How long should I give new strings....

...before I decide whether or not I like the sound? Do they "open up" like the uke itself? Is there anything happening as they settle in and finally start staying in tune? The new ones have been on for a few days now and I'm just not connecting with the sound. Less warmth, less sustain than I like.

I had Southcoast Mediums on my Mainland mahogany concert and really liked them, but they were getting long in the tooth and showing marks at the frets. I had some Ko'olau Golds and Martin M600s here to choose from and went with the Golds. Folks sing praises of both so decided to try nylon vs. fluoro, and for lack of any other deciding factor, they're gold.

Should I pull the plug now or give them some time?

I have found that three or four days is usually plenty of time for strings to settle enough to get an idea of their true sound. Of course it depends on how much you play the uke in that time. And some strings will settle faster than others.

I like the Gold (I know! They're gold! Or as I call them, "snazzy yellow."), but I find they take a few days to settle in. I do as Ken Middleton suggests and don't stretch them; I just them stretch on their own. As I said, I like them, but that does not mean they're right for everybody, or every 'uke. I personally would give them four or five days, maybe even a week, unless you are pretty sure you hate them.

To my ears, most string sets don't sound their best for at least two weeks, sometimes a month. That said, if my ears don't like a set at all---that's only happened a couple times---I have a tough time keeping that set on a uke for more than a week or so.

Ko'olau Gold strings take the longest time to hold tune and to get their best sound of any strings I've tried---give a Gold set at least two weeks of daily play, then let your ears judge away. Ko'olau Gold strings sound and feel terrific to me both on my pineapple soprano uke (a Kiwaya KS-0P) and on my baritone uke (a Mele double hole mahogany baritone).

Given as much as I dislike changing strings, I usually just leave them on until I decide it's time for another change.

One exception was the Worth Browns I put on my bari. They were too floppy and came off after only a few days. I decided I like a bari better with two wounds. And this coming from someone who loves Worth Browns and dislikes any wounds on a tenor.

But it's up to you. I'd say a few days for break-in, then a few more for playing, so at least a week.

TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:

Ko'olau Gold strings take the longest time to hold tune and to get their best sound of any strings I've tried---give a Gold set at least two weeks of daily play, then let your ears judge away.

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I agree with this. They do take longer than other strings. Two weeks is not a bad idea (and Ralf is way better than I, so take his word over mine!). Right now in the hot weather they seem to go sharp a bit, and I've had them on for a while, but once in tune they stay pretty well. I like the sound (on my mango soprano) and feel enough to deal with the tuning. And, you know, snazzy yellow and all that.

Aloha Jim,
to me with strings, it's tone, comfort and playability...every uke will react different to different strings....some strings need more time to break in such as Aquila and others
there is a grey are on personal preference tooo.... whether your uke ssounds too bright or lacks it.. and the same with warmth and richness.. you try to compensate with them
also tunings...if you are not into altered tunings....give them a week, and be patient... for me I am not patient and probally know because I tried so many strings so a few days for me.
I see you like richer sound and thicker strings from your choices...have you tried the koolau alohis yet or oasis?

ukuLily Mars said:

I agree with this. They do take longer than other strings. Two weeks is not a bad idea (and Ralf is way better than I, so take his word over mine!). Right now in the hot weather they seem to go sharp a bit, and I've had them on for a while, but once in tune they stay pretty well. I like the sound (on my mango soprano) and feel enough to deal with the tuning. And, you know, snazzy yellow and all that.

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Ko'Olau Gold strings are temperature sensitive and they will go sharp as you begin to play them. I find that if you tune, play a couple of songs, and tune again, you will be good for a set. If I am going to be going on stage for an open mike or something I will actually rub my hands up and down the strings while I am waiting so the strings stay warm and tuning doesn't change.

They are not a good choice for an outdoor festival in changing weather conditions (I intended to use my tenor with Golds at UWC this year and it ended up spending most of the time in the case and I played the Kiwaya with fluorocarbon strings because keeping the Golds tuned was just too much trouble).

They are absolutely lovely strings on some ukes, though, so I consider the "fiddly bit" worth the effort on those ukes.

John

Thanks for all the input folks. I'll give them some more time for sure. I don't "hate" the sound and maybe it'll grow on me. If the temp. sensitivity doesn't get to be too much of a pain, I may just leave them on until the next change. So many strings to choose from...

Cheers
Jim

This question is one of the main reasons for owning more than one uke.

When I first got into ukes in March, I was doing string comparisons in the midst of my new found reality that pretty much everybody's uke strings sound and play like rubber bands until they decide to settle in. Compared to guitar or mandolin string changing, new uke strings can feel like overcooked pasta. (OK, a bit extreme, but you get the point)

As stated here previously, different strings take different timeframes, but all take time and, during that petiod of adjustment, you simply will not be presented with what the string will eventually have to offer. I have had sets settle down in as little as a week and others hold out for a month or more. Not being patient can be both costly and disappointing.

Enter the 2nd uke. Once a uke and its strings have found a match, it is a lot easier to play the string swap game because, if you play it right, you will always have at least one great sounding instrument while you subject the other one (or more) to inhumane experimentation.

This aproach allows the illusion of patience.