Poll: Your favorite BLACK strings

Favorite Black Strings?


  • Total voters
    38

Jimmpannzee

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I recently bought my first new ukulele, the Makala Dolphin in yellow :) Looks incredibly happy and fun; however, as with any new instrument it's vital to properly set up your instrument (adjusting action at the saddle, nut, fret filing. etc.) I'm at the point where I'm deciding which strings would be best. Now I prefer aesthetic with a combination of good tone; therefore I'm STRICTLY looking for BLACK strings (The black just complements the yellow dolphin too well XD). That automatically disregards Aquila and Worth strings I've heard so much about, so don't recommend those to me unless they happen to release black strings haha. No offense to any of them string lovers!

I replaced the stock strings with D'Addario's J53 Black Nylon strings for a mere 5 bucks on Amazon. They're an improvement from the stock strings with better tone and feel, but I'm wondering if there's anything better out there. I want something that had volume and great tone for strumming and occasional finger picking. The Fremont Blackline Hard have also caught my eye. I'll eventually try them all out, but I want to have a sense of direction and not waste money on brands not worth buying (no pun intended lolol).

My question is, which do you think is the best black ukulele strings out there for the soprano? Which are the ones to avoid? Pro and cons of each? Thanks :)
 
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Of those options, I definitely prefer the Fremonts. I know they aren't black, but the brown Worths look similar if you decide you don't like any of these choices.
 
I agree the freemonts and worth bms are VERY similar.
 
All the strings you listed are nice. Just try another brand when your D'Addarios wear out. And don't forget Kamaka makes black strings, too.
 
I voted Fremont, they are my favorites, but honestly, they are the only ones of the strings on your poll that I have tried.
 
I dig the Fremont Blacklines a lot. But I also have been very pleasantly impressed with the Orcas fluoros.

I haven't yet tried the D'Addario, GHS or Hilo, but doubt I will because I am of the opinion that fluoros sound better on my uke than nylon.
 
Orcas, sound and feel very close to the Worth browns.
I put a set on a Dolphin and was really impressed.
 
Orcas are worth trying esp. on soprano and concert lighter builds. More expensive than Hilo, for example, but much better balanced sound.
 
Don't rule out Worth browns just because they're brown. In most light, they look black.

That said, I love Blacklines. They can be a bit tricky to find at times. At least for me...
 
Not a huge fan of the Blacklines myself. I liked the feel of them, but the sound was dull, especially when fingerpicking.
 
Thanks for your input and awesome replies guys! I'll probably try out the Fremont Black Lines first. Pro and con of Medium vs Hard tension?-Which has more volume and tone? I see that eBay, UkuRepublic,and Elderly sell them, but what's the best place to buy with the fastest shipping? (I'm an impatient guy haha) Thank you also for bringing up Orcas. I'll add that to my list to try out, but is there any other place where I can buy them besides elderly and in different tensions?
 
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