Tuners and Strings for a Ukulele

[Mike Thomas]

There is clearly a lot of interest in ukes, and like many others on this forum, I have plans to make one or two in the not too distant future. Most of my questions have already been answered in other threads, but I'd like to know a little bit more about tuners and strings.

For instance, when is it appropriate to use friction tuners, and when geared? Does the choice depend on the size of the uke, and/or on the type of strings? Is any particular make of tuner clearly functionally superior?

Likewise with strings. Does anyone have strong preferences for make, and do string preferences depend on the size of uke? Also, what are the merits of pinning vs tieing at the bridge?

[ProfChris]

Geared or friction tuners is a semi-religious matter, along the lines of the Apple/Microsoft wars!

Either functions properly on soprano/concert/tenor - maybe a baritone is best with geared.

On a soprano I have a firm preference for friction tuners - geared upset the balance/feel while playing and can cramp the hand on the lower chords. From concert up it's largely a matter of your aesthetic choice.

Cheap friction tuners are often jerky or can't be tightened properly so that they slip. However, I find that about 3/4 of them are OK, so if you buy 2 sets (still cheaper than mid-quality frictions) you will almost certainly get 4 good one. Or go mad and buy Grover (Schaller are reckoned to be on the heavy side).

Don't discount wooden pegs - 1/2 size violin pegs work well and look the business. A peg reamer is expensive, but I slit a spare peg lengthwise and glue in a piece of hacksaw blade, filed down so that maybe 0.5mm sticks out either side. This reams decent holes.

For strings you have:

1. Aquila Nylgut (my favourite). Lots of overtones, very uke-ey. You could even go for gut (expensive, temperamental).

2. Flourocarbon (Worth, Martin, Fremont) - thinner, feel harder on the fretting finger, purer tones (sweet, even?).

3. Nylon - almost uniformly nasty. Those who want to play tenor uke like a small guitar use D'Addario nylon strings, and succeed in making it sound that way.

Probably the main reason for choosing is whether you're a strummer (Aquila) or a picker (flourocarbon). But these are not fixed divides.

Tying works fine at the bridge, and means you can make the bridge smaller and lighter. A pin bridge on a soprano takes up far more of the soundboard than you'd want. But, if you like the look ...

Chris

[Allen]

I have a love hate relationship with friction tuners. I hate them on my ukes. I hate playing one with them. I love them on other peoples because I get paid to swap them out to geared ones.

For geared ones the Grovers are really good value for money. StewMac sells them as well as other places. They are 14:1 ratio. Light and I've never had a fault in a set. A bit more upscale in price but I don't think in value you get Gotoh's. LMI carry them. You of course can go much higher end with the corresponding jump in price. I see lots of ukes with closed back guitar tuners and those really are much heavier and don't look right to me.

For strings it really depends on the instrument and the player. I put a set of strings on for set up and let things settle in. Assess the tone and response, then swap them out for other brands and styles. Each instrument tends to have a particular set that really works best on it. I favour high tension strings from D'Addario or Wurth. I'm not a fan of Aquilla's. Their new Bionylon strings are rubbish.

[Luke]

I Like Aquilla nylgut have not tried wurth strings. I have tried some other cheaper brands and the don't stack up to the Aquilla's. You have to play them in, I reckon it takes a week of solid playing before they shine and they last for ages mind you I have only built uke's from silly stuff like cigar box's hub caps etc so can only give an opinion based on my experience and my idea of a good tone is not everyone's cup of tea.
On a concert scale or tenor I like a low G tuning it suits the blues guitar type licks I play.
Also the Grovers that Allan mentioned are great. Cheap friction tuners are not much chop from my experience. Also try putting putting tenor strings on a concert scale can give you a different feel and tone.

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks Chris, Allen, and Luke for your very helpful responses. I have been teetering on the verge of buying the Hana Lima 'Ia manual and plans for quite a while now, and every time ukes make an appearance on the forum, I am pushed a little closer. I have been wondering whether I should be buying tuners and strings for a tenor from Hana Lima at the same time. I now think (thanks Allen) that the geared Grovers from Stewmac at less than a third of the price of the Gotohs, are going to be perfectly adequate. As for strings, I can see that I shall need to try a few, and see what they play and sound like.

[bernm]

This topic relates to something I've been through recently, so I'll add my 2 cents.

I've only built a couple of instruments so far. The first was a soprano through a Stew Mac kit. It's a decent kit. It was a good way of me 'testing the waters' as far as instrument building goes. It's definitely not a perfect uke, by any means, being my first one, but I was happy with it overall except that I didn't like the tuners that came with it. The tuners went on my 'change them one day' list.

Since then I've bought the Hana Lima Ai plans, building manual, and some supplies from them (great to deal with, by the way). While doing that I decided to buy a couple of sets of their closed Gotoh tuners, one to replace the ones on my Stew Mac uke, and the other for a future uke (in progress now, very slow progress).

