Aquila "old" Nylgut vs. New Nylgut

janeray1940

janeray1940

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So after doing a bit of string soul-searching, I've concluded that "old" Nylgut is my preference - but I'm confused about something. Are these strings still being manufactured, or is it a matter of once they're gone, they're gone?

My local shop ONLY has the new... I've found a couple of folks on eBay selling the old, but I've also ordered the old based on the picture in the listing and been sent the new. I've found other online retailers who have the new only, which is making me think that the old is completely out of the picture.

Anybody got the lowdown on this? Because if my suspicions are correct, I think I need to start buying up all the "old" Nylguts and hoarding them! Figured one of the retailers on UU might know the story.

Thanks, as always.
 
I'm in total agreement with the old style Aquilas. No comparrison between the new and old IMO. Reds are just as bad, especially for baritones. Guages are too thin and strings too fragile.

Like you, I have ordered sets based on the photos and received the "new" Nylguts. Drove me nuts and have let various stores know that their photos show the wrong stringset. Not one has bothered to change the photo.

I had contacted Aquila asking if the "old" style" was still available; after several attempts, I received a rather curt reply from someone other than Mimmo saying they were discontinued. So the answer is no more "old". Good luck finding the old, I've spent literally days searching them out. All stores said yes they have them and after checking to make sure they are right, comeback and tell me they are new improved New Nylguts. Ha! hate the New Nylguts, just no comparrison.
 
Yeah...I've never been a big fan of Nylgut strings on really nice ukes but I really liked having them for the inexpensive laminated ukes I got the grandkids and such. They were very consistent quality and, most importantly, they really put some life into some pretty dead ukes.

Unfortunately, the last three or four times I've ordered "NylGuts" based on the pictures I've gotten new NylGuts and I'm not very happy with them. I've finally pretty much given up on the brand, which is a shame because, like I said, for some things they just didn't have any match out there.

John
 
Thanks, Patrick and John. I was afraid of that. Maybe Mimmo will take notice of this thread and this can turn out like the "New Coke" reformulation story back in the 1980s - if enough of us demand the old, perhaps they will come back :)

Patrick Madsen said:
I'm in total agreement with the old style Aquilas. No comparrison between the new and old IMO. Reds are just as bad, especially for baritones. Guages are too thin and strings too fragile..
Click to expand...

I did try the Reds on my mahogany soprano and I liked the sound better than the "new" Nylguts, but couldn't get used to the feeling of the strings. Might give it another go but it was just too... distracting.

Patrick Madsen said:
Like you, I have ordered sets based on the photos and received the "new" Nylguts. Drove me nuts and have let various stores know that their photos show the wrong stringset. Not one has bothered to change the photo.
Click to expand...

I've got three sets on the way to me from an eBay seller who swore they were the old ones. We'll see.

Patrick Madsen said:
Ha! hate the New Nylguts, just no comparrison.
Click to expand...

I'm okay with how they sound - just not how they feel. The feel reminds me of the cheap black GHS strings that a lot of factory ukes come with - just not really pleasant to play.

OldePhart said:
Yeah...I've never been a big fan of Nylgut strings on really nice ukes but I really liked having them for the inexpensive laminated ukes I got the grandkids and such. They were very consistent quality and, most importantly, they really put some life into some pretty dead ukes.
Click to expand...

In the past I didn't care for them on nice ukes either - they were great on the Ohanas and Dolphins that I gave to friends, but I didn't care for them on my Kamakas... until I tried them last week on my Kamaka pineapple. And to my great surprise, I LOVE them on that uke.

Anyway - if the eBay seller I mentioned above turns out to be telling the truth that they are the "old" Nylguts, I'll follow up with his info because I think he has listings for other sizes besides soprano. Here's hoping...
 
I'm not sure how many "new" Nylgut versions have been released. However, if the new you are referring to are form the 2009/2010 time frame then the difference has to do with string tension and stiffness. The old ones (2007) were not very flexible, but they were good where a higher tension was desirable. I believe that they lasted a long time and probably had more volume.

On a longer scale they were super tough on the fingers. On 18 inch scale tenors, they were unbearable. The newer ones (2010) were more flexible and easier to play. I would think the advances improvements in fluorocarbon had an influence. The 2010 version was still very bright.

If there is yet another "new" Nylgut, I don't know the differences any recent changes. I have used the red series and for some ukes they are an improvement and others not so much.

John
 
I wrote a review of the New formula Nylguts when they first were available. Mimmo sent me a case of them. The differences come down to this:

The new formula stretches less. The coating is different and they don't squeak as much as the old formula. The age about the same way. They do feel slicker on the uke, hence, the no-squeak difference. I prefer the new to the old for these reasons.

In regard to what I use, personally, I like Martin fluorocarbons and Living Water Strings (thanks Ken). Both of these are excellent.
 
UkeKiddinMe said:
Can more of you describe the differences you are perceiving between the old Nylguts and the new ones?

I am only familiar with the new Nylguts, which I like.

What was *better* about the older formulation? Thanks.
Click to expand...

The old ones seemed a bit higher tension (I don't notice tension a lot - I play guitar and bass so even extra heavy gage nylon strings are pretty wimpy to me), but the sound was what I liked. They had a lot of volume and kind of a "brash" tone but on a really dead uke I'd rather have that brashness than the dullness you so often get with other strings.

The other thing that impressed me about them was that they really intonated quite well up the neck on just about every uke I tried them on. I can't say if the same is true of the new NylGut because I haven't left any on a uke long enough to worry that much about intonation.

