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hapuna
Lokahi
USA
159 Posts |
 Posted - 02/02/2010 : 3:12:30 PM
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OK I tried to search this figuring it may have been discussed but I got nothing.
What do most folks use/like on their concert/tenor ukes? Does it change with low G?
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hapuna
Seattle |
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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 9:13:49 PM
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I use Hilo Strings. This for a low G Tenor. I've got an Island Uke from Kauai, and it came with those strings. I don't think it would be much different for a hight G tuning either. Same brand.
Cheers |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 06:47:54 AM
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In past discussion, a number of people have praised Worth, Ko`Olau Gold and Aquilla strings. You may find with experimentation that your uke/playing style may sound best with a specific brand of strings, but this requires you to try a number of brands. For purposes of research, of course. Mine came with Aquilla on it, and as it's still pretty new, I haven't changed them yet. I suspect that nylon, Nylgut or natural gut are less likely to deteriorate from salts & acids in sweat, so they may outlast steel. I can't point to scientific evidence, though. It's only my thoery. The Aquilla's on Auntie Wanda's uke are over 2 years old, and it still sounds great.On the other hand,they don't have the actual playing time my instruments get, as she seems able to put it down to do housework. I haven't been struck by that bug yet.(Just ask Auntie!)
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 02/03/2010 06:48:15 AM |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 10:15:33 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by rendesvous1840
In past discussion, a number of people have praised Worth, Ko`Olau Gold and Aquilla strings.
At the moment, I have Worth on my primary tenor uke, and Aquila on the second. I like 'em both. |
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Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
524 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 11:04:56 AM
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I have Worth fluorocarbon (clear) strings on my primary uke at the moment. That let me experiment with low-G tuning without widening the nut slot to accommodate a wound fourth string. When I dig in, the fourth string seems to flop or buzz just a little bit, like it is just a hair too light gauge for the application. Worth strings seem to be more slippery, so I had to put in a couple of extra wraps when tying them to the bridge. Using the normal number of wraps, the strings would slowly slip off and come untied when brought up to tension. I really like the low G tuning, so when it comes time to replace this set, I will probably go ahead and convert to Aquila with a wound 4th, widening the nut slot.
Otherwise, my favorite is the Aquila nylgut (white). I have yet to encounter a cheap or mid-level ukulele that was not improved tonally by changing from the clear or black plain nylon strings that it came with.
Finally, I like the Ko'olau Gold strings that came on my first nice uke (Tangi koa tenor). But I prefer the older version with some "tooth" to the surface. The new Golds are polished, and while they are still quite good strings, they don't appeal to me as much. Not sure why that is. I've socked a way a few extra sets of the old kind, but they are pretty much gone from the shelves now.
Incidentally, a lot of premium fishing line these days is made of fluorocarbon. I've thought about buying select rolls of the right "xx pound test" (gauge) to make my own sets. $13 for a typical roll would provide a lifetime supply of strings for me and almost everyone that I know.
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da_joka
Lokahi
361 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 11:15:39 AM
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| My Pono tenor came wit Ko`olau Golds. I loved da mellow sound it made. Den at da SF Aloha festival I decided fo get a set of Aquila Nylgut (High G). Wow, wat a difference. Almost like a different ukulele. Instead of mellow and soft, it's bright and real loud. Nylguts kinda squeak if you run your finger ontop um, so I gotta watch dat now, but all in all, I like um. We wen buy our son a Lanikai soprano dat came wit Aquilas. Sounds good :-) Earl, let me know wat pound test you end up using ;-P dat would be a fun experiment! Isn't da Tahitian ukulele's strung wit fishing line? |
If can, can. If no can, no can. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 1:06:45 PM
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Woo-hoo, Jr. Boy get a `ukulele. Three is not too young to start.
Congrats to Jr. Boy -- he's going to become a big braddah. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 1:17:17 PM
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It's highly likely that different playing styles, and different woods will seem to sound best with different strings. I notice that one of my dulcimers responds best when played gently, the other stands up well to being strummed hard and still sounds good.There are probably multiple reasons, the size of the soundbox, type of wood, maybe more. What sound you want to get from your instrument could be a factor in your string preference as well. Sometimes ya just gotta experiment.I'm not sure how these factors affect the sound, but I accept it that not all things are equal from one instrument to another. Nor are our ears equal.
