Worth Lights what are they good for?

Ahnko Honu

Ahnko Honu

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Over the past couple years I've been stocking up on different brands of strings and I've been happy with Aquilas, Kala Reds, Ko'olau Alohi, & Golds, Worth CMs, and Worth BMs (different 'ukuleles like different strings). I had a set of Worth BLs and put it on my Kamaka pineapple today, and it sounded really weak with little volume or sustain. I liked the Aquilas that were on there much better. I did put on some Worth BMs and that fixed the problem though honestly not a whole lot better sounding than the Aquilas that were on there previously. I would up putting the Worth BLs on my Carnival plastic sopranino which really helped that 'ukulele out especially intonation. Any fans of Worth BLs here? What do you use them on? I'm rather disappointed in them myself but at least good for plastics. :rolleyes:
 
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Never tried the lights, I do like the BM on my old gretch it gives it a great old bark from the worths.
 
Absolutely NOTHIN! Say it again! Huhhh!!!! (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)
 
Aloha Ahnko Honu,
In your opinion, Are any of the worths worth trying??? and where do you get them from??
I always thought about them but didn't know of any local sources....
"Keep on strumming them strings" Ukuleles are foreva!!! MM Stan.
BTW- whats BL and BM stand for???Black lights and medium??
 
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When I see BM I can only think of a bowel movement. Sorry.
 
mm stan said:
Aloha Ahnko Honu,
In your opinion, Are any of the worths worth trying??? and where do you get them from??
I always thought about them but didn't know of any local sources....
"Keep on strumming them strings" Ukuleles are foreva!!! MM Stan.
BTW- whats BL and BM stand for???Black lights and medium??
Click to expand...

I really like the Worth medium strings on every 'ukulele I've tried them on both the clears and browns including the low g sets. It's teh lights I'm not too happy with though they did turn out to be the only strings that worked on my plastic Carnival sopranino 'ukuleles. I get mine from MGM Music Guy Mic. He's in Kaneohe just 15 minutes away but I'm lazy so usually just order them through his eBay store, the shipping is cheaper than gas. http://stores.ebay.com/Musicguymics...sroomQQ_sidZ34517586?_nkw=worth&submit=Search Remember that Worths sell in double sets so they are actually pretty reasonable in price.
 
Aloha Ahnko Honu and Robbocx,
Thank you for all the info....I think I'll order some of the mediums and give a try...
Would you say the clears is close to the clear martins in sound??And are they mono filament?
thanks again....."Keep them strings strumming" Ukuleles are foreva....Uke On!!! MM Stan...
 
I have never been a fan of Martin strings at least not their nylon strings though I have heard good things about their fluorocarbon strings. The Worths are fluorocarbon. I have a set of Worth clear medium low g on my FLEA and it sounds allot better than it should for a laminate top, love the combination and this 'ukulele is the one I pick up most often.
 
The lights were rec'd to me by MGM for a white label Kamaka concert I have that has a belly dip. They sound very nice on the uke and are a little less stress on the bridge and soundboard, and her belly dip is a bit less that when I got her. I also have them on the vintage mahogany sopranos that are 1920s and delicately built, they provide plenty of sound on these ukes. So I'd think plastic and small vintage ukes are a good application.

My newer ukes wear Worth Brown mediums or clears, Fremont Blacklines, or Aquilas. The Aquilas seem to have a LOT of fingernoise/squeaking compared to the Worths, even the non wound, and I do not care for the wound. I like both but on specific ukes.
 
Teek said:
The lights were rec'd to me by MGM for a white label Kamaka concert I have that has a belly dip. They sound very nice on the uke and are a little less stress on the bridge and soundboard, and her belly dip is a bit less that when I got her. I also have them on the vintage mahogany sopranos that are 1920s and delicately built, they provide plenty of sound on these ukes. So I'd think plastic and small vintage ukes are a good application.
Click to expand...

Aloha Teek, great input, makes allot of sense. Wish I thought of this and strung up my 1915 Kumalae with the Worth lights. Too bad I sold her last month, I think it would have been a great match up. Kumalaes are notoriously thin, and mine had a dip in the soundboard too though she sang like a canary.
 
Chris Tarman said:
Absolutely NOTHIN! Say it again! Huhhh!!!! (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)
Click to expand...

Aww maaaan! Chris, you stole my thunder!


As for the Worth Lights, would it make more sense to use them if you wanted a brighter, punchier sound?
 
The luthier who made my Boat Paddle soprano recommended Worth clears, but I put BLs on it the day I got it and probably would never change. At least on this uke, they're wonderfully warm and earthy, but still have a bright high end.

You can hear them in this song:
'Fixin Up Somethin Sweet'
by wolfe (with an e) featuring Zoe Janzen

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fixin-up-somethin-sweet-single/id377339878

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f98r7gGjAzg

You can't really hear them well in the stage performance part of the video (since they were miked from the PA) but they sound true in the iTunes sample and the rehearsal recording. They're about four months old here with a substantial amount of use and starting to develop a middle in the tone.
 
It's a pleasure listening to that Boat Paddle sop...yes, "warm and earthy, but still have a bright high end." I was watching just listening yesterday to one of your vids, Kevin...sure, starting with the Boat Paddle helps a lot...it's refreshing to hear a ukulele not trying to sound like a banjo or a drippingly precious mini-guitar.
 
I have used them on my KoAloha Pineapple Sunday and I liked them.
 
We also sell a Light gauge high re-entrant set. It has been a while since I played some Worths, but I am pretty sure they are similar enough for me to suggest the following: As more ukuleles are being built with heavier construction, apllications for Light gauge strings are diminishing. You need enough heft to drive the soundboard. There are very few Tenors left that will respond to Light gauges, and now heavy construction is starting to show up in concerts as well.

The best places to use Lights are on a Soprano - probably in D tuning, or on a long scale Concert tuned to C. Light gauges such as ours usually have the best tensions for a 17" scale in the key of C, but you'll need that light construction for decent response. You'll have better luck finding that sort of instrument in a concert body than a Tenor.
 
Light gauge strings are what's needed on my very very LOUD little hawaiian koa soprano that's almost a century old now...

I wouldn't want to put a lot of pressure on that very thin neck that doesn;t even have a fretboard to stabilize it - the frets are pressed directly into the neck. And the neck is still true and straight!
 
luvdatuke: danke dude

Just bought a Makala Pineapple the other day for $40 at Sam Ash. (I need it for a video where it may catch fire, so I needed a cheapie.) I'm surprised that it plays and sounds as nice as it does. I put some thicker Hilo and Kamaka strings on it and they really brought out the worse qualities of the laminate soundboard. I ended up putting some Freemont strings on it which are very thin and seem similar to Worth Clears to my ear. It took the strings 4 days to break in, but as long as you play with an appropriately light touch, they sound good.
 
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