Hello.
This website pursues the unexpected undertaking of the classical guitarist, from the practice room to performance hall, and the studio.
I hope that you’ll find the content useful!
This website pursues the unexpected undertaking of the classical guitarist, from the practice room to performance hall, and the studio.
I hope that you’ll find the content useful!
Choice of strings is one of the most critical aspects of guitar tone; like most things, it is largely subjective. Which brand or type would satisfy you depends on personal taste, technique, guitar, space, style and purpose.
Nevertheless, several attributes are less idiosyncratic, and therefore in my evaluations, I try to keep in proportion my preferences and objective characteristics like tonal balance, sustain, projection, responsiveness, and intonation.
If you are a beginner or not sure in which direction you want to go, I always recommend the D'addario Pro Arte EJ45 or EJ46. Their sound is quite balanced, they are cheap, and you can find them in every guitar shop. Concentrate on your practising, and later you can pursue tone when you know which direction you want to explore.
Aquila is a unique string company from Vicenza, Italy. They make strings for a plethora of historical and modern acoustic instruments. What distinguishes them from other string manufacturers is an environmental awareness; they extrude bioplastics from plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The sound of the Zaffiro strings is balanced, round and punchy with decent dynamics. Projection and intonation (other than the faulty G string I received) are above average. They need a couple of days to reach their potential, and then they hold their sound for about two to three weeks; they are also relatively inexpensive, which is nice.
Τhe treble strings are made of a 100% plant’s derivate Nylon. B and e strings sound full, sweet and smooth. They have a woody tone that sits somewhere between carbon and nylon. They are responsive and slightly forgiving; easy to play fast without any bounce or bloom. Slurs are effortless. Sustain, and tonal-colour variation are average. Savarez New Cristal strings are more enveloping and feel slow, in comparison.
G String is a bit too thick for my taste, and the one that I received had terrible intonation, I changed it after two days with an Aquila Sugar which fits great with the rest of the set.
Bass strings are made of a traditional silver-plated copper winding over Supernylgut® multifilament core. Their sound and responsiveness are almost perfect; tight, rich, and even. More mellow sounding than Savarez Cantiga, which can be quite metallic if pushed hard. Squeaks are also softer and less annoying. Sustain on the basses is better than the trebles.
The Zaffiro's have become some of my favourite all-purpose strings; I can settle on using them permanently for concerts and recording. Their even sounding character can be less exciting than some other sets, but overall they seem to be an excellent compromise of all different aspects.
Aquila Sugar’s sound ultra-bright, with unimaginable sustain and projection. The definition and responsiveness of these strings is something special; almost frightening. The harmonics that come out of this strings are extraordinary. Their intonation is decent, they need a couple of days to fully-settle and then they remain fresh for three to four weeks. As with all Aquila strings, they are inexpensive.
The trebles are made with a bio-plastic derived from sugar-cane, they are full, bright and clear sounding. The e string can be a bit too bright for some styles and guitars. The sustain of the trebles seems endless, so much that you need to be more careful with your damping and muting technique. Their tone is less manageable than the Zaffiro trebles, but they feel so light on the fingers that it is like they can play themselves.
The G String shows no honkyness at all, it fits the rest of the set perfectly.
The basses are red and they are as intense as they look. They are powerful, with exquisite definition and astonishing sustain. What is worth pointing out is that they manage to be bright and loud, without being metallic-sounding or boomy. Even the densest and thickest chords can right out clearly.
The Sugar's are very particular; they are not suitable for every style, and might not fit every guitar. But, they can truly sine in contemporary, impressionistic or even baroque context. They are considerably louder and more responsive than most strings out there. These characteristics should make them excellent for concerts, which I have yet to try because of the strict lockdown in Germany.
These are my current favourite recording strings; their sound is pure and rich, the tone is balanced and expressive. The set I tried has the best intonation among all other Aquila strings I had so far, well above average. They need a few days to fully settle, and they lose power and sustain after about two to three weeks.
The trebles are plant-based and made by Bionylon®, e and B strings sound elegant, refined and nuanced. Their sustain is decent, the expressiveness of their vibrato and tone moulding options is exceptional. A full sound, with a round and clear attack, is what makes these trebles so charming.
The g is a bit too thick for my taste and feels a bit slower and less refined than the rest of the set.
The bass strings are wound with silver-plated copper and they are a perfect match for the trebles. Their sound is deep and gentle; not as detailed or loud as the Sugar's but very tasteful. Their fit is excellent and they are a joy to play, squeaks are well controlled. They might be a bit more mellow for some guitars though.
The Aquila Perla sound and feel plush, aristocratic. I find that their personality fits romantic styles particularly, but their refinement makes them great for 20th/21st music as well. They are more demanding to play than the Sugar's but that can be positive. For recording purposes, these are my front runners currently, I like them so much that when I tried them, I had to re-record my suite “Baltik Winter” one month before the release. I've yet to try them in concert due to the strict lockdown in Germany.
