Hi all,
I am not sure if this 'Buying Tips' section or the 'Tech Talk' section is the best place for this question, so I apologize for posting here (If I am in the wrong place), but this topic is mainly about buying strings...
... in order to solve a problem (I'll post over there instead if that is recommended, please tell me if it is, but I wanted to give context).
I have searched here extensively on the forums, and read through no less than 25 different message threads so far, and I still can not seem to find an answer to this:
Do THESE Fremont Blacklines strings have a WOUND or UNWOUND low-G string 'in the packet'?
FREMONT BLACKLINE FLOUROCARBON LOW G SOPRANO & CONCERT UKULELE STRING SET
http://elderly.com/accessories/names/fremont-blackline-flourocarbon-low-g-soprano-and-c--STRFMG.htm
or
Freemont Blackline Medium Ukulele Strings
http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/freemont
What is throwing me off is that Uke Republic ALSO sells a single low-G string, (click on the pull-down item on the page linked above to see it) and I have no way to verify if that is a WOUND or UNWOUND string, without calling either of the two vendors above, and I'm not sure that they could even tell me...
I have googled far and wide and can not seem to find a web site for Fremont (the company) to find out how they are packaged, OR what the string tensions are compared to the D'Addario, Savarez, Aquila, Worths, SouthCoast, Martin...etc
Anybody with info - please advise.
Use Case & Background: I have Aquila 'new' Nylgut strings (not sure how they differ from just 'plain' Nylgut) on my newly acquired Concert Lava Flea (last month) with a PHD low-G (bought several here from the UU store). I had to ever so slightly file the string slot at the bridge, with a tiny metal nail file in order to get the string to slot-in (emery boards are actually too thick to fit in the slot).
The PHD string went into the nut just fine with no modifications needed. No buzzing, the action is fine and only about 2 bars of sharp intonation at the 12th fret (as per the Planet Waves NS Micro tuner) (& when compared to the hi-G Aquila which was dead-on all the way to the end of the fret board), which I can live with...(not messing with the molded plastic nut, which would require a whole fretboard replacement if I mess it up)
It works and it sounds fine but it seems that now that I am enjoying almost perfect intonation, that I am learning about and perceiving other issues, such as the low-G string not having as much tension as I would like.
(As an aside, on my classical guitars I have pretty much stuck with either Martin M160 strings or the D'Addario EJ27H 'hard tension' both of which excite the soundboard of the guitars quite nicely.)
Because my Flea has the polycarbonate fretboard, they recommend NOT using a wound low-G, which I try to avoid any way due to the string noise.
On the Flea, the PHD low-G string is fine for strumming, but when finger-picking and I pluck it with my thumb, it feels like a rubber band, wobbly and sounds a bit hollow compared to the Nylgut, allthough the volume level is nicely matched across this string setup.
Note that I pluck with my finger pads, but strum with my fingernails in a sort of flamenco-inspired style most of the time...I have tried to grow my nails longer, but it does not take, and I get too bothered by them (never had longer nails my whole life) and end up accidentally-on-purpose filing them too short.
I have the EXACT same string setup on my Epiphone LP, as well as my KALA KA-T tenor, and I do not notice the tension being inadequate for me on those instruments. I actually preferred the tone of the wound low-G that came in the Aquila Nylgut set, but I use the Epiphone for recording a lot, and I'd prefer not to have to deal with the string noise (which is a different problem). Maybe this single string on the Flea is a dud?
I should also mention that I've taken to tuning all my ukes up to D-tuning, A,D,F#,B, as I prefer the slightly happier/brighter tone this gives, and it seems to cause the soundbox and soundboard to resonate significantly more (it is quite a difference) and give more volume than with the standard C-tuning of G,C,E,A.
So if there are any ideas you might have to assist in finding out about the Fremont Blacklines low-G being wound or not, and the Fremont Blacklines string tensions, I would LOVE to hear them.
Bonus points for knowing the web site for Fremont too.
Thank you all for your time and consideration.
