Low G on an Enya Nova? Seeking String Advice

[de24]

Hi all,

I just ordered one of the new red Enya Novas and want to string it to Low G. This will be my first time trying a low G tuning.

Can anyone recommend a good, unwound low g string set that will pair with the plastic fretboard and where to buy it online?

I want to make sure there are no metal components so that it won't harm the instrument.

In poking around I see the Oasis Warm mentioned a fair bit. Any others I should consider?

Thanks!
Kevin

 

[man0a]

I am using a Fremont Blackline fluorocarbon unwound low G on my Enya Nova. I had to carefully slide the string into the bridge slot, but it fits both the bridge and the nut without modifying anything. I bought the strings at The Ukulele Site store in Honolulu. They sell by mail order as well.

 

[Ms Bean]

Hi all,

I just ordered one of the new red Enya Novas and want to string it to Low G. This will be my first time trying a low G tuning.

Can anyone recommend a good, unwound low g string set that will pair with the plastic fretboard and where to buy it online?

I want to make sure there are no metal components so that it won't harm the instrument.

In poking around I see the Oasis Warm mentioned a fair bit. Any others I should consider?

Thanks!
Kevin

Enya is willing to string their instruments up with Low G. You won't be able to pick the one you like, but they might know which string compensates their Nova best. Enya's Customer Care details are on their website, so why don't you get in touch with them?

 

[de24]

Thanks Ms Bean. I do have an email out to Enya to ask them about this so we’ll see what they say.

Good suggestion about the Fremont Blacklines. Did you just replace the G string and leave the other stock strings? Or did you replace all of them?

 

[man0a]

Thanks Ms Bean. I do have an email out to Enya to ask them about this so we’ll see what they say.

Good suggestion about the Fremont Blacklines. Did you just replace the G string and leave the other stock strings? Or did you replace all of them?

I replaced all 4 strings. The stock strings sounded kind of weak to me.

 

[merlin666]

Thanks Ms Bean. I do have an email out to Enya to ask them about this so we’ll see what they say.

Good suggestion about the Fremont Blacklines. Did you just replace the G string and leave the other stock strings? Or did you replace all of them?

Buying single strings is often more expensive than a whole set
Also matching can be difficult and if it's a poor match then the experience both in terms of sound and tension feeling will be horrid. Get a whole set so you know it will all work together.

 

[de24]

Thanks for the tip - I'll buy the whole set.

I heard back from Enya and they offered to set it up with low g strings (Aquila Reds) prior to shipping.

As a side note, because I asked them, they said the tenor sized Enya Nova is set to be released in late November.

 

[man0a]

Thanks for the tip - I'll buy the whole set.

I heard back from Enya and they offered to set it up with low g strings (Aquila Reds) prior to shipping.

As a side note, because I asked them, they said the tenor sized Enya Nova is set to be released in late November.

Curious that they want to install Aquila Reds when the Enya website says: "NOT compatible with wound strings or strings containing metallic compounds". https://www.enya-music.com/collections/ukulele/products/nova-u-carbon-black
The Aquila website clearly says that their red strings contain metallic compounds.

 

[roastbeast]

I'm probably a bit late but if you can deal with lower tension strings you can rearrange your existing Enya strings or use the spare set so that your thickest gauge is the low G (C string by default) and then go down the line... E string by default becomes your new C, high g string by default becomes your new E and A is A. I've done this with success with Enya and Martin Fluorocarbons.

 

[leifau]

I generally use a wound low g but read that they are not a good idea on the Enya Novas because they eat into the plastic. So I tried original style Aquila Red unwounds from 0.80-1.28 which I usually like for low g when I don't use a wound string. I think they all sound too boomy and much louder than the other strings when amplified. So I've given up with low g and gone back to high g. It's a concert size and I generally don't like the high tension on concert ukes so I often use soprano strings - I've got Soprano Aquila Reds on it (ha, but also not a fan of the higher sounding pitch). Any other ideas for low g? Maybe Fremont STR-FMG Black Fluorocarbon - they don't seem to make thinner gauge just for soprano.

 

[Dohle]

I generally use a wound low g but read that they are not a good idea on the Enya Novas because they eat into the plastic. So I tried original style Aquila Red unwounds from 0.80-1.28 which I usually like for low g when I don't use a wound string. I think they all sound too boomy and much louder than the other strings when amplified. So I've given up with low g and gone back to high g. It's a concert size and I generally don't like the high tension on concert ukes so I often use soprano strings - I've got Soprano Aquila Reds on it (ha, but also not a fan of the higher sounding pitch). Any other ideas for low g? Maybe Fremont STR-FMG Black Fluorocarbon - they don't seem to make thinner gauge just for soprano.

