Ukulele strings: Their differences and everything you need to know.

by Alan Ruiz Zavala February 23

Once we have immersed ourselves in the wonderful world of the ukulele, time after having given our first chords and strumming, or even if we are newbies, the desire to know more about our little companion will inevitably lead us to ask about all its characteristics , care, maintenance, and attachments.

ukulele strings

This is why in The Ukulelería We bring you this information about the different types of Ukuleles strings, their use and properties; It is important that you consider the concepts that intervene with your practice, purchase, and tuning the strings for Ukulele, once you have already tuned your Ukulele and after many days of practice you may think:

When is the time when I have to change the strings of my ukulele?

Generally when you buy a Uku it comes with strings already installed, almost always the strings that it brings are made of nylon, they are very resistant and unless you break one (it usually only happens when you tighten them more when tuning) you won't need to change them for a long time since Nylon because it is a synthetic material is very resistant to the weather, we only recommend that you do not leave it exposed to the sun since this causes the material to become brittle, it is good to always clean the ropes with a cloth to remove the dust that is It accumulates and the sweat that we transmit with our hands, we will only change the strings when the sound you give in the 12 fret is not well “octave” compared to the well-tuned sound of the air notes.

What kind of strings does the ukulele use?

There are many types of strings the most popular are those of nylon, but they also exist in metallic materials such as nickel, steel, silver, and in some cases mixtures of special alloys for a desired sound, and even today, strings of colors and even fluorescent strings that glow with black light.
The difference between the variety of strings It is characterized by its sound and tension, usually the metallic strings are thinner and sharper, for novice fingers this can be somewhat painful, on the other hand the strings made with nylon are softer and with a slightly more opaque but warm sound.

Can I occupy another type of ropes?

It is very easy to think that guitar strings can be used to replace the strings of your ukulele, since they are not easy to get, however, to be able to do this you must know the caliber (thickness) of the strings that are used, since choosing a wrong caliber can hurt your little friend, this is why Ukulelería puts at your disposal the set of strings for your Uku, in the 2 tuning versions LOW G, reentrant C, strings for baritone and U-Bass so that you never miss a note to your instrument.

Can you “octave” a ukulele?

This is not necessary since the ukulele is a fixed bridge instrument, that is, it does not have an octavation system, with changing the strings the notes will sound perfect since the well-tuned and octave notes are assigned when manufactured. An important part of a manufacturer's quality control, check that all notes are in the correct tune.

Remember that in La Ukulelería we care that you are well informed, we hope this has resolved your doubts and concerns, TO TOUCH!

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE STRING MODELS WE HAVE FOR YOU, GIVE CLICK HERE!

Alan Ruiz Zavala