String Tests on My Pohaku Soprano - Sound/Video Samples Included

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Who doesn’t love a good string comparison? Yes, these have been done before by the likes of George Elmes and Kalei Gamiao, but let’s be honest, those guys could make a Kleenex box with rubber bands sound good. You’re probably not that good, and neither am I. Wouldn’t you rather hear how strings sound when a normal human plays them?

Okay. I actually wasn’t planning on doing this. I was inspired to do it by my new Pohaku soprano. Usually, when I get a new uke, if it isn’t already strung with fluorocarbon I promptly pull off whatever is on there and throw on a set of Martin M600s. If I feel like want to try something else it’s Worth BMs or Martin Premiums, but it stops there. However, I was amazed by how much I liked the Aquila’s on this instrument since I usually don’t like them at all, and most the string experimenting I had done was early on in my playing on very good for the price but not amazing Kala tenor ukes. My surprise with my fondness for the Aquila’s on the Pohaku combined with the fact that I now really only play a couple of what I find to be amazingly nice soprano ukes made me really want to experiment again.

Over the past few days I’ve been recording sound/video sample of each string I try on this ukulele. In each sample I am in the same room, playing the same thing, and doing my best effort to play a similar distance from the microphone and at a similar volume. However, I don’t have any real recording equipment, so this is done on a simple external pc camera/microphone. Because of that a lot of the nuance will be lost, but you should still be idea to get general idea of how each string impacts the tone of this particular instrument.

So here they are listed one by one or if you’d rather you can just go to the full playlist. I will comment as I add more and also add to the list in this initial post. My comments on each string type are in a post below this one so that you can have a chance to listen to the sound sample before seeing my opinion.

Aquila Nylgut (not sure which type): https://youtu.be/-r5kX4xm-4w
Martin Premium Graphite Gray Polygut (M605): https://youtu.be/G4c_vG-5tbo
Worth Brown Medium (BM): https://youtu.be/r-IipivDMB4
Fremont Blackline Medium Tension: https://youtu.be/HvfVSHwzxvU
D’Addario Titanium (EJ87S): https://youtu.be/ldwOACSsTrM
Worth Clear Medium (CM) [added 09/09/2020]: https://youtu.be/eZ1SjSHOWw0
Worth Clear Medium (CM) - Take 2 [added 09/10/2020]: https://youtu.be/-3PUHy_LUqQ
Martin Premium Graphite Gray Polygut for Tenors (M625)[added 09/11/2020]: https://youtu.be/oHbli-KP6WA
Ernie Ball Clear Nylon (2329)[added 09/23/2020]: https://youtu.be/RSgVUolO51E
 
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Here is where I'll log my thoughts on the strings I have tested on this instrument:

Stock Aquila Nylguts: I really like these. They have some additional warmth to this uke and a little more fullness to the mids. They are punchy without being overly chunky (as I often find Aquila's to be). They are balanced and full across the tonal spectrum with a good amount of sustain and they are loud. They are well suited to this uke and when I am done testing I will likely put them back on.

Martin Premium Graphite Gray Polygut (M605): They are snappy, bright, and jangly. Initially, I felt they sounded thin, but they but improved after being on for a few hours. A little overly brittle at times, but they give the uke a nice bright, snappy, vintage, jangle. The warmth and body is still there but it sorta sits underneath the jangle. They add a nice throaty growl to the low end too. Probably not what I'll end up with on this uke, but if I really wanted to emphasize the Martin-esc jangle of the instrument I would use these.

Worth Brown Medium (BM): They sound like Worth Browns. Similar to most other fluorocarbons, but toned down a little in the highs and warmer. A little less jangly than the M605s but still plenty bright and jangly on this instrument. They suit this uke very well. If my other soprano wasn't already strung with fluorocarbon I would probably settle on these.

Fremont Blackline Medium Tension: I perceived these very differently live vs recorded. Live they sounded thinner and more jangly than the Browns. They had a little more of the metallic jangle that the 605s have. Somewhere between the 605s and Browns. They are not as loud or full of a string as the Browns. BUT recorded they sounded more mellow than the Browns and this is how I think most people describe them. I think the inconsistency here is because they are a thinner lower tension string (I think) than the Browns. When playing them this makes them come off as a little brittle and thin sounding, but recorded that isn't picked up, especially since they don't seem to drive the top as much and produce less volume. They still really good on this uke particularly recored, but I like the other strings I've tried on it better. I may try the hard tenison version of these as I think those could be really nice.