You can check low g string sets from Worth, Fremont and Living Water. All of those have unwound low g strings in their sets. The issue is that the string is quite thick so it probably won't fit the nut slot without widening it first.

Also as a side note, you probably shouldn't use Aquila Reds on the Enya Nova at all. Even the plain Red strings have a metallic compound applied to them meaning that they can eat away at plastic fretboards as well.

 

[leifau]

You can check low g string sets from Worth, Fremont and Living Water. All of those have unwound low g strings in their sets. The issue is that the string is quite thick so it probably won't fit the nut slot without widening it first.

Also as a side note, you probably shouldn't use Aquila Reds on the Enya Nova at all. Even the plain Red strings have a metallic compound applied to them meaning that they can eat away at plastic fretboards as well.

Thanks, I had some Worth Brown Fat strings that I tried but they were a bit thunky and dull. I'm thinking the Enya doesn't have much bottom end definition, a bit muddy and with no tone control you can't adjust it. I'll try some Fremont strings.

 

[aaronkb]

I generally use a wound low g but read that they are not a good idea on the Enya Novas because they eat into the plastic. So I tried original style Aquila Red unwounds from 0.80-1.28 which I usually like for low g when I don't use a wound string. I think they all sound too boomy and much louder than the other strings when amplified. So I've given up with low g and gone back to high g. It's a concert size and I generally don't like the high tension on concert ukes so I often use soprano strings - I've got Soprano Aquila Reds on it (ha, but also not a fan of the higher sounding pitch). Any other ideas for low g? Maybe Fremont STR-FMG Black Fluorocarbon - they don't seem to make thinner gauge just for soprano.

I’m a big fan of living water strings, they’re all unwound fluorocarbon and I use their low G set on three different instruments including my Outdoor Ukulele (plastic fretboard).

 

[cdkrugjr]

Another vote for Worth, but at the end of the day, strings are cheap AND it’s our connection to the instrument, so don’t be afraid to try things

 

[don_b]

I have the uke logic pink sandia all fluorocarbon low g set on my enya nova u. I like it a lot. They also make a set that is identical but has a wound low g and I have that set on another tenor. I like both sets. They growl.

 

[aaronkb]

Wanted to revive this thread to ask: has anyone tested intonation with a low g? I’m suddenly in love with the light blue soprano model, but I play with linear tuning and the compensated saddle makes me worry that the intonation would be off if I change that.

Also, does anyone know if the saddle’s different when you order it with a low g from Enya?

 

[aaronkb]

Help me please 😭

 

[Tim E]

I have a black soprano and use a Fremont low G. However, I lowered the action by filing the (non-removable) saddle. For whatever reason, I found the saddle out of the box to have an unusually high breakover angle, along with higher than necessary action. With the lowered saddle and not much in the way of fancy compensation, intonation is fine.

 

[Wiggy]

Curious that they want to install Aquila Reds when the Enya website says: "NOT compatible with wound strings or strings containing metallic compounds".
The Aquila website clearly says that their red strings contain metallic compounds.

The latest version of the "reds" are brownish and much smoother to the touch. I have one on a Flight TUC-55 and it sounds great. Very stable, and it causes no damage that I can detect. Of course, the silver coating rubs off but that happened on all 4 strings, not just the "red." (It is strung dGBE.)

<edit: 2 Dec, 2022> The Aquila "brown" measures .038" at tension, but because I use it as a 3rd string the thickness was not a problem.
However, it will not fit in a slotted bridge's #4 position without significantly widening the slot.

 

[Lillymo]

Great discussion! I had the same question and reached out to Enya in November 2022. They wrote back:
"The Nova U is compatible with unwound strings. Please see the Enya unwound low G strings here."

I asked if the slot in the nut would need to be modified to accommodate their low G and if I could go back to high G if I wanted to. They responded:
“The slot fits low G or high G strings. no modification is needed.”

The Enya Fluorocarbon low G is slightly thinner than most: 0.034” compared to 0.0358” for Worth, Living Waters and Oasis All Fluorocarbon (8001F Bright or 8101F Warm.) The Fremont Blackline low G and Uke Logic Soft Tension low G strings are 0.036” - pretty darn close to the rest of the pack.

I haven't tried a fluorocarbon low G on my Nova U Concert, but extrapolating from man0a's comment:

I am using a Fremont Blackline fluorocarbon unwound low G on my Enya Nova. I had to carefully slide the string into the bridge slot, but it fits both the bridge and the nut without modifying anything.

I'm guessing that similarly sized strings should work. It’s probably a good idea to check the gauge before buying an unwound low G for a Nova U to make sure it doesn’t stray too far from Enya’s 0.034”.