Strings for Romantic Guitar: A set developed to respect the instrument’s sensitivity, balance and character
The Romantic guitar has its own construction, sensitivity and way of responding. Its strings therefore need to be designed around the characteristics of the instrument and to complement its natural response.
Material, tension, stiffness and diameter must work together to preserve the character of the instrument while providing the player with a comfortable, stable and expressive response.
Developing strings specifically for the Romantic guitar therefore required a thorough understanding of the instrument and, from the outset, a dedicated combination of materials, tensions, diameters and levels of stiffness.
An instrument particularly sensitive to balance
Changes in tension, material or stiffness have a particularly noticeable effect on the Romantic guitar.
Finding the right balance between all six strings was therefore one of the main challenges of the development process. When that balance is achieved, the instrument can vibrate more freely, chords retain their clarity and each register maintains its own definition.
That was precisely our goal: to create a coherent set that preserves the delicacy and transparency of the Romantic guitar.
Romantic Erithacus: basses developed specifically for this instrument
The Romantic Erithacus basses use the same high-quality materials as our classical guitar strings, but with specific parameters for diameter, tension, stiffness and response developed for the Romantic guitar.
Their role is to provide body and definition without overpowering the instrument. They support the sound while preserving the clarity of chords, leaving space for melodies in the upper register to develop naturally.
BIO Nylon: a modern alternative for the trebles
The BIO Nylon trebles offer a warm, natural sound, with less of the plastic-like character often associated with conventional nylon.
Their elasticity and response are particularly well suited to this type of instrument and allow them to integrate smoothly with the Romantic Erithacus basses.
They are not intended to reproduce the behaviour of gut strings exactly, as gut has its own distinctive sonic characteristics. Instead, BIO Nylon provides a stable and comfortable alternative with a tonal character that is closer to the historical conception of the Romantic guitar.
Their tonal response is particularly well suited to the sensitivity of the Romantic guitar and maintains a coherent balance with the Romantic Erithacus basses.
Designed to work as a complete set
One of the main goals of the development process was to ensure that all six strings work coherently together.
The basses provide support without overpowering the instrument, while the trebles maintain clarity and expression in the upper register. The balance between them allows each string to fulfil its role without compromising the unity of the set.
Romantic Erithacus basses can be combined with either BIO Nylon or gut trebles, allowing each player to choose the combination that best suits their musical preferences and the characteristics of their instrument.
For the player, this means something very practical: having a set developed specifically for the Romantic guitar, without the need to search for and combine strings from different sets.
A Lacôte as our starting point
The set was developed using a copy of a Lacôte guitar as our reference instrument, built by master luthier Joan Pellisa, a specialist in historical instruments.
Working directly with this instrument allowed us to study how the guitar responded to different materials, diameters, tensions and levels of stiffness, progressively fine-tuning each element.
The aim was never to develop strings for a single guitar, but to use this historical instrument as a reference for creating a set capable of working with different Romantic guitar models while respecting the individual character of each instrument.
Two years of testing
Reaching the current result required two years of development.
During this time, we tested different combinations of materials, tensions and diameters, making adjustments based on the response of different instruments and the feedback of the musicians themselves.
The collaboration of Hervé César, a collector and specialist in historical guitars, was particularly valuable throughout this process, as was the contribution of several guitarists in Paris who tested successive versions of the strings.
Hervé’s experience and his collection of Romantic guitars gave us the opportunity to work with instruments of very different characteristics and gain a better understanding of how each one responds.
Listen. Test. Adjust. And test again.
This process has been fundamental in creating a set that does not impose a sound on the instrument, but instead allows it to retain its own personality.
The player’s experience
After an initial settling-in period of approximately 24 hours, the player experiences greater comfort and a more balanced response.
The guitar vibrates more freely, giving the player greater control and stability while preserving the instrument’s characteristic delicacy and transparency.
This balance expands the instrument’s expressive possibilities and creates a more direct connection between player and guitar, allowing the musician to focus on the interpretation and on the instrument’s natural response.
Key features
Basses
- String type: Erithacus Double Silver
- Deep, pure and natural tonal character
- Specifically designed for Romantic guitar
- Controlled presence and good balance
- Compatible with BIO Nylon and gut trebles
Trebles
- String type: BIO Nylon
- Warm and natural tonal character
- Less perceived plastic-like sound
- Elasticity adapted to the Romantic guitar
- Designed to integrate smoothly with Romantic Erithacus basses
An ongoing development
This launch does not mark the end of the process.
We will continue testing, listening to musicians and specialists, and studying different instruments as we develop further solutions specifically for the Romantic guitar.
Because every instrument responds differently. And its strings should too.
