Aquila Seta Medium Tension Classical Guitar Strings Basses 126C

These strings have the absolute best tone i've ever heard for classical bass strings. I detest most standard bass string sets. To me they sound way too metallic, and ruin the atmosphere.

What most vendors describe as "clear, projecting, and rich" I would describe as "harsh, overpowering, and metallic". If you like standard bass sets, you probably won't like these.

The strings have a great center tone, and are very rich in the lower frequencies. They contain none of the harsh metallic overtones common in every other bass set I've ever used.

These strings are well suited for percussive or muted bass styles. They are perfect for songs like Asturias, Tango En Skai, and Tropico.

They are less well suited for Bach and other classical music where the bass needs to be a separate voice. This is because these strings are not a loud as typical bass sets, and have much shorter sustain.

If you find these too percussive or need more projection and sustain, try the Pyramid silk bass set that comes with the Pyramid Gut treble set (not the Pyramid Gut bass set). This is the next best option to the Seta's.

If you play at A=440 or want a cheaper option, the Aquila Ambra 2000 bass set sounds almost identical to the Seta set but uses nylon silk core. The Seta's are more firm than the Ambra's (or any normal bass set) b/c the silk doesn't stretch. The Seta's are slightly richer as they have a heavier silver plating.

Never tie these strings directly to a tuning peg. Look for Rob's tips on behind-the-nut string ties. Save old G and B strings to use as leaders for the silk basses. If you use a leader, these strings will last for many months. if you don't, they will likely snap within a couple weeks. I allowed all 3 bass strings to break the first time, as I tied directly on the peg. they all broke within 1 1/2 weeks. after tying on leaders every string lasted 3 months plus.

These are my favorite set of classical guitar bass strings. They pair very well with my gut treble strings perfectly. Stability & longevity are environmentally sensitive. Sadly snapping occurs frequently despite proper care. Ensure you tune to around 432Hz. They sound so very great, better than any other.

The Seta basses provide a warm, old-world sound. Since they have a core of silk, Aquila recommends only tuning them to 435hz. Once I forgot to change my tuner from 440hz and did indeed break the low E string, so it's accurate to say they require a lower pitch. They will break quicker overall, compared to nylon core basses. Three months of play is a decent lifespan for these, if you're a moderate player. It's also good to pick up an extra set just in case, and replace them one by one. I did that all of last year and there wasn't a discernable sound quality difference. These are the same silk basses found in Aquila's "Gut and Silk 900" line, so far as I can tell. A significantly cheaper option than purchasing the full set. Since SBM doesn't sell the Aquila gut trebles, it's worthwhile to purchase these separately to save yourself from the high Italian tax rate.

my E and D strings broke fairly fast; the A string lasted a decent while. they sound good, but not as good as the paragon basses I replaced them with.

These are very nice basses to go with natural gut trebles. They don't overwhelm the gut trebles as wound nylon or even wound nylgut basses tend to. They have a lovely dry, woody timbre, and a short, punchy sustain: properly 'bassy' basses. You can push them as hard as you like and they don't dominate too much. They do tend to break after a while, though. They have lasted about a month each time I've used them, hence only the four-star rating. They're not expensive, though, so I'm buying them again.
They recommend tuning them only up to 435, and tuning them down a half step when not in use. I use them at 415.