Customer Reviews

Albert Augustine Red Label Classical Guitar Strings

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although Augustine does not specify string tension, other people have stated that the red label pack is basically normal or medium tension, while the black label is the lightest, and the blue is the hardest. I decided to go with the red label because I have been using D'Addario Pro-Arte normal tension strings for a long time, and I thought that these would be comparable in tension and tone. They were actually significantly thicker and higher in tension than the normal D'Addarios, and I did not like how they sounded or felt. On my guitar, they sounded thick and thuddy, and for my playing style they felt unpleasantly stiff and unwieldy.

A lot of people do love the red label tension, so you shouldn't necessarily make your purchasing decisions based on this review, but I did try out the black label set, and they are now my favorite strings by far! They actually feel slightly higher in tension than the normal tension D'Addario Pro-Arte strings, but they sound and feel absolutely incredible. The main reason I wanted to switch away from the Pro-Arte sets is that the wound bass strings are much brighter in tone than the treble strings, and any melody line that dipped down from the G string to the A string was broken by an inconsistent tone. The Augustine black label strings do not exhibit that problem at all, and I actually can't believe how separate and distinct each string sounds in a chord while still retaining a pleasantly-connected and consistent tone. I can't recommend these strings highly enough. However, it is possible that you may have different experiences with them on your particular guitar. They just happen to complement mine perfectly.

My red label set, which I ordered here from B&G Music, arrived with a missing high E string. I have to assume that's an extremely rare occurrence at the Augustine manufacturing facility, and B&G immediately sent me an entire new set for free as soon as I told them what had happened. Excellent customer service!

Anyway, if you're curious to try out some new strings for your classical guitar, don't necessarily pass these red label ones up, but do consider the black label if you find that the reds aren't sounding right for you. Oh! One more thing - the G string on the black label set sounds great! You players out there know how difficult that G string can be, and I have never been happier with one than I am with the one in the black label set.

For my 1976 Alverez Yairi CY120, these are the best sounding strings. Have been using them since 1976; I have tried numerous other strings, but always come back to these.

As always with Augustine products, these classical strings are of great quality and very reasonably priced. Saving a small amount of cash on cheaper strings just isn't worth it when you hear the quality you get from these. But spending 5 times the price for some of the other clasical strings just makes no sense either - these strings get superb qulaity, that is the main one. The fact they come at a great price too is a bonus.

They are as I remember them. Nice strings with a beautiful sound. I have to admit I miss the red ends of the strings. They are clear now.

I used to use Augustine's regularly but I had some quality control problems with their strings. Also, they're just cut long enough barely for a 660mm fretboard. One other thing is that they don't last as well as Pro-Arte's...especially the A and D. The Red's play easily but don't sound as nice as the harder Blacks, which are really a pretty good sounding string...just wish they could fix the other problems! Using D'Addario composites now which sound great and last much much longer.