-Booli
I am not sure if this 'Buying Tips' section or the 'Tech Talk' section is the best place for this question, so I apologize for posting here (If I am in the wrong place), but this topic is mainly about buying strings...
... in order to solve a problem (I'll post over there instead if that is recommended, please tell me if it is, but I wanted to give context).
I have searched here extensively on the forums, and read through no less than 25 different message threads so far, and I still can not seem to find an answer to this:
Do THESE Fremont Blacklines strings have a WOUND or UNWOUND low-G string 'in the packet'?
FREMONT BLACKLINE FLOUROCARBON LOW G SOPRANO & CONCERT UKULELE STRING SET
http://elderly.com/accessories/names/fremont-blackline-flourocarbon-low-g-soprano-and-c--STRFMG.htm
or
Freemont Blackline Medium Ukulele Strings
http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/freemont
What is throwing me off is that Uke Republic ALSO sells a single low-G string, (click on the pull-down item on the page linked above to see it) and I have no way to verify if that is a WOUND or UNWOUND string, without calling either of the two vendors above, and I'm not sure that they could even tell me...
I have googled far and wide and can not seem to find a web site for Fremont (the company) to find out how they are packaged, OR what the string tensions are compared to the D'Addario, Savarez, Aquila, Worths, SouthCoast, Martin...etc
Anybody with info - please advise.
Use Case & Background: I have Aquila 'new' Nylgut strings (not sure how they differ from just 'plain' Nylgut) on my newly acquired Concert Lava Flea (last month) with a PHD low-G (bought several here from the UU store). I had to ever so slightly file the string slot at the bridge, with a tiny metal nail file in order to get the string to slot-in (emery boards are actually too thick to fit in the slot).
The PHD string went into the nut just fine with no modifications needed. No buzzing, the action is fine and only about 2 bars of sharp intonation at the 12th fret (as per the Planet Waves NS Micro tuner) (& when compared to the hi-G Aquila which was dead-on all the way to the end of the fret board), which I can live with...(not messing with the molded plastic nut, which would require a whole fretboard replacement if I mess it up)
It works and it sounds fine but it seems that now that I am enjoying almost perfect intonation, that I am learning about and perceiving other issues, such as the low-G string not having as much tension as I would like.
(As an aside, on my classical guitars I have pretty much stuck with either Martin M160 strings or the D'Addario EJ27H 'hard tension' both of which excite the soundboard of the guitars quite nicely.)
Because my Flea has the polycarbonate fretboard, they recommend NOT using a wound low-G, which I try to avoid any way due to the string noise.
On the Flea, the PHD low-G string is fine for strumming, but when finger-picking and I pluck it with my thumb, it feels like a rubber band, wobbly and sounds a bit hollow compared to the Nylgut, allthough the volume level is nicely matched across this string setup.
Note that I pluck with my finger pads, but strum with my fingernails in a sort of flamenco-inspired style most of the time...I have tried to grow my nails longer, but it does not take, and I get too bothered by them (never had longer nails my whole life) and end up accidentally-on-purpose filing them too short.
I have the EXACT same string setup on my Epiphone LP, as well as my KALA KA-T tenor, and I do not notice the tension being inadequate for me on those instruments. I actually preferred the tone of the wound low-G that came in the Aquila Nylgut set, but I use the Epiphone for recording a lot, and I'd prefer not to have to deal with the string noise (which is a different problem). Maybe this single string on the Flea is a dud?
I should also mention that I've taken to tuning all my ukes up to D-tuning, A,D,F#,B, as I prefer the slightly happier/brighter tone this gives, and it seems to cause the soundbox and soundboard to resonate significantly more (it is quite a difference) and give more volume than with the standard C-tuning of G,C,E,A.
So if there are any ideas you might have to assist in finding out about the Fremont Blacklines low-G being wound or not, and the Fremont Blacklines string tensions, I would LOVE to hear them.
Bonus points for knowing the web site for Fremont too.
Thank you all for your time and consideration.
-Booli