Strings Low G string for a concert?
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janeray1940
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I use the squeakless wound Fremont Soloist low G with Martin fluoros on my Kamaka concert.
My recommendation is to avoid low G sets in general, especially the non-wound ones. When I first started exploring low G I absolutely hated it - I kept buying low G sets and the G was always boomy and floppy-feeling to the touch. Once I tried a wound string there was no looking back!
My recommendation is to avoid low G sets in general, especially the non-wound ones. When I first started exploring low G I absolutely hated it - I kept buying low G sets and the G was always boomy and floppy-feeling to the touch. Once I tried a wound string there was no looking back!
Cool, is the wound Fremont Soloist low G available online? And, did you need to widen the slot on the nut? Is it the one from HMS?
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weeshan
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I use Fremont Blacklines and LOVE them. Ive got them on my Gretsch concert right now. I tried Aquila nylgut, Aquila reds and Oasis brights before the Fremonts and all were just "ok" on this particular solid Koa uke that is a little overbuilt. The Fremont Blacklines really rounded out the sound range and projected much better than the highly recommended Oasis brights for a solid koa instrument. The low G adds such a great bass drone in the background. The G string on this particular set is pretty fatty so I did have to widen the slot to accommodate it.
Jim Hanks
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I have an unwound low G on my KPK longneck with 15.5" scale. I think it works well. It is supposedly a Savarez but it came from KPK with it so I don't know the exact model.
My experiences with the Aquila reds on a Risa stick was not good. Two of them snapped in 5 minutes. It wasn't the uke as Worth brown didn't snap but was kinda floppy.
My experiences with the Aquila reds on a Risa stick was not good. Two of them snapped in 5 minutes. It wasn't the uke as Worth brown didn't snap but was kinda floppy.
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igorthebarbarian
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Another vote for Fremont Soloist Low G. I think HMS sells singles of them. I've never needed to widen the nut slot for them to fit.
I'm starting to lean toward the wound Fremont Soloist low G single string because the nut doesn't need to be modified for a thicker string.
Has any one had problems going back to a thinner high g string after making the nut slot wider for a thick low G string?
Pirate Jim
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I've swapped between fat fluorocarbon low Gs and skinny wound low Gs on my tenor with no issues with the widened nut slot at all. More of an issue on steel strung instruments in my experience, you can get away with it on nylon/equivalent instruments much more readily.
Good to hear that, thanks!
What did you use to widen the slot?
weeshan
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Honestly...not in a way most would but Im a diy'er lol. I used a narrow round file with a pointed tip. I put several layers of tape below the bridge on the body in case I slipped. I put the tip of the file at the top of the slot and then just used pressure to run the tip of the file down the length of it. Simple, quick and honestly, you cant tell that I did anything to it at all. I havent worried too much about using smaller strings in the future. I just double up on the knot at the end of the string and haven't had any issues and I change strings very frequently.
I'm guessing from your reply you worked on a slotted bridge? I had assumed you widened the slot up by the head stock but now I realize I may need to widen the slots in both places.
janeray1940
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I have bought them from HMS before but I usually buy them from Lucy's Ukulele on eBay. You can't go wrong either way!
I didn't have to alter the nut at all, and I've swapped back and forth from low to high multiple times. No issues at all.
Got my wound Fremont Soloist low G single string in the mail from Uke Republic the other day and was surprised by how little tension it took tuning up to G. No modification needed to the nut or bridge slots on the Eastman concert! Thanks again for all the great comments and advice.
Recently put a Fremont squeekless low g on my Goldtone concert resonator. Amazing. Was not too large for the nut slot. I bought it from Uke Republic as the Tampa Bay Uke Fest 2015.
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