High vs low tension strings question.

I sure have learned a lot in the few months I've been here posting and the road stretches out far as I can see with so much more to learn.
Honestly my only regret is that I've gotten here so late in life. My health is finally going after a stellar run of adventure and activity and my great fear is that one day soon now I may not be able to play my uke without major pain. So I'm doing what I can to make that day far far off.

I sure love my new Pono. I really love the sound of the Ko'olau Gold Strings on it. They are to my ear a wonderful string and I really want nothing else on this Pono. However they are a high tension string and so can be a little difficult to play for long hours. Now I'm quite aware that I need to play more relaxed and with less finger pressure. I'm working on that guys, seriously I am. When I'm alone I do pretty good too but when playing with my gf I guess my ego gets in the way and I try too hard and just use too much pressure fretting. My thumbs especially are in pain today after about three hours of play. That's where most of my arthritis is located. So in the mean time I need some stop gap help until I refine my technique. So I'd like some advice on some low tension strings that might sound great on a Cedar top/Mahogany side and back pono. All suggestions welcome. And I'd like to know where you get your strings.

I will be watching this thread because I'm interested in some low-mid tension strings on my cedar rosewood Ohana concert. I'm using Worth Clears on it right now and loving them, but want to see what else is out there. They are medium tension.

I'm not aware of string tension really.

When I work my thumb too hard I paint my thumb joint and wrist with Biofreeze and slip on a Futuro Thumb Stabilizer.

Tell me more?

Bump

Still looking for ideas for some low to medium tension strings for my Pono. Help! Anyone?

Icelander53 said:

Tell me more?

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Just that. It splints the thumb and keeps me from over stressing it. I don't (usually) play with the stabilizer on. The Biofreeze is a topical analgesic that mutes the pain and may stimulate blood flow and reduce the soreness.

Maybe because I use flourocarbon strings the tension is pretty much the same across all the sets. But I play both concert and tenor so that clouds the issue a bit.

I ordered some biofreeze. Thanks for the lead.

icelander

re your health and only if you are up to doing this. this is the internet age and there are alternative approaches to maladies as close as your google bar. the body is a machine, and much of what can break, can be fixed. it hurts to see your fellow creature suffer.

I'm using what I can. I was a buyer of nutritional supplements/herbs for 19 years before retiring to play ukulele full time. I think I'm doing ok still but I worry on the bad days.

Do you do any stretches before you play?

Bump.

I'm still looking for some suggestions for lower tension strings. It sure would be helpful if these string companies got their acts together and listed string tension on their web sites.

I may just go back to Aquilas as they seem to be the best sounding low tension string I've found. I was just hoping there might be something else to try that would be very easy on my hands playing for longer hours.

Hey Ice

If you saw my string thread I am looking for strings for my Pete Howlett tenor that are medium tension. Here is were just using the word tension gets misleading. Most of us are strong enough to play most strings, it is not just tension. What I have found that make strings more UNCOMFORTABLE to play over another are a combination of three things. High tension coupled with small diameter coupled with a hard material. I think some people are influenced more by one element over another. That is why you get one person saying Aquilas are high tension and another saying they a low to medium tension. So I am now going to refer to strings by feel. They either feel easy to fret or hard to fret. For me a larger diameter with a softer material feel easy to fret.

I have three more string sets coming for the Howlett. I am chasing a certain sound with a certain feel, I have found both but not together. I have in transit : Living Water, Freemont Black Line mediums and Orcas, from Uke Republic. I like to give each string set 2 - 3 weeks so it will be a while till I can give you feed back on those three. See my " Another string thread " for my thoughts on Oasis warm high and low G, Aquila Reds, Worth CM, Aquila nylgut and Worth BT. These are all on the same instrument so it has been a good test bed and education for me

Icelander53 said:

Bump.

I'm still looking for some suggestions for lower tension strings. It sure would be helpful if these string companies got their acts together and listed string tension on their web sites.

I may just go back to Aquilas as they seem to be the best sounding low tension string I've found. I was just hoping there might be something else to try that would be very easy on my hands playing for longer hours.

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Southcoast "Soft" series, might be worth trying. There's no substitute for trying different things yourself.

I gotta say I am so jealous you play for 3 hours in a day. You're my hero. One day. Anyway I just chimed in to say, over tighten your truss rod and it will be more comfortable. Your dynamic range and volume might be compromised but unless you are playing with other or trying to be as loud as possible it will make it much more comfortable and that might matter the most. If you play ultra hard it will buzz, so what, your hand won't hurt and you'll learn to finesse it just right. Take the allen wrench, stick in the hole, turn toward the E and A a few times. Test and repeat as needed. Quick and easier than trying the gajillian string options. At least try first since you like the tone of the strings but want an easier feel. After you try that try Aquila Nylgut, NOT the new Super Nylgut (IMO) But straight up fact to beware of fake Aquilas. We can buy those for less than a dollar a set but don't because..well they are bad, bad people with a bad product. They probably do best on fake purses and other soulless attempts at success. They really milk every penny when they dive into ukulele strings though. And we regularly get hit up. Weird world economy thrives on cheapest winning. Crap is rampant/ But never mind all that and just tighten that rod more! Facing the insert and right to tight. A neck with no relief could be just what the doctor ordered.