D’Addario Titanium (EJ87S): I've been principally a flourocarbon player for a while and have never bonded with these nylon-like strings when I tried them in the past. They have a very nice fundamental tone that is round and clear but when strummed, especially in closed position, they lack the resonance and sustain I am used to. These also are very easy to pull sharp. They took are/taking a while to settle in, but the intonation issues are seeming to improve as they stretch. With that said, they sound really nice recorded. They are more subdued than the Nylguts and flourocarbons and sound fuller in the recording than they sounded live. I'm going to leave these on a few days to give them a fair shake since they take a while to settle in and I've never tried them on a soprano. I don't think these or more typical nylon strings are what I will end up with on this uke, but I want to mess with these a bit and give some clear nylons a try. It might be nice to have a Nylon string on one of my ukes and flourocarbon or Nylgut on another just to have some contrast.

Additional thoughts: After leaving these on a couple days they really started to grow on me. The intonation issues more or less went away, though they are still easier to pull sharp than flourocarbon if you fret too hard. I feel like as they stretched and settled in the tone of them also opened up a bit. They remain quite different (e.g. chunkier and dryer) sounding than the bright open sound of flourcarbon I am used to, but it's a nice sound and I like different. I may revisit these.

Worth Clear Mediums (CM) [added 09/09/2020] Similar to the Browns but, not suprisingly, a little brighter and more jangly. I prefer Martin M600s to these, but these are what I had on hand and since I did the Browns putting these on made sense. On most ukes I feel like M600s are just a little fuller and warmer (might be in my head) and I like the thicker C string on the M600s. Initially I felt like these sounded a little thin, but like with most strings they filled out as they stretched and settled in. One thing that was interesting to me when comparing these to the Browns was that in addition to the Browns usually sound a little mellower in the highs I also found the Browns to be a little fuller in mids and lows and also a little louder. I usually think of Browns as a string that cuts certain tones but that don't really add anyting, and if anything are a little quieter. For whatever reason, on this uke I felt like the Browns were a little louder and fuller, not just less bright. Maybe it is in my head, or maybe it's just inconsistency in my playing, or maybe I just never noticed that before, or maybe there is something about this uke in which certain strings really bring out the lows and mids. This uke is generally a bright and jangly instrument, but it seems like certain strings can really bring out a lot of mids and lows from it too. There definitly seems to be distinct mid range pop and punchyness that the Browns bring out. They are not just cutting the highs when compared to these. As I listen back there are even moments where the Browns almost seem more jangly, but maybe I was just playing louder. It's really hard to be totally consistent from recording to recording. I even posted a second take just to try to make sure I captured the contrast with the Browns well enough. Anyway, I'm going to play with these a little more, but I think if I were to stick with flourocarbon on this uke I would stick with the Browns.

Martin Premium Graphite Gray Polygut for Tenors (M625) [added 09/11/2020]: Put tenor strings on a lightly built soprano at your own risk. I always felt like the tension on the soprano version of these was a little low, so I thought it would be safe to give this a try. Martin lists there tension as 37.1lbs and the flourocarbon M600s as 35.4lbs. I'm also assuming that the 37.1 is measured on a tenor scale and on a soprano scale the tension would be lower than that, so I'm pretty confident this is safe. Despite that it does make me a little nervous, so I certainly won't try tuning these up to D and if I were to leave them on I would be regularly checking the uke closely for adverse affects. Anyway, these are interesting. They've got the pop of the soprano scale ones, but are definitly fuller and less bright. Because of the higher tension you can really smack them and put out a lot of volume. You can really feel the uke resonating with these. You lose that nice jangle you get from the 605s in exchange for the warmth and volume. Unfortunatley, I feel like the extra ommph these put out isn't captured all that well by my crappy mic. They are sorta half way between the Nylguts and the 605s. While I really like the jangle on the 605s, I must say I quite like these as well. If nothing else the higher tension feels nicer to play. Perhaps the ones for concerts would be perfect.

Ernie Ball Clear Nylon (2329) [added 09/23/2020]: This is the first time I've ever tried a plain clear nylon strings as they never really previously appealed to me. I must say they sound great on this uke. They are super balanced. I always felt like recordings of nylon strings sounded really dry, but they are warm and full but still plenty of bark and bite. My crappy PC mic really doesn't pick up the fullness of these (or any of the strings). I also really like the feel of these. The thicker gauge feels good and makes it a little easier to bridge two strings using the pad of my finger without bending my first joint way back (something I try to avoid). The one downside is they do take a while to settle in and even though they have mostly settled in at this point, as I've read in other place, I do find that they can be sensitive to temperature changes. I'm hoping they will continue to stabalize a bit, but even if they don't I like these an awful lot and may be a convert to nylon on at least some of my ukes.

If/when I test more string on this uke I will add my thoughts here.
 
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Thank you for these comparisons, they are both entertaining and helpful.
 
I'll write a quick post after listening to the sound samples and before reading your own comments.