It was literally just a couple of weeks ago that I finally got around to finishing putting the Gotohs on that kit soprano. To be honest, I'm not happy with their weight. Too heavy. The uke feels imbalanced. And I also agree with a previous reply here - now that they're installed, they don't look completely right for some reason. I know this point is a matter of taste, though.

Anyway, I'm going to leave that uke as it is for now, but who knows, it may get a 3rd set of tuners one day. Probably.

And while we're on this topic, has anyone tried PegHeads tuners? ... http://www.pegheds.com/index.htm ... Their website says that they make them for "Violin, Viola, Cello, and Flamenco Guitar". But I found out about them while having a browse through ukulele luthier websites a while back.


Bern

[Allen]

I've not tried the Pegheads but have thought that I might at some stage. They're pretty pricey though, so while it's something that you could put on your own instrument, if it's for sale it's either cutting into the bottom end, or you gotta raise the price.

[DarwinStrings]

The tied bridge has the stress on the glue joint and the pin bridge is more or less trying to pull the bridge patch through the sound board, maybe it doesn't make a big difference on a uke but I have had to re-glue uke bridges that are tied and not had to re-glue pinned ones, maybe cause most are tied though and out number the pinned ones.

Jim

[Mike Thomas]

That's interesting Jim. I imagine the same applies to classical vs steel string guitars as well? i.e. a pinned steel string bridge is less likely to come unglued than a tied classical, despite the higher tension.

[jeffhigh]

i've used the pegheds on a flamenco and really like them, they just work so well, precise due to the gearing, and they don't slip, or need to be pushed and pulled or maintained with peg dope etc
And they are really light.
If not for the price, I would use them on any nylon string instrument.

[luke_lee]

Hi,

Lately I have made a few concert uke's with different wood for the tops (spruce, blackwood and mahogany). I have also tried different strings Aquilla's (I got some online for $10 a set), Worth ($25 but you get enough length for two sets) Orcas ($15 a set, black fluoro-carbon string).

I have found different stings work with different wood, blackwood I prefer Aquilla's, they also make cheap ply ukes sound good. Spruce can go either way. Mahogany I like a fluoro-carbon string, I slightly prefer the Orcas over the Worth’s.

On a side note, I would like to know peoples thoughts on the evolving sound of a newly strung uke. My feel is the higher frequency’s take longer the develop, a few week before the start to shine through. Any opinions.

Thanks Luke

[Allen]

On mine the high frequencies do take some time to develop. I built a couple of all mahogany concerts a couple of years ago and sold one to a music teacher. The other I had out on loan to a few people. I hadn't heard either of them for all that time, but the one on loan just came back and I talked to the music teacher last weekend.

The loaner sounds great now. Very balanced and much loader than when first strung up. The music teacher said the same about his uke, and a guest from Canada loved it so much he ended up giving it to him as a gift. Good for me as now he wants another uke.

I've got lots of ukes with different spruce tops and they all improve greatly after a few months.

[jayluthier]

My vote is for Pegheads for concerts and tenors. That's what's going on my next concert. They are priced similar to the Gotoh's so not cheap but nice 4:1 ratio and very light weight. I get them for $48/set from a supplier in Salem, Oregon.

[jeffhigh]

Hi Jay, can you tell us who you get them from at that price?
cheers
Jeff

[liam_fnq]

As for strings, I haven't experimented enough. I tried some worths which were terribly inconsistent with tension across the four strings. Mostly i stick with the Aquila nylguts. I should do some more experimenting though.

As for tuners, if I was doing a reproduction I might go for friction tuners. If someone specifically asked I'd get something flash but otherwise I really can't fault the $14 Grovers from stewmac.

[jayluthier]

Chuck Herrin in South Carolina who is the inventor of Pegheads gave me the name of a US west coast supplier:
His name is William Thompson. His business is "The Crafted Cow" in Salem, Oregon.
His email address is [email protected] and his phone number is (503) 364-0854. (add the U.S. country code)

He is very helpful and responsive. His prices are the best (lowest) that I've found. Other uke builders are suppliers but charge much more. My first set cost $70 from someone else before I had gotten the referral from Chuck.

These tuners are sweet.

cheers,
Jay

[bernm]

Coincidentally, I just came across these as well: Gotoh 'Stealth'. Has anyone tried these?

http://luthierssupplies.com.au/product_ ... ts_id=1595

Thanks
Bern

[Puff]

No I haven't and thought I would say so to bring it back to the top before it slips down out of sight
Could be a go for 500-550mm scales with that 18:1 ratio. Blurb reads fine but ......
Please

Oooops -just read things more carefully and saw the price
Doesn't alter any of my above, just my personal interest.