Strings metal?

Hello newbie here and really interested in getting a fuller sound from a uke. This leads me to a tenor or a baritone. I've seen a 3rd metal string "c" on what I thought was a tenor. But I went to my local string shop and all the tenors they had had nylon strings. I cam really confused. please help? Ive heard lowG string but I don't think this is what i was looking at. I'm almost positive it was the c that was a metal and that i was playing a tenor Ohana tk20. Much thx in advance.

No big deal, beny. Some string sets come with a 'wound c' string. Some come with a low wound g string. Others are all plain, non wound sets. I've purchased all three types. Has to do with the mass to diameter ratio, I suppose. And a way to give even more options to folks who want them. Hopefully someone can explain it better to both of us.

Hey benybrady, to try and clarify, the wound C string you saw is still considered a nylon string, because the core is nylon with a metal winding around it. As opposed to a steel wound string, that has a steel core, with a metal winding around it. The former is used on classical guitars and ukuleles. The true metal, steel cored strings have a much higher tension and are used on steel string guitars, mandolins, banjos and sometimes on electric ukes with magnetic pickups.

Brad

And no, you can't use actual "steel" strings (as in steel-core) on a uke.
Most ukes are to be used with nylon strings, including wound nylon strings as described above.

Steel strings on a normal uke will most likely cause damage due to the higher tension that the uke is not designed to withstand.
The nut and saddle would probably not be designed to have steel strings either.


There are a few ukes that are designed to be used with steel strings.
They're a lot like electric guitars, but the size of a uke. One popular maker of them is Risa, which you can find at www.ukulele.de
Eleuke are also to release a steel string model of their electrics soon.
The steel strings do give it a fuller, richer sound, but you have to use an amplifier as you would with an electric guitar.

Thx for the clarification. To clarify again, not all tenors have the wound "C" string. But those that do have a fuller sound? If I recently bought and changed my strings.....nylon, can I just buy a wound string on my concert and replace it on the C that I have to get a fuller sound?
Thx again.

A wound C string on a concert size uke would be unusual, they are more common on tenors, but you can certainly try and see if you like it.
Brad

But be warned that the reason a lot of players do not like
wound strings,is that they do not last long! They generally
become unwound through fretting.I have made one last about
three weeks but no more.And unlike you,I don't like the sound
of them,they never seem to 'balance' properly with the nylon
strings! Each to their own I reckon!

generally, its better to avoid wound strings as normal strings tend to be more durable. When i mentioned 'fuller sound' before, i was actually talking about steel strings, not wound strings. Actually ive never had wound strings break or unwound on me, and most of them ive been using for months. Maybe im just lucky lol. But yeh, no real advantage to using wound strings on purpose. I only use them when i want to tune to low G or that they simply come as part of the set

There is a difference in tone from wound to non-wound strings. Fullness is a subjective thing and depends on your individual ears.

As for the duration of wound strings, I can easily get a year from wound strings, and I am not sure why other people cannot get excellent duration from wound strings. Perhaps it is the way people play. I also don't scratch the finish of ukuleles by playing them hard. Even guitars of mine don't get scratches on the finish from using a pick. So, maybe I am doing something different.

Change the saddle. A lot of ukes have stock plastic saddles that only do a mediocre job of transmitting the energy from the strings. Go to bone or even Tusq. Can really make your instrument sing. Not all bone is the same, either - some is just too soft to perform well as a saddle. Ask your local guitar shop what they have in superior saddle materials.

Also, a string like the Aquila can add more energy which in turn can translate into more volume and tone.