Strings for Pono Pro Classic

I am about to get a PONO Pro Classic Tenor Acacia.

I would like to know which brand strings tend to match up well with THAT PARTICULAR Uke. (Worth Clear, D'addario, Aquilla etc.)

Thanks for your help

It will come with koolau strings likely...worths are good as are aquilas...but not sure how soft aquilas last compared to worths...anyone try those water strings out on a Pono?

dmecha1012 said:

... I would like to know which brand strings tend to match up well with THAT PARTICULAR Uke ...

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I seem to be pretty much alone in this view, but I don't think it works that way. In my opinion, strings actually match up with the person, NOT the particular uke. In other words, if you like a certain brand of string, it will work well on pretty much everything.

About 6 years ago, I was one of the people who was saying that certain woods work well with certain strings. I certainly believed that to be the case then. Since then I have played thousands of ukes and have changed my mind. In other words, I think I was completely wrong. And this myth that Aquila strings will bring a cheap uke to life is really nonsense. It is just that a cheap uke often has rubbish strings on it and Aquilas are much better quality.

Anyway, that's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

@Ken Middleton - I guess I have to respectfully be the oddball (something I'm good at) and disagree pretty thoroughly.

When I played guitar I pretty much felt as you describe - I'd found some strings that worked on my acoustics and was good with that - likewise, I'd found another brand that I liked on my electrics and was good with that.

Ukes seem to be another matter entirely - perhaps because the short scales and small bodies make minor changes more noticeable, I don't know. What I do know is that I've not come close to finding a string set or brand that does it for me on all ukes, or even necessarily on all ukes of a particular type. In fact, the more I experiment with strings the more diverse my "favorites" become.

If I could never, ever have any other string but one type I would probably choose very heavy gage clear fluorocarbon (gages the same as what are in a Worth CH set) as they have worked reasonably well for me on everything from soprano to tenor. However, that would leave me very sad because several of my ukes would not get played much thereafter.

I could go through a rather boring litany of strings I've tried and liked on different ukes, but I'll keep it short and summarize - I've tried between three and five different types of strings on probably every uke I own (and not necessarily the same five types - if we talked total types it's probably be 9 or 10). I'm currently running five different types of strings as "best" on my different ukes - and that number would be six if I could find the old Aquila NylGut in concert size.

So, yeah, SAS big time, here.

John

Haha. I knew you wouldn't agree with me, John.

One day we'll maybe meet up and chew the fat on the subject of uke strings. May get to Texas next year (I know it's a big place though).

My Pono MT-PC came tuned to low G with two wound strings. Didn't care for the sound or the tension of the strings. Recently changed back to standard tuning ( high G) with Worth clears. It''s easier to play but I'm still looking for another string mfg. I may try Southcoast? Spoke with HMS and they said the Pono's are high tension uke's. My question to the forum is are all better/ more expensive uke's built this way?

I have a Pono Pro Classic Acacia Tenor with Cedar Top, and I've tried 2 sets of strings so far. The D'addario J71 set and most recenty Ken's Living Water Strings (both reentrant tuning). I found the J71s very, very nice, but as a novice somewhat "hard" for my tender fingers. I love the tone, but they seemed less "malleable", so to speak, and much stiffer than the Aquilas I have on my Kala. I had heard such wonderful things about Ken's Living Waters that I ordered a set and have been happily playing them since. I THINK they're a bit smaller in diameter than the J71s (that could be my imagination) so I do, once in a while, get a slight buzz...but that's probably just my novice technique. They do feel "softer" (less tension?) than the J71s, but again it's difficult to judge. As for the tone, the Living Water strings have a beautiful, crystal "chime" like quality that's hard to describe. I have found that they are taking a bit more time to settle than most have suggested, but I tune carefully with a Peterson Stroboclip before I practice, and then correct by ear during my sessions, and they hold tune just fine. I really think I prefer the Living Water strings to the J71s on the Pono, but I've not tried any others. I WAS thinking about trying some Titanium T2s (D'addario)....we'll see how it goes. I'm really not looking forward to giving up my Living Water strings.....

BTW, thanks Ken for some wonderfully playable and beautiful sounding strings. I'm sure I'll be ordering more.

Hope this helps!

Karasu said:

I have a Pono Pro Classic Acacia Tenor with Cedar Top, and I've tried 2 sets of strings so far. The D'addario J71 set and most recenty Ken's Living Water Strings (both reentrant tuning). I found the J71s very, very nice, but as a novice somewhat "hard" for my tender fingers. I love the tone, but they seemed less "malleable", so to speak, and much stiffer than the Aquilas I have on my Kala. I had heard such wonderful things about Ken's Living Waters that I ordered a set and have been happily playing them since. I THINK they're a bit smaller in diameter than the J71s (that could be my imagination) so I do, once in a while, get a slight buzz...but that's probably just my novice technique. They do feel "softer" (less tension?) than the J71s, but again it's difficult to judge. As for the tone, the Living Water strings have a beautiful, crystal "chime" like quality that's hard to describe. I have found that they are taking a bit more time to settle than most have suggested, but I tune carefully with a Peterson Stroboclip before I practice, and then correct by ear during my sessions, and they hold tune just fine. I really think I prefer the Living Water strings to the J71s on the Pono, but I've not tried any others. I WAS thinking about trying some Titanium T2s (D'addario)....we'll see how it goes. I'm really not looking forward to giving up my Living Water strings.....

BTW, thanks Ken for some wonderfully playable and beautiful sounding strings. I'm sure I'll be ordering more.

Hope this helps!

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I am not 100% sure,,but I thought the Ko'olau Strings are made now by D'addario..

if you get a chance try the New Oasis Strings..the tenor ones should be coming out soon..they make my K brand ukes sound more clear and the highs are cleaner

i am a string junkie and it to me the Oasis strings feel way better than most of the strings I have tried..they are soft but firm
right now I am looking for strings that feel good on my fingers..

Ken Middleton said:

Haha. I knew you wouldn't agree with me, John.

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I do agree with you on a lot of stuff, though - I don't manually stretch my strings any more, thanks to you, so I do listen sometimes...

One day we'll maybe meet up and chew the fat on the subject of uke strings. May get to Texas next year (I know it's a big place though).

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That would be really cool. If you are going to be pretty much any place in the state over a weekend then with enough warning I should be able to make it there. Only possible exception might be all the way over at the southwestern edge - but there ain't no reason for nobody to be over there anyhow.

John

How do the Living Water strings compare to Aquilas/Kamaka/Worth/Ko'olau/D'addario/Oasis on the same instrument?

I have Kamakas on my Kamakas...Worth Browns on my KoAloha...and Aquilas on My K1-TP...I had HMS install Worth Clears on my Dad's Pono MT-Dx...my kid's Pono MS has Ko'olaus...just not familiar with the LWs...

I read your post Kanaka916...excellent <in all caps!> but I do not want to get in trouble.

I just wanted to know what people thought about LWs on the same ukulele...having not tested them out ...yet!

thanks for your other post.

If your Pono is coming with Ko'olau strings, you may like those. I'd give them a good long chance before changing them out.

dmecha1012 said:

I am about to get a PONO Pro Classic Tenor Acacia.

I would like to know which brand strings tend to match up well with THAT PARTICULAR Uke. (Worth Clear, D'addario, Aquilla etc.)

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Your "Ears", can only answer that question...

I think Ken probably knows I dont share his view either. Whilst I have a couple of brands that I regularly use more than others, I dont find I like them on certain instruments.

But that really is the best point to make to the OP - the decision on strings is not something anyone else can help you with. The best strings on your Pono are the ones that sound and feel best to you as a player.