Koaloha Tenor Low G advice needed

strumsilly

strumsilly

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One of my favorite ukes is my Koaloha tenor. It sounds great fingerpicked, but the g is boomy when strummed. It has the stock strings on, which seem similar to worths. I had a Daddario pro-arte D around and put that on. It made the boom worse. I have 2 sets of worth around, a CD-lghd and a bt-lg setthe 4th with both of these is .0358, probably similar to what is on now. any advice to reduce the boominess. the other strings sound fine.
 
I always liked the PhD low g strings best on the KoAloha tenor. I don't recall it being particularly boomy but maybe my ears were just used to it.
 
wickedwahine11 said:
I always liked the PhD low g strings best on the KoAloha tenor. I don't recall it being particularly boomy but maybe my ears were just used to it.
Click to expand...

I agree with Staci...I use the Phd low G set on my Ko'Aloha too...and like it
the strings were designed by Jason Arimoto for Daniel Ho a while back....

can be ordered from Daniel Ho Creations....
 
hawaii 50 said:
I agree with Staci...I use the Phd low G set on my Ko'Aloha too...and like it
the strings were designed by Jason Arimoto for Daniel Ho a while back....

can be ordered from Daniel Ho Creations....
Click to expand...

That is the first reason that I tried them -- I figured since Daniel and Jason both play KoAloha ukes, they would know what sounded good on them. :)
 
strumsilly said:
I had a Daddario pro-arte D around and put that on. It made the boom worse.
Click to expand...
I have no idea what strings Koaloha uses, but I presume the D'Addario you mentioned is a wound classical guitar string? (Any Pro-Arte CGs I've seen have 3 wound/3 plain, with the D being a wound.)

Wound strings will always have a different tonal quality than non-wounds, it's just the nature of the beast. And when there is one wound to three plains, it tends to stick out like a sore thumb.

I have a set of low G Worth browns (all plain) on my Mainland tenor, and the G does not sound boomy to me at all. I like them a lot.

Ironically, I tried Worths on my bari and the bass strings just seemed to be too floppy. So I went with another set that has two wound, two plain and I like that much better. 2/2 gives a more balanced tone.
 
thanks for everyones responses. Since I have the worth low g brown around, I'll slap that on and see if I like it better. If not, I'll try the PHD.
 
mds725 said:
I've begun using this Fremont Soloist low G string with Worth Clears. It seems to create a nice balance without the floppiness of an unwound low G string.
Click to expand...

I was about to chime in praising the Fremont Soloist, but I've been beaten to it! Personally I don't care for the sound or feel of an un-wound fluorocarbon low G; it always sounds boomy and feels rubber-bandy to me. I always used Savarez high tension guitar D strings for my low G, until the Fremont Soloist came out - I still like both, but the Fremont doesn't squeak and lasts a whole lot longer than guitar strings do for me.
 
hawaii 50 said:
Ko'Aloha still uses worth strings...but the lowest tension ones that Worth has(I can not remember maybe CE)....got to watch the high tension strings on their ukes....
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janeray1940 said:
I was about to chime in praising the Fremont Soloist, but I've been beaten to it! Personally I don't care for the sound or feel of an un-wound fluorocarbon low G; it always sounds boomy and feels rubber-bandy to me. I always used Savarez high tension guitar D strings for my low G, until the Fremont Soloist came out - I still like both, but the Fremont doesn't squeak and lasts a whole lot longer than guitar strings do for me.
Click to expand...

Yes, I like the Fremont Soloist very much on the Moore Bettah. But I am very cautious about what strings I put on a KoAloha. I figure the PhD are safe since that is what Daniel and Jason use, but I would not use the Southcoast or Soloist wound strings on a KoAloha. I agree they sound great, but I leave them for the MB or Kamaka only.
 
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In addition to the PhD's the others have mentioned, I like Living Waters strings on my KoAloha for a less-boomy sound on the thicker strings (low G and C).
 
alanjang said:
In addition to the PhD's the others have mentioned, I like Living Waters strings on my KoAloha for a less-boomy sound on the thicker strings (low G and C).
Click to expand...
I've found the same thing. Tried many but always came back to the Living Waters Low g for my Collings tenor.
 
I've strung my Koaloha KTM-00 with Southcoast ML SW's. The intonation is brilliant, the highs are high and the lows are low. The G & C strings are wound so the boom effect is negligible. Like anything else, it's a matter of opinion, we all have different ears and ukuleles.
 
JJFN said:
I've strung my Koaloha KTM-00 with Southcoast ML SW's. The intonation is brilliant, the highs are high and the lows are low. The G & C strings are wound so the boom effect is negligible. Like anything else, it's a matter of opinion, we all have different ears and ukuleles.
Click to expand...

they are still heavy tension strings but not as heavy as the HML-RW's...but I would call Ko'aloha and tell them you have high tension strings on your uke...to be safe....
don't get me wrong I love the South Coast HML-RW's and think Dirk one of the best...but the Ko'aloha is braced very light(uni-brace) that no one else uses

my 2 cents
 
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hawaii 50 said:
they are still heavy tension strings but not as heavy as the HML-RW's...but I would call Ko'aloha and tell them you have high tension strings on your uke...to be safe....
don't get me wrong I love the South Coast HML-RW's and think Dirk one of the best...but the Ko'aloha is braced very light(uni-brace) that no one else uses

my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wouldn't put those strings on a Collings tenor
 
hawaii 50 said:
they are still heavy tension strings but not as heavy as the HML-RW's...but I would call Ko'aloha and tell them you have high tension strings on your uke...to be safe....
don't get me wrong I love the South Coast HML-RW's and think Dirk one of the best...but the Ko'aloha is braced very light(uni-brace) that no one else uses

my 2 cents
Click to expand...

