Nylgut strings, am I missing something?

guitarsnrotts

guitarsnrotts

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Many uke retailers tout the fact that they have 'upgraded' their ukuleles with Nylgut strings. I've only been seriously tackling the ukulele for a couple of years and have just recently started experimenting with string types and manufacturers now that I have built up a small collection. To be honest, the more different ones I try further down the list the Nylguts move as far as my opinion goes. I've found I like Worths, in various flavors, Martins and Fremonts much better. The olny ones I've tried that I like less than Nylguts are GHS.
 
I would imagine if they advertise an "upgrade" to Nylguts it's probably a good thing as the stock strings are most likely GHS or less. Do these strings work for everyone? Of course not. but it's a pretty safe bet the upgrade to a well known and rather "safe" string is a good selling point for the dealer which is why he's doing it.
 
I think Aquila nylguts had a special hype because they were loud and could make a cheap and otherwise dull sounding uke louder.
I used to swear by Aquila - all my ukes had to have Aquila.

Recently, I'm sort of moving away from it. I've tried Fremonts and various other strings.
There are still some ukes I keep Aquilas on, because they simply sing with them, but I'm finding that there isn't a single perfect string that sounds best on all ukes.
I'm finding I'm having to match strings with ukes due to their different acoustic properties.

I'm moving towards experimenting with the D'addario Pro-Arte clear nylon strings nowadays.

Aquila are pretty good strings. But they're not the only good strings.
 
I have had the same experience as you. I have moved more to the Worth clears, and Fremont Blacklines.
Depends on the uke, but these have served me well on my solid koas, and blacklines on my Fleas have been a nice change.

I'm not a fan of new Aquilas due to the texture, but they do smooth out over time. Also I have aquilas on my martin S-0, and they are starting to yellow.
Cheers,
Skottoman
 
I have recently found GHS strings to be quite good. I have them on my Makala MK-C and they make it sound great!
 
Like others have said -- it's about matching the string to the instrument. Coming from a repairman's point of view... I tend to use Martin fluoros on lighter-built or too-bright instruments and Aquilas on heavier-built or too-mellow instruments. Using Aquilas on an already bright instrument tends to be a mistake as the Aquila tone, like traditional gut, is drier and brighter.

Worth brown strings are, of course, a third tone entirely, and somewhere in-between because of their slightly drier bass, which is quite nice.
 
You're not missing a thing. The best set of strings for one of your ukuleles is the set that sounds best to you on that ukulele. From your list, sounds like you prefer deeper, mellower tones. These are not Aquila's strength.

Aquilas do sound terrific (to me) on my old Harmony soprano, but they sounded awful (to me) on my Kamaka Standard. The search for the best strings for the Kamaka is still underway; both the factory strings and Martin fluorocarbons sound great---but in different ways. Now I'm hoping to find a set with the best qualities of both. I love trying out new strings; it's an inexpensive way to satisfy my UAS.
 
Nylaguts aren't particularly expensive, so it's only an upgrade if the stock strings are junk-- which, sadly, is true on many inexpensive ukes. I'm a fan of the nlyagut tone, but I like bright. As many have said, string preference is unique to the player, and string tone will differ from uke to uke. I imagine most retailers who "upgrading" to nylagut would probably gladly "upgrade" you to a different brand if you asked.
 
I really love aquilas on cheaper ukes. Makes them sound loud and full. However on more expensive ukes I don't think the extra punch you get with aquilas is necessary, so I guess that's where experimentation comes in lol.
 
Huna said:
I have recently found GHS strings to be quite good. I have them on my Makala MK-C and they make it sound great!
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with GHS on some ukes, I like them too....I choose strings for the uke...as they react different on different ukes..personal reference.. I guess..
 
All depends on the uke and what sound you want. Some strings are worse quality that others but all have their strengths and weaknesses.
 
I'm not sure about missing something, I think you are refining your string taste and finding strings to suit what you want out of your ukuleles. As others have said, strings need to be matched to the uke.

For me, Aquilas can be a love-hate relationship. I have found that they can tend to get brittle/scratchy sounding on some ukes especially as they start to get old and when it is cold.

That said, Aquilas sound really good on one of my tenors, Southcoast Mediums are a match for my concert, and fluorocarbon fishing line (Not Seaguar) on my other tenor after years of trying all sorts of different strings and tunings.

John
 
I've heard that Nylguts can really bring out the brightness and volume on a laminate top.

I am up to five ukes (all tenors with solid tops) and three of them came with Aquilas. Personally, I don't really care for them, they sound too harsh for my taste and feel hard under my fingertips.
 
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