Strings for a soprano ukulele

What do I have to worry about in putting a low-G string on my ukulele?

I have a Lanikai LU-21 soprano ukulele (read: very basic instrument) which I've been playing for a couple of months. I'm enjoying it a lot, but I'm pretty frustrated, though, by having C4 as the lowest note available, and I've been considering putting a low-G string on. I checked out the Aquila website and they say that their (wound) low-G strings can wear out in a matter of 1-2 weeks.

I'm a total novice when it comes to string instruments. I've read wildly conflicting information on how often ukulele strings need to be changed. I generally play maybe 5 hours a week. How often do you change your strings? Is it mostly about a certain amount of time having passed, or a certain amount of playing? How do you know your strings need changing? Are there low-G strings which won't need changing as often as the Aquila wound strings?

The Aquila site says that having an inexpensive instrument with squared-off frets is a factor in string wear, but to my inexperienced eye (and fingertips) the frets on my uke are rounded.

posted by endless_forms (4 comments total)

i have played some insanely cheap guitars and I've never seen one with square frets. not sure if there's different standards for fret wire in uke-land.

Saying the strings wear out in a couple weeks doesn't mean anything - it's got more to do with how many hours of play they get.

If you want to add a new string for tonal reasons, go for it. If you're just starting out, i wouldn't worry too much about changing the strings often.

If you're experiencing tuning problems, that's usually when it's time to replace strings.
posted by dubold at 12:33 PM on March 22, 2012

A basic test for string changing is to put an unwound string between your thumb and forefinger and slide it up and down. If it feels smooth, it's fine. If it feels rough or dirty, change. It's usually a good idea to change all the strings at the same time (by which I meam change them all one by one -- it's a good idea to not remove all the strings at once unless you need to, as it flexes and stresses the neck quite a lot).
posted by unSane at 4:43 AM on March 23, 2012

Thank you! That's all super helpful.
posted by endless_forms at 11:24 AM on March 29, 2012

If you're experiencing tuning problems, that's usually when it's time to replace strings.

Seconded. I usually don't think about changing my strings, until I pick up the uke, find it is out of tune, tune it, strum, and within several strums I can hear it drifting out of tune again.
posted by davejay at 11:21 AM on April 11, 2012