Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack Review: The Definitive Verdict on a Modern Classic

There’s a unique and often frustrating journey every classical guitarist undertakes: the search for the perfect set of strings. I remember spending my early years as a player cycling through countless brands, each promising a revolutionary sound. One set would sound brilliant but feel like cheese wire under my fingers. Another would feel wonderfully supple but die within a week, leaving my guitar sounding muffled and lifeless. This quest isn’t just about sound; it’s about connection. The right strings bridge the gap between the music in your head and the notes that fill the room. They translate your touch, your vibrato, your very intention into audible art. Choosing the wrong strings can be a constant source of frustration, leading to poor intonation, tuning instability, and a tone that simply doesn’t inspire you to pick up the instrument. It’s a critical decision that can make or break your relationship with your guitar, and finding a reliable, high-quality, and cost-effective solution is paramount for any serious player. This is precisely the problem the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack aims to solve.

What to Consider Before Buying Classical Guitar Strings

A set of classical guitar strings is more than just an accessory; it’s the voice box of your instrument. It’s the primary point of contact that transforms your physical effort into musical expression. The main benefit of investing in a quality set is achieving the trifecta of great tone, stable tuning, and comfortable playability. High-quality strings can elevate the sound of even a modest student guitar, providing clarity, projection, and a rich harmonic palette that cheap, generic strings simply cannot replicate. They reduce the time spent re-tuning and allow you to play with more confidence and dynamic control.

The ideal customer for a multi-pack of professional-grade strings like this is a regular player, a dedicated student, a teacher, or a performing musician. It’s for someone who understands that strings are a consumable item and values both consistency and economic sense. Buying in bulk means you always have a fresh set on hand for a pre-performance change or an unexpected break, and it’s invariably cheaper in the long run. Conversely, this type of product might not be suitable for the absolute beginner who is still unsure if they will stick with the instrument, or for a player who has a guitar they touch only once or twice a year. For them, a single set might suffice. Players seeking an extremely bright, modern, or coated-string feel might also look towards other specialized options.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Tension & Feel: String tension (often categorized as low, normal/standard, or high) is the most critical factor influencing feel and sound. Standard tension, like that found in the Savarez 500CR set, offers a superb balance—it’s easy enough on the fingers for complex passages but firm enough to be driven hard for powerful volume without buzzing. High tension offers more volume and resistance, while low tension is easier to fret but can be less powerful.
• Materials & Tone: Classical guitar strings are a composite set. The trebles (G, B, high E) are typically nylon—clear, rectified, or carbon. The basses (low E, A, D) have a multi-filament core wound with a metal, usually silver-plated or bronze-plated copper. The Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack uses traditional rectified nylon trebles and their innovative silver-plated Corum basses, a combination known for warm, expressive tone and incredible responsiveness.
• Gauge & Playability: While not specified in the same way as steel strings, the diameter or “gauge” of each string affects its feel and intonation. Savarez uses what they call “Traditional Gauges,” which have been refined over decades to provide excellent balance and intonation across the fretboard on most standard classical guitars. A well-balanced set ensures no single string sounds overpowering or lost in the mix.
• Longevity & Cost-Effectiveness: Uncoated strings, like these, offer the most direct and nuanced sound but generally have a shorter lifespan than coated strings. However, the value proposition of a 6-pack significantly mitigates this. For the price of three or four premium single sets, you get six, ensuring your guitar can sound its best for many months at a lower overall cost.

Understanding these factors will empower you to choose strings that not only sound good but feel like an extension of your own hands, truly unlocking your guitar’s potential.

While the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: French Craftsmanship in a Value-Oriented Package

Opening the bulk package of the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack reveals six individually sealed packets, each containing a single set of strings. This is a crucial detail—it protects the unused strings from humidity and oxidation, ensuring the sixth set is just as fresh as the first. The packaging itself is classic Savarez: minimalist and professional. Upon opening an individual set, the strings are coiled neatly. The three nylon trebles have a slightly textured, matte finish characteristic of “rectified” nylon, a process that grinds the string to a perfectly consistent diameter. The three Corum basses feel incredibly smooth and flexible, noticeably more pliable than many other standard tension bass strings we’ve tested. There’s a tangible sense of quality here; these don’t feel like generic, mass-produced strings. Stringing them up on our test guitar, a mid-range cedar-top classical, the process was straightforward. The flexibility of the basses made them particularly easy to secure at the bridge block. This initial experience instills confidence before a single note has even been played. You can immediately feel the precision engineering that Savarez is renowned for, a quality that is impressive to find in such an economically priced multi-pack.

