Natural Gut on Soprano

Buc-a-Roo

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I purchased a few sets of Aquila's gut strings (hard to find!) and strung up my old Favilla Bros soprano last night - wow! They settled quite quickly and boy howdy they do feel great under the fingers! A clearer, punchier tone than the Living Water they replaced. While the fluoro strings seemed to "over drive" under a heavy attack, the gut does not, staying clean and strong regardless of how hard they are played. I find the string noise from gut a nice sonic addition to the overall sound. Rubbing noises and little ticking sounds from the fingers moving on the strings adds a kind of percussive element to the sound........I like this......a lot. The instrument seems more acoustic, for lack of a better way to put it. I'm impressed. I do expect a shorter life, but for the tonal advantage I'm willing to put up with that.

What's been your experience with natural gut on a soprano?
 
A guy in a music store I used to frequent swore by them, he had them on a Martin 0. sounded great.
 
No, but may have to try a set on my vintage Martin O
 
And where does one find these hard-to-find strings?
 
I found four sets on Amazon.....bought 'em all. Bought some from a Dr Clack on eBay, I think was the name........got all he had too just today. Search for Aquila 1U sets now and then and you'll find them. I only play sopranos and cannot speak for how they might be on other sizes but I would expect good results. They are different. Haven't tried them on any modern-build ukuleles, only an old Favilla so far, and that mostly to string the instrument with what was available when it was built to hear that old original 20s ukulele sound. To my ear they are richer in tone, have a bit less sustain and feel very, very different from today's synthetics. YMMV.
 
you can find a stray or maybe a neighbor's cat that runs loose...
Stray pussycats around here generally get eaten by wildlife. Would a puma do? One hangs out around my in-laws' place nearby.

And a black bear likes to forage in my neighbor's garbage cans. (I always take the trash out about 10 minutes before the garbage truck is due to avoid ursine temptation.) Bear-gut strings -- THOSE should really make a baritone rock! Or is that bear-i-tone? Hey, what a product name! BEARY-BEARY BEAR-I-TONE GUT STRINGS. Should be good on uBass too.

I still see some rabbits hopping in our forest -- coyote and dog packs haven't gotten them all yet. How about rabbit-gut strings for faster strumming? Plenty of squirrels around here too. How about squirrel-gut strings (very thin) for pocket 'ukes? G'z, I could set out traps and go into the natural string business.
 
I found four sets on Amazon.....bought 'em all. Bought some from a Dr Clack on eBay, I think was the name........got all he had too just today. Search for Aquila 1U sets now and then and you'll find them. I only play sopranos and cannot speak for how they might be on other sizes but I would expect good results. They are different. Haven't tried them on any modern-build ukuleles, only an old Favilla so far, and that mostly to string the instrument with what was available when it was built to hear that old original 20s ukulele sound. To my ear they are richer in tone, have a bit less sustain and feel very, very different from today's synthetics. YMMV.

Found some on eBay for $20 plus shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquila-Genuine-Lambs-Gut-Soprano-Ukulele-Strings-Regular-GCEA-tuning-code-1U-/271578691343

While I'm intrigued, I'm not $20 intrigued.
 
I just picked up a vintage Martin soprano. I wonder if gut strings would be better for "C" tuning or "D" tuning, to replicate a 1920's sound?
 
Found some on eBay for $20 plus shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquila-Genuine-Lambs-Gut-Soprano-Ukulele-Strings-Regular-GCEA-tuning-code-1U-/271578691343

While I'm intrigued, I'm not $20 intrigued.

I'm am right there with you.


I just picked up a vintage Martin soprano. I wonder if gut strings would be better for "C" tuning or "D" tuning, to replicate a 1920's sound?

I have my Timms and 1920's Washburn (both with Martin strings) tuned to D tuning. To my ear it is closer to the 20's sound. Wondering how the gut would sound on these is the only reason I am still contemplating a $20 set of strings.
 
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