Classical guitar strings
Choosing classical guitar strings is above all choosing a sound. This page puts the sets we sell on one map, from warm to bright, with the historical sets apart, then groups all of them by sound with their materials, tensions and what you can buy: full sets, trebles or basses. For the five-course guitar see our baroque guitar guide.
The sound map
Left to right, from warm and round to bright and powerful; the upper band holds the modern sets and the lower band the historical ones. The eight Aquila sets follow the order Aquila itself gives, from the brightest (Sugar) to the warmest (Perla). Lines the makers do not compare with the others are placed by the material of their trebles or basses. Within each band the height has no meaning.
Click to enlarge. Special sets (flamenco, 10 strings, special tunings) are listed further down.
Warm and round
Sets for a warm, mellow sound with a round attack: the warm end of Aquila’s range and Pyramid’s nylon sets.
Aquila Perla
Trebles: Bionylon, 63% plant-derived
Basses: silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core
Tension: Normal (41.0 kg)
the warmest set in Aquila’s range: warm, mellow, round and rich
Aquila Cristallo
Trebles: Cristallo nylon, extruded by Aquila
Basses: silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core
Tension: Normal (40.0 kg)
full-bodied and velvety, fairly brilliant for a nylon, with an excellent vibrato
Pyramid Excelsior
Trebles: rectified nylon
Basses: silver-plated copper on nylon silk
Tension: Low (37.6 kg) · Medium (41.7 kg) · High (Pyramid “Hard”)
nylon trebles; Pyramid speaks of clean vibration, true fifths and a tuning that holds
Pyramid Super Classic Double Silver (nylon)
Trebles: special nylon
Basses: double silver-plated copper on nylon silk
Tension: Medium (35.6 kg) · High (36.9 kg)
clear and full, rich in overtones, true in octaves and easy to play
Pyramid Super Classic Sterling Silver (nylon)
Trebles: nylon
Basses: sterling silver wire on nylon yarn
Tension: Medium · High
nylon trebles; the heavier sterling silver basses vibrate especially freely, according to Pyramid
Balanced
The middle of the range: close to gut, with more brightness than nylon but not as much as fluorocarbon.
Aquila Ambra 2000
Trebles: Nylgut, formulated for singing quality
Basses: silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core
Tension: Normal (46.1 kg; trebles 22.6 kg)
made to recover the sound of old gut strings: very expressive on vibrato, with round, percussive basses like silk
The 150C trebles with Aquila Seta basses recreate Aquila’s old Seta set.
Aquila Alabastro
Trebles: Nylgut (synthetic gut)
Basses: silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core
Tension: Light (41.1 kg) · Normal (42.3 kg) · Superior (44.9 kg)
close to gut: brighter than nylon, less bright than fluorocarbon, with an excellent attack
Aquila Zaffiro
Trebles: 100% plant-derived nylon, extruded by Aquila
Basses: silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core
Tension: Normal (41.0 kg)
medium brightness with a rich sound, quick response and stable tuning
Aquila Silver basses
Basses: silver-plated copper, silver of 940 fineness
Tension: One tension (23.5 kg)
bass set only: very high acoustic performance and low noise under the fingers
Bright and powerful
For projection and a clear, brilliant attack: carbon and fluorocarbon trebles and Aquila’s brightest materials.