I agree about the Nylguts. They actually sound surprisingly good on the Pohaku but they still have that overly boomy sound to them which I don't like. Nylguts might be decent if played a bit softer.

The Martin Premiums and Worth Browns sounded really similar to me and were probably the best strings out of the bunch. Slight nod to the Worth Browns, maybe because of familiarity as I use them quite a lot myself. Weirdly, the Fremont Blacklines sounded slightly more tinny compared to the Martins or Worths. Not bad but I'd prefer the other two based on this test.

Obviously the Titaniums were the tinniest of these strings. As I mentioned in the nylon string thread, they often lack warmth on smaller ukes or ukes that have less depth to their sound inherently. I wouldn't say it's a bad sound, particularly if you're after that type of tone, but I personally would like more warmth from a mahogany soprano.

Edit.

Well, after reading your own comments I can say that our opinions didn't differ that much but I somehow was able to notice the tinnier sound of the Fremonts through the recording. Weird that.
 
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Weirdly, the Fremont Blacklines sounded slightly more tinny compared to the Martins or Worths. Not bad but I'd prefer the other two based on this test.

You nailed it, that is how they sounded live, tinnier than the Browns. Simlar jangle to the 605s but not as full. I felt like that wasn't picked up on the recording. Interesting that it came across to you in the recording.

I like the Browns as the best overall too. They sound really really great on it. So much so that I haven't bothered to try my go-to clear flourocarbons yet. The premiums are brighter on the attack and more jangly in person, but really nice still.

Obviously the Titaniums were the tinniest of these strings. As I mentioned in the nylon string thread, they often lack warmth on smaller ukes or ukes that have less depth to their sound inherently. I wouldn't say it's a bad sound, particularly if you're after that type of tone, but I personally would like more warmth from a mahogany soprano.

Interesting, I don't hear them as the most tinny. I hear the Martin Premiums as teh most tinny and jangly though not in a bad way. Funny what different people perceive. The titaniums are to my ear a wierd mix of tinny and warm. Tinny on the attack but the fundemntal note is round and warm to me ear, at least compared to the open ringy sound of flourocarbon that I'm used to. I think they sound great when plucked with the soft part of my thumb, but not so much with regular downstrokes with my nail. You've convinced me that I need to try some regular nylon on either this or my Weymann. I'm very curious.

I agree about the Nylguts. They actually sound surprisingly good on the Pohaku but they still have that overly boomy sound to them which I don't like. Nylguts might be decent if played a bit softer.

I concur. If I end up with the Aquila's it will be because they are something a bit different than I typically play, but still great sounding on this uke. They did overpower the little mic a bit and I think sound better live, especially outside or in a larger room.
 
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Thanks for posting up the string comparison and your thoughts.
I enjoyed listening to all the strings and your play.
This is very useful material to somebody like me, who's just now exploring different strings.
 
Thank you for your efforts and posting. I am a string nerd though I don't have the patience for frequent string changes and waiting for them to settle. So once the uke sounds fine I keep the strings on until they wear out. I have used Aquila red as low G and A strings in combination with Nylgut, but they are quite popular in my uke circle as whole sets, and are also creating a buzz in the guitar world as they have different densities resulting in a different tension experience. I am very curious how they might fit in with the ones you tested so far.
 
My favorites were the Aquila’s and the Fremont Blacklines because they sounded the sweetest to me. I think your assessment of each string set was spot on and they all sounded good because you have a spectacular instrument.

I’ve always liked Aquila’s but my favorite concert and tenor sounded best with Fremont Blacklines. I think the uke/string combo depends in part on what style of music you play. For old-time Swing music I do like the jangly sound that the Martins provide.
 
I am a string nerd though I don't have the patience for frequent string changes and waiting for them to settle.

Yeah. I'm getting bored of changing strings. I kinda want to try more but I also kinda just want to put one of the sets on I liked the best and play my ukulele.
 
Interesting, I don't hear them as the most tinny. I hear the Martin Premiums as teh most tinny and jangly though not in a bad way. Funny what different people perceive. The titaniums are to my ear a wierd mix of tinny and warm. Tinny on the attack but the fundemntal note is round and warm to me ear, at least compared to the open ringy sound of flourocarbon that I'm used to. I think they sound great when plucked with the soft part of my thumb, but not so much with regular downstrokes with my nail. You've convinced me that I need to try some regular nylon on either this or my Weymann. I'm very curious.

Hmm, interesting indeed. The disparity might have at least something to do with just describing sound which isn't the easiest thing to do, but there might be some actual difference in how I perceive Titanium strings as well. I can sense some warmth in the Titaniums (in general, not just in the video) but for me the tinny sound often just overpowers everything else (if that's even possible), particularly on sopranos. It's not the easiest for me to explain.
 
