La Bella’s 427 Pacesetter Elite Classical and Flamenco Guitar Strings

I had put off trying a set of La Bella 427′s far too long, though I had known about them for some time.  Well, I just put a set on my guitar, and I must say “they blow my socks off”.  Man, I was really surprised and pleased at their creamy sound.  They are a well balanced set, that makes strong, full bodied chords and have excellent clarity for single notes.  They have ample volume and projection if you want to be heard, or can also sound sweet when played softly, with feeling.  My first impression of these strings is…they are great, and very versatile.  I could play just about anything with them.  Not expensive, either.  A lot more string than their price suggests.

One of the pleasant surprises with 427′s is how easy they are to install.  La Bella didn’t economize on string length, here.  You get plenty of string length for easy ties at each end of a standard 650 mm scale length guitar, with ample string to trim off at each end.  Some makers cut them a little short, making it a challenge to finally get a reasonable looking traditional tie done; but not La Bella.

More to follow, soon.  I like these strings, and I want to go play them some more.  I’ll be back with more impressions after a few days of purposeful playing and evaluation.  I wish I had tried them sooner.

Where I got them: Classical Guitar Strings at www.guitarstrngdepot.com

Link to these strings:  La Bella 427 Pacesetter Elite classical/flamenco guitar strings at www.guitarstringdepot.com

Catch you later,

Rancher 110

I’ve tried La Bella 413P strings on a purely acoustic classical guitar and also on my acoustic electric, and have some interesting observations to share that you may find useful and informative.   If you have the slightest curiosity about these strings, then I urge you to read this.  It will be well worth your time.

If you’ve read my other blogs, then you know I put a stet on a purely acoustic, Cordoba C7 a few weeks ago and I was quite impressed.  As time went by, they seemed to settle in and blend into the character of the guitar, perhaps even changing it a little.  That same set is still on my Cordoba and still sounding and playing great.  I’ve played the Cordoba almost every day, and the strings and I have gotten know each other.   Now, here are some real life, everyday findings you need to know if you have any interest in these strings.

Tarnish Proof Technology:

This is something that sets 413Ps apart form most other strings.  Most wound classical strings develop some degree of burnishing where your fingers press them against the frets.  This appears as discolored or dark areas where the silver plating wears of f the windings, revealing the base metal of the winding wire.  However, this hasn’t happened with these strings, because there’s no plating to wear off.  La Bella treats them in a proprietary process referred to as “Tarnish Proof Technology”.  I haven’t yet found out exactly what they do, but their literature says its a four step process that “guarantees vibrant, aesthetically pleasing strings with longevity second to none”.  All I can say for sure is that it really does work.   These strings haven’t tarnished, or developed burnishes from my fingers or where they touch the frets, and their tone is just a fresh and lively as the day they came out of the package.

Running Silent:

I find it hard to believe how quiet these strings are under my fretting fingers.  There’s no finger noise at all on my acoustic Cordoba, and to go farther, I recently put a set on my acoustic electric Godin Multiac Duet.  I had a set of Savarez 520P1′s on the Multiac and loved them, but they were starting to make a little more finger noise than I wanted, and the Multiac’s pickups were emphasizing it.   I was all smiles after putting the 413′s on and finding they were just as silent on my acoustic electric Multiac as my Cordoba.  It’s fantastic to play without having to worry about and holding back because of finger noise on the strings.  These La Bellas really do the trick, and I can see why Chet Atkins used them.   For studio and recording work, or for just general playing, you don’t want a lot of high frequency squeaks and hisses interfering with your sound.   These strings take all such worries away.