Pyramid Super Classic Double Silver (carbon)
Trebles: carbon (fluorocarbon)
Basses: double silver-plated copper on nylon silk
Tension: Medium (39.8 kg) · High (42.4 kg)
carbon trebles are thinner than nylon and, according to Pyramid, more brilliant; clear and rich in overtones
Pyramid Super Classic Sterling Silver (carbon)
Trebles: fluorocarbon
Basses: sterling silver wire on nylon yarn
Tension: Medium · High
fluorocarbon trebles with Pyramid’s sterling silver basses
Aquila Alchemia
Trebles: sugar-cane bioplastic blended with Nylgut
Basses: included; the maker does not name the material
Tension: Normal (42.7 kg) · Superior (45.4 kg)
bright like fluorocarbon, clean and prompt, with an excellent vibrato and a wide change of colour from bridge to sound hole
Aquila Rubino
Trebles: synthetic loaded with metal powder
Basses: varnished red copper
Tension: One tension (43.9 kg)
bright, sharp and powerful, brighter than fluorocarbon, responsive all over the fingerboard
Aquila Sugar
Trebles: sugar-cane bioplastic
Basses: with a red protective varnish
Tension: Normal (41.4 kg)
the brightest set in Aquila’s range: in Aquila’s tests, 18% more sound power and 24% more sustain than fluorocarbon
Historical: gut, silk and their recreations
Real gut and silk, or synthetics that recreate them, for 19th- and early 20th-century guitars and repertoire. Aquila calculates Gut&Silk and the Seta basses at 435 Hz.
Pyramid gut sets
Trebles: gut
Basses: silver-plated copper on gut (all-gut set) or on nylon (combination)
Tension: Medium (41.2 kg gut set, 40.7 kg combination)
the old-fashioned timbre with strong fundamentals: delicate, slightly veiled and very warm compared with nylon
Aquila Seta basses
Basses: wound on a real silk core
Tension: One tension (23.3 kg at 435 Hz)
the bass of the old silk-core strings; use at 435 Hz on guitars up to 65 cm
With the Ambra 2000 150C trebles they recreate Aquila’s old Seta set.
Aquila Rayon basses
Basses: silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core, with the acoustic properties of silk
Tension: 800 (20.2 kg) · 900 (23.5 kg)
the metal-to-core balance recreates the typical sound of silk basses, without silk’s irregularities
Aquila Gut&Silk 800 / 900
Trebles: varnished gut
Basses: silver-plated copper on a real silk core
Tension: 800 (35.4 kg) · 900 (45.0 kg), at 435 Hz
gut trebles with a marked presence and brightness; vocal silk basses, centred on the fundamental. 800: guitars of 1790–1870; 900: about 1870–1946, the time of Tárrega and Llobet
Aquila Ambra 800 / 900
Trebles: gut-coloured Supernylgut
Basses: silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core
Tension: 800 (40.1 kg) · 900 (45.9 kg)
the synthetic version of Gut&Silk: gut-like trebles and vocal basses, less bright and less sustained than modern nylon-core basses
Aquila terz guitar set
Trebles: Nylgut
Basses: silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core
Tension: One tension, for 56–58 cm
a synthetic version of the historical gut and silk setup, for the terz guitar tuned a third higher
Flamenco, 10 strings and special tunings
Sets for other guitars and tunings. They are not on the sound map: what they have in common is what they are for, not their sound.
Aquila Granato (flamenco)
Trebles: synthetic loaded with metal powder
Basses: included; the maker does not name the material
Tension: One tension
bright, very fast and powerful trebles; basses with a short sustain and a percussive effect for rasgueado
Aquila 10-string guitar, Yepes tuning
Trebles: not stated by the maker
Tension: One set, for 65–66 cm
for the 10-string guitar in Narciso Yepes’s tuning: F♯ G♯ A♯ C E A d g b e
Aquila 10-string guitar, baroque tuning
Trebles: not stated by the maker
Tension: One set, for 65–66 cm
for the 10-string guitar with diatonic basses: A B C D E A d g b e
Aquila special tunings
Trebles: not stated by the maker
Tension: Low E · Low A · High G · High A · Russian 7-string
Aquila’s Orchestra series lets a normal guitar play lower or higher (tension like Alabastro Normal, 42.3 kg), plus a set for the Russian 7-string guitar
Tension and scale length
The tension levels are the makers’ own: Aquila sells Light, Normal and Superior, Pyramid Low, Medium and High (“Hard”). The figures in kg are the makers’ values added up over the six strings (or the three of a treble or bass set), for the scale and pitch each maker gives, usually 65 cm, so you can compare sets from different makers. Higher tension gives more volume and a firmer feel; lower tension is easier on the left hand. For other scale lengths or pitches, our calculator works out the tension of each string.
