Worth strings - a couple of questions

buddhuu

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I've tried Aquila Nylguts and D'Addario J71s on my Mahogany tenor. The Aquilas deliver the volume and punch I need for playing into a mic onstage, the D'Addarios don't really cut it - in fact, I don't like them.

I'm tempted to try Worths, but the number of options intimidates me. Different colours, different tensions... :eek:

Can someone give me a hint, please? If I need a brightish, clear sound with plenty of projection and punch, which of the Worths should I try? Strength and definition of the sound are more important for me than a traditional tone. Also, I don't like the strings too soft and stretchy as I find that makes finger picking a bit fiddly.

Thanks for any guidance.
 
Going by what your needs are I'd definitely go with the worth clear hard tension strings
 
Worth clears are worthless to me. They feel rubbery and lack the punch and volume you are looking for. I've only tried them on tenors and haven't tried the browns, though I hear those are better. I like the Aquilas but they don't last long. I think Hilo Strings are under rated. I like them as well.
 
I use aquilas on my Koa tenor and love the sound of them. But on my Bruko mahogany soprano, which has a very bright sound, I thought the aquilas sounded to hard. I tried d'addarios, which I din't like at all, and then a flour carbon fishing line thats exactly the same (according to what I've heard) as clear worths. They gave it a clear nice sound, but still a bit too bright.

Now I've just put on some brown worth extra tension, and I really think they helped. They've got a much mellower sound than all the others. The extra sension helps, I think, making them hard enough. I don't like "rubber bands".

With that said, I still wouldn't change to worths on my tenor - on that instrument the aquilas provide a perfect tone in my opinion. But maybe you will find it the perfect fit? (I was a little reluctant when I saw the price of the worths, but then I realised it's not to bad since every set contains enough string length for two sets).
 
. . I'm tempted to try Worths, but the number of options intimidates me. Different colours, different tensions... :eek:

If you think Worth has a number of options, you really haven't looked at D'Addario. The J71 set (which is actually a combination of the Pro Arte J46 series) is a completely different string from the Aquila, and normally if you like Aquila, you won't like the J46's. This is the string that will bring the sweetness out of your instrument, although I've found the Silverwound J4604 to be a bit strong for low g (good for slack key).

Personally, I liked the J50 series, which is (to me) is a brighter, clearer string. When I restrung an instrument from the J46's to the J50's, my friend thought is was two different instruments.

Of course, that was until I discovered the T46, and the Pro Arte Goldwound (80/20) J4804 - now my favorite set, next to Savarez, of course. Laron and Deach use that wound string as well. I like the feel of the D'Addario's a little better than the Savarez. Then again, because the T's are new, I'm still settling in on them. Of course, I'm thinking of stringing some current builds with the T45's (normal tension) because I adjusted the bracing slightly, just for fun.

And, I agree with Chuck on the Worth Clears - the Browns feel a little better.

MGM, still waiting on some D'Addario's in your store. . .

-Aaron
 
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tenor strings

Ive tried the Aquila strings on my tenor lanikai koa laminate CK-T and they sounded bad,just breaking in some Koolau gold strings now.I will let you know if they start sounding better than the GHS strings that came with it.
 
I use the Worth clears and they have the most power of any string I've tried. I use them on my Kamaka tenor. The kind I use is "heavy". I tried the normal ones, but like Chuck said, they are rubbery.

So, if you want high G I would try the: CH

And low G: CH-LGHD or CH-LGEX. The difference is in the low G diameter. One has a 0.0358 inch low G and one has 0.0433 inch. I use the heavy one - CH-LGEX.

For a tenor you want the 63in. length - two sets. So the price is more, but you get twice as much.
 
I have the Worth Browns low-G on my lanikai tenor. It's basically good for strumming and has a nice mellow sound. It doesn't have the volume, but when you amp up, I'm satisfied.
 
when i bought my Pono it came with brown worth strings. they sounded very nice, they aren't as loud as some strings but when i played through my amp they were loud enough.
 
Baron K points out an important thing about strings and the basic tone of the uke. If the uke itself has a bright tone, then Worth Browns will mellow it out. If the uke has a warm tone, then Aquilias will brighten it up. Generally the Worth Clears are considered bright, but not as bright or loud as the Aquilas. Worth Browns are one of the more mellow strings around. Some players even complain they're so mellow they sound dead. I like ukes that have open shapes (like pineapples) and the Worth Browns do a wonderful job of bringing out the warm tones a larger body is capable of.

It sounds to me that your uke already is a little mellow and you want to add brightness. I don't think the Worth Browns are for you. But the Clears may be worth a shot. Your quest may be over though and you have already found your holy grail in the Aquilas. But then you may not be able to prove that in your mind until you've tried Clears and seen for yourself.
 
Thanks everyone. Plenty there to think about. Some very good points.

I'm not really sure if I'm less confused than before or more! :D

Once again we see how different all our experiences are with the same stuff. It's all part of the fun!

I think I have some more experimenting to do. If I ever find out what works best for what I need I'll report back.

Probably turn out to be hairy straw-baling twine or summink... :rolleyes:
 
I've tried Aquila Nylguts and D'Addario J71s on my Mahogany tenor. The Aquilas deliver the volume and punch I need for playing into a mic onstage, the D'Addarios don't really cut it - in fact, I don't like them.

I'm tempted to try Worths, but the number of options intimidates me. Different colours, different tensions... :eek:

Can someone give me a hint, please? If I need a brightish, clear sound with plenty of projection and punch, which of the Worths should I try? Strength and definition of the sound are more important for me than a traditional tone. Also, I don't like the strings too soft and stretchy as I find that makes finger picking a bit fiddly.

Thanks for any guidance.

Clear CT, low or high g.
 
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