The nylon-string classical guitar is usually pictured in the concert hall, on a footstool, playing Bach or Tárrega. But its warm, soft voice has quietly shaped pop, rock, country and jazz too — often in songs you know by heart without realising a "classical" guitar is what you are hearing. Here are some of the famous names who reached for nylon instead of steel.
Willie Nelson — country's most famous classical guitar
It surprises people, but the most recognisable guitar in country music is a nylon-string classical. Willie Nelson's beloved "Trigger" is a Martin N-20 classical guitar, and its mellow, woody tone is central to his entire sound. Read the full story of Trigger →
Sting — nylon at the heart of his solo sound
From Fragile to Shape of My Heart, Sting built some of his most loved solo songs around the nylon-string guitar, much of it played by his long-time guitarist Dominic Miller. The soft attack of nylon is a signature of that intimate, reflective style. More on Sting and the classical guitar →
José Feliciano — the pop pioneer of nylon
The Puerto Rican star José Feliciano did more than almost anyone to bring the classical guitar into pop. His breakthrough is widely regarded as the first pop album played entirely on a nylon-string guitar — a record of vocals and classical guitar that reimagined songs by the Beatles, the Doors and the Mamas and the Papas, and showed that nylon could carry a mainstream hit.
The bossa nova masters
An entire genre rests on the nylon-string guitar. Bossa nova — the cool, swaying Brazilian sound of the late 1950s and 60s — was created on classical guitars by players such as João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim, whose gentle, syncopated chords are unthinkable on anything but nylon. If you love "The Girl from Ipanema," you love classical-guitar tone.
The jazz nylon men
Jazz has its own nylon tradition. Charlie Byrd, who helped spark the American bossa nova craze alongside Stan Getz, played a classical guitar, as did the easy-listening star Earl Klugh, whose entire warm, melodic style is built on nylon strings rather than the usual jazz archtop.
A Beatle, too
Even the Beatles turned to nylon: the delicate lead line of And I Love Her is played on a nylon-string classical guitar, a small but lovely reminder of how often the instrument hides in plain sight in popular music.
Why pop and rock reach for nylon
The appeal is the tone. Nylon strings give a soft, round, intimate sound with a quick decay, perfect for sitting under a voice without fighting it. They feel gentle under the fingers and lend any song an unmistakable warmth — which is exactly why, again and again, stars from completely different worlds end up on a classical guitar.
FAQ
Does Willie Nelson play a classical guitar?
Yes — his famous "Trigger" is a Martin N-20 nylon-string classical guitar.
Did the Beatles use a classical guitar?
Yes — "And I Love Her" features a nylon-string classical guitar on its lead line.
Why do pop musicians use nylon-string guitars?
For their warm, soft, intimate tone, which sits beautifully under vocals and feels gentle to play.
Classical vs acoustic — what's the difference? → · Browse our classical guitars