String calculator and tools Contact usAll the sets at a glance
The same lines side by side, from the warmest to the brightest, with the special sets at the end.
| Line | Trebles | Basses | Tension | Sold as | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aquila Perla |
Bionylon, 63% plant-derived | silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core | Normal (41.0 kg) | Full set | ●○○○○ the warmest set in Aquila’s range: warm, mellow, round and rich |
Pyramid gut sets |
gut | silver-plated copper on gut (all-gut set) or on nylon (combination) | Medium (41.2 kg gut set, 40.7 kg combination) | Full set | ●○○○○ the old-fashioned timbre with strong fundamentals: delicate, slightly veiled and very warm compared with nylon |
Aquila Seta basses |
— | wound on a real silk core | One tension (23.3 kg at 435 Hz) | Basses | ●○○○○ the bass of the old silk-core strings; use at 435 Hz on guitars up to 65 cm |
Aquila Cristallo |
Cristallo nylon, extruded by Aquila | silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core | Normal (40.0 kg) | Full set | ●○○○○ full-bodied and velvety, fairly brilliant for a nylon, with an excellent vibrato |
Pyramid Excelsior |
rectified nylon | silver-plated copper on nylon silk | Low (37.6 kg) · Medium (41.7 kg) · High (Pyramid “Hard”) | Full set | ●○○○○ nylon trebles; Pyramid speaks of clean vibration, true fifths and a tuning that holds |
Aquila Rayon basses |
— | silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core, with the acoustic properties of silk | 800 (20.2 kg) · 900 (23.5 kg) | Basses | ●○○○○ the metal-to-core balance recreates the typical sound of silk basses, without silk’s irregularities |
Pyramid Super Classic Double Silver (nylon) |
special nylon | double silver-plated copper on nylon silk | Medium (35.6 kg) · High (36.9 kg) | Full set | ●●○○○ clear and full, rich in overtones, true in octaves and easy to play |
Aquila Ambra 2000 |
Nylgut, formulated for singing quality | silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core | Normal (46.1 kg; trebles 22.6 kg) | Full set, Trebles | ●●○○○ made to recover the sound of old gut strings: very expressive on vibrato, with round, percussive basses like silk |
Pyramid Super Classic Sterling Silver (nylon) |
nylon | sterling silver wire on nylon yarn | Medium · High | Full set | ●●○○○ nylon trebles; the heavier sterling silver basses vibrate especially freely, according to Pyramid |
Aquila terz guitar set |
Nylgut | silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core | One tension, for 56–58 cm | Full set | ●●○○○ a synthetic version of the historical gut and silk setup, for the terz guitar tuned a third higher |
Aquila Gut&Silk 800 / 900 |
varnished gut | silver-plated copper on a real silk core | 800 (35.4 kg) · 900 (45.0 kg), at 435 Hz | Full set, Trebles, Single strings | ●●○○○ gut trebles with a marked presence and brightness; vocal silk basses, centred on the fundamental. 800: guitars of 1790–1870; 900: about 1870–1946, the time of Tárrega and Llobet |
Aquila Alabastro |
Nylgut (synthetic gut) | silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core | Light (41.1 kg) · Normal (42.3 kg) · Superior (44.9 kg) | Full set, Trebles, Basses | ●●○○○ close to gut: brighter than nylon, less bright than fluorocarbon, with an excellent attack |
Aquila Ambra 800 / 900 |
gut-coloured Supernylgut | silver-plated copper on a red Rayon core | 800 (40.1 kg) · 900 (45.9 kg) | Full set | ●●○○○ the synthetic version of Gut&Silk: gut-like trebles and vocal basses, less bright and less sustained than modern nylon-core basses |
Aquila Zaffiro |
100% plant-derived nylon, extruded by Aquila | silver-plated copper on a Nylgut core | Normal (41.0 kg) | Full set | ●●●○○ medium brightness with a rich sound, quick response and stable tuning |
