I think we must have been back-and-forthing on Instagram about one of Aaron’s recent wood selection posts.
Ah, yes! I've been meaning to double back to that (on Insta) since putting it together-- 517 being so distinctive(! -- as are they all, but: Wow).
Your alto looks amazing, I love the headplate in particular but the details are all awesome.
The headplate was actually a surprise, relative to the seemingly-final woods Aaron had shown me. I love it, too.
I chose between these three pieces of wood...
Aaron then showed me the cut pieces together:
I was wondering how he was going to move from fret board into head plate, and...a switcheroo kaPOW.
Pistachio wood is a marvel, in its smooth density and wild visual character....
I’m curious about your string change - I’ve basically only ever used Aaron’s GHS combo on a uke, and they seem fine but I should probably try a few things and see if anything speaks to me a bit more.
As noted, my plan was to play the GHS combo exclusively at first, based on Aaron's implied recommendation and a desire to try things the way others prefer (and especially in this case, built-and-achieved-desired-outcomes-with-intended-strings) -- if that makes sense?
I believe I can, and someday maybe will, get along with the GHS strings just fine-- the tone is great, it's the tension of the E and A strings (A, especially) I wasn't enjoying. Interestingly, the Uke Logic set's G and C strings are thicker/higher-tensioned than the GHS's, and that doesn't seem to register with me one way or another.... It was the A that just felt stiffer than my hand expected, again and again, and it bugged me.
I decided to choose (and narrow) my immediate learning curve; with enough other variables at hand, literally and figuratively, in exploring this new instrument, I decided to take string tension out of the mix for now. I don't like changing strings piecemeal so swapped out the whole set, but I actually ordered a couple extra GHS/Beansprout sets with my Alto, so may try again wholesale, or sub in a different A only and see what I think of t'others.
Sussing out the different variables in assembled string sets can become maddening and/or counterproductive for me-- like, how the individual strings of Living Water and Uke Logic and Worth Lights are almost all just the slightest oonch different from each other, sometimes heavier and sometimes lighter in width/tension. I have no idea how I'd remember if I liked any one combination more than another on a specific ukulele by the time I'd changed strings and they'd settled. So, I sat down at "Uke Logic" for now.
[I don't need to try Martins again-- I found them slightly sloppy, too-- and dislike almost everything about Aquila save for the Sugars-- and those shredded on me in weeks, sadly.]
I'd say if you're happy with the GHS strings, you're in a great place to just
play.
I am pretty sure I don’t like Aquilas but that’s about it. My daughter’s soprano Ohana has Martins and they’re fine but a little loose at that scale. Then again, I am used to double bass strings where the tension and gauge is much higher.
I come from steel 6-string guitar, so am surprised tension 'tells' the way it does on me. But, now I know!
Cheers.
~ S.