Who invented nylon classical guitar strings?
Albert Augustine is a legend in the classical guitar world. Founded in 1947, his company manufactured the world’s first nylon classical guitar strings – stronger, louder and more reliable than the animal gut-based strings used previously. Up until the Second World War animal gut and silk were used to make guitar strings. Albert Augustine, an instrument maker from New York, USA, had difficulty getting these materials due to the war restrictions and noticed some nylon line in an army surplus store in Greenwich Village. He thought this could be used for guitar strings and approached the DuPont company, who manufactured the material. However, DuPont were not sure that guitarists would like nylon’s sound, which is different from the gut strings they were used to. However, Augustine was not deterred and after setting up some tests with guitarists persuaded DuPont to work with him in developing nylon guitar strings. The invention, in which the famous guitarist Segovia (a tenant and neighbour
