Friendly Fred

Hi, I'm FriendlyFred and running this blog. I play 'em all from soprano to baritone, acoustic and electric. Yes, big hands can handle small instruments. Enjoy strumming around and have a good day !

5 reasons why I don’t use Aquila Nylgut ukulele strings

Italy - the land of pizza, pasta, amore and ... Aquila. The company based in Vicenza produces gut and synthetic strings for different instruments. Their most famous product are the Nylgut strings. They call them  " synthetic gut " strings. Nylgut has the same mean specific weight as gut. Lots of players use these strings, although I don't know any of the ukulele string endorsers whom you can find on their homepage. If you're looking for some players' experiences about Nylgut ukulele strings, you might take a look at this review on Ukulele Hunt. I usually use carbon strings. Some times ago I tried Nylgut strings in tenor and baritone mensur. And what can I say, I was totally disappointed. Here are the reasons for my unhappiness:

1. Haptic ( slippery )

First impression: the surface of the strings feel very smooth almost a little bit slippery. Aquila says that Nylgut has a low degree of humidity absorption ( only 10% that of nylon ). So there has to be a polished surface. I notice that especially while finger picking.

2. Sound ( mellow )

I get a soft mellow sound with Aquila ukulele strings. I prefer a brighter tone like the one from carbon strings. The sound certainly has to do something with the next point.

3. They feel somehow sloppy

I thought it's due to a lower string tension. But as Barry, who runs gotaukulele.com ( see comments below ) pointed out, fluorocarbon strings can have a lower string tension than Nylgut. So I suppose it's due to a lower density ( that's why the diameter of Nylgut is higher than that of similar fluorocarbon strings).

4. Durability ( are you kidding ? )

The 4th of the baritone Nylgut ukulele strings I used started to unwound after about 2 weeks of playing. Well I hit the strings hard and often play with a pick, but that's a short lifetime.

5. Price ( expensive )

They charge about double price of normal Nylon strings. But keep in mind that Nylgut is modified nylon. So in conclusion not my cup of tea. I stay with carbon strings. Like the Martin M-series or Hannabach Goldin strings ( guitar ) for my baritone uke. Just to make it clear: If you like Aquila Nylgut ukulele strings then it's fine. I just want to encourage you to try some different strings. What do you think about Nylgut ?aquila foto Cheers FriendlyFred

15 Comments

  1. Barry Maz

    Hi – Baz from Got A Ukulele here – another person who is not a fan of Aquila strings. I am however a little confused.

    Are you talking about that new Nylguts (which to me are a huge improvement) or the old ones as per the picture in the post? I ask because one reason I didn’t like the old ones was that they were NOT slippery – in fact kind of rough.

    Also don’t think the tension is lower, in fact I think their tension is actually higher than most fluorocarbon strings.

    I really don’t think they cost twice the price of any decent string brand either.

    Reply
    • Friendly Fred

      Thank you very much for your comment.
      I only used the old Nylgut, never played the new ones. They didn’t feel rough, but I have podgy fingers. The chief of Aquila notes a ” soft surface ” here:
      http://www.ukuleleworld.com/aquila/
      You’re right fluorocarbon strings can have a lower tension than Nylgut. I found this for Worth strings on the net. I changed that point in the article.
      The price is compared to simple nylon strings (like pyramid).

      Reply
  2. Lucky L'Uke

    I don’t like Aquilas either….. for me they are thin & flexible plastic-sticks and not strings

    Reply
    • Friendly Fred

      Thanks for your comment. Although I never used gut strings ( why should I ? ) I think Nylgut is something totally different.

      Reply
  3. pluck

    I am currently borrowing a uke with Worth fluorocarbons from a friend. I like the sound of the strings but, being a beginner, I find the narrower strings to be harder to bar. I’ll check them out again once I’ve got some chops.

    Reply
    • Friendly Fred

      You might also give the Martin carbon strings a try. They’re not so hard as the worth are.

      FriendlyFred

      Reply
  4. Uker Jean

    Started with the Aquila. Although they sounded nice they seemed so hard. And hard on my fingers. I now use the Living Waters strings which are fluorocarbon. wow. What a difference. I can play much longer now and my fingers are much happier as am I.

    Reply
    • Friendly Fred

      Hi Jean,

      I never tried Livingwater strings but heard good things about them. You might give the Martin carbon strings a try as well.

      Cheers
      FriendlyFred

      Reply
  5. Julie

    I always thought I liked Aquilla nylgut strings better until…. I tried the Martin fluorocarbon strings. I got use to them on my Martin concert uke and now when I play my Kanilea Tenor I’m finding the Aquila’s are feeling so thick and a bit more difficult to play. I actually went to the Martin factory and bought the Martin fluorocarbons as my replacement strings. Now I just have to get the time to replace them. I’m a little excited to hear what he sounds like with new strings.

    Reply
    • Friendly Fred

      Hi Julie,
      I totally agree. Since I first tried the Martin carbon strings, I put them on most of my ukuleles. You don’t have to go to the Martin factory, but it shurely was an interesting visit. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

      Cheers
      FriendlyFred

      Reply
  6. Jay Dunning

    I am now 74 and have been playing ukulele since I was 12. This does not make me a better player – it just means I am at the same level I was when I ‘peaked’ at playing.

    I have always been an “Aquila only” dude but recently I had cause to rethink my strings. I have around 10 or so ukes and my fave’, my KoAloha tenor, was not sounding as I expected it to. It was driving me nuts and I was on my third set of Aquilas, aaagghh!!

    So, in desperation, I spent a bit more on a set of Worth strings. I have never used them before being an “Aquila only” dude and so I ordered them and in due course they arrived. They are coloured a lovely shade of brown which matches my uke beautifully and guess what? They come in a longer length than Aquilas and in fact they represent TWO SETS!! – for the price of one! Wow, what value. They took around a week and a half to settle in and stabalise and to my surprise, they are truly fantastic!! My KoAloha sounds better than all the other “K” brands and I am chuffed so much with them. So I guess I am now a “Worth Man” dude. If you haven’t tried them, give ’em a go – you will be so surprised.
    Jay

    Reply
    • admin

      Hi Jay,
      thanks for your comment.
      I totally agree with you that Worth strings are really good. They are the same as those purchased by the RISA company.

      Best wishes
      FriendlyFred

      Reply
  7. Elias

    I’ve tried Aquila New Nylguts, Martin Fluorocarbons, and Living Water low G fluorocarbons. I really liked the crisp, clear sound of the Living Waters, but after about a month, I found myself constantly retuning the low G string, and it seemed to me that its intonation was off at the fifth fret. I found the Martins to be so tight and thin that they actually hurt my fretting fingers (I’m relatively new at playing Uke). I also found that, when clawhammering, I got a dull percussive thump with the “bum” stroke on the A string. I find I prefer the Aquilas. I find the thicker diameter more comfortable to play, and I like the more mellow tone. And my “bum” stroke actually produces a musical tone rather than a thump. So, for now at least, I’m sold on the New Nylguts.

    Reply
    • Elias

      I wanted to do an update to my earlier post. Specifically, I had mentioned what I had thought was an intonation concern with the Living Water strings. It turns out I was mistaken. I have restrung my Uke with the Living Waters (the same used strings, not new ones). This time, I reversed the Low G sting, placing what had been the nut end of the string at the bridge and vice-versa. (I had read that this can sometimes help with used strings). I then tuned it up and the intonation is perfect.

      Reply
      • admin

        Thanks very much for your interesting experiences. But shouldn’t they built them right in the first place ?

        Ciao
        FriendlyFred

        Reply

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