$15 is crazy expensive? I don't know where you're getting em from but Easy Music Center on Oahu has em at this price.
Reentrant strings for Koaloha tenor
- Thread starter Joe Strummer
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Lucky you live Hawaii. If you live on Oahu, it is great to pick them up there to save a buck and a half each. However, I just went onto the Easy Music Center website and it says that my cart must be more than $25, so then it is 2 sets of strings I must buy at $30, and $12.91 shipping to me, for a total of $42.91. If you order two sets from UkesaHawaii.com, it is 2 sets for $33 and then $1 postage, no matter how many sets you purchase, for a total of $34. The strings that I have come directly from Pops. Ukesa has an MSRP of $16.50 per set. If a dealer would like to discount them, they are certainly free to do so. Ukesa sets the MSRP. Easy Music Center also gets them from Pops, however, sells them to people who can pick them up for $15. If you can get there -- then yea-- it is a deal and I would do so. Not so much if you have to have them mailed. Hope this helps to clarify.
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OP
OP
Joe Strummer
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My uke teacher uses nylon guitar treble strings on his (strings1-3 plus an extra 1). It sounds great and costs ~$6.00. I’ll give it a try next time I change mine.
$15 is 1.5-2 times as expensive as most ukulele strings. Most fluorocarbon strings are just fishing line with a huge markup. So, yeah, $15 is relatively expensive.
$15 is 1.5-2 times as expensive as most ukulele strings. Most fluorocarbon strings are just fishing line with a huge markup. So, yeah, $15 is relatively expensive.
cdkrugjr
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The thing about strings (and picks, if you use them) is that they represent your physical connection to the instrument. That means that your choice is going to be VERY personal. What I LOVE you might be meh on, or even hate.
But strings are CHEAP, compared to ukuleles. It’s worth your while to try a bunch of different things and see what you prefer.
But strings are CHEAP, compared to ukuleles. It’s worth your while to try a bunch of different things and see what you prefer.
OP
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Joe Strummer
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I ended up ordering some strings from UkeSA to try them for myself and maybe reverse engineer them. I’m not sure they are a big improvement over the Seaguar strings. The 3rd and 4th strings in the low G set are thicker than the factory strings were, so they sound fuller, but they go fairly sharp as I play farther up the neck. To be fair, I didn’t pay much attention to this intonation with the factory or Seaguar strings. I slightly preferred the sparkle of the Seaguar 30lb for the A string.
I figured out the Martin M620 set is very close to the diameters of the UkeSA low G set. You just have to rearrange the Martin strings as A = 1, E = 4, C = 2, and G = 3. The fluorocarbon composition is probably different, but it may be worth a try.
I figured out the Martin M620 set is very close to the diameters of the UkeSA low G set. You just have to rearrange the Martin strings as A = 1, E = 4, C = 2, and G = 3. The fluorocarbon composition is probably different, but it may be worth a try.
70sSanO
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Over the years there have been more fluorocarbon ukulele strings vs. fishing line (leaders) than I can count.
When less than a yard of strings lasts a couple of years, and is spread over a dozen brands, no unique formulary string can be manufactured in lower quantities to make it economically feasible.
That said, I don’t think people, outside the industry, have the knowledge to figure out the various properties of all the different fluorocarbon line that is available. Nor do most people want to make the investment in trying out dozens of fishing line brands and sizes. Especially if you only have a couple of ukes.
I’ve been using Seaguar exclusively for many years. But I have a number of ukuleles and my tenors are tuned from Bb to C, so being able to mix-n-match to get the right balance is worth it to me. Even so, I have not yet been able to bring myself to try the Gold Label, much less try some other brand.
If you like the ukulele strings you are using, it is probably not worth it to use fishing line. If you find yourself tossing a lot of strings, or need to mix sets to dial in a tone, it might be a good route.
John
When less than a yard of strings lasts a couple of years, and is spread over a dozen brands, no unique formulary string can be manufactured in lower quantities to make it economically feasible.
That said, I don’t think people, outside the industry, have the knowledge to figure out the various properties of all the different fluorocarbon line that is available. Nor do most people want to make the investment in trying out dozens of fishing line brands and sizes. Especially if you only have a couple of ukes.
I’ve been using Seaguar exclusively for many years. But I have a number of ukuleles and my tenors are tuned from Bb to C, so being able to mix-n-match to get the right balance is worth it to me. Even so, I have not yet been able to bring myself to try the Gold Label, much less try some other brand.
If you like the ukulele strings you are using, it is probably not worth it to use fishing line. If you find yourself tossing a lot of strings, or need to mix sets to dial in a tone, it might be a good route.
John
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