Acoustic Electirc EQ: 

I find acoustic electrics are prone to amplifying finger noise on the strings, and I have to cut back on the treble and mid adjustments in an attempt to keep it down.   This doesn’t work very well, because the resulting tone is missing some of the important colors.   However, that’s not the case with these 413Ps.   They are so quiet that I can run the treble up without picking up much high frequency noise.  I now put the guitar EQ adjustments on the center positions, and sometimes do a little final adjusting at the amplifier.  But, in all cases, the treble and mid are both up at a reasonable setting, and I get a full tonal spectrum with no annoying finger noise.  Stone grinding really does take away the surface roughness of the windings, leaving a smooth surface for your fingers to glide on.

The photo on the right shows my normal EQ settings with La Bella 413P’s.  The functions of the slide switches are as follows, from left to right:  Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, and Blend.   Both Treble and Bass are on the middle settings, while Mid is reduced just a little.  The Blend is used to proportion the outputs from the LR Baggs Element  and I-Beam pickups.  Final EQ-ing is done at the amp, but is quite similar to these settings.

Strings To Relieve Your Stress:

These are classified as “classical” guitar strings, but that’s a much too limiting to contain their extensive range of music genre applications.   These strings sound so full and natural in easy going and mellow chord melodies and Jazz improv, to Soft Rock standards like Take It Easy by the Eagles, to old Country standards and ballads, and even a little Bluegrass.   I find them exceptionally expressive of what ever mood I’m in, and they help me unwind and relieve the stress and and anxieties of daily life.   These strings have blended in with the nature and soul of my guitar, and it just comes to life when I pick it up.    They eve make my playing sound good; so much smoother and richer than ever.

The Cost Factor:

These strings cost about $35 a set at most retail music stores, which is probably why  so few people other than professionals have discovered them.  Cost is certainly a factor when choosing strings, especially when a person is accustomed to paying much less and getting by with ordinary strings.   But you don’t have to spend $35 at a retail store to get these strings.  You can get them for just $14.14 online at www.guitarstringsdepot.com, and know the return on your investment is going to be positive.   So, why not step up to a quality, professional level string, even if you are only playing for yourself?   It will make a HUGE difference in how you will relax and play more naturally, and enjoy it more….simply because these strings are so smooth and quiet under your fingers, they produce wonderfully rich and warm tones, and feel so natural that you can relax and connect with your guitar.   I never played such a satisfying set of strings before, and “yes” they are worth every penny and more.

Check out and buy your La Bella 413P’s here.

Best regards,

Rancher 110

7 June 2010: UPDATE: SAVAREZ 520P1 PLASTIC WOUND CLASSICAL GUITAR STRINGS

It’s been three weeks since I published the article above, and time for an update.  I’ve played the Multiac off and on, not always every day, but frequently; and I must say that I’m honestly impressed  and amazed at how these strings sound and perform.  I’ll try to give you some specifics, as follows.

Overall Sound: They generate full sounding chords, with even string to string volume and continuity.  This is true no matter where up and down the fingerboard I play chords.  There’s no sonically apparent transition in tone character from the metal wound bass strings to the plastic wound trebles.  Normally as classical strings age, they develop a step change in tonal quality between the bass  and treble strings; but I haven’t seen it yet with these.  When played individually, every strings sounds clear and strong.

Tonal Character: Another thing is the “softness” of each not played on the plastic wound strings.  They don’t produce that hard edged, crisp sound of single notes played on monofilament strings; but have a smoother quality to them.

Finger Noise: Now, there are some noticeable differences with plastic wound strings, as compared to bare monofilament nylon strings.   They are not “noise free”, but produce a slight raspy sound when my fingers move linearly on the strings, much like the familiar sound of metal wire wound strings.  It isn’t loud, but there’s a whispery sound  I can bring it out more distinctly by playing at an angle to the string, allowing some movement of my fingers along the strings as they are plucked.   I can also minimize it by altering my fingering technique, and it doesn’t interfere or constrain me after I’ve gotten used to it.   It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think they make any more finger noise than conventional classical strings.

