"Brighter" strings than Aquilas?

armchair_spaceman

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Hi all,
recently acquired a Cole Clark Jack Tenor, it's wonderful plugged in but a little muted and slightly boomy unplugged with the stock Acquilas. Are there any strings that I might try that might be a bit brighter/punchier/clearer than the stock acquilas?
 
Hi all,
recently acquired a Cole Clark Jack Tenor, it's wonderful plugged in but a little muted and slightly boomy unplugged with the stock Acquilas. Are there any strings that I might try that might be a bit brighter/punchier/clearer than the stock acquilas?

if its my uke ill try the strings at hms.
 
Hi all,
recently acquired a Cole Clark Jack Tenor, it's wonderful plugged in but a little muted and slightly boomy unplugged with the stock Acquilas. Are there any strings that I might try that might be a bit brighter/punchier/clearer than the stock acquilas?

Almost any other string : any Fluorocarbon ( Worth, Fremont, Martin, Oasis, .... ) or Alohi or T2 or Savarez, or even Aquila red series.
 
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I think Savarez will fit your needs.
 
I'll 2nd Oasis strings. They brought my uke (formerly strung with Aquilas) to life! I was surprised by the difference in sound.
 
Thanks all for your replies to this (a little belated). As a footnote/follow up, I have tried a couple of different string sets since my OP and I think D'Addario T2s are where it's at with this uke.

The Cole Clark is all Aussie Blackwood and 'sturdily' built ( I believe it's to do with their "faceblend" pickup system). I tried some Galli Bionylons and a few fluorocarbons including Orca Black, Living Water (high and low G), Savarez and the T2s. The Galli were clearer than the Nylguts but lacked something, the Orcas, Living Water and Savarez...were all sweet and clear in the trebles with good sustain but they didn't seem to have enough grunt (power? force? mass? energy? I'm not a physicist so "grunt" will have to do :) ) to drive the mid and bass. The T2s sure do...they keep the crisp, clear high end but they also bring out a rich, complex blend of mid and bass tones that altogether I really like, without the dominant C-string boominess that I was getting with the Aquilas. And they're LOUD, which also pleases me. The Savarez were close but to my ears the T2s edge them out. I was beginning to think I had made a mistake with this uke but now I'm very happy with it with the T2s. I might try some others in due course, maybe the T2 in Low G, perhaps some Aquila reds in due course but no hurry, happy for now.

Thanks again all,
Stu.
 
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keep the crisp, clear high end but they also bring out a rich, complex blend of mid and bass tones

Hey Stu,

This is my first post but I want to say I do not work for any company and what follows is my opinion on the matter. Before you give up try one last company: Southcoast Ukes strings. Going off what you added last post in what you're looking for(because that's what I wanted) I'd recommend the re-entrant non wound Medium tension set model MU-NW. The Mediums still keep the crisp brighter highs but the heavier set drives the soundboard better for a louder and more rich mid & bottom end. They even offer "Soft" versions that warm up the sound even more if that's desirable.

Most string brands just use one material for all four strings and cut varying thicknesses from it, well this makes the tension incongruent comparing the 1st's tension to the 4th's. The best thing about Southcoast is they cut their strings from unique mixed materials for their sets, making an even balanced tension across all four strings. When you strum or pick, each string requires closer to the same amount of force then say one-cut Worth Medium fluorocarbons.

To date my string set of choice is Southcoast's Light-Medium Non-Wound reentrant set LMU-NW. I choose this set because on Koa it is still pretty loud compared with the Mediums which indeed are a step louder. But the sound, it really brightens out and focuses on the highs/trebles, and that's what drew me to 'ukulele. Happy Hawaiian Plinking.
 
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Thanks Dave for that tip, I'll put those on the list. I'm a relentless tinkerer so the "quest" probaby hasn't ended here.

No problem! I updated the post for more detail, accidentally hit submit too soon meheh. Let me know what you think of them. Aloha
 
You must live only a few km's from the Cole Clark factory. I visited the Cole Clark factory myself a few weeks ago and I think they are going to change a few things. Its the pickup under the top that just dampens the top too much. I think they are going to remove it. A Jack tenor without a pickup in it, is a much more lively instrument.

My opinion. The current Jack Tenor with factory pickups installed just isn't at its best unplugged. Actually, same for the Ukelady. Its much livelier without a pickup.

They were talking about removing the face sensor and going to bridge piezo only. This will be harsher sounding through an amp but it won't completely dampen the sound un-amplified as it currently does.

Anthony
 
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I'm using Aquila concerts on my sopranos, but want to experiment. How is the tension and volume of the D'Addario T2's compared to Aquilas?
 
You must live only a few km's from the Cole Clark factory. I visited the Cole Clark factory myself a few weeks ago and I think they are going to change a few things. Its the pickup under the top that just dampens the top too much. I think they are going to remove it. A Jack tenor without a pickup in it is much more lively instrument.

My opinion. The current Jack Tenor with factory pickups installed just isn't at its best unplugged. Actually, same for the Ukelady. Its much livelier without a pickup.

They were talking about removing the face sensor and going to bridge piezo only. This will be harsher sounding through an amp but it won't completely dampen the sound un-amplified as it currently does.

Anthony

Hi Anthony,
I believe you're right...I've had an opportunity to compare Ukelady variants with and without the pickup system and the difference is clear. I ended up choosing the Tenor not so much for the unplugged sound but for how it feels in my hands ( and I wasn't keen on the friction tuners on the Ukelady). There's a kind of warmth about the blackwood in the hand that I really like. I often practice at night so the relative quietness serves to mollify the family...and it sounds fantastic plugged in, which I do from time to time. The top looks relatively thick at the edges of the sound hole but feel around inside and you can feel where they've shaped/thinned it ("carved to fit" I think they call it). With the Aquilas it was bordering on muddy but the difference these new strings have made is chalk and cheese. It's so much cleaner and louder with the D'Addarios. Not quite as loud as the spruce-top Kala I had previously but getting up there.

Edit: Just for shiggles this afternoon I tuned it down half a step and noodled around with it for a while (too wet to mow the lawn eh? :) ) and it's sounding quite rich and full that way...interesting.

Stu



(Cole Clark are in Bayswater...about an hour from me, less with Eastlink)
 
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Bayswater / Bayside. It keeps confusing me. When I went to visit I thought the factory would be somewhere between the City and Frankston, but no, they're almost at Dandenong. I think they intend to thin the top of the Jack tenor a little to but its mostly the face sensor that dampens the sound.

Anthony
 
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I'm using Aquila concerts on my sopranos, but want to experiment. How is the tension and volume of the D'Addario T2's compared to Aquilas?

Rodney I'm no expert but I'd say the tension of the T2s is comparable to the stock Nylgut Aquilas, maybe a little less. The T2s are substantially louder and much clearer on my uke.
 
Edit: Just for shiggles this afternoon I tuned it down half a step and noodled around with it for a while (too wet to mow the lawn eh? :) ) and it's sounding quite rich and full that way...interesting.

Stu

Yes, I detune all my tenors. Tenors sound great detuned 2 semitones. I detune a couple of instruments 3 semitones but your starting to push it a little there. Historically tenors were all tuned lower than GCEA. Selecting gCEA on a tenor as "standard" tuning is just pandering to the lowest common denominator.

Anthony
 
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These are the Tenor tensions . . .
Code:
      T-2      Aquila
G     13.96     13.14
C     10.14     11.10
E      9.86     13.01                 
A     11.08     14.12


[/CODE]
 
And consider changing your saddle to Tusq for a brighter tone...
 
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