Hmm, interesting indeed. The disparity might have at least something to do with just describing sound which isn't the easiest thing to do, but there might be some actual difference in how I perceive Titanium strings as well. I can sense some warmth in the Titaniums (in general, not just in the video) but for me the tinny sound often just overpowers everything else (if that's even possible), particularly on sopranos. It's not the easiest for me to explain.

Yeah. Tone is difficult to explain. We may both say warm or both say tinny and mean something slightly different. But also our ears might be atuned to different things since I mostly play flourocarbon and you often play nylon. I definitly hear the tinniness especially on down strokes, but I think what stands out to me is how different the fundemantal tone sounds compared to flourocarbon.
 
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Thank you for your efforts and posting. I am a string nerd though I don't have the patience for frequent string changes and waiting for them to settle. So once the uke sounds fine I keep the strings on until they wear out. I have used Aquila red as low G and A strings in combination with Nylgut, but they are quite popular in my uke circle as whole sets, and are also creating a buzz in the guitar world as they have different densities resulting in a different tension experience. I am very curious how they might fit in with the ones you tested so far.

I tried Reds on my banjo once when I was experimenting with nylon strings on it and did not like them so I never tried them on a uke. Totally different animal though so I probably should.
 
New video added - Worth Clear Mediums (CM). I prefer Martin M600s for clear flourocarbon but this what I had on hand and since I did the Browns it made sense to do the Clears. I addded a second take with this just because I flet like I played a little quiet on the initial one I posted.

Take 1: https://youtu.be/eZ1SjSHOWw0
Take 2: https://youtu.be/-3PUHy_LUqQ


Added links and thoughts to first two posts.

I was actually starting to dig those Titaniums. I wouldn't use them if I had only one uke, but they were starting to sound good on this as they settled in and they really give it a different sound from my Weymann which is strung with M600s.

I have a set of Ernie Ball clear nylon coming, but I'm getting bored of this so that will probably be the last set I try before settling on something (at least for a while).
 
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Thanks for posting the samples.

I wonder if there is a more efficient way to listen to all these wonderful string (and sound) tests.
 
Thanks for posting the samples.

I wonder if there is a more efficient way to listen to all these wonderful string (and sound) tests.

My pleasure.

The easist thing in the current format is to go to the initial post and just click the full playlist, but I assume you mean like cutting the tests together into one video? I thought of that, but honestly don't have time to figure that out right now. Changing strings and playing/recording a < 1 min clip of them as part of my regular playing is relativley little effort. Also, the first couple tests are different tempos as I was initially just recording these for myself. After the 1st two I set a click to 100bpm, which would definitly make them work better spliced together. Anyway, perhaps I'll try to put together a single video at some point. Maybe I'll even re-record the first two at 100bmp, but at the moment it's not something I want to invest the time in.
 
I don't mean to ask you to remake any samples when I wondered about a more efficient method (I was just thinking out loud); I appreciate what you are doing.
Just came up with an idea on efficiency where samples download into DAW type; will have to give it some more thought.
 
I don't mean to ask you to remake any samples when I wondered about a more efficient method (I was just thinking out loud); I appreciate what you are doing.
Just came up with an idea on efficiency where samples download into DAW type; will have to give it some more thought.

I appreaciate you thinking about this. Please do give it more thought. If there is something easy I'm happy to do it.
 
Not sure if anyone is still interested in this, but I just added a video of the uke with Ernie Ball clear nylons. I like then ab awful lot and have added my thoughts to the second post of this thread.

Here is the link, but I have also added it to the first post of this thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSgVUolO51E

On another note, as I become more familair with this instrument and listen back to these recordings, it is becoming increasingly apparent to me just how much is lost with this little PC/webchat mic. I obviously didn't expect great quality, but I did think it would be as good as my phone mic. What I have actually found is that the mic I used here picks up far more of the highs and less of the lows compared to my phone and as a result everything sounds a bit tinny. Recordings from my phone mic, on the other hand, can sound suprisingly decent. This uke and many of these strings have such great tone across the spectrum of low to high and it's too bad I haven't been able to capture that. I have a few other random uke videos on my YouTube channel which were all recorded with my phone and they sound WAY better. Wish I have realized that before I started this. Oh well, you live you learn. For the most part, I only record things for my own use and reference so I've never bothered to get a better mic, but if I ever do this again I certainly will.

That's all for now. No immediate plans to test anything else, though based on a another, much more accomplished, uke players advice I may try a heavier gauge Worth Brown at some point.

I hope this was of interest and helpful to some folks. I'll post back here if I decide to add anymore recordings to the playlist at any point.
 
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