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  #1  
Old 02-11-2017, 03:38 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
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Default Do ukulele strings last long

Almost impossible to snap them. Do ukulele strings have a longer lifespan than guitar strings?
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  #2  
Old 02-11-2017, 06:47 PM
merlin666 merlin666 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitar344 View Post
Almost impossible to snap them. Do ukulele strings have a longer lifespan than guitar strings?
They last as long as other non-steel strings. If you have a wound string in there it will get dull and dirty and will need replacement when you can't stand that anymore. If they are all plain they will not change much in tone, but over time will have some wear due to friction on the frets and nut and then eventually break. That can take a long time. I think most people just change them until they have found a set that has the right softness, thickness, and sound they prefer.
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Old 02-12-2017, 10:45 AM
ukejon ukejon is offline
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Reentrant (high G) sets can last for years and years without losing tonal character.
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Old 02-13-2017, 02:17 PM
Mr Fingers Mr Fingers is offline
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I use Aquila strings and to my surprise they seem to last forever. There's the usual moving target of tuning when they're first put on the uke, but then, for me anyway, they stay in tune really well and the tone does not degrade much at all. I play intermittently, and when I pop my uke out of its case after a month, it's still in tune. Not what I expected at all.
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Old 02-18-2017, 07:55 AM
Bazmaz Bazmaz is offline
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Disagree with the comments suggesting they last years - they don't

Play wear does happen, particularly notches forming from fret action - this can throw intonation off

Add to that, the nature of the material tends to make them go brittle after a few months - that affects tone too and they sound duller.

They last much much longer than steel core strings, but still not forever.

Most ukulele pros I know change them every couple of months if gigging regularly.
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Old 02-18-2017, 05:19 PM
Neal Neal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazmaz View Post
Disagree with the comments suggesting they last years - they don't

Play wear does happen, particularly notches forming from fret action - this can throw intonation off

Add to that, the nature of the material tends to make them go brittle after a few months - that affects tone too and they sound duller.

They last much much longer than steel core strings, but still not forever.

Most ukulele pros I know change them every couple of months if gigging regularly.
While it's true that yeah, forever-no, if you check the context of the players here, it's pretty true that for most on the forum, they actually do .
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Old 02-18-2017, 10:59 PM
ukejon ukejon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazmaz View Post
Disagree with the comments suggesting they last years - they don't

Play wear does happen, particularly notches forming from fret action - this can throw intonation off

Add to that, the nature of the material tends to make them go brittle after a few months - that affects tone too and they sound duller.

They last much much longer than steel core strings, but still not forever.

Most ukulele pros I know change them every couple of months if gigging regularly.
Barry, I have ukes that get played an awful lot with strings that have been on for years with absolutely no problems at all. In fact Neal and I know each other's ukes well and can verify that we have had strings on for a very long time with no notching, no brittleness, wonderful intonation, and sweet clear tone. Worth Clear strings, extra hard polymer are what I use (found that Aquillas for me are much more prone to notching). In any event, you can't speak so definitively for all uke players and it would be absolutely silly for me to change strings every few months.

The strings on this Talsma tenor uke are more than 5 years old. Still ring clear and strong, and feel as good now as they did when first put on:



And here is the brilliant Neal, and I bet these strings are more than a few months old!

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....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment

Last edited by ukejon; 02-18-2017 at 11:27 PM.
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Old 02-19-2017, 06:42 AM
Neal Neal is offline
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Nah, I'll bet not, actually. That uke doesn't get a lot of play. While it's true strings last a LONG time, you're gonna have strings develop those divots underneath if you bang the crap out of them, which I tend to do. And sometimes those divots can actually fray and cause some extraneous sound. I haven't noticed any real intonation issues due to just the divots, as those form pretty quick anyway.

Jon has always had a nice touch on the uke though, precise and lighter, he relies on actual musician skills (of all things! ), while I rely on brute force, so mine'll go maybe 6 mo, a year, before I get some fraying on the 'e' or 'a' string. Worth or most fluorocarbon strings seem to hold up the best.

Plus-Jon dresses better too.

Plus-plus- IT SHOULD ONLY TAKE A DAY TO STABILIZE NEW STRINGS so you can play, with minor adjustments for a few days. Just attach the things correctly! (As long as we're on the subject..)
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  #9  
Old 02-19-2017, 07:03 AM
ukejon ukejon is offline
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Neal, I could loan you a boring pair of my khakis, an ugly button down shirt, and some Birkentstocks and you can dress "better" too!

For me, the extra-hard polymer strings are the answer, not only for durability but also for the tighter feel and the tonal clarity. Inspired by Jake's use of more rigid strings (he has his own signature set now, but used to put together his set by using classical guitar strings).
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My YouTube Page:
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2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover
2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype)
2018 Maton EBG808TEC
2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar
2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany
1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce
2014 Rainsong OM1000N2
....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment
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  #10  
Old 03-02-2017, 05:26 AM
tonyo tonyo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Fingers View Post
I use Aquila strings and to my surprise they seem to last forever. There's the usual moving target of tuning when they're first put on the uke, but then, for me anyway, they stay in tune really well and the tone does not degrade much at all. I play intermittently, and when I pop my uke out of its case after a month, it's still in tune. Not what I expected at all.
My wife's uke with Aquila strings had one break after 3.5 years. Compared to my guitar strings that's forever.
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  #11  
Old 03-03-2017, 11:12 AM
Neonzapper Neonzapper is offline
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I've had mine on for about 4 years now with no problems, and they still sound fresh.
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  #12  
Old 03-03-2017, 01:22 PM
Mezcalero63 Mezcalero63 is offline
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I've been playing uke for about six months, and the instruments have not needed any string changes yet. When I played Nylon guitar, I found I had to change strings every 60 days or more depending upon an equal amount of time that I have been playing the ukuleles every day.
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