Bulletin Board: strings--stability and longevity. Close Window   

Original Post By: Guest_jg Date: 1/29/2005
i want to do a little survey to help me decide on what strings to try. i've tried the nylguts, worth, ghs, etc. but just compared sound and feel. to save me some time by not having to leave one set on a long time to find out other stuff i'm asking you all for feedback.. all things being equal (well setup instrument with quality tuning machines, etc, etc) which strings do you find tend to be more stable in holding their tuning? which strings do you find last longest? also, just out of curiosity how often do you personally change strings? how much playing time do they get before you change them? thanks for the feedback.
Posted By: Guest_Pauline Leland Date: 1/29/2005
I usually pull strings off because I'm curious to try something new. I think nylon and composite strings last and last and last, otherwise.

Uncle Rufus found this hard to believe, but I've worn out two sets of Nylguts. The first time, at about 5 months, my beloved C. Vega tenor developed a terrible buzz. I thought something had broken on it until I noticed I could feel, not see, a number of nicks in the strings in the strumming/picking, with nails, area. New strings fixed the buzz.

A few months ago, I put Nylguts back on the tenor, and I think I'm hearing something vaguely wrong again. The E string seems unpleasantly loud. I don't like dealing with new strings, so I'm putting off changing them. It's been a little over 3 months.

By the way, wound strings do not last like plain nylon strings will, but sometimes they die far too young. Nylgut came out with pure copper windings on their strings, beautiful, I loved them, and I was able to catch the wear on the first set of tenor strings, shift the wear spot to a non-fret location, and it lasted for the full 5 months. A lot of people had wear problems with the pure copper windings, so Nylgut went to silver-plated copper. On this second set, I again was sent a copper winding from old stock. I was suspicious, but thought I could catch the wear in time and shift the string. Nope, it broke in 2 weeks. I replaced it with an unwound Worth which has served well. I also had Koaloa, badly misspelled, Gold strings on a Mele Braddah pineapple that sounded great, and then either they changed or I did after a few months, didn't like the sound, so I yanked them.
Posted By: Guest_Kevin Date: 1/29/2005
I've tried GHS black nylon, D'Addario clear, Aquila NylGuts and Hilo black nylon. I like the Hilo set the best. I play an hour or two a day and I rarely need to tune. They have an average break- in period, as with any string, where you'll tune constantly for the first few hours of play. Then you're set, assuming your instrument is well set-up. I've had my current Hilo set on for about six months. My goal is always to change strings more often, but I'd rather spend the time playing.
Posted By: Guest_Kevin Date: 1/29/2005
About NylGuts, I agree with Pauline. I nicked the heck out of them. I didn't like the way they felt, either. I think the NylGuts are good for making a small, lightly built uke louder and warmer. I put them on a couple of old Supertones I had. Sounded great, but I don't favor them for my main instruments.
Posted By: Guest_jg Date: 1/30/2005
thanks for the responses thus far. i was wondering about the nylguts. i'd never had them on long enough but i was suspicious they might not last as long. i'm wondering if the worth's might be the longest lasting and most stable. considering what they're made out of they might be. i'd love to hear from someone about those. right now i have a couple of sets of unused ghs black hawaiian sitting here..
Posted By: Guest_CarlH Date: 1/30/2005
For my fingerpicking use, I found that Nylguts failed for the same reasons Pauline stated. When new they had a great sound. If you like the sound and have to change strings every 2 months, a years worth will still cost less than a movie date. I've not tried the Worth's yet, but all sounds favorable. I've got Hilos on a tenor now - quite satisfactory. Ko'olau Golds are another fine choice. As far as strings go, one must remember that each instrument is different and the same set of strings can sound quite different on different instruments.
Posted By: Guest_Uncle Rufus Date: 1/30/2005
I have to weigh in on the side of Nylguts here. I'm no picker, which may account for their longevity on my instruments - but many of them have sported Nylguts for well over a year and are still great sounding. No wear, no flattening, no loss of sound. I don't use wound strings. Maybe fingerpickers slice hell out of them, but all the strummers I know swear by 'em - so don't be put off. Hilo Blacks are always good - they were me first choice without a doubt before Nylguts came along, and I still use them on some instruments. Ko'olau Golds are very squeaky and noisy, but sit particularly well on tenor ukes. I'm with Chuck Fayne on longevity of strings: if thay ain't bust, don't fix 'em. I have instruments with ten year old strings on them that sound fine. I have other instruments where strings have gone off in months - but these were gut strings.
Posted By: Guest_Pauline Leland Date: 1/30/2005
I'm not knocking Nylguts - proof: they are on ALL my ukes at the moment - just pointing out that they do not last as long as nylon or composite strings. Compared to any wound strings, 5 months is good, and 3 months is acceptable. Ten years is remarkable unless this is a seldom played uke.


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