strings for Kanile'a concert...

UkerDanno

UkerDanno

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My recently acquired Kanile'a came with the stock Aquilas, I'm assuming. I always loved Martins on my Martin C1K, so I immediately switched to Martins. Well, they seem to be kind of brash and shallow, so I switched back to Aquila New Nylguts that came with the uke. Not sure I like them either.

I was thinking maybe Aquila Super Nylgut or Lavas, Worth BM's or Fremont blacklines.

Wondering what other people have used...

There's this thread on Kanile'a tenors, but wondering if choices are different for concerts.
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...for-kanilea-tenors!&highlight=kanilea+strings

No need get into the debate on Kanile'as recommendation to use nothing but Aquila or Oasis...
 
I owned a Kanilea concert ukulele a couple of years ago. I spent months trying all kinds of different strings, and eventually settled on D'Addario Nyltechs as being the best for that particular uke. I did like the tone of the stock Aquila's, however I did not like their feel--the Nyltechs are much smoother. At that time, Aquila Super Nylguts were not available, so I cannot comment on how those strings would sound on a Kanilea, however I have used them on other ukuleles, and I really like them. The Super Nylguts are VERY smooth with slightly more tension than the Nyltechs. They also have really good intonation, once they have fully stretched, which will take a couple of weeks. I did not like any set of fluorocarbon strings that I tried on my Kanilea, as I found their tone to be a little too thin and flat. By the way, Freemont Blackline and D'Addario Titanium strings sounded the worst to me. I hope this helps.
 
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I've tried several string sets on my kanile'a concert and have settled on Southcoast Mediums for the last few years. Nice tone and super play-ability.
 
Everyone's different when it comes to strings--the sound and the feel are so personal. I don't have a Kanilea, but a Kelii koa concert. I have it strung low G with a Fremont Soloist and the other strings are Living Water. I love the LW strings, and I think they are less punchy than the Martin strings. I found Oasis strings to sound very similar to Martins. The Kelii came with Worth BMs, which I did like a lot with their chimey tone, but they and the Blacklines (similar to Worth, IMO) are so thin. I think the LWs are more comfortable. I have Lavas on my Kamaka pineapple, but they're probably really simiar to the Super Nylgut.
 
I've owned my Kanilea K-1 CP for a little over a year. I struggled with finding the "perfect" string set, and literally tried just about everything out there. In the end, I kept going back to Southcoast Light mediums. Great projection and sustain, with the perfect tension for all styles I enjoy playing.
 
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For my Kanile'a Concert, I love both Oasis Brights and Living Waters. The Oasis strings are loud and bright. They really make a Koa uke sing! The Living Water strings sound more sweet and clear, plus they feel really soft and smooth, with a little less tension. The package says they're Made in Heaven and I almost believe it's true! :cool:
 
I read a lot of good reviews on Ken Middleton's Living Water strings, these probably will be the next strings for my ukes.
 
I have been very happy with Living Water on my K1. I'm really liking Fremont medium Blackline on another couple of ukes, so may try those next time.
 
I have been using Worth Clear on my Kanilea Concert and like them a lot. Along with the UV cured finish of the Kanilea, I think they produce a very focussed sound. Some might argue that the unwound low G is too boomy, though.
 
The Aquilas are getting settled in and are sounding better. Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll have to order some options soon. It's amazing that a city as large as Phoenix has so very little variety available locally, Martins and regular Aquila is about it. Some places have D'addarios, I think, but I haven't ever used them.
 
I tried some Aquila Lava's and loved the look, and the sound was pretty good, but still uninspiring. A friend was putting together an order for Living Waters, so I decided to try them. After 2 days they are sounding great!!! They really make this uke what it should be!
 
I'm really happy with the stock Aquila's on my KPE-C. I always go back to them if I try something new.
 
Having tried Aquila, Worth browns, Daddario and Martins on my Kanile'a tenor ..finally come down to Living Water. Seems to give more brightness to a mellow instrument. Suppose its down to your own ears and what you want.
 
Just got a Kanilea Tenor and I love everything about it except the Aguila Strings. I have Freemont Black Line Strings on my Kamaka. First chance I get I'll put the Freemont's on the Kanilea.
 
Mol said:
I read a lot of good reviews on Ken Middleton's Living Water strings, these probably will be the next strings for my ukes.
Click to expand...

I didn't really like ths strings that were on mine and I switched to the Living Waters with a high G (only uke that doesn't have a Low G on) it's a concert too. Very pleased with the sound.
 
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded on this thread. I too have a Kanilea concert (K1-CD) that had sustain for days but the mid range sounded dead or dull when strumming. I switched the strings to Living Waters with a High G and it completely changed the sound. It kept all of the sustain and still sounds great finger picking but strumming sounds fuller than it did before and no more dead or dull mid range.
 
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