Be Brave-Experiment with new strings!

jeffnboise

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I'm a beginner. Playing a beginner instrument (Kala tenor). But I'm also a 'fiddler', I like to fiddle around with things. So I started trying several different brands/types of strings. I began by articulating what I wanted to improve on from the existing strings. Then I tried brands that were different gauge, different tension, nylon v. fluorocarbon. Cheap ones, Expensive ones..You get the idea...you'll learn a lot about what YOUR EAR likes to hear and how easy it is to make YOUR uku perform the way you wished when you bought it. For less than the price of a grande mocha capa frappe you can buy new strings. And while you're changing strings-go ahead and DIY a 'set up' on you uku. Hundreds of YouTube vids on it. Go slow and you'll be fine. Amazing what a difference new strings and some sandpaper can do in an hour. Good Luck!
 
Jeff, you've got lots of "string fanatic" comrades here. I often remind owners of my instruments that I put on strings that sound good to me and that they might be able to make their instruments sound better to their own ears by doing some swapping.

Enjoy, but don't spend so much money on strings that you have to give up your grande mocha capa frappes! :)
 
My ukes sound entirely different with different strings, specially the highly responsive high end ukes. I just put the bari tenor strings from GHS Craig Chi line on my MBU, the 2nd fluorocarbon string was too thick and I had to put in Thomastik 27 instead.. very interesting mix. The MBU has the horse power to sound good as a baritone and I might just prefer this, in normal tenor tuning, trying to play chord melodies like Kimo was proving difficult due to the strong tone of the C string with the NueNue..
 
I just switched my low g tenor from Aquila red which were much much better than the previous Aquila’s on it and I now have living waters strings. Very different sound. It plays much better and my playing has actually improved but I am not sure I prefer the sound for the way I play which is a slightly mournful style. Definitely better for some happier sounding tunes.
 
I just switched my low g tenor from Aquila red which were much much better than the previous Aquila’s on it and I now have living waters strings. Very different sound. It plays much better and my playing has actually improved but I am not sure I prefer the sound for the way I play which is a slightly mournful style. Definitely better for some happier sounding tunes.

I've been curious how the reds would sound but have held off due to the breakage issue. Does the package distinguish if the strings are the new reds from the old in any way? Also, are the living waters a fluorocarbon set, and what do they use for the low g?
Thanks
 
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I've been curious how the reds would sound but have held off due to the breakage issue. Does the package distinguish if the strings are the new reds from the old in any way? Also, are the living waters a fluorocarbon set, and what do they use for the low g?
Thanks

I have used an Aquila red low g string with the remainder Martin flouros on two ukes and haven't had a string break yet. One of them has been on several months. Just break in slowly
 
I've been curious how the reds would sound but have held off due to the breakage issue. Does the package distinguish if the strings are the new reds from the old in any way? Also, are the living waters a fluorocarbon set, and what do they use for the low g?
Thanks

Yes, the Living Waters strings are fluorocarbon, including the low G string. I recently put their low G set on my tenor uke, and I'm really impressed with the improvement in tone, feel, and sustain.
 
planning to use Aquila too but I'm gonna check out other suggestions
 
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