose much af the clasical guitar projection.  Some of that might be a lower action but I think it’s also heavier built guitars.

guitars4you

BigLicks67 said:

I think if good quality nylon string crossover guitars were more widely available by respected builders it might be more popular. I think nylon works well for jazz finger style due to the shorter sustain from the strings.
Brooks Robertson seems to be comfortable playing both nylon and steel string.

I like that and agree that form of finger style sounds nice for such 'American Song Book' classics etc

GTC

I switched to mainly nylon from steel some years ado. The main reason was that, being a fingerstyle player who prefers to use their nails, steel strings were giving me problems - frequent nail splits. A few years on I've hopefully got over the nail problems with the use of Barielle, Nailtiques 2 and vitamin supplements and can now play steel without fear of problems.

However, I now prefer nylon - IMO there's just so much more expression and tonal variability

Timcito

menamestom said:

Timcito said:

A guitarist I really like that does amazing things on a nylon string guitar is Duck Baker.

Nice, that’s on my list to learn.

I've been playing a version of it since 1995. I say 'a version' of it because it's so challenging I would never claim to have nailed it. It's quite different from just about every other rendition of 'Maple Leaf Rag' I've heard. Most seem to play it in the key of A and take it much more slowly. Baker's version is very much 'in your face': punchy, dynamic, and up-tempo. It also brings out the percussive nature of the instrument and even a little nylon string fret-buzz for effect. It's one of those recordings, like Big Bill Broonzy's 'Glory of Love,' that redefined what I wanted to do on a guitar.