Anyone try fluorocarbons and go back to nylgut? Nyltech?

I have a flea that came to me with some worn aquilas. I took them off for a set of Martins and the sound improved. I decided to try Nyltech strings after reading/following this post. WOW!!! Now it sounds amazing! The volume & sustain are so much better than with the Martins. I bought a few other types of nylon strings that I am going to throw on some other ukes when it comes time to change their strings.
 
I've tried just about every string out there, and come back to Aquila Nylguts every time.
 
I'm still in the early stages of SAS. Was using Super Nylgut on both concerts, tried Worth Browns on the Maton but while I liked the sound I didn't like the feel and experienced the "snagging" that some newbies get with them. Still have a set so in a year or so I will try them again and see if things have improved, meantime I will buy some Aquila reds to try on that uke.

The Pono TE came with Ko'olau strings I believe, I don't know which type, but the tension was way up there and I changed to Aquila reds and am happy with that choice. I'm not sure that the strings will make much difference to the sound from an electric solid body, so it's really just about "feel".

The Pono AC has been strung with Super Nylgut but is possibly a bit quiet. At my current level of ability though that can be an advantage when playing in a group. When I order the reds for the Maton I might get a set of Freemont Blacklines with a Soloist low G to try on the Pono, but I have several sets of Super Nylgut low G to work through.

I'd like to try Southcoast strings one day because I like their attitude. Then again I'd like to try Living Waters too. Maybe I should buy another ukulele? ;)
 
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Andrew turned me on to South Coast strings on a Pono and I'm very happy with them. I like the Ko'olau strings too and worths sound good too but I really don't like the feel of them. I like fat strings.
 
I had a Moku with a solid spruce top that came with Aquilas. I didn't like them, so I changed them for some Worth clears, and it sounded much better.
 
I had been testing the SuperNylguts on two tenors, and really liked the feel and sound, but on one uke the A string had intonation problems and on another uke had intonation problems on the C string.

Maybe it was that I keep my ukes in Bb tuning, but intonation is more important to me than the silky texture under the fingers (which I really liked) and the tension was right in the sweet spot, and the sound VERY nice...

but due to the intonation problems I've since changed one uke to the Oasis bright high-G set, and another to the Worth CL set both of which are without ANY intonation problems in this tuning....

so I'm back to various fluorocarbons and Aquila REDS for now on most ukes....

I did also try a set of the D'Addario Nyltech concert set and liked them very much - they seem to be a bit softer material than either the Nylgut or SuperNylgut strings and very similar to the Aquila Ambra 900 classical set that I have on one of my guitars, the Nyltech set are a cream color similar to the Ambra 900 - maybe they are the same strings - in either case they sound nice, had a great feel, and good sustain...on my concert Flea (which now has Living Waters on it).
 
To revive this old question, over the years I often have liked the crispness and ring of fluorocarbon strings. I recently was changing out a set as the instrument was starting to sound a bit thin and perhaps brittle. To experiment I put on a set of Nyltech strings that I had around. The sound was fatter and nice and warm. Response and feel is very nice. We'll see how I like them as time passes, but my initial impression of these is favorable.
 
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Aquila makes top quality strings. I see no reason to write them off.

It all comes down to context and preference. Some instruments will sound better to some people with certain strings.

Lucky for us, uke strings are cheap and easy to obtain. It is easy to experiment to your heart's content. Now if only they would break in quicker...
 
I don't like wound strings so I stuck with Aquila for my low G tenor and for low A on my six-string, and I like them just fine. But I also have a KoAloha concert that got some fresh d'Addario fluorocarbons on it and I think it lacks the punch I have noticed with other KoAlohas - but this may also be due to its low saddle/action. I am also having a concert built that will be strung with the Aquila fifths set (even though it has wound strings), as this is the only stock set for fifths. So in summary, for standard re-entrant or linear ukes there are a lot of choices, but when it comes to multi-string, or alternative tunings the pickings get slim and Aquila is the clear leader.
 
