Here is a list of Dogal strings for classical guitar, which are relatively new to Japan. In Japan, only Diamante and Maestrale are available, but they have released other products as well.
The following article summarizes the string reviews/impressions/information articles in this blog
A manufacturer that began making strings after World War II.
The name “Dogal” comes from the Latin word “duca”, which means “marquis” or “sovereign”.
Originally the Brocco family had been working in Venice, Italy since 1886, running a shop related to music and an agency for musical instruments. Then, after World War II, they started manufacturing their own strings because of the worldwide shortage of strings.
As for the sound, they aim to exemplify the sound of traditional strings, brilliant and powerful but not metallic.
It is rather known as a string manufacturer for violins and mandolins, but it also manufactures a wide range of strings for guitars, including acoustic and electric guitars as well as classical guitars.
The strings are quite unique for classical guitars and can be described as one-of-a-kind.
List of Dogal’s classical guitar strings
The following strings are manufactured by Dogal.
Diamante
This is probably the most used Dogal classical guitar string in Japan. Diamante means diamond.
The treble strings are made of nylon mixed with fluorocarbon, and the core wire of the bass strings is made of nylon plus fluorocarbon and Kevlar, which is quite interesting.
It is also known as a low tension string, and I think Diamante Extra Soft is the lowest tension string.
There are five levels of tension.
- Extra Soft: NR127
- Soft: NR127A
- Regular: NR127B
- Strong: NR127C
- Extra Strong: NR127D
In addition to these, there is a Diamante Recording series with slightly polished bass strings.
I’ve used three different kinds of the strings, and they are not metallic, but rather soft sounding, yet solid. The low tension makes them easy to play, which is also a plus.
Maestrale
Maestrale is said to be the wind that blows from the northwest in Italy, and in French it is called mistral.
The most distinctive feature of this string is the opaque blue color on the treble strings. They seem to be made of a special material, the closest one is the Pro-Arte Composite 3rd string.
The treble strings are characterized by their high volume. If you are interested in volume, Maestrale is a good choice. However, it is a bit too non-sensitive. For those who don’t like this new material strings, Diamante 1st strings are included in the package.
Available in three tensions and also for flamenco:
- Soft: NR168A
- Regular: NR168B
- High: NR168C
- Flamenco Soft: NR168FA
- Flamenco Regular: NR168FB
I tried it too:
Venetian String
From here is the product that is not sold in Japan.
The Venetian String seems to be the most common string on the Dogal. The treble strings are nylon and the bass strings are ordinary silver wound strings.
The manufacturer states that it is more responsive, has more power, extended sound and longer life.
There are three tensions:
- Soft: NR88
- Regular: NR88A
- Strong: NR88B
INFINITO
The meaning of INFINITO is infinity. “Infinite space of sound and time between the six strings” is the motto of the maker, and the name is based on this.
The concept of this string is to give the fourth string a tonal character that allows it to be used as a melody singing string, rather than putting it into a bass accompaniment group.
They can also be used as strings for finger-headed playing without nails as well as for nail-playing.
The treble strings are said to be the same as the diamante strings, but according to Strings by Mail, the bass strings are wound with an unusual metal material:
- 4th string: aluminum
- 5th string: Titanium
- 6th string: Tungsten
I don’t know if these are the materials in the wound strings of the bass strings or the plated materials, but they are quite unusual because normal strings are silver plated on copper.
There are two tensions:
- Soft: NR158A
- Regular: NR158B
Dogalive
It is a low-priced string of Dogal’s. The packaging is paper, but it’s made from algae from Venice.
One type of tension is available, but ball-ended ones are also available:
- Regular: D84
- Regular (ball end): D84P
Special Guitar Strings
Strings other than those for regular six-string guitars are also manufactured.
- Diamante Baroque: for 10-string guitars
- Venetian String Baroque: Venetian Stringの10弦ギター用
- Baritono: Baritone Guitar Strings
- DB GUITAR: Strings for double bass guitar?
Dogal with many unique strings, if you get hooked, you might get hooked!
As you can see, Dogal makes rather special strings that no other string manufacturer makes.
If you don’t feel comfortable with regular strings, you should definitely try these strings.
I recommend to use Diamante as a first step. The low-tension string is surprising for normal string users.