Unko Paul
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"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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hawaiianmusiclover06
`Olu`olu
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 5:40:47 PM
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For my Pono Mahogany concert 'ukulele I have the Ko'olau Golds but I changed it to the D'Addario's Porte Atres.
For my Kala Sprucetop Concert 'ukulele, I also have the D'Addario's Porte Arte's on it.
Alana :) |
Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever) |
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olu143
Aloha
21 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 11:15:44 AM
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| I used Salvarez nylon wound nylon classical guitar strings. It keeps the tone and takes almost no time to stretch. The only thing is I only used two strings from the pack so I had to buy two. At 30$ a pop, that was a 60$ set of 4 strings! But to me the sound was awesome! =) |
Feed a man a fish you feed him for a day.
Teach him how to fish you feed him for the rest of his life. |
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 11:47:23 AM
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Welcome to da 'Patch Bruddah Sam, no foget go to da "Introduction forum" o'hea fo' introduce yourself. Some fallahs no you o'hea awredde but good fo' jess say hello too. Brah was good fun jamming wit' you da oddah day & I wen foget give you da Ozzie slack key instruction book I told you about. Au'e no o'e.....next time
Eh BTW TPers Bruddah Sam get one of Leonard Kwan's coveted "Red Book" dat he's willing to sell. IT'S ALSO AUTOGRAPHED BY LEONARD KWAN HIMSELF !!!! Make Sam an offer peepo.
Check out Bruddah Sam's many YouTube videos....everything from Hawaiian to 80s R&B ballads to reggae & even a country song LOL...search "olu143" you're sure to find something you'll enjoy.....almost all are played on ukulele
Malama pono
 Duke |
Hoof Hearted?...Was it you Stu Pedaso? |
Edited by - sirduke58 on 03/11/2010 11:51:38 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 12:23:03 PM
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Hoh, my noddah sweetie, Sam. Sam even wen jam wit Keonepax. (Their Waimanalo Blues video going knock you ova). Remembah long long time ago, first of his videos I posted on the weekly list was one of him singing "Ka Uluwehi o ke Kai", and the last verse he was singing about he no can sing sammoa because his maddah going drive da ka`a. Das wot endeared me to him foreva.
E komo mai, Sam. Auntie all excited and happy. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Haolenuke
Lokahi
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2010 : 08:26:22 AM
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Aloha,
Can anyone offer some string recommendations for an old Favilla baritone? I have been using Worth brown strings to avoid the string noise that comes with wound strings, but I just can't stand the "tubby" sound of the Worth strings anymore. Are there wound strings that have fairly fine winding, or functional coatings, that cut down on the string noise? |
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Elaine
Akahai
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2010 : 04:59:39 AM
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Aloha,
My 14-year-old son, Taylor, finances his music lessons selling 'ukulele strings under his DaKine Line label and sells them online at Kani Ka Pila.
They are made from the same fluorocarbon material as the Worth clear medium strings.
In order to compare apples to apples, we did a side-by-side comparison of the DaKine Line strings and some nylon Hilo strings on two identical ukuleles (Ohana SK 25's) and the overall improvement in tone on the ukulele with the DaKine Line strings was amazing. I also put a set on my flea and, to my delight, found that in addition to improving the tone, I very rarely had to re-tune my 'ukulele. But, Taylor's main interest for using fluorocarbon in the first place was that he could get a low-G without having to use a wound string, so he didn't get the zipping sound you sometimes get with wound strings.
Besides helping out a struggling musician, there are some other advantages to buying your 'ukulele strings from Taylor:
You don't have to purchase the double set of strings like you do with Worth
You can purchase just the low G, if that's the only string you want to change out
And, yes, that's a picture of Taylor on the website, with the first 'ukulele he built at Aloha Music Camp, when he was 11.
 Sorry, I'm just another very proud mom.
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2010 : 6:35:04 PM
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Sounds like you have good reason to be proud.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Topic |
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Best Brand of Uke String??