My thoughts too. That is why even though I love my current setup on my MB (Southcoast HML-RW with Fremont Soloist low g), I would never put it on my KoAloha - hence the PhD strings on that uke.
 
Just saw this thread. There are 4 good customers on the last 4 posts here, but I'd like to ask a bit about this myself.

First, I personally have no experience with a KoAloha Tenor. Nonetheless, I can pretty much guarantee it's not braced lighter than ours. We build Tenors with construction more typical of a Soprano.

The HML-RWs that H50, nong, & ww11 use are relatively high tension when tuned to C on a 17" scale. They're designed for that - a finger-picking, low action set, some would say. The ML-RWs, on the other hand have substantially less tension. Are they less than a plain set? I also don't have experience with some of those plain sets mentioned, but based on the way most people formulate those type of sets I'd say the MLs will have somewhat more tension. Nonetheless, it's very hard for me to think of them as "high tension".

As I mentioned, I have no experience with a KoAloha, but it would seem very strange to me that any Tenor would be under significant strain with an ML-SW set. For that matter, we have no problem with the HMLs on our own super-light construction. It's simply that lightly braced soundboards have no need of high tension to produce responsive sound.

JJFN has actually played MLs on a KoAloha - it would seem to me to be an excellent choice based on some of what I'ver heard here - probably a better one than the HMLs. But has anybody had bellying or other structural problems with a KoAloha? I've seen a KoAloha Soprano, and know the tops are thin, but the unibrace, if I remember correctly, is above the bridge, and very strong. If that memory serves me correctly, it would be hard to cause structural damage to that arrangement.

So I'm thinking more that higher tension is unnecessary, not dangerous. Or in our case, an HML set might be overkill, unless you simply want a low action set-up. Seems to me MLs should be fine for normal action. And if you want to go even lighter, and keep the clear, balanced sound of a double-wound set-up there's also the LML-RWs or even the single wound LL-RWs (a tension to suit every taste and situation).
 
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southcoastukes said:
Just saw this thread. There are 4 good customers on the last 4 posts here, but I'd like to ask a bit about this myself.

First, I personally have no experience with a KoAloha Tenor. Nonetheless, I can pretty much guarantee it's not braced lighter than ours. We build Tenors with construction more typical of a Soprano.

The HML-RWs that H50, nong, & ww11 use are relatively high tension when tuned to C on a 17" scale. They're designed for that - a finger-picking, low action set, some would say. The ML-RWs, on the other hand have substantially less tension. Are they less than a plain set? I also don't have experience with some of those plain sets mentioned, but based on the way most people formulate those type of sets I'd say the MLs will have somewhat more tension. Nonetheless, it's very hard for me to think of them as "high tension".

As I mentioned, I have no experience with a KoAloha, but it would seem very strange to me that any Tenor would be under significant strain with an ML-SW set. For that matter, we have no problem with the HMLs on our own super-light construction. It's simply that lightly braced soundboards have no need of high tension to produce responsive sound.

JJFN has actually played MLs on a KoAloha - it would seem to me to be an excellent choice based on some of what I'ver heard here - probably a better one than the HMLs. But has anybody had bellying or other structural problems with a KoAloha? I've seen a KoAloha Soprano, and know the tops are thin, but the unibrace, if I remember correctly, is above the bridge, and very strong. If that memory serves me correctly, it would be hard to cause structural damage to that arrangement.

So I'm thinking more that higher tension is unnecessary, not dangerous. Or in our case, an HML set might be overkill, unless you simply want a low action set-up. Seems to me MLs should be fine for normal action. And if you want to go even lighter, and keep the clear, balanced sound of a double-wound set-up there's also the LML-RWs or even the single wound LL-RWs (a tension to suit every taste and situation).
Click to expand...

Thanks Dirk..i do not know the correct answer about how high the tension is safe on a Ko'Aloha...and they have the best warranty in the business...but they use a uni-brace that no one else uses...one brace just below the soundhole looks like a airplane wing brace...touches the top side and back of the uke ...no fan bracing or any other kind of brace at all on the top.....

they have it fixed now but they had a lot or problems with their bridges coming off too.....but their warranty covers everything....

I see no harm in calling Ko'Aloha and see what they say.....
 
hawaii 50 said:
...one brace just below the soundhole looks like a airplane wing brace...touches the top side and back of the uke ...no fan bracing or any other kind of brace at all on the top.....they have it fixed now but they had a lot or problems with their bridges coming off too.....but their warranty covers everything....I see no harm in calling Ko'Aloha and see what they say.....
Click to expand...

Hey Len,

Thanks for the info! To clarify one thing - when you say the unibrace is "below the soundhole", you are saying between the soundhole and bridge, correct? That's the way I remember it, and the way it makes sense. That's where it would prevent any bellying. It's actually a super strong brace - I seem to remember someone actually standing on it! It's a great idea when you use a very thin soundboard and want to keep things stable.
 
southcoastukes said:
Hey Len,

Thanks for the info! To clarify one thing - when you say the unibrace is "below the soundhole", you are saying between the soundhole and bridge, correct? That's the way I remember it, and the way it makes sense. That's where it would prevent any bellying. It's actually a super strong brace - I seem to remember someone actually standing on it! It's a great idea when you use a very thin soundboard and want to keep things stable.
Click to expand...

yes they stand on the brace at there factory tours.....but they also use the softest Worth strings that Worth has(maybe this gives you a better idea)....and they do not recommend high tension strings something that Martin and Collings guitars do too....:)....I don't think the tops are any thinner than any other ukes I see...but no other bracing on the top and no kerfling inside the uke too....like a soprano build...

but again they have the best warranty in the business...

btw I own a Ko'Aloha super concert...and the guys at Ko'Aloha always answer their phones....:)
 
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