Best strings for a maple uke?

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Hippie Dribble

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hi everybody.

This uke is being built for me at the moment:
http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/uketracker.php?trackingNumber=582&submit=Track

what, in your opinion, are the strings best suited to an all maple ukulele? I know it will have a bright sound with probably less sustain than what I'm normally used to. Just looking for some advice on which strings would be most sympathetic to maple and bring out the best qualities of this tonewood. Any suggestions much appreciated.

Cheers and blessings,
Jon
 
So I certainly don't have an answer to your question, but dang, Jon, that is some purty wood. Be sure to post pics when it is done.
Lovely, just lovely......
 
Jon, maybe Worth Browns: less bright and a bit more sustain. I have a cheap custom solid maple concert with spruce top a few months ago and it gives a great tone. So, I sell to buy another K...
 
I'd go with Savarez alliance strings Jon. Soft feel, high sustain. Similar to worths, a tad brighter, but not brash.
 
Looks like it'll be a gorgeous uke! :)

I have a Yairi Kanai with solid cedar top and maple B/S. I know that's not the same, but it seems to me the maple B/S give it a lot of punch and volume. I really like Worth browns on it.
 
I liked the South Coast stringsbest when I had a maple Loprinzi.
 
thanks Diane, yeah it's looking great so far!
 
Thankyou Fabio, Jeff, itsme and David for your generosity in making some suggestions. I will give each of these a try. I appreciate your comments very much. I did have worth flurocarbons on another maple uke I owned previously. I queried Gordon at Mya Moe about the worth browns right at the start for this particular uke. He seemed to think they'd be a good match, but these other ideas are great.
 
I've only seen 1 or 2 quilted maple ukes around.. It's looking sweeeeeeeeeet Jon!

I'm not too sure myself but based on what i've seen and heard with Maple ukes on the interwebs... How bout trying worth clears or worth browns?

(My experience with those 2 strings is that they warm the tone of the uke, ideal to balance out with the brightness of the maple wood. Which unless you chose to make your uke sound loud with the maple construction, then I have no comments because I have no experience on that whatsoever :S )
 
I've only seen 1 or 2 quilted maple ukes around.. It's looking sweeeeeeeeeet Jon!

I'm not too sure myself but based on what i've seen and heard with Maple ukes on the interwebs... How bout trying worth clears or worth browns?

(My experience with those 2 strings is that they warm the tone of the uke, ideal to balance out with the brightness of the maple wood. Which unless you chose to make your uke sound loud with the maple construction, then I have no comments because I have no experience on that whatsoever :S )

Thanks Lexxy.

Yeah, not too many qulited maple ukuleles to be found. This is the first time Gordon and Char have built a quilted maple tradition model. To be fair, he wasn't that keen and tried to dissuade me in his own way, but I was happy to be a guinea pig for this 'experiment'.

For what it's worth, the most beautiful quilted maple uke I have ever seen is Lil' Rev's concert reso...
http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/galle...s=%&searchHeadplate=%&searchButton=Search+Now

yummy!
 
Thanks Lexxy.

Yeah, not too many qulited maple ukuleles to be found. This is the first time Gordon and Char have built a quilted maple tradition model. To be fair, he wasn't that keen and tried to dissuade me in his own way, but I was happy to be a guinea pig for this 'experiment'.

For what it's worth, the most beautiful quilted maple uke I have ever seen is Lil' Rev's concert reso...
http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/galle...s=%&searchHeadplate=%&searchButton=Search+Now

yummy!

I have to say..Quilted maple does give out that...Shimmering effect. Very 3D-ish. Me likey! :)
 
Ken
doesn't yours have a spruce top?

Yes.

In reality though I now believe that it doesn't make much difference what the instrument is made of. A good set of strings will have the same characteristics, no matter what you put them on.

I am of the belief that Aquila strings are the best researched, most professionally made strings that you can buy, bar none. They have a sound all of their own. Fantastic. Mimmo, who makes them is a perfectionist and goes to really great lengths to get the product right. He makes the strings himself. He will even make you a set of gut strings and hand wind the metal on them if they need it. Many other companies (not all) just package fishing wire or nylon that they have bought in. Some other companies have a string maker manufacture the strings for them and put their own name on the packaging. Aquila are almost in a league of their own.

However, my strings of choice are fluero-carbon. I tend to use Worth CT on my tenor and Worth CM on my sopranos. I like the pure, clear sound of this material. It suits my style of playing. This is what I use on all my ukes, no matter what they cost or what they are made from.

Just my opinion.
 
Ken

Thanks for the information. I'm interested in this thread since I'll have an all maple uke soon myself.

Looking forward to hearing Eugene's too.
 
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thanks much Ronnie and Ken for weighing in.

I pretty much use worth clears exclusively. They're on every one of my ukes. I have tried a number of different strings but these are my favorite by quite a way, so I'm totally with you there.

I am really surprised the aquilas sound sweet on your maple uke though Ken. While I do like their sound I find too often they have a harshness, a 'boominess' and an abrasive quality which is too much in your face for my liking. I wouldn't have thought they'd be a good match for maple, but on your advice, I'll give them a go too. Thankyou both.
 
thanks much Ronnie and Ken for weighing in.

I pretty much use worth clears exclusively. They're on every one of my ukes. I have tried a number of different strings but these are my favorite by quite a way, so I'm totally with you there.

I am really surprised the aquilas sound sweet on your maple uke though Ken. While I do like their sound I find too often they have a harshness, a 'boominess' and an abrasive quality which is too much in your face for my liking. I wouldn't have thought they'd be a good match for maple, but on your advice, I'll give them a go too. Thankyou both.

What I am saying is that I don't use Aquilas on my maple uke, Eugene.
 
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