A bit of a weary mind this evening.

I was searching for a little project to lose myself in for a while. Quiet solitude.
Then it occurred to me that my nylon string guitar needed to be restrung.
I can restring a steel string guitar in no time at all, but nylon takes more time and concentration, at least for me, as I don't do it near as often.
I took my time and cleaned the guitar thoroughly and it really did help to lift my spirits some by the time I had finished.

I was pleased that this took as long as it did.
It was more of a ritual than a chore, which is just what I needed.

Tomorrow is a travel day.

I got this Martin 000-15SM last year and have yet to change the strings because of the open headstock. And I've done this forever when I was young and played classical guitar. But it will have to happen soon. I usually clean the instrument in addition to changing strings. Have a safe trip.

I'm hoping to add a nylon string this year. 

I have 2 nylon string guitars, and both have needed strings for, oh, about 15 years. I also have a 12 string that has them both beat. I did, however, just outfit my music room with a workbench, complete with a protective pad and neck block. I've changed strings last week on my OM-40 and a Taylor I recently acquired, and my mandolins are next! So much easier when you have a good place to work!   

I have been trying to educate myself on nylon-string guitars for a bit now.  It's a huge world and there are tons of builders, many more than in the steel-string world when you factor in all the small shops in Europe over the years.  But of course, guitars like that are sought after in the classical world and cost a lot of money.  I'd just want a nylon-string to mess around on and not try and be the next Segovia. 

I've noticed it's possible to get quite a bit of guitar in the nylon-string world for not much money.  I see them for sale locally quite often for dirt cheap.  Many times there will be older Japanese guitars for under $200.  Some would need a bit of work but many of them just haven't been played much and have been in a closet for 50 years.  It's pretty rare to spot a Larrivee classical in the wild, and when you do they are pretty pricey in comparison to the old Yammies, et al. 

At any rate, I do hope to find a good one at some point: but after that the search would be over, and that's most of the fun for me. 
 :wave

Quote from: Silence Dogood on January 18, 2025, 08:08:50 AMI have been trying to educate myself on nylon-string guitars for a bit now.  It's a huge world and there are tons of builders, many more than in the steel-string world when you factor in all the small shops in Europe over the years.  But of course, guitars like that are sought after in the classical world and cost a lot of money.  I'd just want a nylon-string to mess around on and not try and be the next Segovia. 

I've noticed it's possible to get quite a bit of guitar in the nylon-string world for not much money.  I see them for sale locally quite often for dirt cheap.  Many times there will be older Japanese guitars for under $200.  Some would need a bit of work but many of them just haven't been played much and have been in a closet for 50 years.  It's pretty rare to spot a Larrivee classical in the wild, and when you do they are pretty pricey in comparison to the old Yammies, et al. 

At any rate, I do hope to find a good one at some point: but after that the search would be over, and that's most of the fun for me. 
 :wave 

I like the hybrids but I'm not a purist.
Matter of fact, I restrung last Wednesday with "ball ends" nylons.
I could prolly get arrested for that in some circles.
 :cop:

 :bgrin:

Quote from: Queequeg on January 18, 2025, 12:58:33 PMI like the hybrids but I'm not a purist.
Matter of fact, I restrung last Wednesday with "ball ends" nylons.
I could prolly get arrested for that in some circles.
 :cop:

 :bgrin:

I'm definitely no purist either, but I don't think I've ever put my hands on a crossover-style guitar.  I like the look of some of them though. 

I noticed a number of younger players are playing Altimira guitars. I can't say I've been impressed by Cordoba and that Canadian company. And not all impressed with the Taylor, Martin and Yamaha nylon string guitars. I always played luthier instruments as they sounded better. But most of the luthiers from my youth are gone except for Paul Fischer and my last instrument I owned which was a Jeronimo Peña Fernandez instrument. Fernandez may still be alive but probably isn't building being born in 21933. Paul Fischer still makes instruments.

Quote from: William2 on January 18, 2025, 03:52:29 PMI noticed a number of younger players are playing Altimira guitars. I can't say I've been impressed by Cordoba and that Canadian company. And not all impressed with the Taylor, Martin and Yamaha nylon string guitars. I always played luthier instruments as they sounded better. But most of the luthiers from my youth are gone except for Paul Fischer and my last instrument I owned which was a Jeronimo Peña Fernandez instrument. Fernandez may still be alive but probably isn't building being born in 21933. Paul Fischer still makes instruments.

Altamira has a great YT channel if you're interested.  They do in-house concerts with different artists from all over the world.  I've watched several of them and highly recommend. 

I just parted with a classical guitar, and all my other wood guitars. If I had to rate first to last in terms of playing time it would begin with the old Yamaha CG-110CE I got back in 2005. That guitar did more for my muse than any of the others I'd owned before or after it. And to call up the muse is all I use a guitar for these days. But, it was time to go carbon fiber to coincide with my travel plans (for places yet unknown) so off it went with the others.