steel strings in classical guitar

[noisemaker]

can I put steel strings in my classical guitar if its tuned down hald or 1 step without breaking the neck?

[Colt W. Knight]

Maybe, but that sounds like a bad idea to me. You probably wouldn't break the neck, you would probably warp it, seperate the heel or yank off the bridge. Plus Im not sure how well your guitar would respond to being tuned down a whole step. You can always try it, and if you feel, hear or sense there is too much pressure yank them off right away, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Colt W. Knight]

Or possibly tear up the gears on the tuners.

[Papa Joe]

The for sure thing is you will ruin the table[top]..A clasical guitar table is braced much different than steel string guitar..It won't handle the pressure put on it with steel strings..If you want steel strings then trade your clasical for a steel string...PJ...

[noisemaker]

thanks guys.. you talked me out of it

[Mike Bruce]

Glad you changed your mind.

Other issues: intonation will not be true no matter how it's tuned, nut won't be right, tuner posts don't like small gauge strings, bridge might split, etc.

Phew, that was close!

Mike Bruce

[jefrs]

Ordinary steel acoustic strings will pull up the table, the bracing is too light.

But Thomastik-Inspiron make steel rope core strings for classic which have the same tension as nylon types. Whilst they don't sound quite like steel strings, they are much brighter and richer, more of a gypsy-jazz feel, and they won't rip up a light-weight concert classic. I'm using their excellent KR116.
http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/guitars/index.html And they a list their string tensions.

They are ball-end (Austrians make funny concert guitars) but compare their tension with a normal nylon set. The descriptions on the website are confusing, I think something got lost in translation: KR116 bass strings are wire wrap on steel rope core, the treble are steel rope with some sort of thin nylon coating. I've no idea what the KR110 set are but I doubt they are all solid steel core. Re the tuners, the steel rope stretches like nylon, not plain steel. Will the tuner post explode, well I've seen it done but they were cheap tuners, the string crushed the plastic and split it. The posts are plastic over steel rod, the good ones are very hard and not too large a diameter thus allow fine tuning.

To be honest, untill you get up to 11 gauge, electric guitar strings and Argentines seem to have much the same tension as a nylon classic set, about 14-lbs each. E.g. Maccaferri made classic guitars and adapted them for jazz by changing the tuners and putting steel strings on. A classic saddle is made of the same stuff as a steel-strung acoustic, bone, so is the nut, these KR116 strings are about the same size as nylon, A new saddle might need to be cut for lower action and intonation. The classic neck would make a couple of baseball bats, they don't bend. Only the sound board and bracing is a problem, you cannot put a dreadnought set of heavy phos-bronze on there, but light-weight Argentines might work. But note, most Argentines have a solid steel wire core. Again, check the tension...

I'm not saying you should do this, but it can be done.

[Colt W. Knight]

Also, a lot of Classics, especially older ones, have brass frets. Steel strings will eat those bad boys alive. Even a lot of newer frets have softer frets.

[brandt]

you can do it... but only once... the bridge doesn't work well hanging off the headstock :)

Seriously - don't do it... ever...

[SatelliteOrders]

Two issues.

First, nylon stringed guitars don't need he exaggerated angle for intonation. So, it wouldn't intonate right.

Second, the increased tension would cause the strings to move the heck out of the top. It would sound incredible. Until it breaks in half and the bridge comes flying off. Not only is it the type of bracing wood, it's the style of bracing itself that changed in reaction to the coming of steel strings.

You could probably pass with silk and steel. But what do I know? I ain't no luthier!

[Jakedog]

My little brother did it when we were kids. He was all hunched over the guitar, tuning it up just right, with his face up by the headstock to see if the tuners would get damaged, and when that bridge popped off at about warp 6, and slapped him right upside the head, I laughed so hard Dr. Pepper came out my nose.