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I went to my local music shop and asked for my classical guitar to be restrung, and he made the 3 low strings steel and the high 3 nylon even though it's a nylon guitar.

Now the neck of my guitar is bent from the tension and I'm worried it will break.

What should I do now? I haven't tried any fix as I can't find one. I will be asking the shop about it in 1 week.

endorph
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Jordan Brook
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    Chances are the low 3 strings are not steel - they're nylon wound with metal, which is how all nylon sets are. If they are indeed steel cored strings, someone's in trouble!! – Tim Jan 23 '17 at 21:03
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    Why would he do such a thing? – Dave Jacoby Jun 04 '21 at 12:55
  • I agree with @ggcg (below). A guitar shop are unlikely to put half a set of steel strings on by accident, so the neck may be bent for another reason. Any chance you could post a photo of the neck of your guitar? – Bob Broadley Jun 04 '21 at 13:25
  • Why was Tim's answer deleted but no other short answer was? None of them "answer" the question. –  Jun 04 '21 at 19:52
  • I would add that I have heard of classical guitarists putting a thin steel string on the highest e string to get a brighter sound out of this. I researched this for an answer to another question about the same topic and was very surprised to find sets of "classical" strings for sale that included one or two steel strings. –  Jun 04 '21 at 19:54

4 Answers4

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The bass strings in a classical set are nylon wrapped with a thin metal winding. If the core is steel then that would be very bad for the instrument.

However, if the person at the store put on a true classical set then I doubt the strings alone caused the bending. You can look at the ends of the strings and if you see some type of soft fibers coming out it is a true classical guitar string, if you see a metal core then remove the strings and go to another store for help.

Classical guitars do not have truss rods so they cannot be "fixed" with a simple tweak. Your guitar could have warped from changed in humidity if it was not properly stored.

To straighten a classical neck you would need to go to a luthier who specializes in classical instruments. They may soak the neck, or expose it to extreme humidity to soften it, and clamp it between flat pieces of wood for a while. It could take weeks or longer depending on the severity of the warp.

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Do not use steel strings on classical guitars! Remove them or else you may damage the guitar permanently. Classical guitars are intended to be used with nylon strings.

See this answer from another thread : Putting steel strings on a cheap nylon guitar

Community
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Mustafa Yılmaz
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Short answer, DON'T.

Your guitar is not designed for steel strings, and you are probably damaging it by fitting them to it.

Chris Butler
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My classical guitar has an adjustable truss rod. Check if yours does. Perhaps a minor adjustment is all that's needed.

Kermit Brown
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