Fluorocarbon strings for a Kala super tenor

[ukeanixi]

Hi,
I've just gotten a super tenor ukulele, the Kala KA-ASZCT-ST Solid Spruce top with Ziricote laminate back and sides. The strings that came with it were D'Addario nylon, very thick/stiff/hard hurt my newbie fingers, so I tried the Martin M620 tenor, which are too short and just as problematic, albeit with much better tone.

I'm looking for fluorocarbon strings that would be easier on my fingers. I also know someone else who is in the same boat who needs a similar solution for a high-G Tenor.

In another thread I mentioned this and the responses were:
"track down a set of baritone GCEA strings"
"Uke Logic would be a good bet:
https://www.theukulelesite.com/acces...tone-gcea.html "

Does anyone have experience with setting up a super tenor for "low-G GCEA/Key of C" tuning?

I've used the Oasis on a baritone ukulele which worked well. But, I'm concerned that they will not work with the super tenor as well. I'd rather have the super tenor sound more like a ukulele than a guitar.

thanks in advance!

 

[hendulele]

If the scale of your super tenor is the same as a baritone’s, then the bari strings should be fine. Scale length is more important than the size of the body.

 

[Jim Hanks]

super tenor usually means 19" scale whereas standard tenor is 17" scale and most modern baritones are 20". Strings designed for baritone are generally going to work on the super tenor.

You mention "Oasis on a baritone ukulele". I assume those were at DGBE tuning so would NOT work for GCEA tuning.

I'd suggest Living Water:
Baritone Custom Set GCEA
https://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/living-water-ukulele-fluorocarbon-strings

Uke Logic is probably good too, just by reputation of the seller, but I haven't seen any reviews yet:
https://www.theukulelesite.com/accessories/strings/ukelogic-strings/ukelogic-baritone-gcea.html

 

[ripock]

I play super tenors exclusively and I use concert strings because they have less tension, which should be what your fingers want. If my memory is correct, I currently have high-G worth browns on one ukulele and low-G Fremont blacks on the other.

 

[ukeanixi]

super tenor usually means 19" scale whereas standard tenor is 17" scale and most modern baritones are 20". Strings designed for baritone are generally going to work on the super tenor.

You mention "Oasis on a baritone ukulele". I assume those were at DGBE tuning so would NOT work for GCEA tuning.

I'd suggest Living Water:
Baritone Custom Set GCEA
https://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/living-water-ukulele-fluorocarbon-strings

Uke Logic is probably good too, just by reputation of the seller, but I haven't seen any reviews yet:
https://www.theukulelesite.com/accessories/strings/ukelogic-strings/ukelogic-baritone-gcea.html

Is this the one you recommend?

Baritone Custom Set GCEA Low G with additional A string (5 strings total)

 

[ukeanixi]

I play super tenors exclusively and I use concert strings because they have less tension, which should be what your fingers want. If my memory is correct, I currently have high-G worth browns on one ukulele and low-G Fremont blacks on the other.

Low g Fremont are intriguing to me. How compliant are they?
Thanks!

 

[ukeanixi]

super tenor usually means 19" scale whereas standard tenor is 17" scale and most modern baritones are 20". Strings designed for baritone are generally going to work on the super tenor.

You mention "Oasis on a baritone ukulele". I assume those were at DGBE tuning so would NOT work for GCEA tuning.

I'd suggest Living Water:
Baritone Custom Set GCEA
https://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/living-water-ukulele-fluorocarbon-strings

Uke Logic is probably good too, just by reputation of the seller, but I haven't seen any reviews yet:
https://www.theukulelesite.com/accessories/strings/ukelogic-strings/ukelogic-baritone-gcea.html

Sorry, didn't answer your question.

The Oasis were set up low g/gcea/c tuning.
Not DGBE.

 

[ripock]

Low g Fremont are intriguing to me. How compliant are they?
Thanks!

I'm sorry, but I don't know what compliance means for ukulele strings.

 

[ukeanixi]

Its not actually a Tenor, the name is confusing. Its a baritone with a small (tenor sized) body.

If you want a true tenor you need to find a uke that has a 17" scale length. You can never make a 19" baritone scale length into a 17" tenor scale length. With current materials and string technology and fret spacings, GCEA has not been widely successful thing on the 19" scale length. Many players just buy a uke with a 17" scale length to access GCEA tuning.

