Long time guitar player but recently really digging into my ukes. Tried a few different strings and being an enthusiast, would like to share here the findings with you. Perhaps folks can chime in and correct me on many things. Here we go my impression:
Martin M600 (fluorocarbon)
.0191 .0256 .0340 .0216 tension 30
bright and clear, typical fluorocarbon sounding. very strong. richer overtone than 4U
Aquila 4U/100U (polymer)
.62 .80 .95 .64 (aquila)
.60 .77 .92 .65 (aquila old)
3.7 3.2 3.0 3.4
or
.0244 .0315 .0374 .0252 tension 29.32
8.16 7.05 6.61 7.5
actual measurement
4U
.0242 .032 .0373 .0261
100U
.023 .030 .036 .025
4U: milky, opaque, distictive sound and different than nylon or fluorocarbon, minimum string noise
100U: slightly thinner than 4U, less opaque and milky but shinier. brighter and less muffled than 4U, closer to fluorocarbon
D'Addario EJ88S Nyltech (polymer)
.0236 .0303 .0362 .0256 tension 29.32
8.157 7.054 6.613 7.495
should be similar to 100U, if not the same. I read D'Addario actually manufactured 100U for Aquila.
EJ65S Custom Extruded Nylon (nylon)
.0240 .0320 .0340 .0280 tension 38.33 (D tuning)
10.40 9.65 7.50 10.78, on the way
EJ99SC Pro-Arte Carbon (fluorocarbon)
.0205 .0260 .0319 .0224 tension 29.29
7.90 7.13 6.77 7.49
warm, clear, less volume than M600, less direct in the face. not noticeably complex
La Bella 200 Uke-Pro (rectified carbon)
.022 .032 .036 .025, on the way
GHS H-10 (black nylon)
.025 .032 .036 .028
cheap $1.99, black, direct, loud, not much overtone, good separation btw strings, settles into pitch quickly, not very complicated sounding
H-20 (fluorocarbon)
.026 .033 .035 .0307
much much higher tension, so much so that have to tighten the tuner screw. much thicker than EJ99SC and M600
very long, one set could be used to string two ukes
bright and clear, typical fluorocarbon sounding, maybe model 20 is in a closer family to others tested
worth on the way. didn't fancy it because it's more than twice the price of the tried strings but now realize it's 46" long - one set is indeed two sets of a normal set so the price is justified.
tested on Martin S1.
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p.s. also measure my S1 from 2012 and Style 1 from the 50s
Martin S1 Uke
nut 35.7mm (1 13/32")
bridge spacing 41mm (1 39/64")
action 12th 6.5/64" (2.6mm)
string height at saddle 8mm
relief 0
half scale 173mm nut to 12th fret (6 13/16")
scale 346mm nut to front of bridge (13.614", 13 5/8")
Martin Style1 uke
nut 36mm (1 13/32")
bridge spacing 42.5mm (1 43/64")
--------
one complaint, I'm torn btw metric and imperial. Not to mention imperial has 64th and thousands - that's two systems within one. Damn!
Martin M600 (fluorocarbon)
.0191 .0256 .0340 .0216 tension 30
bright and clear, typical fluorocarbon sounding. very strong. richer overtone than 4U
Aquila 4U/100U (polymer)
.62 .80 .95 .64 (aquila)
.60 .77 .92 .65 (aquila old)
3.7 3.2 3.0 3.4
or
.0244 .0315 .0374 .0252 tension 29.32
8.16 7.05 6.61 7.5
actual measurement
4U
.0242 .032 .0373 .0261
100U
.023 .030 .036 .025
4U: milky, opaque, distictive sound and different than nylon or fluorocarbon, minimum string noise
100U: slightly thinner than 4U, less opaque and milky but shinier. brighter and less muffled than 4U, closer to fluorocarbon
D'Addario EJ88S Nyltech (polymer)
.0236 .0303 .0362 .0256 tension 29.32
8.157 7.054 6.613 7.495
should be similar to 100U, if not the same. I read D'Addario actually manufactured 100U for Aquila.
EJ65S Custom Extruded Nylon (nylon)
.0240 .0320 .0340 .0280 tension 38.33 (D tuning)
10.40 9.65 7.50 10.78, on the way
EJ99SC Pro-Arte Carbon (fluorocarbon)
.0205 .0260 .0319 .0224 tension 29.29
7.90 7.13 6.77 7.49
warm, clear, less volume than M600, less direct in the face. not noticeably complex
La Bella 200 Uke-Pro (rectified carbon)
.022 .032 .036 .025, on the way
GHS H-10 (black nylon)
.025 .032 .036 .028
cheap $1.99, black, direct, loud, not much overtone, good separation btw strings, settles into pitch quickly, not very complicated sounding
H-20 (fluorocarbon)
.026 .033 .035 .0307
much much higher tension, so much so that have to tighten the tuner screw. much thicker than EJ99SC and M600
very long, one set could be used to string two ukes
bright and clear, typical fluorocarbon sounding, maybe model 20 is in a closer family to others tested
worth on the way. didn't fancy it because it's more than twice the price of the tried strings but now realize it's 46" long - one set is indeed two sets of a normal set so the price is justified.
tested on Martin S1.
--------
p.s. also measure my S1 from 2012 and Style 1 from the 50s
Martin S1 Uke
nut 35.7mm (1 13/32")
bridge spacing 41mm (1 39/64")
action 12th 6.5/64" (2.6mm)
string height at saddle 8mm
relief 0
half scale 173mm nut to 12th fret (6 13/16")
scale 346mm nut to front of bridge (13.614", 13 5/8")
Martin Style1 uke
nut 36mm (1 13/32")
bridge spacing 42.5mm (1 43/64")
--------
one complaint, I'm torn btw metric and imperial. Not to mention imperial has 64th and thousands - that's two systems within one. Damn!
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