Low g help!

Alright i know this has been discussed many times but im curious as to everyones new opinions. So i just got a new uke (thatll be a later post) but honestly the sound is not really what i wanted. Im mainly a low g player but even high g doesnt sound right on this uke. Its quiet and thin sounding, almost tinny but not in a desirable way. Im curious if there are any new strings in the low g field you guys would suggest. I like the aquila red but idk its a little to boomy at times and i cant afford to buy new ones whenever they break. Im also kinda curious as to the wound low g and c sound as ive never had it. Would that help this uke be louder and less thin sounding? Ive heard really good things about the Southcoast linear set with the wound c and g but would i go for the mediums? Any suggestions pertaining to low g would be extremely helpful because i want to love this uke but right now i just cnt bond with the sound.

SC linear mediums or Savarez or Oasis (warm) with wound low G are all good choices on a tenor.

I have Worth clears with a low G on my tenor. Love the feel and the sound.

I also have low G Worth clears on my tenor. To my ear, they're more balanced than Aquilas with a wound G. They have a pretty bright sound.

Freemont fluorocarbons are nice. No wound strings. Nice clean & clear tone. Not as bright as Worth. Not as boomy as Aquila. They last forever.

Another vote for Worth Lo G's. All my tenors have them (I don't play any reentrant Tenors). I also love the feel of them and find them fairly rich sounding. I guess each ear is indeed different. I cannot stand the feel of Nylgut, however, I do love the Aquila Red Lo G string. That came on my Blackbird, or I probably never would have tried it. I use a Worth clear set for the other 3 strings. I find the red simply fantastic on this instrument, and it does boom a tad if you lay into it; but all in all, I am impresssed. I have also heard that the reds break frequently and are costly as such. This one is still hanging in there, and I have a very heavy, clumsy, percussive strum/strumming hand. I like to mute and thump around when I play (badly ). So far so good.

Strings seem to be the ultimate in personal choice with a uke. I have heard many nice things about Freemonts also. I plan to try a set soon! I was experimenting with strings pretty regular until I came across Martin Fluoros for my sops and Worths for my Tenors. Then I stopped because I liked them so much! Also on my list to try are Southcoasts and Living Waters. Everyone here seems to really like those as well! Good luck finding a sound you love. It definitely takes time and patience!

+1 on the Worth clears. Great strings.

I forgot to mention too that im not a fan of the feel of flourocarbons. i do prefer the thicker feel of nylgut and such thats why im almost leaning towards wound strings .

If you do go for a set with wounds, I'd suggest you make sure there are two of them. I've seen low G sets with a single wound G and high G sets with a single wound C.

The tonal quality of wounds is much different than plains, and a single wound sticks out like a sore thumb to my ears. Two wound/two plain is much more balanced sounding.

Also, wounds don't last nearly as long as plains. I go thru 2-3 sets of wound basses for every set of plain trebles on my classical guitars.

An important issue to take into account is that a wound low G will fit in a high G string slot and an unwound low G string won't. Low G makes a difference to my appreciation of an instrument. I've left the high 3 strings in place and only fitted the wound low G string and its transformed the instrument in my view. I'm also a fan of Aquila Nylguts.

Anthony

I think a set of Alohi for Koo'lau will warm up your brashy sounding uke a bit...thicker softer compound strings will take care of that if you are comfortable with thicker strings....but if you say your uke is muted, these strings may not help with the volume
Maybe Oasis strings...

Ive tried the oasis and didnt care for them a whole lot to be honest. idk if im just being picky but i really want that perfect sound (who doesnt) Im leaning towards the southcoast flat wound g and c set but which would you suggest i get? the site is pretty informative on what their strings are actually made of but im just concerned ill damage the uke or get a set that dont work properly for the scale, its a 17.25 tenor scale.

BigD said:

Would that help this uke be louder and less thin sounding?

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It might help to know what brand uke, what size, and what your current strings are. Maybe someone has the same setup with some success with a certain brand string


**edit**

Just saw your other NUD post. Lanikai LQA-TCA. Solid spruce top tenor, laminated sides and back, cut-a-way.

i just made a nud post before i read this, probably would have helped! lol. its a lanikai lqa tca, tenor and it has what it says are aquilas they look different then my current aguilas so idk if these are from the older batch i know the uke has been in warehouse storage for quite a while

I'll offer another round of praise for the South Coast medium linear on a tenor. Just got them a few weeks ago and wow, they are much better balanced than any other sets I've tried. But that's with my uke, my fingers, and my ears... I think part of the fun is trying different ones until you find the perfect strings for you.

Edit: Just saw you asked which SC set to get. I emailed them with the same concern about possibly damaging my uke with both a wound G and C. Here's the response I got from Dirk:


On our "String Sets" page, the brief introduction shows how to read the
charts for tension. You'll see that the ML-SWs, tuned to C @ 17" actually
have a fairly moderate tension. They're the lowest of our Medium Gauge
sets. They're terrific strings - we worked for years to come up with this
combination of tension, balance, and the almost complete absence of finger
noise.


I took Dirk's advice and am definitely not regretting it!

Nikita said:

I have also heard that the reds break frequently

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I heard they did at first too, but Aquila reformulated the red Low G last year. I've had a set on my concert for a while now, no issues at all. In fact it's probably time to replace the set... but the red still sounds great.

I am a big fan of Kala Pearl strings. All 4 strings are "micro-wound." Sounds gimmicky, but they are bright, powerful, and balanced. Not everybody's cup of tea, but strings aren't expensive and either way you learn something.

I've used Worth Brown, low G and didn't like them at all. It felt like I was playing rubber bands. Didn't sound nice on my Pono tenor.

About Aquila strings. There was a warning earlier this year that there are fake Aquilas on the market, mostly on instruments made in China and strung at the factory with "Aquilas". The only way to check is to use a black light. Real Aquilas fluoresce, the fakes don't. I'm not an Aquila fan, but many people like them. They ought to be able to be known on their own merit, not the fakes.

On my LoPrinzi cherry concert I have Worth clears with a Fremont polished wound low g. It sounds great w/no squeaks and the sound is balanced between the strings. When they get worn,
I'll try the Fremont low g (I have one left) w/Worth browns. BTW I just re-glued the back on a friend's beater Hilo soprano uke and put a gently used set of Worth browns on it. Browns can make junk sound good...