Seasons of the Ukulele

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Changing strings

DelGriff

Interested to know how regularly anyone/everyone else changes the strings on their uke/s? And what prompts you to do so?

CanadaJim

I must admit to changing strings only when one of them breaks or I want to switch from re-entrant to low G.
Instruments with steel strings get changed every few months. I used to change these more often.

MsBean

I have been saying to myself that my bari really needs new strings since the new year.

I used to change the strings on my tenors after about a year, but I've played less than before. Once the notches start bothering me, the sound really deteriorates, or a string breaks, I'll change them.

UkeFoote

Usually when they start to feel and sound “dead”. My high g concert gets the most playing time - I change strings on it about every three months.

YorkSteve

I am as guilty as anyone of not changing strings very often. Possibly the worst culprit was the plastic Islander uke I played every single day in 2018. It still had the same strings on it in 2022, and still sounded OK to me. I only changed them after the neck broke, and the repair seemed to have worked.

This thread has prompted me to look at my box of string sets - I usually keep the packet and write the date and which uke they went on. The Barron River uke which is often in my videos last had fresh strings exactly five years ago. OK, I'll change them…soon…

LimousinLil

My pride and joy - the Pono Big Baritone - remained silent for at least two years because I simply couldn't quite get round to renewing the G string, which had broken. On reflection, I suppose I DO really only change the strings when they break or start buzzing. (And gosh, Brian … you change your strings every three months; that is SO impressive!)

CanadaJim

I do not like the sound of unbalanced strings, so I do not change just one string. If one breaks, that uke gets a new set.
When my brother and I were kids, circa 1960, we changed strings only on our birthday and at Christmas, and if a string broke any other time, we'd buy a single string. As Guy Clark sings,
"You break one, you change one, that's as good as it gets;
You can play all year long on two or three sets."

YorkSteve

YorkSteve Update - the strings on the Barron River have now been changed. I used Worth strings, which come in double lengths, so now I have the other half of each string to use on another, probably the one I play for a couple of hours each week at our pub session - last changed goodness knows when.

LimousinLil

YorkSteve Well done that man!

JackLuis

I used to change strings often just to try different strings. All of my ukes had tie bridges and "normal" head stocks, but I got a new Bacote Tenor last week and after only 2-3 days the A string broke! Now, this tenor has a pin bridge and slotted head stock, so it is a chore to change strings. I'll only change strings on it if one breaks!

I bought a set of strings yesterday for my cedar top Ohana tenor, the strings on it haven't been changed in probably five years. Since it has a tie bridge and normal headstock, I figure it will only take a half hour to change all of them