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Professional classical guitarists weave a beautiful sound, but they must be using the ideal strings in addition to a good instrument. I looked into the strings used by famous professional classical guitar players.
Research the strings used by famous top guitarists.
The survey was conducted based on the artist information published by each string manufacturer.
Each string manufacturer seems to have a contract with a professional guitarist, and the information about the strings they use is available to the public. Probably in exchange for providing the strings for free or at a discount, they are allowed to disclose what they are using.
However, these information can be found in the They may have been using it at the time it was published, but that doesn’t mean they are still using it today! . You may be using a different string from the same manufacturer, or you may have moved to a different manufacturer. However, at least they were using them at that time, and they may still be using them today.
Strings Used by Professional Classical Guitarists by Manufacturer
Here is a list of strings used by famous professional guitarists by manufacturer.
Savarez
This is Sabares, a French string manufacturer. Their cantigas are quite popular, and they seem to be the most promising manufacturer.
There is a lot of momentum and a lot of guitarists.
Kaori Muraharu
He is a guitarist who took a break to recuperate from an illness, but has recently returned and released a CD.
He is using New Crystal Column high and New Crystal Cantiga Polish high. He used to say that the highs were Augustine’s Imperial and the lows were Sabares’ Column, but did he change it?
(PS): According to the interview with Hyundai Guitar, they are still using the Imperial and Column high tension combination. This is exactly the set:.
Shin-ichi Fukuda
I’m Shin’ichi Fukuda, a major figure in the Japanese classical guitar world.
He is using a normal New Crystal Cantiga and a high polished version. I wonder if he uses them differently since he seems to have more than one guitar.
Roland Dyens
This is Deans, a guitarist and composer who was sadly lost in 2016.
He was using Ariance HT Classic Normal/High and Ariance Cantiga High Tension. I wonder if he liked the sharp sound of carbon strings.
Maximo Diego Pujol
He is an Argentine guitarist who is known more as a composer in Japan.
They are using Creation Cantiga’s high.
Andrew York
He is a popular guitarist in Japan, both as a composer and as a guitarist.
It’s not official information from the string manufacturer, but according to the Strings by Mail database, they use Ariance normal tension on the 2nd and 3rd strings.
William Kanengiser
He is a well-known guitarist, both as a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ) and as a solo guitarist.
This is also not official information from the string manufacturer, but according to the Strings by Mail database, they use New Crystal for the first string, Ariance for the second and third strings, and Cantiga High Tension for the bass string. It looks like they changed the second string of the Creation Cantiga to Ariance.
Scott Tennant
He is a well-known guitarist and a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ).
They are using New Crystal Cantiga high and Creation Cantiga normal.
Masahiro Masuda
He is a guitarist who has released more than 30 CDs and is very active.
They are using a mixed tension of Arians Cantiga.
Masao Tanabe
He is a guitarist from Aichi Prefecture, born in Tokyo University.
They seem to be using Savares’ New Crystal Cantiga and Creation Cantiga High Tension.
Jose Gallardo Del Rey
He is a Spanish guitarist who is also famous as the composer of the California Suite and other works.
They are using Ariane Scantiga and Ariane Scantiga Premium normal.
Thibaut Garcia
He is a French guitarist who will also appear in the movie “At the End of the Matinee”.
She uses Creation Cantiga Premium Normal and Ariance HT Classic High.
Thomas Csaba (Thomas Csaba)
He is a Frenchman who won the Tokyo Guitar Competition in 2014. He is using the New Crystal Column high and the Ariance Cantiga high.
Meng Su (Meng Su)
He is a young guitarist who won the Parkening International Guitar Competition and performed in Japan in 2018 to great public acclaim.
They are using Sabares Ariance Cantiga Premium High Tension.
However, as I will explain later, it seems that Meng Su also uses Augustin strings. He is also active in a guitar duo called Beijing Guitar Duo, and he may be using different guitars from the ones he uses in that duo.
Irina Kulikova (Irina Kulikova)
He is the winner of the Michele Pittalga International Guitar Competition and visited Japan in 2013.