A Deep Dive into the Savarez 500CR’s On-Stage Performance

A string’s true character is only revealed through hours of playing. It’s in the quiet practice room, during demanding rehearsals, and under the pressure of performance that you discover its strengths and weaknesses. We put the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack through its paces over several weeks on multiple guitars, from student models to concert instruments, to form a comprehensive understanding of their performance.

Tonal Character: The Soul of the Sound

The first thing that struck us upon tuning up was the immediate warmth and richness of the Corum basses. These are not the overly bright, metallic-sounding basses that some brands produce. Instead, they offer a deep, foundational tone with a complex harmonic character. When playing a piece like Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, the low notes had a cello-like resonance and clarity, allowing each note in the arpeggiated chords to sing without becoming muddy. The “flexible” nature of the Corum core isn’t just a marketing term; it translates into a highly responsive string. They react instantly to the slightest change in plucking-hand position or intensity. Moving your hand closer to the bridge for a ponticello effect yields a sharp, focused tone, while playing over the soundhole (tasto) produces a wonderfully soft, flute-like sound. The transition is seamless and intuitive.

The rectified nylon trebles are the perfect complement. Unlike the brilliant, almost glassy sound of carbon trebles, these offer a more traditional, vocal quality. The rectified grinding process gives them a slightly textured feel which, for some players, provides a greater sense of control and connection under the fingertips. They produce a sweet, clear, and very pure note. Playing melodies from composers like Tárrega or Sor, the treble strings allowed for beautiful, singing lines with substance and body. Most importantly, the transition from the wound D-string to the nylon G-string—often a problematic point of tonal mismatch in lesser sets—was remarkably smooth. The entire set feels voiced together, creating a cohesive and beautifully balanced instrument from the lowest E to the highest notes on the fretboard. This level of tonal integrity is something we typically expect from sets costing twice as much per pack.

Playability and Feel: An Extension of the Hand

This is where the Savarez 500CR set truly shines and distinguishes itself from the competition. The term “Standard Tension” can mean different things to different manufacturers, but Savarez has perfected the balance. For the fretting hand, the tension is accommodating. Executing complex barre chords or difficult stretches felt less strenuous than with high-tension sets, reducing hand fatigue during long practice sessions. This makes them an excellent choice not just for professionals, but also for intermediate students looking to tackle more demanding repertoire without fighting the instrument.

However, the real magic lies in the Corum basses. Their famed flexibility makes a dramatic difference to both hands. For the fretting hand, it means vibrato is effortless and expressive. The string responds beautifully, allowing for a wide and easily controlled vibrato that can add immense emotion to a piece. For the plucking hand, this flexibility translates to a faster, more dynamic response. Techniques like rapid rest-stroke scales (apoyando) and intricate tremolo felt quicker and cleaner. The string seems to “get out of the way” faster after being plucked, leading to enhanced clarity and articulation. We found that the strings reward a player with a nuanced touch, but are also forgiving enough for those still developing their technique. The combination of comfortable tension and responsive flexibility makes the guitar feel alive and eager to play, which is arguably the most important quality any set of strings can possess. The superior tactile experience is a defining feature.

Tuning Stability and Longevity

All new nylon strings require a stretching-in period, and the Savarez 500CR are no exception. For the first two to three days of regular playing, we had to make frequent tuning adjustments as the strings settled onto the guitar. This is perfectly normal. However, what impressed us was how quickly they achieved stability. By the fourth day, they were holding their pitch remarkably well, requiring only minor tweaks before each session. This reliability is crucial for both performing and recording, where tuning stability is non-negotiable.

In terms of longevity, as uncoated strings, their lifespan is finite. The brilliant tone and responsive feel were at their absolute peak for the first one to two weeks of heavy daily playing (2-3 hours per day). After that, the basses began to lose a bit of their initial brightness, mellowing into a warmer, more subdued tone which is still very pleasant and musically useful. The trebles held their character for longer. For a casual player, a single set could easily last for a month or more while still providing a satisfying experience. For a professional or serious student, changing them every 2-3 weeks would be ideal to maintain peak performance. This is where the 6-pack format becomes an undeniable advantage. It removes the financial hesitation of frequent string changes, allowing you to keep your instrument in its optimal state without breaking the bank. It transforms a premium string into an affordable everyday workhorse, and you can explore the full specifications and check current pricing online.

