Nylon strings stretch approximately what percent?

• A. 4-6%
• B. 2-4%
• C. 12-15%
• D. 8-10%

Answer: (D)

Nylon strings stretch noticeably under tension because nylon is a viscoelastic material. When you first tighten a nylon string, the polymer chains creep and reorient, so the string length increases until it settles. For new nylon strings, this settling is typically around 8 to 10 percent of the original length. That’s why tuning often needs to be repeated several times as the string stabilizes. The smaller percentages would understate nylon’s tendency to creep, while 12–15% would be unusually high for standard guitar strings.