Tension List for Ukulele Strings

Nickie said:

Changing tuning to Bb is fine for real musicians, but doesn't it mean I have to transpose every chord I know from C6 tuning, and relearn the fretboard?
If so, forget it.

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Doesn’t appeal to me much either but I suppose that one could maybe try out a few different capos and play as normal ?

I quite like to drive the soundboard and so have moved towards typically using higher tension strings, but as my hands get older that might stop being quite as easy. Now, thinking ahead, I’m beginning to wonder about accepting less volume and how that will allow lower tension strings to be used - might be a problem though on Ukes with stiff soundboards. One of my cheap Sopranos has Super Nylgut Strings on it and I’m liking their relative ease of use, maybe I’ll try clear nylon on it later too. When you’re playing by yourself volume isn’t everything and when you’re playing into a microphone (wish I was that good) then let the amplifier do the work.

There’s a minimum useable tension for strings though. I had a D6 set tuned to C6 and the third string (D) would not intonate correctly at the lower pitch, but it was fine at its intended pitch.

OK, I think I'm done with this tension "exercise" - unless there are errors to be corrected of string makers other than Aquila or D'Addario give accurate tension numbers. What follows is what is at https://ed1.cc/Ukulele/StringTension

The Tension that is bold is the uke size recommended by the manufacturer for that string set.

There are two approaches in this table for string tension:

The first approach is the tension listed by the manufacturer is highlighted in yellow. This allows the other size ukuleles to be calculated by the following (Currently this is true only for Aquila and D'Addario):

Going from soprano to concert multiply by 1.33136
Going from concert to tenor multiply by 1.28444
Going from soprano to tenor multiply by 1.71006
Going from concert to soprano multiply by 0.75111
Going from tenor to concert multiply by 0.77855
Going from tenor to soprano multiply by 0.58478

The second approach is to use the string size, when only that is given, with the formula:

tension = (Frequency2 * Length2 * diameter2 * density2) / 3122
Unfortunately, the densities of any one type of string may be slightly different and the constant my not be completely accurate.

The % Tension of Column Max picks out the highest tension number in the column and gives it 100% and then gives the rest of the column the % ratio to that 100%. The colors go from the lowest tensions in dark green to the highest (100%) in bright red.

The problem with needing two approaches for string tension is that the % Tension of column Max may not be accurate for all strings. The idea of this column was that you could look down a column for a string (the “G” string for example) and see visually how the tensions related for all manufacturers of that string. However, at this time the only ones that would be accurate to relatively compare would be the Aquila and D’Addario strings where the tensions are highlighted in yellow. Also, tensions are probably incorrect for wound strings and other tunings than re-entrant C6.

The main tension pdf is at http://ed1.cc/Ukulele/StringTension/UkuleleStringTensions.pdf

For those who are interested in the Aquila and D’Addario actual tensions not interspersed with the tensions from another string's formula, that is at http://ed1.cc/Ukulele/StringTension/Aquila-D'AddarioTensions.pdf

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I plan to only update the OP in the future unless there is another error or more actual tensions (not from a formula for size/density) that need to be pointed out to everyone.

Thanks to those who helped correct the many errors

sorry to be so late guys.
here are the density of the Aquila red series:

1st and 4th: 1.38
2nd: 1.46
3rd: 1.70

all high G of course.
Ciao
Mimmo

A marvelous effort indeed, though I'm a little surprised not to see Romero strings listed. Guess I thought they were more popular, I found their linear sets very good for my needs.

CTurner said:

A marvelous effort indeed, though I'm a little surprised not to see Romero strings listed. Guess I thought they were more popular, I found their linear sets very good for my needs.

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If you can find an accurate list of the soprano/concert or tenor sizes (or even better the tensions for the sets) for the Romero strings, I'll add them. I removed them from the original list because I couldn't find much more than a guess on the sizes.

Hi Ed,

According to Strings by Mail, the Pepe Romero UT2 Tenor Low G set gauges are: .024, .027, .032, .030(w) and US1 Soprano/Concert high G set: .022, .027, .032, .022.

No gauges for the high G UT1 set.

pmorey said:

Hi Ed,

According to Strings by Mail, the Pepe Romero UT2 Tenor Low G set gauges are: .024, .027, .032, .030(w) and US1 Soprano/Concert high G set: .022, .027, .032, .022.

No gauges for the high G UT1 set.

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Thanks for the Romero numbers. I guess Strings by Mail must have asked Romero - or measured the strings themselves. I also didn't know that Romero had a high G set. My Romero soprano and concert ukes came with low G.

http://ed1.cc/Ukulele/StringTension/UkuleleStringTensions.pdf is what now has to be used to go directly to the pdf. http://ed1.cc/Ukulele/StringTension will take you to the information about the tension list.

Ed1 said:

I also didn't know that Romero had a high G set. My Romero soprano and concert ukes came with low G.

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I watched this video comparison over the week end-- the Romero High G strings (Concert) are included; time stamps are in the description.



~ S.

I want to thank you for putting this together.

Am I reading this right? The Kamaka hard tension tenor and d’addario titanium nylon are LOWER tension than living Water tenor and Worth BT fluorocarbon sets? I always felt the opposite.

Do you think that is why fluorocarbons sound better because of higher tension and driving the soundboard more?

I did feel that Martin Premium Polyguts were easier to play and they do seem lower tension according to the chart.

Thanks!

ghostrdr said:

I want to thank you for putting this together.

Am I reading this right? The Kamaka hard tension tenor and d’addario titanium nylon are LOWER tension than living Water tenor and Worth BT fluorocarbon sets? I always felt the opposite.

Do you think that is why fluorocarbons sound better because of higher tension and driving the soundboard more?

I did feel that Martin Premium Polyguts were easier to play and they do seem lower tension according to the chart.

Thanks!

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I am not sure how much if any of the tension can be "felt" as the subjective effort to press down on a string also reflects thickness and other string material characteristics, as well as the current set up of the uke.

ghostrdr said:

I want to thank you for putting this together.
Am I reading this right? The Kamaka hard tension tenor and daddario titanium nylon are LOWER tension than living Water tenor and Worth BT fluorocarbon sets? I always felt the opposite.
Do you think that is why fluorocarbons sound better because of higher tension and driving the soundboard more?
I did feel that Martin Premium Polyguts were easier to play and they do seem lower tension according to the chart.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

A couple of thoughts:
The d'Addario and Aquila String tensions are from the factory's numbers. All other tensions are created from the string size and type. The types are only fluorocarbon, nylon, and nylgut/nyltech. Mimmo from Aquila was able to help me with a few of the others. I think the calculations are correct (until someone finds an error )

I don't think most folks could tell the tension difference between the D'Addario and Kamaka strings (3/100ths for the A and 2/100ths for the G), although they are different types of strings. The Living Waters and the Worth have the same numbers for the C and G strings and only the Living Waters has a noticeable higher tension than the Worth for the A. I noticed that the first two (not fc) are lower tension than the last two (fc). This may be why they feel that way to you.

So, I would agree with merlin666's "subjective effort" thoughts for the most part. I would guess that having a chart of opinions of folks who have played for a long time and tried many strings like you might be a better way for others to make decisions on trying new strings. Now, how to do that without scouring a decade of posts ...

The Ed1 site is down. Has anyone found a new host for this table?