Kamaka Owners: Strings?

Which srings on your Kamaka?

  • Kamaka (GHS)

    Votes: 4 9.8%
  • Aquila

    Votes: 7 17.1%
  • Fremont Blacks

    Votes: 7 17.1%
  • Worths

    Votes: 18 43.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 9 22.0%

  • Total voters
    41

pdxuke

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Ok, Kamaka owners, I need string advice, so a poll:

What do you use?
 
I like Fremont Blackline hard tensions, and Aquilas, equally well on my concert Kamakas - I've got one strung with each right now. I just switched my soprano to Fremont Blacklines, and... meh. I'm not sure yet, but at this point I'm leaning toward switching back to Aquilas. I've also tried Worth Clears on the soprano, but again, I think I preferred the Aquilas.
 
For high g tuning, I prefer either Fremont Blacklines or Savarez Alliance. For low g tuning, I like the Worth heavy low g hard strings (WCHLGHD).
 
Worth Clears.
 
D'Addario Pro-Artes...not only do they sound good, but I prefer the way they feel. I've been using the J71's, but just put Extra Hard Tension classical guitar strings (EJ44's) on it Sunday night. So far I like them even better, and they sound louder too.

~Michael
 
I'm asking myself the same on my new Kamaka concert. Running the stock strings now, but wondering if I should change them up. Thanks for the thread.
 
D'Addario Pro-Artes...not only do they sound good, but I prefer the way they feel. I've been using the J71's, but just put Extra Hard Tension classical guitar strings (EJ44's) on it Sunday night. So far I like them even better, and they sound louder too.

~Michael

Use the same. Truth is I haven't experimented much with them though.
 
On my Kamaka HF2, concert I tried several strings the first couple of weeks (D'Addario Pro-Artes, D'Addario Hawaiian, Worth Brown Med., Worth Clear Med.)
I stayed with the Worth Clears, as they had the most sustain and clear warm tone of the 4 sets I tried. The Kamaka HF1 soprano I have came strung with Aquila, and sounds great. So I left them on.
 
Hi Pdxuke,

Early on the original Kamaka strings I changed to Aquilla.
Volume and treble increased - wore out the strings and have
reinstalled the original Kamakas, the I wore out the A string and
threw on another Aquillla in it's place so now 3 Ks and 1 A.
I'm gonna send away for some Worths, soon.

Cheers.
 
Soprano: Worth Clear (Prob better with Aquilas)
Concert: Worth Clear (Love this pairing)
Tenor: DAddarios (Tried and true by Aldrine, but I think it's just alright)
Tenor 8 String: Worth Clear (Awesme)
 
Why is there a choice "Kamaka (GHS)"? AFAI Kamaka strings are produced by D'Addario. I use the original on my soprano. They sound nice when picked with the fleshy side of the thumb.
 
Kamaka HF-3 and I use D'Addario J71s. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Perfect thread - I was just trying to figure out what to put on my Kamaka concert as well....thanks!
 
For high g tuning, I prefer either Fremont Blacklines or Savarez Alliance. For low g tuning, I like the Worth heavy low g hard strings (WCHLGHD).

Totally lame to quote myself, but I realized I should have been more specific. For Savarez Alliance, those don't come in a pack. They are actually classical guitar strings and you buy them individually (from a place like juststrings.com or stringsbymail.com).

For your A string, I used an Alliance Savarez 541R.
For your E string, an Alliance Savarez 542R.
For the C string, an Alliance Savarez 543R.
For the G string (re-entrant high g tuning), an Alliance Savarez 541J (high tension). For low g tuning, I used the 504RH Corum polished -- it is a wound string though, and I hate wound strings, which is why I took them off my uke.
 
Have had my HF-3 just a few weeks now and have kept on the Kamaka (ghs?) strings that came with it. I don't know...I've played a lot of different ukes over the past few months in a lot of different stores. Whenever I've played a Kamaka with the stock strings, it always just stood out to me as the most pleasing sound. Definitely quieter, mellower than some of the other ukes and string choices. I'm sure I'll experiment with Worths and others at some point, but I don't feel like I'm in a rush to do that since I already like what I'm hearing.
 
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