dawhealer
Well-known member
I've upgraded my late father-in-law's old Silvertone soprano uke. Replaced the friction tuners with geared Grovers so it now stays in tune. Cut the wooden saddle out of the one piece bridge and replaced it with an old plastic saddle I'd taken out of a guitar so now it has some volume.
All was well until I replaced the Martin strings I'd had on it with Aquila Nylgut which I have on my other two ukes. The Martin strings had a (for want of a better term) brittle sound to me. For a while the Aquila strings sounded great. Very well balanced and warm. So much improved that it was hard to believe it's a Silvertone that probably sold for less than $10 new from Sears. However, once the strings had stretched out and I wasn't having to retune so often, the E string started sounding progressively louder and louder than the other strings until it now overwhelms them.
It's very distracting and frustrating. It only does this when I play a chord that calls for the E string to be open. If it's fretted, no problem, all the balance returns and it sounds just fine. The only problem is when the E string is played open. I've tried to damp it with a piece of cardboard from a matchbook under the string where it passes over the saddle but to no avail. I feel like I'm missing something, but I'm not sure what. Could I have just gotten a defective string?
I've played guitar for over 50 years and have never encountered anything quite like this. I'm fairly new to the ukulele so any input anyone can provide will be most greatly appreciated.
All was well until I replaced the Martin strings I'd had on it with Aquila Nylgut which I have on my other two ukes. The Martin strings had a (for want of a better term) brittle sound to me. For a while the Aquila strings sounded great. Very well balanced and warm. So much improved that it was hard to believe it's a Silvertone that probably sold for less than $10 new from Sears. However, once the strings had stretched out and I wasn't having to retune so often, the E string started sounding progressively louder and louder than the other strings until it now overwhelms them.
It's very distracting and frustrating. It only does this when I play a chord that calls for the E string to be open. If it's fretted, no problem, all the balance returns and it sounds just fine. The only problem is when the E string is played open. I've tried to damp it with a piece of cardboard from a matchbook under the string where it passes over the saddle but to no avail. I feel like I'm missing something, but I'm not sure what. Could I have just gotten a defective string?
I've played guitar for over 50 years and have never encountered anything quite like this. I'm fairly new to the ukulele so any input anyone can provide will be most greatly appreciated.