Ukulele strings have relatively low tension, and I'd look more at technique. It's quite possible that the tension you create in your hand/arm have a greater effect on your comfort than the brand your using. This assumes that your nut slots have been adjusted for comfortable playing, and that your ukulele suits your hand size. Playing anything smaller than a tenor cramps my hands, so I don't play anything smaller than a tenor.

Try playing scales, and focus on using the lightest finger pressure possible. Don't use songs first, because they can have complexities that create tension in your mind and hand. Keeping the neck up should help to keep your wrist straight, and that should reduce tension in your hand as well. I play all ukes and guitars in the classical guitar position, but sometimes slouch on the sofa with a bent wrist. That lasts for a few minutes, and the pain begins.

Then you need to explain to me why some strings are much easier for me to play on than others. All my ukes I'm talking about here had a set up by HMS. Andrew at HMS informed me that I might find it harder to use the stock strings due to the higher tension. Was he pulling my chain?


I'm going to guess you are young with no age related issues that would inhibit your playing style. Even two years ago I wouldn't have been making this thread. I did address the technique issue here I believe and I've already talked about my work on improving technique. Do you feel what I said is irrelevant?

AndrewKuker said:

I gotta say I am so jealous you play for 3 hours in a day. You're my hero. One day. Anyway I just chimed in to say, over tighten your truss rod and it will be more comfortable. Your dynamic range and volume might be compromised but unless you are playing with other or trying to be as loud as possible it will make it much more comfortable and that might matter the most. If you play ultra hard it will buzz, so what, your hand won't hurt and you'll learn to finesse it just right. Take the allen wrench, stick in the hole, turn toward the E and A a few times. Test and repeat as needed. Quick and easier than trying the gajillian string options. At least try first since you like the tone of the strings but want an easier feel. After you try that try Aquila Nylgut, NOT the new Super Nylgut (IMO) But straight up fact to beware of fake Aquilas. We can buy those for less than a dollar a set but don't because..well they are bad, bad people with a bad product. They probably do best on fake purses and other soulless attempts at success. They really milk every penny when they dive into ukulele strings though. And we regularly get hit up. Weird world economy thrives on cheapest winning. Crap is rampant/ But never mind all that and just tighten that rod more! Facing the insert and right to tight. A neck with no relief could be just what the doctor ordered.

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OK, thanks so much for your help here. They mentioned the truss rod deal at HMS but I felt a little intimidated to fiddle with it and thought I'd try strings first but maybe I've got that backwards.

I often get in two hours or more of playing a day because I'm retired and it's a new love as I've only been playing about a half year.

I buy all my strings from HMS or Strings by Mail and I think they are selling the real deal.

And again thanks, you've been a lot of help.

Icelander53 said:

Then you need to explain to me why some strings are much easier for me to play on than others. All my ukes I'm talking about here had a set up by HMS. Andrew at HMS informed me that I might find it harder to use the stock strings due to the higher tension. Was he pulling my chain?


I'm going to guess you are young with no age related issues that would inhibit your playing style. Even two years ago I wouldn't have been making this thread. I did address the technique issue here I believe and I've already talked about my work on improving technique. Do you feel what I said is irrelevant?

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I'll be 53 soon, and have always had hand problems when playing fretted instruments. It was only when I began playing classical guitar 13-14 years ago that I was able to play without pain. I've been able to play steel string acoustic guitar for the past couple of months, and I had given that up years ago.

I don't read every single post you write, but have read enough. You've said that you play with others, and that can create stress in your hand. Many things can create stress in your hand, and you have to assess your playing technique frequently. Pono ukuleles do perform better with higher tension strings, so that's what they come with. Andrew's suggestion of a flat neck is excellent, and my steel string guitar has been adjusted so the neck is dead flat. The action is very low, and I can play without taking Advil. Oasis Bright strings are fairly easy to play, but provide a decent amount of volume and good tone. Plain nylon will give you low tension in smaller gauge sets, but you'll need to have your nut slots adjusted if they've been set up for flourocarbon strings. Drop the action at the 12th fret as low as you need, and you should be good. It's generally said that low action will result in low volume, but it's better than not being able to play. You can always dig in harder if you need volume, or get an amp.

Don't be afraid of a Pono truss rod. They've been in the game long enough to make a working system (some manufacturers use junk truss rods, or poorly constructed systems). Just tweek it a quarter turn, and give it a look. Some people recommend waiting 15 minutes between turns, but I've never had any problems just getting it done in one shot. The string tension is low enough on ukes relative to steel string guitars, and you're not going to strip threads on the rod. With a steel string guitar, I usually bend the neck back by hand a bit, and then turn the nut for the truss rod, but you should be good just using the truss rod itself.

I am a new Uke player also, coming from guitar. When I get a little crampy in my hand I stretch it out, shake it and have a beer then go back to practicing scales instead of chords. I have only used D' addario and Aquila strings. I like the Aquila's, they just feel better, the D' addario's seemed more crisp though. I will try others someday, maybe. Good luck

Another solution is to tune your uke down by a semitone or even a tone. This can be OK if you play mainly on your own. A tone down can be nice if you play with someone else, but the downside is you have to learn new names for the chords!