Hi Folks,
Happy New Year!
I was interested to get the opinion of the masses here and to assess the common wisdom with regards to using the Aquila REDS strings on a uke with a plastic fretboard...
Specifically Fluke and Flea ukes from The Magic Fluke Company, which are what I have in this case with a plastic freboard.
I've seen that some folks here in the forum are using these strings on these instruments.
I'd like to do the same, however my concern is that it might accelerate the wearing down of the molded-in plastic 'frets' as opposed to using fluro/nylon/nylgut strings.
From what I've read from the Aquila web site, and what Mimmo has posted here on the forum is that the Aquila REDS are composed of Nylgut that is impregnated with copper powder, which gives them greater density and allows them to be thinner than plain Nylgut strings.
The copper powder also gives them their color.
With use of them on wooden fretboards with metal frets, I've noticed that the strings have a sort of parchment-paper texture, which gets smoothed down after about 100 hrs of play time, but when first installed, the strings are not smooth like fluoro/nylon/nylgut strings.
So my concern is if the initial rough texture of the strings is going to chew into the plastic frets on a Fluke or Flea faster than the fluro/nylon/nylgut strings would.
I'd never put wound strings on a plastic-fretboard uke, unless I wanted to very SLOWLY make it into a fretless uke.
It seems most long-time Fluke/Flea owners have reported that it takes about 3-5 yrs of daily play to show significant wear on the plastic fretboard (using fluoro/nylon nylgut strings), and those that have, have sent the uke back to The Magic Fluke Company to have the fretboard replaced (at the uke-owners expense?).
So, will Aquila REDS be a problem as per above, or am I being overly cautious?
I know we cannot 'see' the copper like on a wound string, but it seems maybe we can 'feel' it in the texture of the REDS strings.
Has anybody spoken to Dale or Phyllis Webb from The Magic Fluke Company to get an official opinion specifically on the Aquila REDS?
Please share your opinions and/or experience(s).
Thanks for your time,
-Booli
Happy New Year!
I was interested to get the opinion of the masses here and to assess the common wisdom with regards to using the Aquila REDS strings on a uke with a plastic fretboard...
Specifically Fluke and Flea ukes from The Magic Fluke Company, which are what I have in this case with a plastic freboard.
I've seen that some folks here in the forum are using these strings on these instruments.
I'd like to do the same, however my concern is that it might accelerate the wearing down of the molded-in plastic 'frets' as opposed to using fluro/nylon/nylgut strings.
From what I've read from the Aquila web site, and what Mimmo has posted here on the forum is that the Aquila REDS are composed of Nylgut that is impregnated with copper powder, which gives them greater density and allows them to be thinner than plain Nylgut strings.
The copper powder also gives them their color.
With use of them on wooden fretboards with metal frets, I've noticed that the strings have a sort of parchment-paper texture, which gets smoothed down after about 100 hrs of play time, but when first installed, the strings are not smooth like fluoro/nylon/nylgut strings.
So my concern is if the initial rough texture of the strings is going to chew into the plastic frets on a Fluke or Flea faster than the fluro/nylon/nylgut strings would.
I'd never put wound strings on a plastic-fretboard uke, unless I wanted to very SLOWLY make it into a fretless uke.
It seems most long-time Fluke/Flea owners have reported that it takes about 3-5 yrs of daily play to show significant wear on the plastic fretboard (using fluoro/nylon nylgut strings), and those that have, have sent the uke back to The Magic Fluke Company to have the fretboard replaced (at the uke-owners expense?).
So, will Aquila REDS be a problem as per above, or am I being overly cautious?
I know we cannot 'see' the copper like on a wound string, but it seems maybe we can 'feel' it in the texture of the REDS strings.
Has anybody spoken to Dale or Phyllis Webb from The Magic Fluke Company to get an official opinion specifically on the Aquila REDS?
Please share your opinions and/or experience(s).
Thanks for your time,
-Booli