I have just bought a second hand Alhambra 7FC and would like to know if members who own one have found out that the guitar responds better to medium or hard tension strings ( and which string brands ideally ).

On a similar note mine has a slightly higher action at the nut than my Yamaha CG171SF. Is that common across 7FCs?

Thanks!

Until very recently, all Alhambras came with D'Addario extra high tension strings. This is only my personal opinion, but I hate all D'Addario strings. I tried them many years ago and I hated them then. Every few years, I try them again just to see, and I still hate them.

Especially the trebles that come on an Alhambra are awful. Alhambra has now switched to just high tension D'Addario instead of extra high. I just switched the strings on a new Alhambra 7FC to La Bella 2001 medium and it sounds like a different guitar, much better. I think that medium tension would be best for the 7FC, but these things are just too personal – you'll have to keep experimenting.

Ramon

I think there is a thread on strings that we made some time back which you could search.
But I suppose for all of us the only way is to try different strings and see what we like best.

Dear Ramon and Tomás,

Thanks for the input. Have just tried Labella 860 but they do not sound as good as on a Yamaha Classical which I sometime use. On my Yamaha CG171SF I use Labela 820B with some D'addario EJ45C thrown in once the Labella basses are worn out.

On the Alhambra I would really like to use a wound 3rd so I am going to try a Savarez 520F first then probably a Labella 850W.

Hi Fabricio,

I also own an Alhambra 7FC which I bought about three years ago. You might be interested to read my reply under Casa Flamenca of 02 May last year to Alan Green's post 'Alhambra Guitars' regarding my experience with strings on this guitar.

Basically, I've been using D'Addario Pro Arte EJ45's normal tension which were the recommendation of 'El Mundo Flamenco' in Duke Street, London where I bought it. They took off whatever it was strung with and put on Hannabachs in the shop but it sounded awful, so they were changed to EJ45's which sounded much better. After a while, though, I felt it was sounding perhaps too mellow so I put on the D'Addario Black Trebles, which I was much happier with and which seemed to restore the right sound. I've not tried high tension strings as the shop believed the normal tension were the best choice for this guitar, however, I might try a set of high tensions just for comparison purposes. As Prominent Critic said, it's a very individual thing but so are the guitars. What sounds great to one person may be terrible to another.

Regarding the action, I have also felt the 7FC might be a little bit high near the nut but I haven't tried many flamenco guitars, especially the Yamaha. However, I have accepted that is the way the guitar is and I play accordingly! Hope this is of some help.