which strings are the best?

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bailey_boi

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im quite new to all of this stuff, i have an lanikai LU-11, have been playing a couple months and i fancy a new set of strings, and i was just wondering if you guys could give me any advice?
cheers.
 
Have you tried putting "new strings" into search?
There's lots of opinions to sift through before you choose your next set.
 
I'd buy a few different types to try out for your uke. That's what i did still trying them all out. But from what i have worked out different strings work better on different ukes and also for the type of playing that you do - picking or strumming? Trial and error i think. Good luck finding the best fit for you and your uke.

France
 
Many folks think the Aquila Nylgut strings do wonders for the sound of laminated ukes. Personally, I love 'em.
 
Ah, Grasshopper, you ask the unanswerable. There are many answers. There is only one answer. There is no answer. You search for the answer outside. Look inside, look into yourself for the answer. What you are searching for is what you are searching with.

The great philosophers among us have debated the deep questions of our existence. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? How did consciousness come about? What strings are best for my ukulele? And from all their talk, do we have an answer? Or just more questions?

I say unto you, Grasshopper: try them all. Learn for yourself. As the Buddha's words are recorded in the Kalama Sutra for the ukulele players of posterity to read:
Do not believe in anything (simply) because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything because it is spoken and rumoured by many.
Do not believe in anything (simply) because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all then accept it and live up to it.
Click to expand...
 
ichadwick has hit nail on head grasshopper, I too am a newbie coming up to two months, I have 4 ukes, two sops ( both Dolphins ) one makala concert and a Kala concert. I have aquilas on one dolphin ( nice strumming, warm tones ), brown Worths on the second ( more tension slightly harder sound ) the same with the concerts, although I am going to try the worths on my Kala as I find that the aquilas sqeak when fingerpicking. Those are just two string manufacturers, I intend to try some more. it's totally down to personal preference.
 
I've been using Savarez classical lately, per thejumpingflea's suggestion. I like Aquila, too, but their somewhat scratchy texture is a tad too audible in the studio when using vibrato. Not quite as loud as Aqilas, but they have a wonderful tone, and better intonation IMO.
 
I like Hilos...I am "wrong." I also tune my sopranos to D. That is also "wrong." For me, these 2 wrongs make a right...on 2 sopranos. Did I mention they both have geared tuners?
 
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I think it's good to get suggestions and opinions .....but it boils down to personal perference. what appeals to you..in sound, playability,and comfort.
You have to try some of them out, and experience them...What you may like, others may not and the other way around....
Opinion and suggestions can narrow down your choices, but you make the final decision...Good Luck!!MM Stan...
 
mm stan said:
I think it's good to get suggestions and opinions .....but it boils down to personal perference. what appeals to you..in sound, playability,and comfort.
You have to try some of them out, and experience them...What you may like, others may not and the other way around....
Opinion and suggestions can narrow down your choices, but you make the final decision...Good Luck!!MM Stan...
Click to expand...

And that says it all!!! Thanks Stan!!!
 
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As many others have said, there's really no substitute for trying the strings yourself. In just a few months I must have changed the brand of strings on my soprano five or six times - only to go back to the ones I originally changed the stock Aquilas to (Worth brown lights)! :)

I'm sure I'll carry on trying new strings, too...
 
luvdat said:
I like Hilos...I am "wrong." I also tune my sopranos to D. That is also "wrong." For me, these 2 wrongs make a right...on 2 sopranos. Did I mention they both have geared tuners?
Click to expand...

Shame on you, luvdat. Next thing you'll be telling me is you don't strum over the 12th fret! :nana:
 
luvdat said:
Did I mention they both have geared tuners?
Click to expand...

You been working out at the gym? ;)

Sound is as subjective as taste in foods, to each their own. Oppinions like a certain orifice of the body does come in handy sometimes. If 9 out of 10 people prefer a certain string it will give you a starting point in your selection process. I have mundane Kala Reds on my Fluke, and the dreaded bass-turd child GHS strings on two of my customs which I think sounds great. I also love natto beans, fish eggs, and sashimi. Do what makes you happy! ;)
 
I think all strings sound better when they are new,but you have to tune more often.I wonder if they could ,maybe change colors or some other indicator when it's time to change strings hmmm??
 
Big Bob said:
I think all strings sound better when they are new,but you have to tune more often.I wonder if they could ,maybe change colors or some other indicator when it's time to change strings hmmm??
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Great idea! Like a tooth brush. Put that together with my pre-stretched strings and we'll make a fortune!!!
 
Ahnko Honu said:
You been working out at the gym? ;)

Sound is as subjective as taste in foods, to each their own. Oppinions like a certain orifice of the body does come in handy sometimes. If 9 out of 10 people prefer a certain string it will give you a starting point in your selection process. I have mundane Kala Reds on my Fluke, and the dreaded bass-turd child GHS strings on two of my customs which I think sounds great. I also love natto beans, fish eggs, and sashimi. Do what makes you happy! ;)
Click to expand...

A. H., Have I been stealing your jokes or have you been stealing mine, LOL...I had to sign a consent form before I bought those 2 ukes...

Yeah, even beneath the crushing weight of those geared tuners on my Mainland sops, I can manage to do some damage musically, LOL...though I once got a charleyhorse in my left thumb, LOL

BTW I actually like the appearance of the geared tuners on Mainlands even the sopranos...kinda goes with the rope binding...
 
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my favorite melody uke wears natural gut strings, most of my strummers use Martin baritone strings which have a low G and wound G and C.

I also have Martin Flourocarbons on my Kanilea, they really bring out the tone from the koa. However, I think the sound is a little artificial.

I've also been to the fishing store, when my gut first string broke and I didn't want to replace the whole set. I've been using a certain type of co-polymer line as my first string and it's very hard to tell the difference. I bought two more weights of the same string and will try the rest of them once the gut strings need changing. The C string of that line would be a special order so I haven't bothered with that yet. But if the test works well I might go into the string business. That co-polymer sounds better than nylon and more natural than either nylon or flourocarbon, judging from that one string.

One thing to keep in mind, is each uke needs to find the best string for it, and what works on one may not work on the other. I think that in general harder woods like koa need a higher tension string to activate the wood properly. Same is true for heavier built ukes vs. lighter built. Also it depends on what you want to use it for, as I mentioned my strumming ukes have nice fat strings and my melody ones lighter.
 
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