New Uke Day (at last)

Well finally the day has come, my new uke turned up after placing a order back in early October
I already have a tenor ( ohana) and a pocket uke (kala) and a cheap soprano (mahalo) which i bought for the wife (though she never plays it) so i fancied getting a solid soprano and i decoded on the Ohana SK35G.
I am very happy with it it sounds lovely and so loud for such a small uke, but that maybe due to the aquilla strings on it, which i am going to replace with either martins or worths , but i would appreciate any suggestions on strings from those with uke knowledge

It is a lovely looking uke, but that is insignificant to the sound it makes, but it does look nice, the only gripes i have is that where the neck joins the body the gloss is slightly suspect, but you really have to study it to notice and also, what i think is the biggest let down is the tuning pegs, I don't have a problem with the friction tuners just the that i hate the white plastic knobs i cant think of the correct jargon at the moment sorry lol, anyway i think the white plastic looks really cheap, black plastic would of looked so much better or even better still would of been a pearlescent finish that would of really capped it off, so in time and when i have asked the question on here i may replace them with pearlescent ones if it is easy to do.
anyway i am over the moon with the uke and it will starve off the UAS for a little while i hope, i am going to save now for my first custom build i aim to save for a di silva hopefully one day in my dreams or ii may look towards a Uk based luthier, but i must say Di Silva's look so damn good anyway happy strummin one and all, i am going to get my house chores done so i can get strumming have a great weekend all

Congrats on the new uke.

Why do you want to change the Aquilas? Aquila are IMHO the most professional manufacturer, and they make their own strings.

However, if you want a slightly quieter, cleaner sound, go for either Martin fluorocarbons or Worth. All fluoro carbons seem to sound pretty good though. I use Worth CM on my TK-35G and TK-35CG. These sound great and I use them more than any other ukes. I have nylon on my SK-35G, but that is for display purposes so that people can compare. I would not go for nylon.

Congrates on getting your new Uke, there's nothing like a new Uke day, I've had 7 off them. "My name is Leroy and I'm a Uke addict" I'll see you in theropy. Did you see the Mike D'silver Uke that James Hill played? I loved the way it curved onto the Top.

Congrats on the new ukulele !

thanks guys, yep it was swo good to finally get it, infact still have bad case of UAS so i went and shopped for a uke for my nephew today, it will be his first one, so have gone for a makala soprano, just in case he doesnt take to it, i didnt wanna spend loads but being back in the uke shops well it doesnt do the UAS much good.
Ken according to some threads on here , some people are of the opinion that aquila are not best suited for solid bodied ukes, now as i am new to the uke and not musiclally gifted, i like to experiment and try things out aqnd hopefully learn from trying so i thought i would try some different strings, i got some martins fluros earlier will try them soon, but boy i love the uke and always good to hear from you ken, anyway have a great weekend all and keep on strummin

Congrats on the new uke.

ukuleledaveey said:

Ken according to some threads on here , some people are of the opinion that aquila are not best suited for solid bodied ukes ...

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That's rubbish. Aquila are probably the best strings you can buy. As I said before, they actually make them themselves (and for some other well-known companies). I'm afraid some brands are just fishing line and all the owner does is buy a bunch of it, cut it up and put it into packets. Nothing wrong with high quality fishing line though - some tops players and makers use it.

Having said that, Aquilas do make a very loud, full sound and on a solid instrument that resonates well, like the one you have just bought, it can be a bit over-powering. Remember though, the tone you get is mainly produced by the player, not the strings.

Ken Middleton said:

That's rubbish. Aquila are probably the best strings you can buy. As I said before, they actually make them themselves (and for some other well-known companies). I'm afraid some brands are just fishing line and all the owner does is buy a bunch of it, cut it up and put it into packets. Nothing wrong with high quality fishing line though - some tops players and makers use it.

Having said that, Aquilas do make a very loud, full sound and on a solid instrument that resonates well, like the one you have just bought, it can be a bit over-powering. Remember though, the tone you get is mainly produced by the player, not the strings.

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I really appreciate that different, high-quality strings can transform the sound of an ukulele. It is not ordinarily, in my case, that a particular choice is better or worse. And, this isn't even a matter of matching a string to an individual instrument. Aquila and Worth strings sound radically different to me. I like both. Unfortunately, I can be fickle, or maybe just attentive; when I have been playing one brand for a while, I start to miss the qualities of the other. Wouldn't it be great if I could flip a switch and go back and forth between the two?

