Albert Augustine and the Evolution of Classical Guitar Strings
Albert Augustine, a Danish immigrant with a passion for guitars and a budding luthier, played a pivotal role in shaping the modern classical guitar. He was a co-founder of The New York Society for the Classic Guitar, the first organization dedicated to presenting serious classical guitar concerts in New York City, and the publisher of the esteemed journal, Guitar Review.
During the 1940s, sourcing high-quality guitar strings was a significant challenge. At that time, strings were made primarily from animal gut, usually sheep. These organic materials were inconsistent, and their use as field sutures during the war made them even scarcer. This shortage deeply frustrated Andrés Segovia, the renowned Spanish guitarist whose efforts to elevate the guitar to concert stage prominence had earned him international acclaim.
"From my earliest childhood—and I feel as though I must have been playing the guitar before I was born—I was handicapped by the brittleness of the strings that were then available; and as I grew in years and experience, I found myself more and more irritated," Segovia once lamented.
Vladimir Bobri, the editor and illustrator of Guitar Review, introduced Segovia to Albert Augustine, who had been experimenting with a new synthetic material for guitar strings—nylon fishing line, developed by the DuPont company. Although DuPont saw limited potential in nylon for guitar strings, Albert and Segovia recognized its possibilities.
In his basement, Albert meticulously ground and refined DuPont’s nylon monofilament, perfecting the trebles through extensive discussions with Segovia. The development of bass strings posed additional challenges. Albert experimented with a nylon multifilament core, winding it with various metals—gold, aluminum, and ultimately, silver, which Segovia declared produced the most "noble sound."
Segovia's concerts, featuring Augustine’s innovative strings, captivated guitarists worldwide, sparking widespread demand for these durable, dependable, and brilliant strings. Soon, many of the artists who would shape 20th-century guitar music—including Olga Coelho, the Abreu Brothers, and a young English prodigy named Julian Bream—were all playing Augustine Strings.
Although Rose Augustine, Albert’s wife, was not a guitarist—she was a chemistry teacher in the Bronx—she shared Albert’s passion for the guitar and the guitar community. After Albert’s death in 1967, Rose took over Augustine Strings, dedicating herself to preserving her husband’s legacy while supporting the careers of many influential guitarists of the late 20th century.
Albert and Rose were proud of their business, but their greatest pride was in the global guitar community. This commitment to serving all guitarists remains the guiding principle of Augustine Strings today.