The sixth, fifth and fourth strings on the Flamenco guitar, called the ‘basses’ due to their lower pitch, are constructed from nylon floss, and wound with thin metal wire. The third string, also called the ‘G’ string, named for its pitch, is usually made of a nylon filament, but may be made from nylon floss wound with a nylon filament. The wound variety is thicker. It has a sound with longer ‘sustain,’ (meaning how long the sound will continue to be heard if not stopped) but lacks the durability of the plain filament. The second string is usually plain. Occasionally, though, manufacturers will cover the second string with wound nylon. Only one or two brands of guitar makers cover the first string. Most often, the first string is made of a plain nylon filament. Of the strings made of plain nylon, some have a smooth surface, others are rougher to the touch, slightly opaque in order to provide a flawlessly round cross-section, resulting in a more even tone.
You can use both normal and high-tension strings on your Flamenco guitar. Individual tastes differ, some preferring to combine the treble (higher-pitched) strings of one tension with bass strings of the opposite tension, in order to balance both the sound and action from the guitar. Buy your strings from a shop with a staff who is familiar with the demands of Flamenco music. Manufacturers of Flamenco guitar strings include Savarez, Luthier, and D’Addario.
Care for your guitar strings after each time you play your instrument. Wipe the strings with a cloth after you finish in order to prevent early deterioration from the salt and other chemicals in your skin as it sweats. You can prolong the life of your covered strings when their brilliance starts to fade by reversing them end to end. Washing strings gives them an even longer life, but their recovery is short-lived, making this procedure almost useless.
Change your strings one at a time, so that you do not slacken the tension of the soundboard for long periods of time. There is one exception to this rule. In order to renew the brilliance of your tone, you may loosen all of the covered strings – not the plain treble strings – for periods of only five minutes or less. Wipe them with a cloth, then immediately tighten them after you are done.
