I need new classical guitar strings. Any suggestions?

Okay so my string popped off of my classical guitar. It's about time to change them anyway, so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as far as brand or type of string.

What should I look for in classical guitar strings?

There are many choices. Here are three worth experimenting with for starters.

D'Addario Pro Arte Composites - This is the baseline nylon string brand (normal or hard tension). Luthiers will use it to reveal the true nature of an instrument. They are very good strings, IMHO. They are also relatively inexpensive. Use the coffee-colored 3rd string for a better transition from the basses to the trebles.

Savarez Alliance - This is the equivalent of Worth Clear strings on an ukulele. Carbon strings. Bright. Loud. Powerful. Some slight intonation problems that only a few people can pick-up on. They will not last as long as the Pro Arte. They are pricey. I like them on my cedar-top.

La Bella 820 Series - The standard string used by flamenco guitarists. Available with black or red trebles. Bright (for nylon). Average string life. Also relatively inexpensive. Most players prefer the black ones.

The D'Addario Pro Artes sets are nice and consistent. I usually get normal tension these days, but I used to be a fan of Extra Hard Tension. I use them on my uke too.

The Pro Arte Composites are cool too and have that brown G string which is less tubby and a bit brighter than most other G strings. I never got used to those though.

If you hate string squeak, Savarez has a really cool set that has semi-polished wound strings. I liked the set I had but A) they were pricey and hard to find here in Hawaii and B) The wound strings wore out a lot faster. I think D'Addario has a set like that too, but I have never seen it in a music store here.

If you don't mind the wait, you can order your strings from StringsByMail.com. It's $4 shipping no matter how much you order. That'd still probably save you $2 on just one set of strings versus buying locally.

Thanks alot for the tips guys! Very helpful.

I think I'm going to try out the D'Addario Pro Arte Composites first.

How long do classical guitar strings last? or how long before you should change your strings?

depends on how long and often you play. nice choice btw (still have to psych myself up to try them out hehe).

but yeah, you can pretty much hear when the strings are going dead. it just doesnt sound good anymore. if you think you need to, then just change them. if you notice a difference, with the newer strings, then you were right. and you can use that time frame for string change intervals. if you dont notice a difference, go a month longer before the next string change. and add a month till you actually hear a difference.

NukeDOC said:

depends on how long and often you play. nice choice btw (still have to psych myself up to try them out hehe).

but yeah, you can pretty much hear when the strings are going dead. it just doesnt sound good anymore. if you think you need to, then just change them. if you notice a difference, with the newer strings, then you were right. and you can use that time frame for string change intervals. if you dont notice a difference, go a month longer before the next string change. and add a month till you actually hear a difference.

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Actually one of my strings snapped. I guess thats a good time to change eh?

Thanks for the tips. I haven't been playing for too long so they really help alot.