Tuning Stability: One of the amazing things about these strings is how well they stay in tune.   The cores of the plastic wound strings are composed on multi-filament  bundles of long strand nylon.   This core configuration doesn’t stretch much, gives immediate resistance to the applied tension, and makes the strings feel firmer.

Versatility: A second surprise is how the plastic wound strings sound and play above the twelfth fret.  My Multiac has great upper register fingerboard access, and playing up past the the twelfth fret is a snap.  What I noticed with these strings is that they don’t tend to go sharp or sound tinny in the upper fret region.  They continue to deliver consistent tone, clarity, and volume on the upper frets.

I like these strings on my Multiac.  I think they’d also sound and play just fine on a traditional, acoustic classical guitar, especially one with a cutaway, so you can play higher  on the neck.   My playing style and musical preferences come from Jazz, and I love to play rich and warm Jazz chords and chord melodies with these strings.   That’s my opinion for now.  I’ll give you at least one more impression in a few weeks.  Meanwhile, you can check out these Savarez  520P1′s at Guitar String Depot, just by clicking this  LINK .

If you haven’t already done so, please take a look at my earlier posts on Savarez 520P1′s., dated May 13 and May 14.   They contain my initial impressions and adventures in learning about these strings.   They certainly are like no others I’ve tried, and they have their own unique characteristics.  I thought the packaging was especially interesting, also.

A different note: This has nothing to do with strings, but I thought I’d share, just the same. It’s springtime here in Texas, and baby deer are popping up everywhere.  I always have some born out on the back side of my east pasture.  They have no knowledge or fear of dogs or people, when they are newly born.  A few days ago, I came upon one and my dog Daisy immediately tackled it.  When I got it away from Daisy, it took to me immediately…like it I was it’s mother.  I held him in my arms, while I settled the dogs down.  Rich brown fir with white spots, a slender body and all legs.  After taking my dogs back to the house, and putting them inside, I walked the baby deer back to the area where I found him.  He followed me like I was his mother, and never got more than fifteen feet away until he saw his real mother.   I kept on walking, to let “mama” lick and groom him, to wash away the  human scent.  It’s amazing how innocent and trusting young deer can be, and that reinforces a sense of responsibility to guard and protect them from harm.   I left them alone out in the east pasture for a few days, and still haven’t taken my dogs back out there.   I’ve seen them (the deer) at the water trough out there, and I just leave them alone.

Life is good.

Rancher110

First Impressions of Savarez 500P1 Strings.

For those who have been curious but afraid to try a set of Savarez plastic wound classical guitar string, I offer this short article in the hopes that it will provide some useful insight and information about this unique type of string.  The set I’m evaluating is the Savarez 500P1 set, which has plastic wound first, second, and third string.   The unique thing about these strings is they are not mono-filament strings, but actually have multi-filament cores like traditional classical bass strings, which are wrapped with a white plastic ribbon.  The multi-filament cores give them a different elasticity and response than mono-filament strings.  These have a firmer feeling and tune up immediately with little stretching, and  they also stay in tune longer.

The plastic windings don’t really want to stay on the multi-filament cores, since there is no adhesion between them.  To keep the windings in place, Savarez puts a whipping of red thread at each end, to bind the windings down.  The cores are actually folded and doubled back on itself before plastic winding is applied.  This forms a loop at the point were the core is doubled back, which becomes a beneficial feature when you put them on your guitar.

Each plastic wound string is composed of a multi-filament core of long nylon strands.  The bundle of strands is folded back on itself where you see the loop, in the image to the right.  The white plastic tape is then wrapped onto the core, and red material is a thread that is wrapped around the endings of the plastic tape, to secure it and keep it form coming undone.  If you cut off the red whippings, the tape will uncoil itself from the core, as I learned.

The metal wound strings are pretty much like traditional metal wire wound classical strings.  They have a nylon multi-filament core, as most other classical strings do, with a tightly wound pure silver wire binding it all together and giving it mass and density.