Aquila Silver basses |
— | silver-plated copper, silver of 940 fineness | One tension (23.5 kg) | Basses | ●●●○○ bass set only: very high acoustic performance and low noise under the fingers |
Pyramid Super Classic Double Silver (carbon) |
carbon (fluorocarbon) | double silver-plated copper on nylon silk | Medium (39.8 kg) · High (42.4 kg) | Full set | ●●●○○ carbon trebles are thinner than nylon and, according to Pyramid, more brilliant; clear and rich in overtones |
Pyramid Super Classic Sterling Silver (carbon) |
fluorocarbon | sterling silver wire on nylon yarn | Medium · High | Full set | ●●●●○ fluorocarbon trebles with Pyramid’s sterling silver basses |
Aquila Alchemia |
sugar-cane bioplastic blended with Nylgut | included; the maker does not name the material | Normal (42.7 kg) · Superior (45.4 kg) | Full set | ●●●●○ bright like fluorocarbon, clean and prompt, with an excellent vibrato and a wide change of colour from bridge to sound hole |
Aquila Rubino |
synthetic loaded with metal powder | varnished red copper | One tension (43.9 kg) | Full set, Basses | ●●●●○ bright, sharp and powerful, brighter than fluorocarbon, responsive all over the fingerboard |
Aquila Sugar |
sugar-cane bioplastic | with a red protective varnish | Normal (41.4 kg) | Full set | ●●●●● the brightest set in Aquila’s range: in Aquila’s tests, 18% more sound power and 24% more sustain than fluorocarbon |
Aquila Granato (flamenco) |
synthetic loaded with metal powder | included; the maker does not name the material | One tension | Full set | ●●●●○ bright, very fast and powerful trebles; basses with a short sustain and a percussive effect for rasgueado |
Aquila 10-string guitar, Yepes tuning |
not stated by the maker | — | One set, for 65–66 cm | Full set | for the 10-string guitar in Narciso Yepes’s tuning: F♯ G♯ A♯ C E A d g b e |
Aquila 10-string guitar, baroque tuning |
not stated by the maker | — | One set, for 65–66 cm | Full set | for the 10-string guitar with diatonic basses: A B C D E A d g b e |
Aquila special tunings |
not stated by the maker | — | Low E · Low A · High G · High A · Russian 7-string | Full set | Aquila’s Orchestra series lets a normal guitar play lower or higher (tension like Alabastro Normal, 42.3 kg), plus a set for the Russian 7-string guitar |
Classical and romantic guitars for sale in our instrument market
Frequently asked questions
Carbon (fluorocarbon) is denser than nylon, so the strings are thinner and, as Pyramid puts it, more brilliant. Nylon is warmer and rounder. Aquila’s own materials sit in between or beyond: Alabastro’s Nylgut is brighter than nylon but less than fluorocarbon, Rubino and Sugar are brighter than fluorocarbon.
Normal or Medium suits most guitars. Choose a higher tension for more volume and a firmer feel, or if your guitar sounds loose; a lower one for an easier left hand or a lighter instrument.
Yes: that is why some lines are also sold as trebles or basses only. Aquila suggests, for example, the Ambra 2000 150C trebles with the Seta silk basses. Try to keep the tension of trebles and basses in balance.
Aquila calculates Gut&Silk and the Seta basses for the pitch used in the 19th and early 20th century; at 440 Hz the tension and the stress on gut and silk are higher. Aquila also suggests tuning silk basses down a semitone when you are not playing.
Sources
- Aquila Corde Armoniche, “Classical guitar strings” (sets ordered by decreasing brilliance of sound) and the pages of each set, aquilacorde.com.
- Aquila Corde Armoniche, “Gauges and tensions for classical guitar”, aquilacorde.com.
- Pyramid, Classical guitar catalogue (2026) and website, pyramid-saiten.de.