New Strings: play (and get driven insane) or let it sit?

osnyder

osnyder

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I just picked up a really cute Samick Concert uke and it had terrible strings, so I put on Aquilas. It's the first time I've done it. My question is, should I play it and deal with the near-constant re-tuning or let it sit for a while... I have no idea how to handle this stage of the game. My first ukulele came already "broken in" with great strings.

Thanks for your advice!

Olivia
 
I play mine and then re-tune after each song or every other song. It's just part of the process so it doesn't bother me. When I put it away for the night, I tune it a bit sharp to help stretch the strings a bit further until they start staying in tune.
 
osnyder said:
I just picked up a really cute Samick Concert uke and it had terrible strings, so I put on Aquilas. It's the first time I've done it. My question is, should I play it and deal with the near-constant re-tuning or let it sit for a while... I have no idea how to handle this stage of the game. My first ukulele came already "broken in" with great strings.

Thanks for your advice!

Olivia
Click to expand...


At first I tune just past where I want my tuning to be an play it. I leave the tuner on and keep playing/tuning.
This will pass.:D
 
Play and adjust. If not, you'll have a ukulele that just sits there waiting for someone to play it. Waiting, waiting, sad because no one is playing it. The strings will settle in soon enough.
 
I always play them - that's the point of having strings. And tune after every song. I never tune sharp, just a personal preference not to, but I do sometimes grab the strings relatively gently but firmly, and stretch them. Not sure if that helps but it makes me feel better.

Also, I don't know what kind of tuners your uke has, but with friction tuners I tighten them about as far as they'll go. They still slip for a few days, but the more it's tuned and played, the better it gets. As a previous poster said, it's just part of the process.

Congrats on the new uke!
 
Once you've installed them, put your fingers under them and pull them hard away from the uke. Stretch them out. They won't break. Once you've stretched them out a few times they should be reasonably stable. It may still take a couple of days to fully settle.
 
katysax said:
Once you've installed them, put your fingers under them and pull them hard away from the uke. Stretch them out. They won't break. Once you've stretched them out a few times they should be reasonably stable. It may still take a couple of days to fully settle.
Click to expand...

Ehhhh I wouldn't. You're better off just tuning them, playing, re-tuning or just tuning them up a little higher and letting them sit.
 
mikelz777 said:
I play mine and then re-tune after each song or every other song. It's just part of the process so it doesn't bother me. When I put it away for the night, I tune it a bit sharp to help stretch the strings a bit further until they start staying in tune.
Click to expand...


:agree:
Great advice. I do that too.

I wouldn't pull on the strings, as that can make your string's intonation vary.
 
I just play and retune for several days. I just expect that. I don't like the idea of pulling on the strings much... might put undo stress on the bridge or the neck. I think if you just let it sit, it will take longer for them to stretch and settle... but I have never tested the idea.

–Lori
 
Play it, that's why ukes have tuners. :music:
 
Actually, just letting the ukulele sit won't help settle the strings anyway. You need to be regularly retuning the instrument for days before the strings have stretched enough to be stable. Early on in the process I tune the instrument a semi-tone sharp, walk away for half an hour, come back and retune. As you get closer to the mark I don't overtone by as much.

Anthony
 
Doc_J said:
I wouldn't pull on the strings, as that can make your string's intonation vary.
Click to expand...

Really? I've never, ever heard that one before. :confused: I've been stretching strings since the start and I've never had any issues. In fact, I once changed strings at a workshop while cruising with Herb Ohta Jr. He was watching me do the stretch/retune thing and he finally said, "Give me that." ...and proceeded to yank the strings further away from the uke than I thought possible (as I watched on in horror). Pau. They didn't go flat at all after that. "Do as Herb does" is how I've learned a lot of things. So far he hasn't led me astray. But I'm curious to hear your reasoning for that statement.
 
Please don't listen to Doc J or other up there recommending you don't stretch your strings. BS!

There is nothing wrong with stretching the strings. I do it every restring and mine stay in tune perfectly after just a few days.

