Enya Nova Go Guitar strings

[Pyewacket]

So my callouses are coming along great on my ukulele, but still not enough to be able to play the steel strings on my Nova Go. I've seen where others have put some kind of nylon/fluorocarbon/nylgut strings on their Nova Go guitars and I've decided I would like to do the same.

Because impatient. I just wanna play it instead of looking at it sitting there with its steel strings.

So I would like advice as to what strings I could use that would be gentler on my elderly not calloused enough fingers. Plznthx.

 

[PTRarch.]

I would say: any set for a classic guitar with comparable scale length. I tend to think nylon has a softer feel, equal with titanium.

2 points of attention:

• Classic guitar bass strings are also wound, albeit slightly softer to the touch than regular steel strings.
• The width of the nut slots could be in need of widening, especially on the treble side. To consider when changing back to steel strings later on, then they will be too wide.

 

[DownUpDave]

I would say: any set for a classic guitar with comparable scale length. I tend to think nylon has a softer feel, equal with titanium.

2 points of attention:

• Classic guitar bass strings are also wound, albeit slightly softer to the touch than regular steel strings.
• The width of the nut slots could be in need of widening, especially on the treble side. To consider when changing back to steel strings later on, then they will be too wide.

The point made about nut slot width is very valid. The 3 high strings ( G, B & E) will all be too big in diameter to fit the existing slots.

Try tuning down a 1/2 or 1 full step. You can also change the strings to extra light gauge = 10 - 47 as compared to 12 - 54 which are probably on the guitar now. We can even combine extra lights with tuning down to really decrease tension.

 

[frets alot]

The point made about nut slot width is very valid. The 3 high strings ( G, B & E) will all be too big in diameter to fit the existing slots.

Try tuning down a 1/2 or 1 full step. You can also change the strings to extra light gauge = 10 - 47 as compared to 12 - 54 which are probably on the guitar now. We can even combine extra lights with tuning down to really decrease tension.

I agree. I've taught guitar, and my biggest advice to my students was to stick with it and develop those callouses. Start with shorter practice sessions and then gradually work into longer periods. You can and will work through it, it's not that bad, really. Good luck.

 

[Pyewacket]

Hmmm, well I could always just stick with nylon-type strings. However since the nut doesn't seem to be easily removable/replaceable, I'll give it some more thought.

However at my age and with the fact that I'm a potter (and therefore am essentially soaking my fingertips every day in wet clay and water) I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that developing heavy calluses may not be in the realm of reasonable possibilities for me, at least not in any kind of "normal" time frame even with daily playing. I seem to be doing fine with the ukuleles, but those steel strings still elude me even after several weeks (maybe almost a month by now since I got my first uke) of playing every day.

I'll look into lighter weight metal strings. But there are a billion different types of guitar strings out there and I really feel very out of my depth.

 

[frets alot]

I belong to this forum.

The Acoustic Guitar Forum - Powered by vBulletin

The Acoustic Guitar Forum - A forum for acoustic guitar enthusiasts.

www.acousticguitarforum.com

There is quite a bit of love for the Enya Nova Go over there and they might be able to give you specifics on extra light string gauge brands that work well on that guitar.
They will likely be better at helping you along on your quest of the acoustic guitar. It's a wonderful group of players.

 

[DownUpDave]

Hmmm, well I could always just stick with nylon-type strings. However since the nut doesn't seem to be easily removable/replaceable, I'll give it some more thought.

However at my age and with the fact that I'm a potter (and therefore am essentially soaking my fingertips every day in wet clay and water) I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that developing heavy calluses may not be in the realm of reasonable possibilities for me, at least not in any kind of "normal" time frame even with daily playing. I seem to be doing fine with the ukuleles, but those steel strings still elude me even after several weeks (maybe almost a month by now since I got my first uke) of playing every day.

I'll look into lighter weight metal strings. But there are a billion different types of guitar strings out there and I really feel very out of my depth.

Hmmm, well I could always just stick with nylon-type strings. However since the nut doesn't seem to be easily removable/replaceable, I'll give it some more thought.

However at my age and with the fact that I'm a potter (and therefore am essentially soaking my fingertips every day in wet clay and water) I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that developing heavy calluses may not be in the realm of reasonable possibilities for me, at least not in any kind of "normal" time frame even with daily playing. I seem to be doing fine with the ukuleles, but those steel strings still elude me even after several weeks (maybe almost a month by now since I got my first uke) of playing every day.

I'll look into lighter weight metal strings. But there are a billion different types of guitar strings out there and I really feel very out of my depth.

As far as strings go to make it easy just buy a set of D'Addario EJ15 Extra Light. If you have that steel string sound in your head and you want it bad enough you can find a way to make it work. Try tuning down a full step (DGCFAD) to immediately see how that feels. Best of luck

 

[Pyewacket]

So thanks to kickstarts from you folks, I got myself unstuck enough to have a place to start. Because "research" needs a starting point.

After looking in to what different gauge sizes mean for guitar strings and then differences between coated and uncoated strings and a few other things I've narrowed it down to a string set starting at about 9g and coated strings (for longer life before I have to swap them out plus at least some coated strings seem to reduce noise).

@DownUpDave It's not that I care about a "steel sound", its just that is what came on the guitar. Its a hybrid rather than an acoustic guitar, it is "acoustic" in the sense I didn't pay extra for the electronics that turn it into an electric guitar. Its really built more in that vein. Honestly in hindsight its probably not exactly what I was looking for. My other guitars were "folk" guitars with nylon strings, but that was many moons ago. Adopt adapt and improve. Motto of the round table.

Given I'm putting lower tension strings on here and the truss rod seems to be OK with the current strings, am I going to need to adjust the truss rod for the lighter tension strings?

 

[DownUpDave]

Regarding the truss rod, good chance you wont have to adjust it. The Extra light string set I mentioned is 10 - 47, a 9 (that you listed) is usually an electric guitar set.

 

[Pyewacket]

There are many uncoated acoustic string sets that start out at 9 gauge, a little harder to find coated but here is one:

https://www.amazon.com/Magma-Acoustic-Guitar-Strings-Phosphor/dp/B09T4J8L6S

I don't know if those are any good but there are some. Though I'm leaning toward the Elixir Poly or nanoweb and the smallest any of those come in are 10 gauge sets.

 

[DownUpDave]

Nice find, I've never heard of that make. That's a very good price for a coated string. I don't think you can go wrong trying them out. Experimenting with strings is a cheap way to find out what works for you.