Which strings for Martin sopranos ?

Ukahuna

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
Los Angeles
Greetings, I have a Martin S1 Mexican made circa 2012-2013 with Honduran mahogany body and neck with Bolivian rosewood bridge and fretboard. I am more of a strummer than picker and high G string user on sopranos. My question is which strings should I use on this ? I do not like the Aquila Nylgut strings on it currently and would like some recommendations. I have been going between getting PHD or Worth but I don't know which strings to buy. I figured PHD are good because that is what Daniel Ho and Dr. Uke. AKA J-Zen AKA Jason Arimoto use and endorse but I don't know if they work as well with Martin sopranos. I have heard a lot of Martin players love Worth but I don't know which ones and I am wanting to get the strings best suited for this soprano. Any string type or brand that best suits this Martin ? Please Help. Thanks
 
I've been happy with Martin M600 fluorocarbons on my Martin soprano. They are very similar to Worth clear strings.
 
I have a Martin S2 Soprano from 2012, and I’ve tried Aquila (which I didn’t like), Martin M600 (which were ok) and Worth Browns (which I like a lot). I haven’t tried Worth Clears yet, but they would be the other type I’d consider.

Also, Worth Browns are great on my Martin T1 tenor.
 
I asked some uke stores today and the Worth clear medium CM 46 seem like the optimal all around string that would suit this soprano well but I would like some more feed back on strings before I do anything. Thanks
 
IMHO, all the strings mentioned will sound better than the Nylguts. Try putting the Martin M600s on for a while to set a baseline as to how the S1 will sound with a set of good strings then go from there with the others to find your preference.
 
I put Martin M600's on all my ukes . Be sure to put a good size knot on your A string . i always put a 3mm bead on my A string to be sure it
wont pop out . Sometimes when they pop out they take a piece out of the bridge .
 
Last edited:
Greetings, I have a Martin S1 Mexican made circa 2012-2013 with Honduran mahogany body and neck with Bolivian rosewood bridge and fretboard. I am more of a strummer than picker and high G string user on sopranos. My question is which strings should I use on this ? I do not like the Aquila Nylgut strings on it currently and would like some recommendations. I have been going between getting PHD or Worth but I don't know which strings to buy. I figured PHD are good because that is what Daniel Ho and Dr. Uke. AKA J-Zen AKA Jason Arimoto use and endorse but I don't know if they work as well with Martin sopranos. I have heard a lot of Martin players love Worth but I don't know which ones and I am wanting to get the strings best suited for this soprano. Any string type or brand that best suits this Martin ? Please Help. Thanks

I like the Martin strings.
 
As others mentioned Martin strings are good idea, their ukes are designed with those strings so if you use them you will get closest to what they were intended to sound like. There are also new Premium Martin strings available that may provide a more authentic vintage sound.
 
Were the Mexican-made Martin sopranos really made from Honduran mahogany? That's a genuine question because if so, I had no idea.

Anyway, lot's of people recommending the Martin M600 fluorocarbon strings and I tend to agree. Those mid-priced Martin ukes come with those strings nowadays. Worth CMs are definitely worth (pun intended) a try as well. They're very similar but a bit thinner, especially the C string. If you'd like to try something a bit more mellow but still fairly bright you could try some dark fluorocarbon strings like Worth BMs (Browns).
 
IMHO, all the strings mentioned will sound better than the Nylguts. Try putting the Martin M600s on for a while to set a baseline as to how the S1 will sound with a set of good strings then go from there with the others to find your preference.

It all depends on what sound you are looking for. I have an old Martin which I used various fluorocarbon strings (Worth, Martin, etc) A while back I threw on a set of the Nyltech (D'Addario's Nylgut product). Right now I really find I like the less chime-y, less sustained, vintage kind of sound they get. They are great for strumming and for rhythmic playing. I was never a big fan of the Nygut style strings on some other instruments, but these are working very well.

So, it is always worth trying various options to see what suits your instrument and taste.
 
I have a Martin S-0, and I've been through various sets and brands of strings. I always seem to come back to Martin M-600's. But in my case, here's the key--
I am using the higher " a D F# B " tuning. In fact, the "care and feeding" information sheet that came with the uke specifies " a D F# B " as the intended tuning for the uke. Obviously, the more common " g C E A " tuning will work fine too, but honestly, I don't think there's any question but that the " a D F# B " tuning makes my S-0 really come alive!
 
