Are you a nylon string guitar player seeking to refresh your sound or new sources to draw inspiration from? So, imagine your guitar sounding like a bass… or in between. Before buying a new set of bass strings for nylon guitar and trying it yourself, you can watch our video about such an experiment. You can also read further about Shahab’s experience with such a set up for Flamenco guitar.

“ As a fusionist, searching for new tone and sounds is a never-ending journey. And while you keep experimenting, occasionally somethings cross your path that really brings joy to you. I came all by accident across a set of bass strings for nylon guitar.

In the past I had experimented writing pieces on bass guitar. Since by discipline I’m a guitar player it was a bit awkward to put my ideas down into 4 strings, since graphically 6 strings are more familiar to me. Even I tried writing on 6 string bass, but then the width and length of its long neck and the distance between the frets becomes an issue preventing you from performing the chords and scales the way you’re used to. I knew also about Savarez making some hybrid bass strings for classical guitars. But they were only the two lower strings and the rest were regular strings.

But the Magma professional Transpositor is a set of six strings. Each of them one octave lower and they fit on your conventional guitar. So, it turns your guitar into a bass without having to do the impossible yoga style finger stretching and handstands. Suddenly I had a new whole instrument in my hands in the shape of the instrument I know very well.

Watch the video entirely. I’ve tried to briefly show you the three possible scenarios how one could use these strings. For example, in one of the pieces I’ve combined three regular guitar strings and three bass strings. (In an instrumental piece and as accompany for singing). Also, in another piece I’ve shown how the full set of bass strings sound on a solid-body nylon string guitar.

There are certainly many things to love about them and also many things to consider before you toss your guitar strings, which I have tried to explain briefly in the video. In my humble opinion also, there’s place to improve as well, since these strings are all metal wound with silk core, this puts tension specially on the 3rd and 4th string and thus they are very prone to breakage after a week or two of heavy use. Magma strings is relatively a new player in this tough market. But I believe they are innovative enough and have the potential to expand if they withstand the competition against the big names. Many of their products I haven’t seen anywhere else and they seem to be happy to come up with new and unconventional products which is exactly what an experimenting fusionist like you and me need as air”.

You are too a fusionist, aren’t you? That’s why you’re here. Looking for something different.

Write us your thoughts and let’s exchange ideas. We’ll be glad to receive your comments or hear about your own experiments.