How Much Tension with Low G?

rt1965

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I have a new uke strung with KoAloha flourocarbon low g strings. I have never used low g tuning before and I am wondering how much tension should there be on the G string? I have it tuned to pitch, but the G string seems really loose. I can move it back and forth across the saddle. On that note, it just seems to be a bit much to tune it up that much to get to G again.
 
Yes, this uke came from the factory stung in low g. The g string is definately thicker than the rest.
 
That's weird. My Low G had the same amount of tension as the other strings.
 
You know, I think it's just a different feel for me. I think I have it right. It sounds pretty good, the feel is just different than what I was used to.

Question though, do you prefer all nylon or a wound g?
 
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I haven't tried the new KoAloha branded flouro's, but the Worth flouro Low-G strings have a tendency to be "floppy", and I'd imagine it'd be the same deal with KoAloha's...I use flouro's but for my Low-G string I always use a wound string.
 
Yes, it just felt floppy. That makes sense, because it sounds great otherwise. I think I will be trying out Low G with a wound G real soon. More than likely this KoAloha Tenor will end up going to High G anyway and I will string my Ohana Mahogany uke in Low G. Thanks for the help.
 
I've only used Aquilas. They had the same amount of tension.
 
Wound strings allow greater mass in a smaller gauge. As a whole, flouros tend to be denser than nylon, so they can be thinner (which Worths generally are).

If classical guitars used unwound strings, the bass strings would be flopping all over the place with a very large diameter strings. Some `ukulele players don't like wounds because of the squeak - tell that to classical guitarists.
 
How about trying a fluorocarbon string with higher density? Worth has the regular low-G (LG) string, the High Density (HD) which is the same diameter but with higher... density, and the Extra (EX) string, which is he HD in a thicker format if I am correct.

For your tenor, I think the HD should solve your problem of floppiness. The EX is mainly to get low G on a soprano, but I didn' get it to sound very nice, little sustain on a small uke.
 
I find that the wound aquilla strings wear out very quickly.In 2 months the soft metal actually breaks apart.Is that normal?
I had a problem with the wound C strings breaking really quickly (sometimes in as little as a week). The wound G's seemed to be made of a more durable metal and lasted a lot longer
 
I agree...any wound Aquilas have been a huge disappointment for me, in terms of durability especially.
 
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