Originating in in the 19th century, in Hawaii the ukulele has gone through multiple phases of an upsurge in popularity with hits like Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” in the 60s and Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s “Over the Rainbow” in 90s. Now, a lot of people associate ukuleles with hipster culture. A 20-something-year-old college kid dressed in jeans so skinny that it will make you wonder how their blood circulation is still working, holding up a ukulele and playing the same 4 chords again and again and again is a stereotypical symbol of hipster culture. Although seen as a decorative instrument for many people nowadays, the ukulele has a rich history and beautiful sound that has been appreciated for decades all around the world. If you have decided on buying a ukulele, or are in a dire need of replacing broken strings on your seasoned ukulele, you are in the right place because here we will be discussing some of the best ukulele string options for you along with a list of things you should be aware of when choosing them. guitar.
Top 5 Best Ukulele Strings
| Image | Strings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Martin M600 Standard Ukulele Strings |  (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Aquila New Nylgut AQ-4 Soprano Ukulele Strings | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Aquila USA Aquila Tenor Ukulele Strings | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | D'Addario EJ87B Titanium Ukulele Strings, Baritone | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-103 Concert Ukulele Strings | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
You have finally decided to buy a ukulele, saved up some money, went out, and bought one (well… you probably ordered it online, who are we trying to kid). Although the actual uku is great you will probably realize at one point or another that the strings that come with your original instrument are either bad quality or okay quality, but will not last you very long. And here you go again, surfing the web, trying to find the right strings for your instrument, but the information and options are overwhelming. One good news is that most strings, even the really high-quality ones, do not cost too much. So when you buy strings, you can experiment with one brand/type, take notes and then decide to move on to something new. Although not expensive at all, strings are vital in how good the sound on your ukulele is going to be. In order to decide on the type of string you are going to buy, you should definitely keep in mind the kind of ukulele you have. As you might have come to realize while researching ukuleles there are four kinds: baritone, tenor, soprano, and concert. All of them have different tension requirements and need different length strings. Make sure to check the length of the strings you are buying, because you might be buying a great quality one for baritone, but you have a soprano ukulele. The most commonly used material for ukulele strings is nylon polymer, although there are variations with that too. Different variations and production techniques create strings with different sounds, that is why you might have two brands making strings from nylon that sound very different. With strings made of nylon, temperature changes make strings stretch. You will also need to tune them from time to time. Fluorocarbon is another commonly used material for strings, it usually produces brighter sound and is not as affected by temperature change as nylon strings but it is slightly more expensive. There are other materials used for making strings but I would say these are the two of the most popular ones. Also, the sound and quality of strings really depend on the brand. Two strings made from Fluorocarbon might sound absolutely different so don’t just concentrate on the material, try to research what other people say about the actual sound when they use it.
Martin M600 Standard Ukulele Strings
Getting a ukulele is just part of a job. If you do not invest money in good quality strings the weeks or months of research you spend on finding the perfect uku will go down the drain. Okay, “investment” sounded like you would have to cash out hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but that is definitely not the case with strings. Of course, there are more expensive ones out there but you can find a good one for a very affordable price, no problem. Let’s start with Martin M600 Standard Ukulele Strings. M600 model is for soprano ukuleles and it is made from clear fluorocarbon (basically a fishing line). The quality of these strings improves the sound on your ukulele and keeps it consistent. High tensile strength of the strings will longer the interval between tunings so you would not have to worry about that too often if you are not that good at it, for now. This model is easy to play with and does not hurt fingers, along with having a great, bright and loud sound.
Aquila New Nylgut AQ-4 Soprano Ukulele Strings
I remember the first time I got my ukulele, not knowing how to tune or anything about strings, I went online and started searching for strings. That is how I ended up purchasing one of Aquila models. I will be honest here, it is not like I did a lot of research when I was buying it. I knew it was one of the most well-known brands out there and the model I got was really popular, so out of laziness, I thought: oh well, might as well buy it. This is not to say that the purchase was not great, I was lucky enough to have stumbled upon the right strings (hell I don’t think I even knew the measurement that I needed or anything) and since then Aquila has always been the go-to company for me. Aquila AQ-4 strings are made of Nylgut by combining several synthetic components. This technique improves the sound, making it almost indistinguishable from the sound of gut string models. Moreover, by absorbing less moisture, these strings have an improved intonation.
Aquila USA Aquila Tenor Ukulele Strings
This set of tenor ukulele strings is made of Nylgut and provide great sound similar to gut strings. Because of the material strings are very durable. They do not need to be returned too often and are pretty easy to re-string. It has always been an undertaking for me to figure out which strings are best fitted for me. After all, strings are the key to the sound and if you get the wrong ones or just the ones that are not perfect for you at the moment, your sound will suffer. And figuring out the right one online is really hard no matter how many youtube videos you watch and try to listen to closely. I think one of best ways not to make a mistake is to find the company that you trust or has a good reputation and years of experience in making and innovating technology. This will definitely narrow your options down and now you will know that the strings you will get, if not perfect, will at least be up to par. And yes, Aquila, at least for me, has always been a go-to manufacturer, and hopefully will be for you too.
D’Addario EJ87B Titanium Ukulele Strings, Baritone
This D’Addario EJ87B Titanium set is made from dense monofilament material, giving it a very smooth feel and cool-looking translucent purple hue. They have a very nice tone with more volume and clarity. As you might have guessed from the name of this model, these strings are for baritone and optimized for DGBE tuning. A great thing about packaging of this set is that the strings are color coded so if you are a newbie you will not mix up anything and have an easy first go at stringing. Or maybe you are like me and even with codes and instruction you somehow manage to screw it up but hey, there is always the one and only saviour – youtube, to help you fix the mess you created. Overall, this is an affordable and nice quality option for any beginner. Although, keep in mind, I have heard from some users that even though this set sound great when plucking, it is not as amazing when strumming.
Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-103 Concert Ukulele Strings
You have probably had enough of my rambling on and on about how I love Aquila and already think that they are paying me to write about them over and over again, but alas that is not the case (although, man do I wish they were giving me free samples) and you have to spare another minute or two on this one (or of course, just skip it… if you’re not interested in great strings). This model is made for concert ukuleles. Just like the other model, it is also manufactured out of Nylgut providing great, clear sound and intonation just like gut ukulele strings. This model is less stretchy, but please please please do not assume that the moment you string the set it will sound amazing and natural to your ear. There is always a break-in period with any strings and this are no exceptions. Once you get used to them, though, they are a great asset to your ukuleles.
Conclusion
New strings often require a bit of “breaking-in” time, you will probably have to retune is several times in the beginning. So part of finding the best ukulele strings for you and having a good experience is not just the product but also how you treat it and how much you know about it. If you are an expert you probably know most of these stuff, but I remember when I just bought my first Ukulele I mostly did my research on ukuleles and learned how to play it without giving much thought to the strings. But the thing is, there is no way around the strings, they are basically your instrument so make sure you buy the model based on the material and suggestions/reviews of people who have same ukuleles as you.
