What strings do you hate?

Gadzukes!

Gadzukes!

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Everyone talks a lot about the strings that they love (Worth, Aquila, Freemont), but I'm curious if there are any brands that are generally considered to be not worth experimenting with?

Save a fellow some cash. :)
 
I think it's mostly matching specific strings with a particular ukulele. Aquilas seem great on my mahogany ukuleles but the same Aquila strings sound 'thin' on the spruce top. Hilo strings sound great on the spruce top and 'dull' on the mahogany ukulele. Playing style matters a great deal. Strumming with the nail versus finger tip makes a big difference.

I'm not an expert on this and I only play baritones.
 
I don't hate them yet, but I'm becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Worth Clear low-G. I've replaced them, thinking that maybe Worth made a bad batch. I've played around with the tension, i.e. putting a tenor string on a concert and vice versa but they all sound the same. Dull.
 
jackwhale said:
I think it's mostly matching specific strings with a particular ukulele.
Click to expand...

I'm finding this to be true with my ukes, due to their construction (as in, it wouldn't make as much difference on a solid body as acoustic). My Boulder Creek sounded thin and weak with the Aquilas, but has more life now with the D'Addarios that I put on it. Conversely, my Recording King Resonator sounded okay with Aquila Nylguts, sounded too dark with the Kala Reds (the low G played a part too), and now is settling in with the more mellow Aquila Bionylons.
 
Two strings that I don't plan to buy again for my ukes are : Kamaka (D'Addario) black strings and Kala Reds.
Some folks love these strings but they did not get me the sound I wanted.

And yeah, no more Bionylons for me either.
 
LA BELLA - I tried a tenor set, and hated it. They have a wound 3rd (C), which felt quite barb-wirey, and the A string twanged because it was very thin..
 
Hate, is a word, too strong.
I don't hate particular string, I just choose to fit them with certain instruments.
 
Whatever comes stock on the Makala dolphin. I think they're a step below GHS. For a $35 uke I can understand why they don't come standard with good strings, though.
And I like Aquilas, but their wound strings tend to come apart really quickly so I don't like their low G sets at all. ):
 
I've had the same experience as haole with Aquilas Nylguts. One week of regular playing and the wound 3rd string is nearly worn through at the first four frets. I still like them when they're new.
 
GHS, I have yet to find a uke they sound good on! Martin Crystal Nylons were pretty awfull, but I love their Flourocabons on some ukes. I've also been unimpressed with most D'Addario uke strings, but really like their Pro Arte's. I haven't tried the new Kala Reds, but didn't care for the feel of the original ones. As most have said you need to try them all on several ukes since some don't sound good on one uke but do on another.
 
Not too sure if the strings are what people "hate". It seems that the challange is to get the strings to match your uke and your style of playing....that's the real challange. And when you get a combination that does not produce the sound you are looking for the most common response is "I hate those strings"! It's not the strings it is the match of the strings with the uke.
 
Gillian said:
I don't hate them yet, but I'm becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Worth Clear low-G. I've replaced them, thinking that maybe Worth made a bad batch. I've played around with the tension, i.e. putting a tenor string on a concert and vice versa but they all sound the same. Dull.
Click to expand...

Interesting - when I switched from Fremonts to Worth GM-LGs, I felt the same way - I absolutely could not understand what all the fuss was about how great Worths are. A few weeks later my opinion started to change, and now I like them quite a lot. I'm not sure what happened - maybe they need some time to settle in (unlike Martins, which seem fine from the start)?
 
Don't like the black GHS strings. They sound dead to me. Also not that impressed with the Martin strings either.

I normally use Worths or Aquillas.
 
Aquilas.
Any ukulele I buy that has them, I remove immediately. To me, they have a thick and thuddy sound. They are also hard on my fingers just as Augustines are on a classical guitar.
Ernest
 
I'd have to concur with the votes for Aquila - too brittle, painful and dull for my tastes.
 
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