GAS again

Well... I've got Guitar Acquisition Syndrome again.

I love the sound of a nylon string guitar. I've always wanted to learn to play bossa nova and some of the African acoustic styles that work well with nylon strings... but I don't bond with traditional classical guitars. I've owned three or four through the years. I get one, play it for a while and it just doesn't work for me... I don't like the neck shape or nut width. And the guitars I've owned didn't have as much sustain as I prefer (perhaps a more expensive classical would have but these didn't). There is something about the sound though... some styles really require it and there is just something there...

These days, there are a number of companies that build a hybrid style guitar with nylon strings, bracing similar to a classical guitar, and a neck similar to a steel string guitar's neck. I think that should make the difference for me. So, I'm selling a few pieces of gear and beginning the search. Godin and Guild build guitars of this style that are in my price range.

In the meantime, here's a video of Sara Tavares playing a nylon string guitar. She does a wonderful mix of Brazilian, African, and Portuguese music. If you search my blog, there is another video of her doing a tune called Balance that I love.