John
 
OldePhart said:
The other thing that impressed me about them was that they really intonated quite well up the neck on just about every uke I tried them on. I can't say if the same is true of the new NylGut because I haven't left any on a uke long enough to worry that much about intonation.
John
Click to expand...
Tried a set of Wound C & G (39U?)low G new Nylguts on a Kanilea tenor, and the intonation on both the A and the E string was way off. Even I could tell... I ditched those two for guadalupes and kept the wounds, thereby stumbling on my current magic formula. So love/hate.
 
Old were a wider guage string than the new and had a completly diferent feel to them. Also a higher tension. Boy, I hope I don't feel the same about the new Southcoast linear wound Dirk is replacing the ML-RW's with.
 
70sSanO said:
I'm not sure how many "new" Nylgut versions have been released. However, if the new you are referring to are form the 2009/2010 time frame then the difference has to do with string tension and stiffness. The old ones (2007) were not very flexible, but they were good where a higher tension was desirable. I believe that they lasted a long time and probably had more volume.

On a longer scale they were super tough on the fingers. On 18 inch scale tenors, they were unbearable. The newer ones (2010) were more flexible and easier to play. I would think the advances improvements in fluorocarbon had an influence. The 2010 version was still very bright.

If there is yet another "new" Nylgut, I don't know the differences any recent changes. I have used the red series and for some ukes they are an improvement and others not so much.

John
Click to expand...

OldePhart said:
The old ones seemed a bit higher tension (I don't notice tension a lot - I play guitar and bass so even extra heavy gage nylon strings are pretty wimpy to me), but the sound was what I liked. They had a lot of volume and kind of a "brash" tone but on a really dead uke I'd rather have that brashness than the dullness you so often get with other strings.

The other thing that impressed me about them was that they really intonated quite well up the neck on just about every uke I tried them on. I can't say if the same is true of the new NylGut because I haven't left any on a uke long enough to worry that much about intonation.

John
Click to expand...

Patrick Madsen said:
Old were a wider guage string than the new and had a completly diferent feel to them. Also a higher tension. Boy, I hope I don't feel the same about the new Southcoast linear wound Dirk is replacing the ML-RW's with.
Click to expand...

By "old", I am referring to what was obtainable in 2010 or so - until a couple weeks ago, I hadn't used Aquilas since then. The ones that come in a sort of cream-colored envelope.

What's interesting to me here are the comments about the old ones being higher tension - I play soprano, and I know most of you who have posted here play longer scale instruments. To me, the "old" Nylguts actually seem *lower* tension. They are super soft on my fingers and they bend really easily, which was not something I liked as a novice player and was the reason I stopped using them circa 2010 - before I had the skills I have now, I felt that I unintentionally bent notes all the time on those soft bendy strings! Now though I'm finding that is no longer a problem; moreover, a few techniques that still elude me - slides, hammer-ons, and bending notes - are so much easier on the old Nylguts. On the new ones - not so much.

Also - on a soprano, the new Nylguts seem to lack the volume that the old ones have.
 
Yep, cream colored envelope is what I've been looking for. If you find a shop that has them, would you ask if they have any left in baritone. I'll do the same for your soprano size.
 
Patrick Madsen said:
Yep, cream colored envelope is what I've been looking for. If you find a shop that has them, would you ask if they have any left in baritone. I'll do the same for your soprano size.
Click to expand...

Thanks and will do. So far, no luck... it happened again, they swore they were the old ones and sent me the new. I think the majority of eBay sellers are just lazy and haven't updated the photos in their listings... going to check with a few more.
 
Pippin said:
I wrote a review of the New formula Nylguts when they first were available. Mimmo sent me a case of them. The differences come down to this:

The new formula stretches less. The coating is different and they don't squeak as much as the old formula. The age about the same way. They do feel slicker on the uke, hence, the no-squeak difference. I prefer the new to the old for these reasons.

In regard to what I use, personally, I like Martin fluorocarbons and Living Water Strings (thanks Ken). Both of these are excellent.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I was not aware that a new version was available. I wonder how the Daddario string collaboration with Aquila sounds. I have a set, but haven't installed them yet. If those address have the Aquila tone, but without the squeak, and with greater ease of bending, I think it might be the ideal gut-like string.
 
experimentjon said:
Interesting. I was not aware that a new version was available. I wonder how the Daddario string collaboration with Aquila sounds. I have a set, but haven't installed them yet. If those address have the Aquila tone, but without the squeak, and with greater ease of bending, I think it might be the ideal gut-like string.
Click to expand...

Are those the D'Addario Nyltechs? I was just about to add some to my Amazon cart but wasn't sure...
 
An update for anyone looking for the old Aquilas - eBay seller Austin Bazaar tells me that they have both in stock - however, they can't guarantee whether they will ship the old ones, or the new ones, as they all have the same UPC code. The woman who responded did tell me that if you email them right after checking out and request the OLD strings, she will try to make sure that that is what ships out. I haven't tried it yet but will report back when I do.
 
This reminds me of a certain Seinfeld episode where Elaine stocks up on something after it went off the market.

You folks Do know that, even if you manage to get some of the old strings after jumping through those hoops, this road has a dead end? :)
 
UkeKiddinMe said:
This reminds me of a certain Seinfeld episode where Elaine stocks up on something after it went off the market.

You folks Do know that, even if you manage to get some of the old strings after jumping through those hoops, this road has a dead end? :)
Click to expand...

Yup :) I know, I know... That's why I'm trying other options (the aforementioned D'Addarios, for instance)... but I'd like to have a set or two on hand just the same.
 
The new strings are dated. The old ones are not. Do I miss where it was stated if it is strings for sop-con-ten-bar?
When that is known I can check my inventory.
 
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