You should be asking if anyone has experience in setting up a baritone in low G GCEA tuning.

Trying to pass off a Baritone uke as a Tenor to beginners should be challenged and taken to the USA consumer affair organisation if necessary.

Those who use GCEA tuning on a baritone scale length should be able to answer the question in this thread.

Jim [See below] from the great state of North Carolina seems to think it's a good thing.
I believe that those who seek a sound between Baritone DGBE and Tenor high G GCEA would be satisfied with a solution, no matter how "FrankenUke" it may seem to the unbeliever.

 

[ukeanixi]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what compliance means for ukulele strings.

You're right. It's subjective. Let's say D'Addario clear nylon, fat and hard and stiff, are on the far end of the spectrum. Oasis softer fluorocarbon strings on the other end.
Who makes something compatible wifh Super Tenor which has a balance of good sound and softer interface with the finger?

 

[DownUpDave]

I play super tenors exclusively and I use concert strings because they have less tension, which should be what your fingers want. If my memory is correct, I currently have high-G worth browns on one ukulele and low-G Fremont blacks on the other.

As I posted in your other thread this is the answer for less tension......concert strings. Going to baritone strings will be going up in thickness (more tension) and hurt your fingers even more. As I said last post I have a 19” super tension and have Living Water concert strings on it, they are easily long enough to fit. As another said you can replace the high G string from the set with a Fremont soloist, that is exactly what I have done.

 

[ripock]

You're right. It's subjective. Let's say D'Addario clear nylon, fat and hard and stiff, are on the far end of the spectrum. Oasis softer fluorocarbon strings on the other end.
Who makes something compatible wifh Super Tenor which has a balance of good sound and softer interface with the finger?

I think I understand, but I think it will be hard to draw comparisons for you because I do a lot of monkeying around with my strings.

First of all, I use concert ukulele strings on my super tenor.
Secondly, I downtune until I get the feel I want. Usually that means a tuning of E A C# F# or D# G# C F.

I am influenced by primitivism and roots music, so I'm shooting for a murkier tone than usual.

With that being said, I will offer some opinions.

The Fremont Blacklines are a vast improvement over the black D'Addario strings that came with my Kamaka. I hated those thick stiff strings. They didn't lend themselves to bending or sliding, which are two ornamentations that I employ.

The Fremont strings were a step in the right direction because did everything the D'Addario strings did, but they did them in a slightly less intense way. They still chimed, but not as much. They were tight, but not too tight. They were smaller and easier on the finger tips. They sound, in fact, like what you're looking for. For me, they were still a bit tight, so I loosened them three half-steps and now all the strings bend and slide just as I like them. And even though they are looser than normal, they are still resonant. I find myself often muting the strings into sharper stabs because they are lingering a bit too long for what I want.

 

[Jim Hanks]

Is this the one you recommend?

Baritone Custom Set GCEA Low G with additional A string (5 strings total)

Yes

Jim [See below] from the great state of North Carolina seems to think it's a good thing.

If you look at my signature, you'll see that I have a lot of different tunings, which I think is a good thing. Generally I want my 19" ukes at lower tunings as I can get GCEA at tenor or concert scale, but if you want GCEA baritone, the LW set is a good option.

First of all, I use concert ukulele strings on my super tenor.
Secondly, I downtune until I get the feel I want. Usually that means a tuning of E A C# F# or D# G# C F.

And that's a great point. If you're willing to do that, you can use a larger variety of string sets. I haven't tried concert strings, but I have used the LW tenor set on 19" and it worked great for EAC#F#. Actually, I have some Pepe Romero strings for GCEA concert that are recommended for DGBE baritone, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[ukeanixi]

I just received a set of PhD low g GCEA for baritone strings. They feel better than the Martin and D'Addario. I believe that they're going to work for me.
Thanks all for the advice!

 

[ukeanixi]

As I posted in your other thread this is the answer for less tension......concert strings. Going to baritone strings will be going up in thickness (more tension) and hurt your fingers even more. As I said last post I have a 19” super tension and have Living Water concert strings on it, they are easily long enough to fit. As another said you can replace the high G string from the set with a Fremont soloist, that is exactly what I have done.

I'd need them to be at least 30" long. I'd be surprised to see concert strings that long!
I've kept the wound string, I believe it's a baritone D, from the Oasis GPX set on the super tenor. Works perfectly, with a little string slap when played really hard. No problem with me though.