I own enough different strings that if they were converted to cash I could buy multiple more ukes. I have not to date reverted back from Worths...Browns sometimes more pleasant than Clears and vice versa. Cannot stand wound strings...even TI flat wounds that I use on guitars and basses don't do it for me on a uke. It's not just the sound which is usually " more than acceptable" but also the feel that I prefer.
 
My fingertips hurt from Aquila nylguts, because they are so thick. I prefer Martin M600 fluorocarbons also for better sustain and intonation, if maybe somewhat less volume.
 
I tried fluorocarbon strings on a solid hog Islander tenor and switched them back to Nylguts.I
I like 'em. Some ukes sound better with other strings but on others I prefer Nylguts.
 
I’ve tried numerous fluorocarbons on a few ukes and disliked them. They feel too thin for my fingers and seem overly bright. Even the so called warm versions. I came back to Nyltech and nylon. I personally love the vintage bark and warmth of both.
 
I keep wanting to like Nylguts, but always end up taking them off to be replaced with flouros. I see videos of some of my uke heros playing vintage Martin sopranos with Nylguts, and they sound fabulous. I like the feel and larger diameter of the Nylguts, and they look cool. But whenever I go back and try them again on my vintage Martin sop, they just sound dull to me, compared to Martin M600 or Worth CM. Tried Sugars, they were ok, but the squeak drove me nuts. Haven't tried Nyltech yet, maybe I will check them out.
 
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I've almost always used Aquila Nylgut or Bionylon strings. I can't tell the difference between them. When I first started playing the ukulele, Nylgut strings were the rage. I bought a dozen sets. I got a deal on them. I've been happy with them, and haven't done a lot of experimentation. I did however get a set of no name fluorocarbon strings from G.B. Gitty and I put them on my Mainland solid Mahogany. From the git go I did not like them. They just sounded cheap. So I gave them a couple of weeks, played them at an open mic, and went right home afterwards and changed back to Nylguts. Now some people have told me that fluorocarbons are fluorocarbons, that it is all fishing line. Others have told me that I need to try out other fluorocarbons, they are all different. I don't know, it just depends on who I'm talking to. The search for something "better" has no end. There is always something that hasn't been tried, therefore might be better, and I just don't want to fall into that hole. I can't sit around changing strings every week and waiting for them to settle in, which is what I would be doing if I ran out and got every set of strings someone told me I had to try. I have way too much going on. So that's my story on my brief experience on the subject. I'm sticking with what is working.
 
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I am not sure hope much similarity or difference there is in the quality of various fluorocarbon strings. When I have looked at comparison charts there is considerable variety in the sizes that different companies sell, so certainly that would make a significant difference in feel and sound.
 
I bought a couple of lightly used ukes of the exact same model; they had been recently restrung (before the sale) with specially selected Seguar fishing line. Although the ukes sounded okay with the line, there seemed to be something lacking. So I switched over to my stock fluorocarbons. On one of the ukes, I did the change all at once, and heard an immediate improvement, as if a new dimension and "sparkle" had been added to the tone. When I switched the other uke, I did it string by string, so I could more easily compare the new and old strings (especially the difference between the G and A strings, which would be the closest match in diameter and tone). Yep, the side-by-side difference was readily apparent, both between the two ukes and on the same uke. Of course, I also notice a difference between certain fluorocarbon brands—specificially, Worth browns and Fremont Black Lines have a different tonal cast (and feel), while Living Water seem a bit more balanced and "dialed back", and Savarez Alliance seem higher tension, etc. So the belief that all fluorocarbon strings are just fishing line and virtually the same is a provable myth, indicative that the person saying it has a tin ear, relative to the rest of us.

