A plea for sanity. Fremont low G info; another nerdy string thread.

gioconbrio

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Okay, I feel bad adding to the endless posts about strings but I can't find this info online and I'm hoping someone out there knows what I'm looking for. I recently picked up a set of Fremont low G tenor strings for my Lanikai spruce top. They are all black fluorocarbons, including the unwound low G. In general, I have no problem with wound strings, but I like the all black look on this uke (I am exceptionally vain about my instruments). In short, I really like these strings on the Lanikai and sound better than the Aquilas that were previously on it (and I use those on most of my others). However, and this is a big "however," the low G string is so loosey goosey as to be almost unusable. I was actually able to tune it up to C without feeling excessive tension. I've been trying to find a replacement with either a thicker fluorocarbon or nylon string, but Fremont has virtually no online presence. So, here are my questions/requests.

1) Does anyone know the diameter of the Fremont soprano low G? They sell these at Flea Market, but the icon is so small I can't read the diameters. The tenor diameters are .023, .031, .027, .036

2) Does anyone have contact info for Fremont and/or be willing to pass on some customer feedback? i.e. "great strings, but make a higher tension low G."

3) Are there any other solutions you know of for a black, unwound low G? And yes, it has to be black. Again, vain.

4) Those of you who are music dealers, would you please carry a wider range of Fremont strings. Flea Market is too expensive.

5) Finally, to string manufacturers, since my Aquila low G's keep snapping and inevitably get replaced with guitar strings, and my Fremont's sound like a rubber band; won't you please make a low G set I can use right out of the package without having to futz around.

Thank you.
 
It isn't black, but the Worth Brown low g strings look very near to black -- it would look almost the same.

I'm surprised you had a problem with the Fremont Blackline low g. I used to like those quite bit before I switched to my current low g setup (which wouldn't work for you since it is clear). But you may want to give the Worth brown ones a try.
 
It isn't black, but the Worth Brown low g strings look very near to black -- it would look almost the same.

I'm surprised you had a problem with the Fremont Blackline low g. I used to like those quite bit before I switched to my current low g setup (which wouldn't work for you since it is clear). But you may want to give the Worth brown ones a try.

I'm interested in trying out some Worths in the near future, but yes, I do want to keep the black strings. It's a flame maple and spruce uke and I like the contrast. Now, when you were using Fremont, was it on a tenor or another size? Thanks for your input.
 
Unfortunately, no one has yet come up with non-wound string material that gives decent response tuned to key of C on a 17" scale. No one makes thicker ones because they already push the limits of "rubber band". But put those loose 4th strings on a 20" scale, and the tension is fine and the response is better, too.

That is where you should go (Baritone) if you want C tuning without wound strings (altough with Worth & Freemont, now strings 1-3 are too tight).

5) Finally, to string manufacturers, since my Aquila low G's keep snapping and inevitably get replaced with guitar strings, and my Fremont's sound like a rubber band; won't you please make a low G set I can use right out of the package without having to futz around.

Here you go:

http://www.southcoastukes.com/stringuide_files/wound.htm
 
I also have a preference for unwound G. The Worths aren't much better for the low g, I tried both on a concert and they are basically the same diameter. The Fremont seemed a little better but both were not quite right, kind on an annoying thunk quality. The Worths are fine on a tenor. Anything smaller doesn't seem to work really well. It was suggested I try a tenor C string, and that was a little better. Ended up putting the uke back to a high g though.

So any suggestions would be welcome as to what sizes might work well on a smaller concert size..? I was going to look around at classical guitar strings some day.
 
The principle to keep in mind is that if you always want to tune to key of C, your strings need to get thicker as your scale gets shorter. As mentioned above, an unwound low 4th in C tuning is not nearly as good on a 17" scale as it is on a 20".

Conversely, moving down to the 15" scale of a concert makes it completely unworkable. You can move your tunings up. D tuning for 17" tenor - but that puts you way up at Eflat on a 15" concert.

You can give it a try, but truly, big bodied instruments work better with more spacing between the notes (linear or low 4th) and smaller ones work better with the notes closely spaced (high re-entrant).
 
SCU, just read your unwound uke strings page and it explains nicely why my baritone with a 19" scale sounds so good with a Worth Brown tenor set on it, tuned to A. Thanks for the info and insight.

I just ordered 4 sets, 2 linear and a combo pack. :)

I will post back on UU when I get a chance to try them on a few ukes.
 
I too wanted black strings. I tried the Blacklines and they were ok with high g.
I bought some Orca's and a Blackline low g. I did not like them on my resonator tenor, they kind of had that thunk sound.
The tension and feel was fine, even on the low g. I just put a set of Worth Browns with a wound low g. Now the ukulele sounds like I want it to.
The Orca's went to my Fluke, they sound really great there.

So as just about every string thread says, you just got to try them, you never know.
 
Thanks for all the insight folks. Here's my thinking: the soprano low G's should be thicker than the tenor's. So if anyone has used a set of Fremont soprano low G's I would love to know the diameter. SailingUke, do you know the diameters of your Orcas? And finally, I'm thinking of trying A D'Addario .041 black nylon string, has anyone else tried that?

The trouble with my Fremonts isn't so much the sound as the lack of tension. I play a lot of fingerstyle and the top three strings are easy to pick, but then the bass is slippery.
 
You can get single low G strings from Mike at Uke Republic if you want to try different brands. I have Fremont and Orca low G strings on a couple of concert ukes and have no problems with the tension, even with fingerstyle playing.

On both the Orcas and Fremont low G packages it says the diameter of the G string is .036 in/.92mm Both packs say that the tenor low G has the same diameter.
 
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