 

[Peter Frary]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what compliance means for ukulele strings.

I thought you were referring to environmental conscious packaging and and manufacturing! I refer a bright silver wound D'Addario tone—can control brightness and string noise with my touch—but if you want a default rolled off timbre, try the Thomastik-InFeld CF30 Chrome Steel Flat Wound. When new, it sounds pleasantly dull like my D'Addario after months of playing.

Kala Elite models (I own 3) seem to be designed to be hit hard—and sound best with a firm stroke/strum—hence the stiff bracing and heavy strings. If you want a lighter fluorocarbon string, you might have to custom size to taste. I like a .022" first string, .027" or .028" second string, .032" third and .028" wound low G. If you don't mind a little volume loss and mainly do light finger style, you can go as low as .020" for 1st, .026" 2nd, .029" 3rd and .026" silver wound low G. I love the sound of Seaguar Pink leader on my Kala Elites: sweet nylon like tone but with the longer sustain, thinner diameter and fast play-in of fluorocarbon. Because of the stiff soundboard design of Elite models, even lighter strings have surprising resistance.

 

[ukeanixi]

Yes


If you look at my signature, you'll see that I have a lot of different tunings, which I think is a good thing. Generally I want my 19" ukes at lower tunings as I can get GCEA at tenor or concert scale, but if you want GCEA baritone, the LW set is a good option.

I'm really only comfortable with C-tuning, low-G GCEA, on the super tenor. The people I play with use standard tuning sheet music and videos. Maybe in future I'll branch out, but, I'm a beginner. This is the sole reason for sticking with C tuning for the moment. I currently have little interest in figuring out the myriad of special tunings that you experts love!

 

[ukeanixi]

I thought you were referring to environmental conscious packaging and and manufacturing! I refer a bright silver wound D'Addario tone—can control brightness and string noise with my touch—but if you want a default rolled off timbre, try the Thomastik-InFeld CF30 Chrome Steel Flat Wound. When new, it sounds pleasantly dull like my D'Addario after months of playing.

Kala Elite models (I own 3) seem to be designed to be hit hard—and sound best with a firm stroke/strum—hence the stiff bracing and heavy strings. If you want a lighter fluorocarbon string, you might have to custom size to taste. I like a .022" first string, .027" or .028" second string, .032" third and .028" wound low G. If you don't mind a little volume loss and mainly do light finger style, you can go as low as .020" for 1st, .026" 2nd, .029" 3rd and .026" silver wound low G. I love the sound of Seaguar Pink leader on my Kala Elites: sweet nylon like tone but with the longer sustain, thinner diameter and fast play-in of fluorocarbon. Because of the stiff soundboard design of Elite models, even lighter strings have surprising resistance.

I just measured the PHd strings, strung and under proper tension:
1. .50mm .0185"
2. .64mm .0250"
3. .71mm .0275"

It sounds like you're needing more tension to create the sound you want. I'm looking for less tension. Unless your strings are Clear/Colored Nylon, these PHd are clear fluorocarbon.

 

[Peter Frary]

I just measured the PHd strings, strung and under proper tension:
1. .50mm .0185"
2. .64mm .0250"
3. .71mm .0275"

It sounds like you're needing more tension to create the sound you want. I'm looking for less tension. Unless your strings are Clear/Colored Nylon, these PHd are clear fluorocarbon.

Actually the string specs I quoted are much lighter than what shipped with my last Elite. The stock 1st string (A) on my Koa Elite was .028"—ah friggen cable compared to .022" or .020"! To put that in perspective, on my 20" scale Kanile'a GL6 I use a .022" for the 1st string (A) and it's plenty stiff. But, yeah, I want the least tension that is able to produce a nice tone. .018 or .0185" is too thin for me: flat at the octave and snaps if I dig in just a wee bit.

 

[ukeanixi]

Actually the string specs I quoted are much lighter than what shipped with my last Elite. The stock 1st string (A) on my Koa Elite was .028"—ah friggen cable compared to .022" or .020"! To put that in perspective, on my 20" scale Kanile'a GL6 I use a .022" for the 1st string (A) and it's plenty stiff. But, yeah, I want the least tension that is able to produce a nice tone. .018 or .0185" is too thin for me: flat at the octave and snaps if I dig in just a wee bit.

I understand. I've not had that issue with the PHd, didn't seem to give me any trouble at the octave, sounds good to me.