If I interpret this correctly, these are just the same strings with a different color. I don't like this direction: replacing qualitative choice with mere bling. Today lava, tomorrow fuchsia and marigold. I've seen too much of it in supermarkets. What I read this as is an attempt to flood most suppliers with additional products that are essentially identical, so they have to reduce stock of other, more useful string offerings from other string makers. Image over substance. I'd rather see further improvements to the reds, or some qualitative (tonal, tension) difference between the Lavas and other strings that would at least justify this "new" product. If I'm mistaken, my apologies, but you can understand my concern.
ubulele - I understand your concerns, and your frustration. Your points are well taken.
I have bought most of my uke strings online, so I have not idea if there is such competition for 'shelf space' in brick & mortar retail stores. From what I have seen around here, most local music shops in my area will MAYBE and ONLY have the D'Addario Nylon, GHS Nylon, Martin m600's and Aquila Nylguts and that's it. Nothing else.
Sorry but I'm not a fan of nylon strings so far on any of my ukes, and the others work for me only a specific uke each. Most other strings I use are one of the 12 varieties of Worth Brown sets, Aquila REDS, Fremont Blacklines and Living Waters. (
Southcoast strings are next on my list)
I WANT *more* options, and I can only find them via online vendors. Many of the bigger online sellers drop ship so I do not think they worry about warehouse space for inventory - however when I have bought from
stringsbymail.com,
stringsandbeyond.com, and even the
UU store, I always find a handwritten thank you note (which I find a nice touch), so these folks maybe carry inventory themselves.
BTW -
Uke Republic has the Living Water strings now.
(sorry to digress...as per above)
But maybe what you have said above, is the cart before the horse here. We know almost nothing other than what the label says in Mimmo's photo.
It's been discussed here on the UU forum at length and elsewhere online that Aquila REDS are a different composition from the white Nylgut or their BioNylon (co-developed) with D'Addario, and the SuperNylgut is quite different from regular Nylgut.
Similarly, Worth CLEAR fluorocarbon strings SOUND and feel different than their BROWN fluorocarbon strings, as do the Fremont CLEAR and Fremont BLACK strings from each other.
I have read elsewhere online that the addition of the dyes whether before the extrusion process, or even after the strings are 'made' can 'color' the sound in different ways (pun intended). I'm not sure if this is true in all cases, but it makes sense to me based upon my own experiences.
Some people lack the necessary acute hearing perception or just do not CARE about the differences. That is their own path (for some folks ignorance is bliss - no judgment here from me - bless them
). But if you can hear and feel them, the differences are obvious, even if subtle.
Having said all that, MAYBE, just maybe this
new "LAVA" string SOUNDS and/or feels different from all other Aquila ukulele strings, despite having it's base material coming from "Nylgut" (which is all assumption on my part, I have no idea what it's made from).
Regardless, I think it's a blessing that Mimmo continues to innovate and try to come up with newer and/or better and/or DIFFERENT options, for in the end, we as the players will have MORE CHOICES, which most of us seem to appreciate.
I am looking forward to the Aquila
Lava strings, as well as their forthcoming fluoro strings, and will be buying at least one tenor set of each, to try them out, as part of my
String Changing Obsession, which has not dissipated in the least over time.
-Booli