Now for the fun stuff.  I love taking a close look at something that may be new to me, like plastic wound strings.  The fact that they come form France just added to the mystery and intrigue.  The first thing you’ll notice about Savarez strings is their unique packaging.  The set comes in a sturdy zip-lock style plastic pouch, with a tear off seal outside the main, reusable seal.   Once you open the package, you’ll find six individually packaged strings.  Each strings has its own plastic envelope, and in each envelope the strings are mounted on cards.

The cards are color coded to identify the particular tension class for the strings.   Their 520 P1’s come on a “red” card, though it’s a light red, to indicate “strong tension”.  Most of the writing on the card is French, though there is a small portion in English, when you open the card.

White Card:   Light-Medium Tension (Carte Blanche: Moyen triant.)
Red Card:  Strong Tension  (Carte Rouge: Forte triant.)
Yellow Card:  Super Strong Tension  (Carte Juane: Tres forte triant.)

I have used D’Addario and SIT classical strings for years, and I’m quite familiar with how to secure them at the tie block and how to anchor them on the tuning spools.  The traditional techniques work fine for the wire wound fourth, fifth, and sixth strings, but not so for the plastic wound stings.   I suggest you don’t even try to put the plastic wound strings on like mono-filament strings, but think about passing the plain end through the loop to form a nice little choke hold on the tie block, then you can take the plain end to the tuning spool and attach it as you would normally.  I learned by trial and error that the traditional way doesn’t give good results at the tie block;  just take my word for it.   Here’s an image of the first installation, which was in accordance with nono-filament tradition.  Something just didn’t look right.

Now this is one of those moments when you ask yourself, “Should I, or shouldn’t I trim those red whippings off?”   After half a minute of consideration, I decided to go ahead and trim them.  First the high E….snip, and it was gone.  No problem; nothing bad happened.  Next, the B string….snip, and to my amazement the plastic winding uncoiled itself from the multi-filament core, then the entire string end popped out of the tie block and went north toward the headstock like a rubber band.   Yeah….big mistake.

After reviewing the situation, it seemed to me that the red thread whipping has to be left on the strings, in order to keep the plastic winding in place.   After some trial and tribulations relating to reinstalling it, to keep the plastic tape from unwinding, I decided to change the method of installation. This time, I passed the plain end up through the bottom of the tie block, then brought the loop end up close and passed the plain end through the loop.  Then I pulled the body of the string through the loop and carefully snugged the loop down at the tie block, as I pulled the rest of the string through.  This looked to me like it must have been the reason for leaving the loop in place on the string.

Now that they are installed and tuned up, I’m finding they have a much different feel and response than ordinary strings.  Initially, I was surprised at how fast they tune up and how well they hold their tension, with very little stretching.  Next, the feel of the plastic winding is something completely new  to me.  They have a somewhat slick feeling, but I can still feel the edges of the tape wrap as I slide my fingers along them.  Their tension and lack of excessive elasticity gives them a firm feeling, that matches that of the metal wire wound strings.  Their sound is a little softer than I expected, somewhat muted, very clear.  One thing I noticed is how they don’t seem to go sharp as I move closed cord forms up the fretboard, even up to the fifteenth fret.  In this aspect, they remind me of metal electric guitar strings. For a moment, I forgot these were classical strings.

Oh well.  That’s enough for this installment.  I want to play these strings a while, gather my impressions and thoughts, then follow up with another review in a few days.  Meanwhile, I’m still impressed with these strings, and think these are well worth considering if you feel confined by the limitations of ordinary strings.

Comments welcomed.  Let me know if you have any thoughts of these strings, or the way I put them on my guitar.  Oh by the way, the guitar used in this evaluation is a Godin Multiac Duet Nylon.

You can check out and buy Savarez 520P1 classical guitar strings at my website, www.guitarstringdepot.com.  Click  HERE to link to my Savarez 520P1 page.  My prices are among the lowest on the web.

Rancher 110