I've been happy with Martin M600 fluorocarbons on my Martin soprano. They are very similar to Worth clear strings.

:agree: Very happy with M600's, myself...
 
I listened to a bunch of strings on sopranos ukes yesterday and today and I notice that Worth clears are very etheric sounding when picked but sound a little thin when strummed but the sustain and volume was big. I notice with the Worth Browns that they sound more natural on a soprano and you get more depth in sound but you sacrifice the very long sustain and super high pitch highs and some volume. From what I listened to I prefer the deeper richer more natural sound of the Browns because i'm not looking to bring out highs in this soprano because it already has it. It is more medium and lower tones that I am looking for and the Browns clearly bring more of that than clears. I don't care about volume or sustain really because it's a Martin soprano and they already have good sustain and volume. It's deeper tone that I want and the Browns seem to bring it the most of the stuff I have heard. Any other strings that bring out lows but still have good all around sound and not Nylgut ? I will say Nylgut do have good low sounds but it's that plasticy sound of those thick strings with that plunky sound that I don't like. The Browns seem to be a cross between Clears and Nylgut in their sound, kind of.
 
It sounds as if the Worth Brown would be a great choice for what you want. They are really nice and suit many sopranos really well.
 
So Bill, you use the standard Martin M600 strings tuned up to D?

Yes, that's correct, John. In fact, in the same sentence where the factory "care and feeding" sheet mentions the higher D tuning, they also suggest the use of M-600 strings. I guess that makes sense, as I think the M-600 packaging refers to the strings as "soprano/concert"-- maybe a concert-scale uke in C tuning is about the same tension as a soprano in D tuning?
 
does this high D tuning make the uke sound higher and even less warm with almost no bottom to it at all ? It sounds interesting but I don't want to be strumming some high pitch tinny sounding thin thing. I like the jazzy chords and I have heard warmer strings sound better but I don't know of many warm strings and the Worth Browns do come across nice on sopranos and have a natural sound with some good warmth and a noticeable bottom that I don't here in Clears. I don't get the appeal of high pitch chimey sopranos and that sound wears thin with me quickly because there is little to no depth in tone but sheep will be sheep and especially Martin fanboys that can't get off of tradition and stuck in some sort of archaic nostalgia. Yeah it did need to be said and hopefully it will wake up some the fantasy nostalgia dorks. Just Sayin and to bad for those that aren't ready for the truth yet
 
I don't get the appeal of high pitch chimey sopranos and that sound wears thin with me quickly because there is little to no depth in tone but sheep will be sheep and especially Martin fanboys that can't get off of tradition and stuck in some sort of archaic nostalgia. Yeah it did need to be said and hopefully it will wake up some the fantasy nostalgia dorks. Just Sayin and to bad for those that aren't ready for the truth yet

One of my favorite things about this space is that people do not insult each other. Something to consider.
 
does this high D tuning make the uke sound higher and even less warm with almost no bottom to it at all ? It sounds interesting but I don't want to be strumming some high pitch tinny sounding thin thing. I like the jazzy chords and I have heard warmer strings sound better but I don't know of many warm strings and the Worth Browns do come across nice on sopranos and have a natural sound with some good warmth and a noticeable bottom that I don't here in Clears. I don't get the appeal of high pitch chimey sopranos and that sound wears thin with me quickly because there is little to no depth in tone but sheep will be sheep and especially Martin fanboys that can't get off of tradition and stuck in some sort of archaic nostalgia. Yeah it did need to be said and hopefully it will wake up some the fantasy nostalgia dorks. Just Sayin and to bad for those that aren't ready for the truth yet

Ukahuna, I think it all depends on what a person is looking for in a uke. I am primarily a strummer/singer, and I love the way the higher-pitched uke blends with my lower-pitched voice-- the two sort of "stay out of each other's way", and the combination is sonically pleasing, at least to my ear. Plus, as a guitar player for over 50 years, I love the "change of vibe" that the " a D F# B " -tuned ukulele affords. Respectfully, it really doesn't have anything to do with nostalgia or fanboyism. As they say... your mileage may vary.
 
Top Bottom