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Original Post By:
NinaC
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Date: 5/9/2008 1:21:22 PM
(Updated: 5/9/2008 1:54:50 PM)
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Those of you sick of string discussions can change the channel now ;-) Thank you.
I ordered a couple sets of Guadelupes to try out on my koa and brass National ukes after I'd read some comments about them here. I'd previously been using Aquila concert nylguts. Guadelupe strings are hand made and all of them in the set are wound strings.
I compared them with the Aquila strings as I installed them. Tension-wise, they are very similar. Volume and sustain is very similar. Maybe a tiny edge to the Guadelupes there but really not much.
Regarding tone, they do sound more metallic, particularly when strummed with fingernails. To simulate the sound, if you normally strum your National at about the 12th fret, move the strum down near the biscuit and that is an approximation of the increase in "metallic" sound you'll get at the 12th fret switching to the Guadelupes.
On the downsides, when strummed hard, the notes all seem to muddy up together and to me it's not a very pleasing tone. In addition, you get that classic wound string "squeak" sound when you move chords up and down the fretboard. Being wound with metal, they are very rough on the fingernails, if that is an issue for you. Some people have reported wound strings not lasting as long as other kinds of ukulele strings, I don't know if this is the case here as well but it seems logical to conclude it might be. The other downside is the cost of the strings, more than 2x/set what Aquilas and Worths cost.
I tried playing several songs spanning a couple different genres and styles. Finger picked songs sound pretty good, but then the squeak is an issue. A couple of blues songs that I combo fingerpick/strum sounded pretty good. Songs that are heavily strummed didn't sound as good as with the Nylguts.
I think that if you have a wood-bodied National and want it to sound more like a metal bodied National, these might not be bad strings if you don't mind the downsides. Since I didn't try them on the brass National (and now I probably won't), I can't say how much more metallic they'll sound on that ukulele, but I already think my brass one sounds like that with the Nylguts on it.
I will be going back to Aquilas since they more closely suit the different styles of music and playing that I do. I prefer the tone of those strings and the lack of the "squeak" when I move chords.
My suggestion always is to try various kinds of strings to see what suits you, your instruments, and the tone and playability you're looking for. |
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Posted By:
RSteve
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Date: 5/9/2008 5:20:26 PM
(Updated: 5/9/2008 5:36:36 PM)
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Negotiating their website,
http://www.guadalupecustomstrings.com/index.html
made my head hurt from spinning.
added by edit: If I were merchandising their site. I'd have some type of interactive page, where you plug in the tuning you want and the scale length of your instrument and it would automatically spit out options of string sets. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a replacement set of nylon strings for a 24" scale travel guitar. I called several music stores and got alot of "I dunnos...why doncha try x,y,z." I also was reading the difficulties a chap was finding to fit his 25.6" scale tenor guitar with strings that would be in tenor guitar tuning, CDGA. An interactive page as proposed would solve lots of problems.
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Posted By:
MKnut
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Date: 5/9/2008 9:15:09 PM |
| Guadalupes are fairly legendary here in SoCal, but they made their name in Mariachi instruments. I wonder how many uke sets they sell a year.
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Posted By:
NinaC
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Date: 5/9/2008 9:25:29 PM
(Updated: 5/9/2008 9:26:51 PM)
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| Another factoid: The C string was shorter than any other and it was barely long enough to do the job. Oddly, it was shorter than the supplied E string, which should measure the same distance from peghead to bridge as the C.
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Posted By:
duane
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Date: 5/9/2008 9:47:54 PM |
| Nina, the sound, squeak and metallic edge is always going to be there with a wound string on the resophonic uke. Your information sounds spot on. Thanks.
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