Uke-lahoma
Well-known member
How often does one change the strings on one's ukulele? Do you change them every X months, or when they begin to sound strange, or what? What are the signs of "fatigued" strings?
Thanks!
Thanks!
How often to change strings
- Thread starter Uke-lahoma
- Start date
Just my personal and purely subjective impression: people change strings too often 
Reason: they are lured by the myth of a wholy grail-string that will give that superb Jake/James/Tim-sound without having to practice long and hard. Then again, strings are the cheapest way to find out what sounds are in your uke.
You need to play hard and for month after month, that is putting a lot of hours into your strings if you really want to thrash them. Especially the fluorocarbon or what have you. Some of those wound C- and G-strings tend to unwind easily (Aquila low-G comes to mind), and of course if you keep tuning but can't get the strings to match anymore, buy a new pack.
If you have cheapo strings now, get a nice pack of a good brand (check the forum search, lots of discussion about that), put them on, burn the old ones in a ritual fire and never look back. Then, plactice plactice plactice!
Reason: they are lured by the myth of a wholy grail-string that will give that superb Jake/James/Tim-sound without having to practice long and hard. Then again, strings are the cheapest way to find out what sounds are in your uke.You need to play hard and for month after month, that is putting a lot of hours into your strings if you really want to thrash them. Especially the fluorocarbon or what have you. Some of those wound C- and G-strings tend to unwind easily (Aquila low-G comes to mind), and of course if you keep tuning but can't get the strings to match anymore, buy a new pack.
If you have cheapo strings now, get a nice pack of a good brand (check the forum search, lots of discussion about that), put them on, burn the old ones in a ritual fire and never look back. Then, plactice plactice plactice!
:nana:
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I change the strings on my ukes when I want to, not when I need to. I consider it as a special treatment for my instruments incl. overall cleaning and polishing them to a nice gloss. I also consider it as a special treatment for me, cause the zen-a-like process really chills me down. Make it a ceremony you´re looking forward to and you will never have to worry about "fatigued" strings. BTW: Strings are inexpensive. So please don´t waste your precious time with cheapos. Get some decent aquilas/worths and hit ´em hard. They like it that way.
Micromue
. Make it a ceremony you´re looking forward to and you will never have to worry about "fatigued" strings. BTW: Strings are inexpensive. So please don´t waste your precious time with cheapos. Get some decent aquilas/worths and hit ´em hard. They like it that way.Micromue
hoosierhiver
Well-known member
I usually put it off until I think they sound flat or dull.
I usually leave it until they start to sound twangy. I don't know how else to put it, but I know what I mean! When the new ones have settled in, the difference is very noticeable, so I'm probably not doing it often enough. About every twelve to eighteen months, on a moderately well-used uke.YMMV.
Ukantor
Ukantor
Uke-lahoma
Well-known member
I guess that when a string breaks it's a good time to change the entire set of strings.
