Just an update in case anyone searches this thread looking for the same thing: I restrung my mahogany soprano with the Martin M600 fluorocarbons and it's noticeably brighter, clearer and has added a touch more sustain. Success! Things were sounding too warm and muddy with the Aquilas.
That doesn't mean I won't continue to experiment with all the other great suggestions though. I think Living Waters will be the next to try.
Just an update in case anyone searches this thread looking for the same thing: I restrung my mahogany soprano with Martin M600s and it's noticeably brighter, clearer and has added a touch more sustain. Success! Things were sounding too warm and muddy with the Aquilas.
That doesn't mean I won't continue to experiment with all the other great suggestions though. I think Living Waters will be the next to try.
Justin case you read this in 2031, the M600 product is a moving feast. Back in 2007 it was a packet of crystal nylon strings. Now in 2021 it is a set of fluorocarbon strings.
I’m not quite sure when the M600’s changed to fluorocarbon but it was maybe a decade ago and their latest string offering (a form of Nylgut) has a different identifier (M605). So no recent changes to a winning combination and as M600’s sell well I’d be surprised if they stopped being available.
However, it’s a fair point to register that occasionally manufacturers do change their products. Occasionally they (misleadingly) keep the old identifier and occasionally they resurrect a once popular line but change it in some way whilst using the same identifier. IMHO such disappoints are rare.
I don't play sopranos, so I can't comment about the ideal stings for them. But I can makes a couple of general comments.
If you are looking for the ideal Hawaiian sound, then Nylon or Nylon+ strings are the way to go. They have the bark and that abrupt drop off that is typical.
If you are looking for a more "guitar" sound with longer sustain then fluorocarbon or monofilament are probably what you seek.
A nice in-between sounding string is the Aquila Sugar strings. I think it sounds like a combination of Nylon & Fluoro would sound. They are thick like Nylons.
If you want a good string to use for hand & arm problems, Worth makes low tension & I think the Fremont Black Line Mediums are more "bendy" than other fluoros. I like Living Waters on many of my tenors. I get them from UkeRepublic.com. Much faster than from the UK. Two other good sources for strings if you can't find them locally are: Stringsbymail.com and Stringsandbeyond.com You can get overwhelmed by so many choices. Start with popular strings and then the more "exotic." Give each one a couple of weeks to stretch properly and settle in before you pass judgement. I've had some that I hated at first, but after they settled, I liked them very much.
I started to get tendonitis in my fretting arm and found that I was pressing the strings too hard. You only have to press as hard ans you need to get a clean sounding note/chord. You do not need to press all the way to the fretboard. Plus my wrist was bent incorrectly. Also, a low action setup with lower strings will help a lot. It makes it much easier to play, requiring less pressure. But you do sacrifice some volume. Caveat: Too low and you can affect the intonation or get some string buzz. A good repair shop or luthier can advise what will be ideal for you.
That's a very helpful post Kenn2018, thank you! I'll certainly be referencing this during my explorations
The issue is with my tendons as well, so that's helpful info.