Which is not to say that, for what a person wants, they may not prefer fishing line, or nylon, or Sugars, Nylguts, Nyltechs, reds, SuperNylguts or what have you. It may be that they've just become accustomed to a certain string sound, and that's what they now consider the gold standard for uke sound. Or a person may hear so little difference, it just doesn't matter to them. That's fine, no reason they have to agree with other people's judgment (which may have become rather unduly set, even dogmatic—things do have a tendency to become accepted lore without sufficient basis or critical review).

You're right that the search for something "better" may have no end, but many of us have found that at least some searching has led to noticeable improvement and greater satisfaction. Changing strings is the simplest, most cost-effective means for improving the tone and sustain, and sometimes the volume, of a uke. Makers don't necessarily choose the "best" strings to match their ukes, they may simply use a supply of strings that they bought in bulk, or they may have worked out a sweet deal with the string manufacturer, or they may be pushing their own string lines (as Ko'olau does). A person may also need a different string type to better match how they most often play the uke. Too many folks believe that whatever came on their ukes is what they should continue using for the "best" sound, and more often than not, it just ain't so.
I'll go ahead and put you in my list of friends who tell me that there is a difference, and I appreciate that you have done your own comparisons. I certainly have not, so I hardly speak from extensive research. I am not in any way trying to minimize the efforts that people go to in order to experiment and analyze strings. Or anything else for that matter. For many that is the most exciting aspect of the instrument, to experiment and try new things, to search. I only speak for myself and from my limited experience, and I certainly am not the last word on any subject when it comes to music, ukuleles, or anything else. I was simply answering the question that yes, I have, and explain that my reasoning was not particularly deep or comprehensive.
 
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I have worth fluorosis on my Kanile’a KT 1 and they sound great but when I tried them on my vintage Martin tenor they sounded tinny and I went back to Aquila Reds. I have Nylguts most my vintage Martin sopranos and they sound very clear and precise. It really does depend on the instrument.
 
My thanks to Rlink in #37 for capturing Ubelele’s comments, very helpful.

I had sort of given up on Aquila’s as anything other than a good basic string to get you playing but relented and fitted them to a tidied up Uke - tidied up by sorting nut action, saddle height and saddle material, etc. Can’t say I was impressed by the strings’ sound and regret fitting Aquilas. That Uke is lent out but when I get it back some Freemont Blacklines will be going on it.

As a separate if overlapping point I’ve ‘rescued’ a few Dolphins over recent years. Replacing the Aquila’s with Fluorocarbon’s has always given a noticeable improvement in sound quiality.

A point for Rlink now. I had Aquila’s fitted to my Makala Concert [R has one] and it sounded OK, I fitted Martin M600’s and it sang - YMMV but I recommend the change.
 
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My thanks to Rlink in #37 for capturing Ubelele’s comments, very helpful.

I had sort of given up on Aquila’s as anything other than a good basic string to get you playing but relented and fitted them to a tidied up Uke - tidied up by sorting nut action, saddle height and saddle material, etc. Can’t say I was impressed by the strings’ sound and regret fitting Aquilas. That Uke is lent out but when I get it back some Freemont Blacklines will be going on it.

As a separate if overlapping point I’ve ‘rescued’ a few Dolphins over recent years. Replacing the Aquila’s with Fluorocarbon’s has always given a noticeable improvement in sound quiality.

A point for Rlink now. I had Aquila’s fitted to my Makala Concert [R has one] and it sounded OK, I fitted Martin M600’s and it sang - YMMV but I recommend the change.

You are quite welcome. My friend Ubulele likes to grace us with his discourse on a particular subject for just a short window of time, so when they are directly related to something I say, I like to capture them up and keep them for future reference before he takes them away from me.

I appreciate your recommendation on the Martin strings. Perhaps I will get a set some day when I'm ordering something, to fill out an order. I promise that if the stars align, I happen them on hand on a Sunday afternoon when I decide that I really need to change my strings, I will certainly try them. I do have a set of Aquila Sugars that I bought one day when someone at the music store said they would magically transform my uke, and they are next in line, whenever that is. I don't have the time of inclination to put them on right now though just to see how they sound.
 
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