Ukulele strings forensic

wromble

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Looks really interesting! Shame my french extends to "Je ne parle le francais, je suis desolee"
 
Thank you!

Well, this is an article in which I explain that the raw material of a string is not eroded regularly all along the string. Some little specific part just under each fret, and more in the "strumming zone". That is, when you divide the string at the exact half-length (12th fret), you do not divide the *mass* in two. So you don't get the exact octave. More, wear acts the same on big diameter strings than on small ones. So, when used, the strings don't get equally wrong. This explains that a chord placed at the middle or at the bottom of the neck sounds wrong, even if the uke is perfectly tuned when played 0000.

You can check a very approximated translation with google :

http://translate.googleusercontent....&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhiI9bZSoTkSeoe5StG9ZJX-xQh0YQ
 
Thank you!

Well, this is an article in which I explain that the raw material of a string is not eroded regularly all along the string. Some little specific part just under each fret, and more in the "strumming zone". That is, when you divide the string at the exact half-length (12th fret), you do not divide the *mass* in two. So you don't get the exact octave. More, wear acts the same on big diameter strings than on small ones. So, when used, the strings don't get equally wrong. This explains that a chord placed at the middle or at the bottom of the neck sounds wrong, even if the uke is perfectly tuned when played 0000.

You can check a very approximated translation with google :

http://translate.googleusercontent....&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhiI9bZSoTkSeoe5StG9ZJX-xQh0YQ

Thanks for the translation, extremely well written and very interesting! Thanks for sharing :D
 
very interesting, thanks for the info and thanks for the article.
 
Thank you!

Well, this is an article in which I explain that the raw material of a string is not eroded regularly all along the string. Some little specific part just under each fret, and more in the "strumming zone". That is, when you divide the string at the exact half-length (12th fret), you do not divide the *mass* in two. So you don't get the exact octave. More, wear acts the same on big diameter strings than on small ones. So, when used, the strings don't get equally wrong. This explains that a chord placed at the middle or at the bottom of the neck sounds wrong, even if the uke is perfectly tuned when played 0000.

You can check a very approximated translation with google :

http://translate.googleusercontent....&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhiI9bZSoTkSeoe5StG9ZJX-xQh0YQ

And, without looking at the translation, I think I got that the wear on the strings is actually less where the strings contact the frets, than where the strings are strummed.

I've not taken French classes since 1973 or 4, but I can still read some, even if I mangle the language when I try to speak.

even so, in response to your article: C'est Formidable!


-Kurt
 
What kind of strings are those? I'm sure some strings wear faster than others. And how long were they played before you took the pictures?
 
Now I know why my Nylguts will look fine, and yet sound wonky to my ears- my wife thought I was jsut changing them for something to do. Great article and pictures- thanks for taking it a little too far for us science types ;)
 
Thanks to you all!

@ Hippie guy : the string is a sharp A in Nylgut by Aquila, except the one at the very end calld "corde en boyau" which is a sharp A in real gut.

Your other question is the one I tried to answer to : if the "senior" uke players are not able to answer the newbies when they ask "which is the right moment to change the strings?", it's because the time the strings have been used is not relevant.
Even if you play, let's say "one hour per day". Because everything depends on "how" you play your uke.

The string on the picture is 3 month old, but I have nails and am used to add lots of short Fan Strokes.
The uke it was mounted on is a plastic TV Pal. (not for the "real gut, which was mounted on a Kala Pocket)

hope it answers your questions.


All the best

Antoine
 
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