I recently replaced the Aquilas on my Ohana Vita Uke (CKP-70) with Worth Clear Tenor strings. I wanted to see how the Worth Fluorocarbons would sound on the Vita, and I only had the Tenor set, so...

I have been very pleased. The sound - which was very nice to begin with - is even richer, still quite loud, and oddly enough both appropriately plinky and more mellow at the same time.

I haven't tried the New formula Nyglut stings yet, but I'm told that they don't get as squeaky as the old style can get.

I may have to get an Ohana Concert size one of these days, just to compare the sounds - it would be nice of one of the local stores would carry the brand (and I'm lobbying for it, often!)

Hey Dave, congrats on the great uke choice mate and merry christmas to you and yours from us here in Tassie....look forward to you getting back to Oz one day soon, eh!

as far as the strings go I'm a bit with hmgberg...I love my worths I must confess and tend to use them pretty much always, with a couple of notable exceptions...I have owned 2 Collings ukes that, for some reason, just love aquilas and I go with them on those. Whatever you use brother, just enjoy the heck out of that new Ohana and play it into sawdust!!!

In general I like Worth strings - but Aquila makes a quality product. I have an inexpensive solid mahogany uke. I put Worths on it as a matter of routine and they sounded awful. I figured it was because it was a cheap uke. On a whim I put on some of the new Nylguts (Aquila). The uke sings beautifully now!

I think each instrument has its best strings, and while you can generalize as to what you like sometimes it really pays off to be open-minded and willing to try new combinations.

cheers all yeah hopedfully one day eugene i hope to get back to sunny old perth, only lived there 5 and a half years but im struggfling with the uk weather this winter even though i spent 30 plus yeaers here lol, i even call oz home now lol.

Regards to the strings i am open minded and just wish to experiment maybe i will leave the aquila's on until they wear out, i think i may have to loosen them and put them on again as they are all crossed over on the tuning pegs and there is little loops but its not a big issue, just a case of slackening them off i think. well i certainly love the uke i havent put her down and friday i will be playing on a local radio stations breakfast show with the local group i belong to, anyway thanks all for your kind words

I'm with Ken on Aquilas. Right now ATM, none of my ukes have them on, but that's just because I have sets of go-to strings, and Aquila is just now out of the rotation. They'll revolve back around. I think they get a bad rep from the forums, and newer players come in and think that Aquilas aren't good... and that's not what we mean. We just mean there are other strings to try also, and that you'll probably work your way back to Aquilas in your own rotations.

When I want to put the Kanile'a back in high g, after I try out Southcoast, Aquila is going to be the next and original candidate. Koa and nylgut are a great combo (unless it's a Koaloha...).

On my Sk38, a relative of your new Ohana, I'm lovin' the Martin Fluorocarbons!


*Note - With my last uke purchases, the Aquilas that came stock were not very good. It was the same problem with the Sk38, the Sailor Brand, and the Kala Mighty Uke. The strings felt and sounded like cheap nylon. They were bouncy, the intonation was horrible.. they just only looked like Aquilas. I could go out and buy some Aquilas, and they'd be fine. I don't know what was up with those, but IF your Aquilas that came with the uke sound weird, buy new ones.

cheers plainsong
yes I think you have hit the nail on the head, I probably didn't write in the right way, but yes I got the consensus that it is good to experiment with different brands of string and that is what I hope to do,it is all about finding personal preference, I bought some martin fluro carbons so will give them a go and maybe try some worths next, I guess I miss understood what more experienced players were discussing anyway cheers for the advice

Congrats on the Ohana, Davey!

I only have one piece of ukulele string advice: Don't change your strings too soon. If those Aquilas sound good to you, go ahead and wear them out. Then if you'd like to try something new---flourocarbon and nylon are both great alternatives---do it. Be sure to wear out the new set as well.

Strings do make a difference, so it's tempting to change them whenever you get curious. I prefer to stick with one set for a while. It's worth it (both monetarily and muscially) to get all the life and sound out you can out of every set of strings. You'll find that some sets don't even sound/feel their best for a month or so. It's worth it to get to that point with every set before moving on to the next.

Again, congrats and have fun!

Aquilas are very good strings. I use 'em on my Collings mahogany (as good a uke as you're going to get anywhere) and they sound awesome, the strings tend to be bright but my uke is a dark sounding instrument. I think they sound awesome together.

Some people think Aquilas sound brash but it's all personal preference. The only rule is that there are no rules.