Nylon Strings?

adamkellie

Greetings All,

A friend has recently asked me about nylon strung selmacs. I recall seeing some, perhaps on R.F. Charle's site(?) in the past. Can anyone tell me about these instruments, availability, or players that use 'em?

Thanks,
AK

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:kellie@gsd.harvard.edu">kellie@gsd.harvard.edu</a><!-- e -->

Ando

Hi Adam

Hmm, no. I've never played one. The concept is interesting: I'd expect them to have a sharp and loud attack with a fast decay, like other Selmacs, but haven't a clue as to how nylon might affect things.

Nylon accompaniment to a steel-string lead is a great combination.

Cheers,
Ando

adamkellie

Hi Ando,

Yeah, it is a nice sound... A guy I'm playing with is interested in going nylon, as it would give a diversity to what he might approach that a steel Selmac sould not... He saw a busking duo in England years back with one nylon, one steel, and that impression has stuck...

Any further info appreciated... Many thanks!

Swing on!
-AK

nwilkins

Andy MacKenzie has an original nylon string Selmer. Post on the hotclub.co.uk forum and he might be able to help you (his username is gadjo).

kimmo

Ando wrote:

The concept is interesting: I'd expect them to have a sharp and loud attack with a fast decay, like other Selmacs, but haven't a clue as to how nylon might affect things.

Actually, no. The original Maccaferri Concert (d-hole nylon) had a flat top and fan-bracing (Torres), so it's like a regular classical guitar. Mario Maccaferri was a classical concert guitarist, so he designed his tool for that purpose.

For the steel stringed guitar Maccaferri preserved the shape but altered all other design features that he took from mandolins: bent top, floating bridge, ladder bracing, hence the mandolin-like sound (sharp and loud attack...).

I have a nylon stringed D-hole (Eimers Finesse), which I occassionally use for latin-type accompaniment, but it's more played by my 15-years old son, who plays classical guit. I have some videos of mid-nineties Rosenberg Trio, where Nou'che strums all bossas on a regular nylon-stringed guitar (not a mac).

BTW, not all Selmacs have a fast decay, I don't even find it desirable. When Stochelo lets a note ring and adds his vibrato, the sustain is lo-o-ong, and that's not just the player (if the top is dead, sustain can't be forced out by anybody).