Thank you for the advice on strings. I am always interested to know
what others have tried and what works. I would like to know if anyone
has tried the Hanabach gold strings (an exceptionally fine string set
available from Los Angeles Classical Guitar) or the Aquila Alabaster
strings (the most expensive I could find) on an alto guitar. Has
anyone tried Aquila Nygut? I have heard good things about the Savarez
Alliance strings and have purchased a set but with so many
instruments and string types I have not had a chance to try them out.
Maybe I will put the Savarez Alliance strings on my alto guitar (was
saving them for my guitar lute but I can use D'Adddario J51s for
that.)

--- In altgitarren@yahoogroups.com, "Christoffer" <harlechin@h...>
wrote:
>
> At my university all of us playing Alto-Guitar used Savarez
Alliance,
> normal tension (which is much harder than "normal" normal tension)
> for the first 6 strings. I acctually used corum basses for 4-6 like
> Dave for a while, but I didn't like the lower tension they had, so
I
> switched back to the normal Savarez Alliance set with standard
> basses.
>
> The best sollution for the first six strings I have ever tried is
> Savarez Alliance normal tension for 1-3 and D'addario Pro Arté,
> normal or high tension, for 4-6. Then I use the hannabach alto-
guitar
> set for the lower 5 basses. These strings are of higher diameter
than
> normal basses. Some people use e-strings for all the basses, it
works
> but it doesn't give nearly as deep sound as the hannabach set. I'll
> see if I can find a link later on for these strings. But you should
> be able to order them from Hannabach.
>
> Also, since the guitar is rather thick and hard in it self,
alliance
> trebles will really get the top swinging. I've tried a few normal
> nylon trebles but the sound is to thin for my taste.
>
> Right now I don't have any diagrams of the guitar. But I'll see if
I
> can get my hands on some...
>
> I hope this nerdy post helps. Remember that the string issue is a
> matter of taste and instrument. Try out what other alto-players use
> and experiment to find your dream-sound.