What Other Users Are Saying

While our hands-on experience forms the core of our review, we always look to wider user feedback for a complete picture. The feedback for the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack is overwhelmingly positive regarding sound and playability. However, a recurring, albeit minor, piece of feedback we found was a comment stating, “Picture is not the item sold.” This doesn’t appear to be a critique of the strings themselves, but rather an issue with online retail listings where the packaging photo might be outdated or show a single pack instead of the multi-pack box. We can confirm that our test product was indeed the correct 6-pack of 500CR strings. Our advice to potential buyers is to focus on the model number—Savarez 500CR—and the description in the listing rather than relying solely on the photograph. This ensures you receive the fantastic strings that have earned their reputation for quality and tone, avoiding any simple packaging confusion.

How Does the Savarez 500CR Stack Up Against the Competition?

It’s important to place the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack in the proper context. These are strings designed specifically for the nylon-string classical guitar. The alternatives provided are for electric bass guitars, representing a completely different instrument category. Therefore, they are not direct competitors. However, many guitarists play multiple instruments, so we’ll compare them based on their intended purpose for the musician who might own both a classical and a bass guitar.

1. Elixir Nanoweb 45-130 5 String Bass Set

The key differentiator for Elixir strings is their proprietary Nanoweb coating. This ultra-thin coating protects the windings from sweat, oil, and dirt, dramatically extending the string’s life and maintaining a bright, clear tone for three to five times longer than uncoated strings. A bassist who values longevity above all else, perhaps for a bass they don’t play as frequently or for touring where frequent changes are impractical, would prefer the Elixir set. In contrast, the Savarez 500CR strings are uncoated, offering a more traditional feel and a warmer, more nuanced tone at the expense of a shorter lifespan.

2. D’Addario NYXL55110 Bass Guitar Strings

D’Addario’s NYXL series is all about strength, tuning stability, and powerful output. They utilize a high-carbon steel core and reformulated nickel-plated steel wrap wire for enhanced projection, punchy mid-range, and incredible durability. A bassist playing rock, metal, or funk who needs strings that can withstand aggressive playing and stay perfectly in tune under heavy attack would gravitate towards the NYXLs. The Savarez 500CR, on the other hand, is built for the subtlety and dynamic expression of classical music, prioritizing warmth and tactile response over raw power and aggression.

3. DR Strings BLACK BEAUTIES 5 String Bass Strings Medium

DR Strings’ BLACK BEAUTIES offer a unique proposition: they are colour-coated strings. While the coating offers similar life-extending properties to Elixir’s, the primary appeal is often aesthetic, providing a sleek, all-black look to a bass guitar. Tonally, they are known for being slightly warmer and smoother than many other coated strings. A bassist looking for both extended life and a bold visual statement would choose the BLACK BEAUTIES. The Savarez 500CR strings are traditional in appearance and are designed exclusively for the acoustic, resonant properties of a classical guitar, where tone and feel are the only considerations.

The Final Verdict: Is the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack Worth It?

After extensive testing, our conclusion is unequivocal: the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack represents one of the best values on the market for the serious classical guitarist. It offers the premium tone and exceptional playability that Savarez is famous for, all bundled in a format that is both convenient and incredibly cost-effective. The beautiful balance between the warm, responsive Corum basses and the sweet, articulate rectified nylon trebles creates a cohesive voice that can bring out the best in any instrument. While their uncoated nature means they won’t last as long as treated alternatives, the 6-pack format more than compensates for this, encouraging regular changes to keep your guitar sounding its absolute best.

We highly recommend this pack to dedicated students, teachers, and performing musicians who demand consistency and quality without an exorbitant price tag. If you are seeking a set of strings that feels incredibly responsive under your fingers and produces a rich, expressive, and traditional classical tone, your search may very well be over. For its combination of world-class performance and outstanding value, the Savarez 500CR Classical Guitar Strings 6-Pack earns our highest recommendation.