Strings Fremont and Aquila String Comparison

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Noobie

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I recently acquired a Honu Traditional Concert ukulele, which I love, but had some concern that maybe the strings on it weren't the best fit. I decided if I was going to swap out the strings that I was going to record when I did so I could truly compare them "side-by-side."

My recording rig consisted of a Samson Meteor microphone connected to Garage Band on the iPad. I tried to keep the same distance between the mic and the ukulele (about 10 inches), and to play the strings with the same force. Please forgive my marginal playing abilities, I'm still learning.

Recordings saved as 44KHz 16-bit highest-quality AIFF files to try and maintain detail (although Garage Band exported the original files as AAC). I recommend listening with a good pair of headphones.

The first recording is with a set of Aquila Nylgut strings which were on the ukulele when I got it: http://cl.ly/2v12073F0o0L41352M0m

The second recording is a set of Fremont Blacklines which have been on the instrument for two days. Surprisingly, they're still settling in, but I tuned it up immediately before starting: http://cl.ly/0L1y2j1i2J1o0H061i37

You can pass your own judgment, but to my ears the Blacklines are clearly louder and brighter. They have a lot more low-end and slightly better sustain. I consider them a tonal upgrade to the instrument. I also find them a bit easier to play, although I know some people prefer fatter strings.

I plan on doing the same recording test with a Kala KA-KC and Aquila vs Worth.
 
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My computer won't let me hear your samples right now, but I love this idea and look forward to hearing them. Thank you!
 
Nicely done. It's a close call and likely to stir some very subjective opinion. I'm a big fan of the Fremont Blacklines and they've become my go to strings on my Kamaka HF-3, Pono MHT-SH and Mainland Red Cedar Concert. Although I just put some Aquila Low G's (wound 4th) on the Mainland Red Cedar and it sounds pretty good too. Still prefer the Aquilas on my Mainland Mahogany Soprano though. I really like the feel of the Fremonts and at first thought they were too thin feeling but now really prefer them. Other side-by-sides would be great. Thanks.
 
I liked the sound of the Fremonts better in this demo.
 
+1 on Fremont Blacklines too. I think that Aquila performs well on my Kanile'a concert, but not on others so far.
 
I like the Fremont on these two recordings. the sound was crisper. And I am a big fan of aquila's. All of my uke's have Aquilas. Well, the next order for strings will include a few sets of Fremont Blacklines. Good job thanks for the audios. I've tried many different types of strings, and i have liked Aquilas the best. Martin and Hilo are almost as good. Time to try some Fremonts, Thanks
 
I'll try and do the Worths today. I've got both Browns and Clears, I'm not sure which to try first (I plan on leaving them on for a while).
 
That was close, which surprised me. I preferred the Fremonts too. They are my new favorite strings.
 
Is it possible to buy strings from Kamaka, esp low g?
 
I was comparing aquila to fluorocarbon tension on a soprano.. was reasonably close 2.6-3.1kg on Aquila; 2.3- 3.25kg on (Worth) fluorocarbon.
Was wondering how that linked to feel/ease of play? i.e. is there is more surface area on the thicker Aquila string....
 
pondweed said:
I was comparing aquila to fluorocarbon tension on a soprano.. was reasonably close 2.6-3.1kg on Aquila; 2.3- 3.25kg on (Worth) fluorocarbon.
Was wondering how that linked to feel/ease of play? i.e. is there is more surface area on the thicker Aquila string....
Click to expand...
I find the Aquilas noticeably firmer than fremonts and worths. They sound great for hard strumming, and don't slink/slide away. I won't pick up my Aquila strung ukes if i'm feeling lazy or doing fingerstyle stuff though. A little too much work. Playing the high A# note 100% clear while fretting a 1st position A# chord is like 50/50 for me on Aquilas. I'll reach for a floro strung uke instead.
 
Right now Fremonts are the only strings I use. I have 3 tenors, KoAloha, Kanilea and Kamaka. I keep a stash. We get to Oahu every year and I hit HMS and buy as many as they have. I change them pretty regularly on the Kanilea and Kamaka, usually every 2 months. I don't play the KoAloha too much.
 
peanuts56 said:
Right now Fremonts are the only strings I use. I have 3 tenors, KoAloha, Kanilea and Kamaka. I keep a stash. We get to Oahu every year and I hit HMS and buy as many as they have. I change them pretty regularly on the Kanilea and Kamaka, usually every 2 months. I don't play the KoAloha too much.
Click to expand...
Hi. I recently purchased a Kanilea Tenor K3. I have nylon GHS strings on them. They are the Artist Curated ones from Sarah and Craig. They recommended them. However I find the tension really tight at the headstock. I don’t like the way it sounds on the first three frets. did you have a similar experience before switching to the Fremonts? Are you using a low or high G? Thanks for any info.
 
NANA_KAS said:
Hi. I recently purchased a Kanilea Tenor K3. I have nylon GHS strings on them. They are the Artist Curated ones from Sarah and Craig. They recommended them. However I find the tension really tight at the headstock. I don’t like the way it sounds on the first three frets. did you have a similar experience before switching to the Fremonts? Are you using a low or high G? Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...
I don't have a lot of experience with other strings. I had a Kamaka Tenor built 10 years ago and used their strings for a year or so. Most people don't seem to like the stock Kamaka's. Strictly use Fremont's and I play high G. Never played a low G. I did try a cuatro some years ago that didn't use re-entrant tuning. It was strange. The cuatro was a little bigger than my tenor. About halfway to a baritone.
 
Almost any floro set will be lighter than almost any nylon set. The Freemonts I think are supposed to be a little tighter than Worths, but I swear they feel softer to me.

If it was designed for nylon be prepared to have to try different string brands before you find the optimal. Don't be shocked if you get buzzes or other weirdness on some string types or brands.
 
Too bad this thread is too old for the links to be active. Maybe someone else will be motivated to record something similar?
(Maybe some day I'll figure out how to record things and not have performance anxiety, but for now, I can only hope that someone else will step in.)

Different strings work for different ukuleles, and that's a fun part of the journey - trying out different sets of strings.
So far, the main brands I use are Living Water, Worths, and Martin. But I have many others I haven't tried and might really like.
 
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