It looks like they are using New Crystal Cantiga high and Ariane’s Cantiga high.
D’addario Pro-arte (D’addario Pro-arte)
These strings are made by D’Addario, a world-renowned string manufacturer in the United States.
Carlo Domeniconi (Carlo Domeniconi)
He is a guitarist known for his compositions such as Koyumbaba.
They are using normal Pro Arte and EXP normal.
Paulo Bellinati
He is a guitarist famous as the composer of Jongo and others.
They are using composite hard tension.
Dusan Bogdanovic (Dusan Bogdanovic)
He is a composer and guitarist known for his jazz sonatas and other compositions.
They use normal and hard Pro Arte normals, and EXP normals.
Elena Papandreou (Elena Papandreou)
I am a guitarist who won the GFA competition in 1995. He is the winner of the 1995 GFA Competition.
They use normal and hard pro-arte and EXP hard.
Ali Arango
He is a guitarist who has won 11 of the world’s major guitar competitions. He has also performed in Japan.
It looks like they are using D’Addario carbon and composite hard tension.
Frederic Hand
He is a guitarist who is known as a composer and guitarist.
They seem to use a wide range of products, including regular Pro Arte, EXP, and normal composite.
Badi Assado
I am Badia Sad, sister of the Asad brothers.
They are using Pro Arte’s High Tension.
Paul Galbraith (Paul Galbraith)
He is a guitarist who plays the Brahms guitar, which has eight strings and is played with the endpins up.
It looks like you are using a normal Pro Arte normal and extra hard, and a composite extra hard, but what do you do with the 7th and 8th strings?
Augustine
This is Augustine, the originator of nylon strings, who recently made a splash with the release of his carbon string Paragon.
No guitarist seems to be using the Paragon yet.
Aoihi Park
This guitarist is known for his beautiful tremolo.
They are using Augustine blue.
Matsuda string
He is a classical guitarist with trademark dreadlocks.
Unusually, they are using Augustin yellow. I don’t know if it is officially sold in Japan, but it is the same set with gold winding for bass and low tension, blue for treble strings, etc.
Eduardo Fernandez (Eduardo Fernandez)
He is a guitarist who often performs in Japan.
They are using Augustine’s Regal Blue.
Meng Su (Meng Su)
It came up in Sabares’ place, and also in Augustine’s.
Augustine seems to be using Regal Red.
La Bella
LaBella is a string manufacturer with a long history. They are not a major player in Japan, but a lot of guitarists use them.
Anyway, Argento Pure Silver, a pure silver wound string, is very popular. It’s expensive, but I’m getting interested.
Kazuhito Yamashita
He is the pride of Japan, a guitarist of superb technique.
She and her family use Labella 2001 medium hard, Argento Pure Silver medium, and Argento Pure Silver polish.
Anderew York
He is also a popular composer and guitarist in Japan.
It is introduced as using Labera 2001 medium hard tension and Argento Pure Silver, but according to the Strings by Mail database, only the low notes are Labera and the high notes are Savares.
Pepe Romero (Pepe Romero)
This is Pepe Romero, a legend in the guitar world.
They are using Argento Pure Silver medium tension with pure silver winding wire from Labella.
Likewise, I heard that the Romero family also uses the hard tension of this string.
Eliot Fisk (Eliot Fisk)
He is a famous American guitarist.
He is using Argento Pure Silver medium tension.
Hannabach (Hannabach)
Hannabach is a German classical guitar string manufacturer.
The information on which strings are used was not disclosed, but Japanese people use
- Arai Bannen
- Rina Yamaguchi
has been published as an artist who uses Hanabach.
Galli (Galli)
Galli is a long-established Italian string manufacturer.
Antigoni Goni (Antigoni Goni)
Antigoni Goni, a guitarist from Greece, uses a Gari Genius Titano.
Get a little closer to your favorite guitarist, huh?
I’m sure there is a guitarist out there who has always wanted to make this kind of sound.
You can’t get that sound by imitating only the strings, but if you at least try to imitate the strings, you may be able to understand the secret of the sound.
It’s not easy to learn about instruments and techniques.
