existence
Well-known member
Three days into my first try with nylon strings on the KCM-00, I'm starting to get a feel for them. I like them very much, more so than the previous string types I've had on, at any rate. It came with Worth clear hards, I tried Fremont Blacklines, then put Worth clear mediums on it. The other day the Ko'olau Golds I ordered from MGM came in, so I put those on. Was very curious to change from flourocarbons to nylons.
These definitely sound mellower than the Worths, but they produce a heartier, thicker tone. The ukulele has a more complex sound with these strings. The Worths sounded a little thin to my ears (no offense to anyone who likes them, I know they're very popular on these instruments!) One thing I was worried about regarding Golds was mellowing out the bright Koaloha sound too much; dulling it, as it were. I was also concerned about volume, since I'd read that some folks experienced a drop in it with these strings. Well, I think that even though they're not as bright as the Worths, they retain more than enough brightness to keep that tropical sparkle in the tone. As far as volume, it sounds about as loud as it did with the Worths.
My only complaint is a minor one with regards to playability: these strings seem slippery to me. The other nylon strings I use--the Hilos on my Flea--have a good bit of traction on the string, so your fingertip doesn't slide right off when you're trying to fret a note. The Golds do that sometimes--though it's possible that I can adjust to avoid it with some more practice. It's not a big deal though, it could just be a quirk of mine.
All in all: Ko'olau Golds on a Koaloha Concert....thumbs up!
These definitely sound mellower than the Worths, but they produce a heartier, thicker tone. The ukulele has a more complex sound with these strings. The Worths sounded a little thin to my ears (no offense to anyone who likes them, I know they're very popular on these instruments!) One thing I was worried about regarding Golds was mellowing out the bright Koaloha sound too much; dulling it, as it were. I was also concerned about volume, since I'd read that some folks experienced a drop in it with these strings. Well, I think that even though they're not as bright as the Worths, they retain more than enough brightness to keep that tropical sparkle in the tone. As far as volume, it sounds about as loud as it did with the Worths.
My only complaint is a minor one with regards to playability: these strings seem slippery to me. The other nylon strings I use--the Hilos on my Flea--have a good bit of traction on the string, so your fingertip doesn't slide right off when you're trying to fret a note. The Golds do that sometimes--though it's possible that I can adjust to avoid it with some more practice. It's not a big deal though, it could just be a quirk of mine.
All in all: Ko'olau Golds on a Koaloha Concert....thumbs up!
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