Savavez strings & low g completely change a uke!

Doc_J

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
4,707
Reaction score
319
Location
McDonough, GA
Savarez strings & low g completely change a uke!

Picked up a Kepasa Gypsy Rose tenor (Spruce top and Rosewood) a little while ago. It came with SouthCoast Mediums, re-entrant (one of my favorite strings). Now, I do not know the age of these strings, the uke is only a year old and it didn’t come them. But the strings intonated well, so I left them on.

Well, I tried to love it but I couldn’t with the strings that were on it.
Here is what the uke sounded like with the unknown age SouthCoast Mediums (reentrant):
https://www.box.com/s/dmjkuyw59r12usqcn0at

Well I decided to change the strings at least once. So, I put on Savarez strings, but I this time I went with Low g. (Thee formulation I used: Savarez Aliance 541-R, 542-R, and 543-R, for the A, E, and C strings and Savarez Corum 504R for low g.)
Very balanced across the strings, even the g.

Here’s what the uke sounds like with the Savarez strings (low g) on for 1 hour:
https://www.box.com/s/qbq01v50attj489ep5lr


Sounds like a completely different uke, doesn’t it?

I think the low-g and the Savarez strings made a big difference.
There really are some ukes that sound better in low-g, this I believe is one of them. This uke’s a keeper. The Savarez are staying on it.

attachment.php
 
Last edited:
I'm not a low-g player, but I couldn't agree more about the Savarez strings. I've got them on a couple of m ukes now and love them. I always had preferred Worth Clear or Southcoast, but I am slowly converting to Savarez. Great strings!

-Steve
 
Are those with the nylon wound on nylon treble 3 strings? That's what I use on my Compass Rose...incredibly even tonal response from string to string, and amazingly long life on the trebles. I've replaced the silver plated copper wound low G, but kept the trebles, and this is with months of fairly steady playing.
 
I used that exact Savarez string on my ukes for a couple of years. It's a good setup. Lately I've replaced the plain strings with Worths but have kept the Corum low G. I've got some of the new South Coast linear strings that sound promising that I'll be trying next.
 
I really like those. I wonder how the Savarez would sound on a baritone. Does anyone know if these same string gauges work for baritone?
 
Hey Doc, it's true that Savarez strings do change a lot the sound.....the only thing I don,t like about them is that they are just too thin for my taste....I prefer the Oasis fluoros that have all the qualities tonewise of the Svarez but just a little but thicker.....but it's totally a personal taste!!!! By the way, the Kepasa looks awesome!!!!!!!!


https://soundcloud.com/baouke/star-filante-by-caro-bao
 
Hey Doc, it's true that Savarez strings do change a lot the sound.....the only thing I don,t like about them is that they are just too thin for my taste....I prefer the Oasis fluoros that have all the qualities tonewise of the Svarez but just a little but thicker.....but it's totally a personal taste!!!! By the way, the Kepasa looks awesome!!!!!!!!


https://soundcloud.com/baouke/star-filante-by-caro-bao

Thanks Bao. Do you use the first 4 strings of an Oasis GPX Carbon normal tension set, or something else?
I heard Oasis will soon sell a tenor set.
 
Last edited:
Hey Doc, it's true that Savarez strings do change a lot the sound.....the only thing I don,t like about them is that they are just too thin for my taste....I prefer the Oasis fluoros that have all the qualities tonewise of the Svarez but just a little but thicker.....but it's totally a personal taste!!!! By the way, the Kepasa looks awesome!!!!!!!!


https://soundcloud.com/baouke/star-filante-by-caro-bao

Are the Oasis available for tenors now?

EDIT: You beat me by a minute Doc! I'm waiting for the tenors to come out as well but I wonder if they will be any different than the extensive (and somewhat confusing) lineup offered by Worth.
 
Last edited:
Aloha Bruddah Chuckie,
Len and I are testing the Oasis tenor strings...they are not out already..but you can send Dave a PM and ask for some test tenor strings:)
 
Here are the trebles I'm using, 520p1:

http://www.savarez.fr/compo520p1.html

They squeak a bit at first, but playing them smooths the tops of the string out, and they last for months and months.

Thanks Rick for Savarez treble set number. (I read the treble strings as 511R, 528R, 529R)

Is there any problem using those on some tenors since they are listed as high tension?
Even the Savarez normal tension strings have a slight bit higher tension than regular tenor ukulele strings.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info Rick . . . Savarez 520P1 BTW, what would you recommend for a low g? Or use the D on that set?

Plastic wound trebles on nylon multifilament

Additional choice of tones and acoustics. They are particularly appreciated by Flamenco players. They can be used together or coupled with plain nylon strings.
Savarez proposes 3 sets red card including plastic wound strings :

- 520P1 set : MI-E-1, SI-B-2, SOL-G-3 plastic wound
- 520P set : SI-B-2 and SOL-G-3 plastic wound
- 520P3 set : SOL-G-3 plastic wound
 
Last edited:
Here are the trebles I'm using, 520p1:

http://www.savarez.fr/compo520p1.html

They squeak a bit at first, but playing them smooths the tops of the string out, and they last for months and months.

Intriguing! I have been playing the same set of nylon wound Guadalupe trebles through 3 different sets of metal wound G . They do last forever. Gotta try these Savarez Nylon Wounds 520p1's now. Nice to know there is another option.
 
Top Bottom