string settling

chikon2000

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Now I understand why so many players have more than one uke. I changed my strings (Aquilas) going on 2 weeks ago, and the thing still won't stay in tune (especially the C string, for some reason). Playing the uke isn't much fun when it won't stay in tune, and it's hard to stay motivated.
Michael
 
Make sure your tuners aren't slipping. It shouldn't be that much of a headache,
 
I just added a preamp/tuner to my new monkey pod uke and lowered the action a little, so I had to release the strings for about two hours. Even though the strings were on the uke and stayed in tune fairly well, they still don't hold the tune after about 4 hours. I'll check them again tomorrow.
 
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I think Aquila strings are great but settling down a new set can be painful. My suggestion is ALWAYS tune SHARP and then expect the tuning to settle down. At first I tune a semitone sharp and as the strings get more stable don't tune sharp quite as much. When the tuning is no longer going flat ALL the time and even staying sharp then you can detune to the pitch you want.

Anthony
 
Now I understand why so many players have more than one uke

It really does help. Sometimes I change strings on a uke, leave it for 1-2 weeks to let the strings settle while enjoying other ukes in the collection :)
 
Actually, if your being serious about your tuning stability then 2 weeks for Aquila's to settle completely is pretty much right. It takes even longer if your being REALLY fussy.

Anthony
 
You may want to consider trying D'Addario Nyltech strings, which I believe are a result of a joint venture between Aquila and D'Addario. Their tone is very similar to Aquila, and I have found that they settle in faster. I actually like these strings better, since they have the same bright tone, but have a much smoother finish and feel.
 
Well, the strings are finally starting to settle in. I also tightened the screws on the tuners a little, just in case, but I think that those Aquilas just needed to take their sweet time to stretch. I may try the D'Addario Nyltechs next time, since I've heard that they can improve intonation. But if they also settle in faster, that would be a bonus!
 
Well, the strings are finally starting to settle in. I also tightened the screws on the tuners a little, just in case, but I think that those Aquilas just needed to take their sweet time to stretch. I may try the D'Addario Nyltechs next time, since I've heard that they can improve intonation. But if they also settle in faster, that would be a bonus!

It helps to have a tuner that you like and is easy to use (which you may already have, just a thought). I have several Snark tuners, and when I put new strings on a uke I just keep a Snark clipped on it for whatever time it takes to stabilize. For me, the chromatic tuners (the ones that show any note, not just the proper ones for uke tuning) are the easiest to use...if you see the C has crept down to A# overnight, it's easy to find your way back up, as you can see the progress instead of just a 'low' or 'high' light indicator.

If you tune a little high with the new strings, you'd want to taper that off as they settle in. I had a uke delivered with the C string tuned a note or so too high. It's one I don't play much, and after months, when the rest of the strings gradually creep down a little if it's not played, that one string always creeps upward in tuning, so there is apparently a long memory involved, and tuning high should only be done when they're first stretching.

I wouldn't rely on different brand strings to improve intonation...that's probably just an observation from one instance that may have had other factors involved. With a chromatic tuner you can check your intonation fairly easily, by tuning the open string exactly, then going up the fretboard and watching to see if the notes are significantly off. Bad strings can cause intonation issues, but one brand having better intonation is probably a myth. Stretching them naturally and gradually, without impatient tugging or going a lot higher to hurry it up, is probably the best way of getting even intonation from a new set, but intonation being off due to strings would usually only be caused if the strings were old or improperly stretched.
 
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Well, the strings are finally starting to settle in. I also tightened the screws on the tuners a little, just in case, but I think that those Aquilas just needed to take their sweet time to stretch. I may try the D'Addario Nyltechs next time, since I've heard that they can improve intonation. But if they also settle in faster, that would be a bonus!

I use floro-carbons and they stretch significantly too.
Sometimes it is the knot tightening at the bridge causing issues as well.
Aquila's do stretch a lot so I like to put no wraps on the tuner before tuning. If you get overlap wraps on the tuner post no string will stay in tune.
I do the same thing with my fc's and let the string stretch give me my two wraps.
 
Well, the strings are finally starting to settle in. I also tightened the screws on the tuners a little, just in case, but I think that those Aquilas just needed to take their sweet time to stretch. I may try the D'Addario Nyltechs next time, since I've heard that they can improve intonation. But if they also settle in faster, that would be a bonus!

Glad to hear they are settling in.:D
 
SailngUke, When you say that you put no wraps on the tuner, do you mean that you place the string through the hole without wrapping it around the tuner first? I hadn't thought about stringing it that way, but you raise a good point.
 
SailngUke, When you say that you put no wraps on the tuner, do you mean that you place the string through the hole without wrapping it around the tuner first? I hadn't thought about stringing it that way, but you raise a good point.

Most of the time I only go 1/2 way around the post (just to lock the string) then start winding.
Before I started doing this, many times I would need to loosen the string, shorten and rewind after a few days to remove extra string.
 
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