Higher Tension, Wound C, what should I do?

hollymichele · Feb 4, 2019

I've only been playing for about a year, so I'm still trying to figure out what I like and how things work. On both of my ukes (both concerts), the C string bothers me. I feel like it is too loose and sounds "thuddy" and does not work well for finger style. I recently tried Worth Browns and like them a thousand times better than Aquila, but still have the issue with the C string. I haven't tried any other strings other than those two.

What should I try next? Higher tension strings? The tension on G,E,&A feels fine to me. Can I just do a higher tension on C? Or if I'm going to do that, should I go for wound C? My hesitation there is reading about squeakiness and reading some who say you don't use wound C with re-entrant tuning (which is the tuning I prefer).

Thoughts/opinions/advice from those who have more experience and know better than me would be appreciated! Thanks!

Jim Hanks · Feb 4, 2019

For tenor scale? Try this one: https://www.stringsbymail.com/thoma...tring-g-027-chrome-steel-flat-wound-2480.html

hollymichele · Feb 4, 2019

Jim Hanks said:
For tenor scale? Try this one: https://www.stringsbymail.com/thoma...tring-g-027-chrome-steel-flat-wound-2480.html

For concert scale. Any suggestions for that?

I'll keep those strings in mind for when I get my tenor though. Thanks!

Jim Hanks · Feb 4, 2019

Hmm, it might work on concert but would be on the low side for tension.

Martinlover · Feb 4, 2019

May we ask what brand concert you are playing? I have had thuddy C strings, especially on the 2nd fret. I personally like fluorocarbons and on certain brands I find they don’t thud. I use Mya Moe fluorocarbons even though the 3rd string seems perhaps thicker than Martin strings and others.

Croaky Keith · Feb 4, 2019

I switched to Living Water fluorocarbon strings early on in my uke journey, & I have never regretted it, (I'm mainly a melody player on low G strings).

hollymichele · Feb 4, 2019

Croaky Keith said:
I switched to Living Water fluorocarbon strings early on in my uke journey, & I have never regretted it, (I'm mainly a melody player on low G strings).

They've been on my list to try.

hollymichele · Feb 4, 2019

Martinlover said:
May we ask what brand concert you are playing? I have had thuddy C strings, especially on the 2nd fret. I personally like fluorocarbons and on certain brands I find they don’t thud. I use Mya Moe fluorocarbons even though the 3rd string seems perhaps thicker than Martin strings and others.

I have Aquilas on a Cordoba 15CB and Worth Browns on an Ohana PKC-50G. The C string on both feels too loose to me. The Cordoba was my starter uke, so I'm not concerned with that right now. But I'd like the get the Ohana feeling and sounding like I want. The C strings sounds a bit better on the Ohana, but still bothers me. And definitely the loose feeling bothers me when trying to play finger style.

Jim Hanks · Feb 4, 2019

You might want to try the Oasis sets as well. I have the Warm set on a 17" scale at Bb tuning and the 3rd string doesn't feel too loose to me (although I generally like low tension) so it should work as a C string for concert. You might prefer the Bright set for fingerpicking:
https://www.stringsbymail.com/oasis...-conc-sop-ten-bright-high-g-double-11772.html
but the 3rd string is the same in both

hollymichele · Feb 4, 2019

Jim Hanks said:
You might want to try the Oasis sets as well. I have the Warm set on a 17" scale at Bb tuning and the 3rd string doesn't feel too loose to me (although I generally like low tension) so it should work as a C string for concert. You might prefer the Bright set for fingerpicking:
https://www.stringsbymail.com/oasis...-conc-sop-ten-bright-high-g-double-11772.html
but the 3rd string is the same in both

I will give those a try! Thanks for the suggestion!

zztush · Feb 5, 2019

Hi, Michele!

hollymichele said:
On both of my ukes (both concerts), the C string bothers me. I feel like it is too loose and sounds "thuddy" and does not work well for finger style.

I have seen same case with a friend of mine. His is a guitarist. Guitar is a transposing instrument, for which the pitch of the sounded note is different from the pitch of the notated note. Actually guitar is one octave lower than other instruments (including ukulele). He had tuned ukulele like guitar and one octave lower.

Tuner works in one octave low or high too. Check your tuning.

DownUpDave · Feb 5, 2019

Because the C string is tuned the lowest it usually feels the lowest in tension. As a general rule if you increase diameter of the same material you increase tension. So assuming your concert gauge C string has the average diameter of .029" and most do you can go fatter or change materials.

Try a set of Martin M600, the C string diameter is .034". If that doesn't work try a wound string, either the Thomastik. CF27 Jim recommended or Daddario NYL028W. This is a silver wound classic guitar string, I have used them in different diameters for various instruments, soprano to baritone. Both can by had at Strings by Mail, so can the Martin M600 set.

hollymichele · Feb 6, 2019

DownUpDave said:
Because the C string is tuned the lowest it usually feels the lowest in tension. As a general rule if you increase diameter of the same material you increase tension. So assuming your concert gauge C string has the average diameter of .029" and most do you can go fatter or change materials.

Try a set of Martin M600, the C string diameter is .034". If that doesn't work try a wound string, either the Thomastik. CF27 Jim recommended or Daddario NYL028W. This is a silver wound classic guitar string, I have used them in different diameters for various instruments, soprano to baritone. Both can by had at Strings by Mail, so can the Martin M600 set.

Awesome, thanks! I'll try your suggestions.

Higher Tension, Wound C, what should I do?

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