Here's how: with the uke in your lap facing up, tuners to your left hand. put your finger down on the first or second fret of the string you plan to stretch (say start with the G), then starting at the bridge end and with your index finger, pull upward on each string in several spot all the way up the neck. Do this several times per string, then retune. PLAY.

Then do it again. Retune and PLAY, play hard! lots lots of strumming, get those strings heated up!

Then do it again. Retune and PLAY.

Next day, retune. play. continue until retuning is minor and normal again. Usually only takes about two days for me.

I also do some advanced stretching of the strings that involves a door frame before putting on the uke, but I don't recommend that to just anyone. :)


Good luck!
 
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It's going to take a few days, which is always rather annoying, but new strings usually sound so much nicer you want to kick yourself for not changing them sooner.

I'm with those who tune it up a bit sharp before putting it away. Next morning I'll tune it up again even if I'm not going to play at the moment.

I'm mostly a classical style fingerpicker, but wailing away on chords seems to help break in the strings faster. :)_
 
flyingace said:
Please don't listen to Doc J or other up there recommending you don't stretch your strings. BS!

There is nothing wrong with stretching the strings. I do it every restring and mine stay in tune perfectly after just a few days.

Here's how: with the uke in your lap facing up, tuners to your left hand. put your finger down on the first or second fret of the string you plan to stretch (say start with the G), then starting at the bridge end and with your index finger, pull upward on each string in several spot all the way up the neck. Do this several times per string, then retune. PLAY.

Then do it again. Retune and PLAY, play hard! lots lots of strumming, get those strings heated up!

Then do it again. Retune and PLAY.

Next day, retune. play. continue until retuning is minor and normal again. Usually only takes about two days for me.

I also do some advanced stretching of the strings that involves a door frame before putting on the uke, but I don't recommend that to just anyone. :)


Good luck!
Click to expand...

Glad that works for you, flyingace.

I like your play, retune, repeat method.

When I first began playing I used to pull up on strings to speed up the stretching process but Occassionally I ended up with some strings that did not intonate perfect along the fretboard. Maybe I didn't do stretching well, maybe it was the Aquila strings. Who knows? I'm just giving my observations and experiences. YMMV.

Hippie Guy said:
Really? I've never, ever heard that one before. :confused: I've been stretching strings since the start and I've never had any issues. In fact, I once changed strings at a workshop while cruising with Herb Ohta Jr. He was watching me do the stretch/retune thing and he finally said, "Give me that." ...and proceeded to yank the strings further away from the uke than I thought possible (as I watched on in horror). Pau. They didn't go flat at all after that. "Do as Herb does" is how I've learned a lot of things. So far he hasn't led me astray. But I'm curious to hear your reasoning for that statement.
Click to expand...

Hippie Guy, here is my reasoning (as an old experienced engineer :eek:ld:). When I pull a string the force in the string may not be the same on both sides of the string yielding different stresses, different deformed diameters on each side, and thus less perfect intonation on some frets. Maybe that difference is small, but why add more variation? If I just wanted to get to stable open tuning, yanking the string would be faster. I can see someone doing that in a workshop just to get good basic (non-flat) open tuning ASAP. But, did you check your intonation at each fret afterwards?

Tightening the strings with the tuner provides more uniform axial tension and gives me better intonation uniformity at all the frets. Play, re-tune, repeat That's what I do.
 
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Play it. I also let a newly strung uke sit out where I pass it frequently, tuning it several times throughout the day
 
I hire a neighborhood kid to tune, retune my ukes. I figure, if he can do the lawn and clean the gutters...
 
Hey, this is awesome, you're all the best. I've been playing it and retuning!
 
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flyingace said:
Please don't listen to Doc J or other up there recommending you don't stretch your strings. BS!

There is nothing wrong with stretching the strings. I do it every restring and mine stay in tune perfectly after just a few days.

....
Click to expand...

Sounds like the stretching by hand doesn't make that much difference. If it still takes a couple of days with that method, I don't see an advantage. Now, if it achieved the desired result in less than one day, then it might be worth the effort.

–Lori
 
I put the strings on and play. . . and retune. . . and play. The whole "getting the stretch out" is just a bother.

I string tennis racquets, too. And before I start, I usually give the string a tug prestretching, for what it's worth.
 
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