The 8 Best Ukulele Strings (FULL BUYERS GUIDE)

Last updated on April 3rd, 2020 at 12:48 am

There comes a time where you have to change out your ukulele strings, for whatever reason it may be. If you are planning to change your strings, it would be ideal to use the best ukulele strings available for your instrument. With so many options to choose from, it can become difficult for people who are trying to purchase a new set of ukulele strings. Buying a new set of strings producing a high-quality tone and lasting you a long time is the ideal goal.

The Best Ukulele Strings

There’s definitely a lot of discussions and debates when it comes to ukulele strings. It’s tough to say that one brand creates the best strings for ukuleles. Instead, we have our list of recommendations that will hopefully help you make the decision on which set of ukulele strings are best for you.

Here’s our list of recommendations for the best ukulele strings available.

1. Aquila Nylgut Ukulele Strings

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Aquila strings are well-known in the ukulele community as one of the best ukulele strings that a player can use. Many ukulele players may argue that Aquila strings are the best.

Aquila’s new Nylgut strings provide a better sound with a sweet tone that is similar to the genuineness of gut strings. Their Nylgut strings give ukulele players this desired sound while also having the perks of nylon strings (lower cost, longer string life, tuning stability, resistance to climate changes.)

These strings have great tuning stability, thanks to the proprietary composite material of the strings absorbing less moisture. Aquila strings provide increased accuracy of fret-intonation. This is because the densities of each type are accurately gauged.

These strings have a similar density to gut strings as well but provide an even more refined sound that eliminates the metallic-like tones that are often found in other designs.

Overall, the Aquila Nylgut strings are a great option for any ukulele player, especially if they’re looking to produce a similar tone that comes from traditional gut ukulele strings. These Aquila ukulele strings will last you a long time and will leave you, like many ukulele players, extremely satisfied.

2. D’Addario Nyltech Ukulele Strings

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D’Addario ukulele strings are also a popular choice within the ukulele community. No matter what type of strings you are looking for, D’Addario will not let you down. One of their most popular options is their Nyltech ukulele strings, which were developed with the cooperation of Aquila.

These strings, in particular, are well-optimized for concert ukuleles with standard GCEA tuning. The exclusive combination of materials that make D’Addario’s Nyltech strings is designed to deliver a warm sound that is similar to gut strings but with a punchier tone. A very similar tone to what the Aquila strings are capable of producing.

Overall, the Nyltech strings from D’Addario are very similar to Aquila’s Nylgut strings with some subtle differences. You will find that the Nyltech strings are thicker and tighter when compared to the Nylgut. Some say they also produce more sound and brightness.

At this point, it would matter on preference on which brand you would prefer to go with. Still, the Nyltech strings are great as they produce a nice tone, feel comfortable on the fingers, and are overall high-quality strings.

3. Martin M600 Ukulele Strings

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Martin’s M600 ukulele strings are known to be really affordable, but good sounding strings that are a popular choice for ukulele players looking to upgrade from their ukulele’s default strings. They’re known for their fluorocarbon strings, which are good at holding their tuning for a longer period of time.

You will find that the sound these strings produce a rich, amplified tone, much louder than many strings out on the market.

Ukulele players have also found that the fluorocarbon makes these strings thinner and harder. This makes it easier for plucking since there will be more room for your fingers to maneuver around.

Overall, Martin’s ukulele strings are reliable and good sounding strings that come at a more affordable price. Many ukulele players enjoy the mellow, sweet sound that these strings are capable of producing.

4. Aquila Red Series

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The Red Series ukulele strings from Aquila are another great option. Aquila’s concept for their red series ukulele strings was to compensate for thickening these strings by adding weight instead. This would make the lower strings have the same thickness as the higher strings on your ukulele without the dullness that thicker strings often produce.

Players will find that the sound that these strings produce is bright, loud, and powerful, projecting really well throughout its range.

The material that these strings are made with absorbs less moisture than other synthetic strings, assuring more tuning stability.

These strings feel nice and comfortable on your fingers. It’s easy to slide from each fret while producing a nice tone as you slide your fingers.

The reddish color of these strings is also nice and stylish. Overall, Aquila did an excellent job with their Red Series ukulele strings. We highly recommend them to players who are looking for ukulele strings that will feel similar all around.

5. GHS H-10 Black Nylon Strings

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The H-1o nylon ukulele strings from GHS is another great affordable option for players of any skill level.

These strings are known to produce a warm and mellow tone. They have great playability and intonation. They’re also aesthetically pleasing as these strings are coated with a unique, black coating. You’ll love these strings if you like the idea of an all-black set of ukulele strings.

You will find that these are sturdy nylon strings made of durable materials that help create a crisp sound and prolong the life of these strings.

There’s a lot of versatility with these strings as they work great with both standard and concert ukuleles.

If you’re looking for an affordable, but cool looking set of ukulele strings that produce an excellent tone, these H-1o strings from GHS are a good choice.

6. Aquila 115 Lava Nylgut (Deeper Tone)

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Another set of Aquila strings makes our list of recommendations. Aquila’s Lava Nylgut ukulele strings are very good for players who are looking for a nice set of strings that is accompanied by a deeper sound.

These strings come in a low G tuning that works best in combination with a tenor ukulele. They are also made from Aquila’s signature Nylgut material, producing a genuine tone that is similar to gut strings.

The lowest G string is coated in a silver-plated copper which accompanies the deep sound of the rich G tuning.

The strings themselves have a unique design, coming in at a powdery dark gray appearance.

If you’re truly looking for a set of ukulele strings that produce a deeper tone, Aquila’s Lava strings are a great choice for you.

7. Dunlop DUY301

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The Dunlop DUY301 ukulele strings from Jim Dunlop are a great set of strings specifically made for soprano ukuleles. These are clear nylon ukulele strings that are tough and long-lasting. You will be finding that these strings stay rust-free.

These nylon strings are comfortable to play, thanks to their soft surface. This ensures that your fingers can comfortably play with these strings for longer periods of time.

Overall, the Dunlop DUY301 nylon ukulele strings are nice sounding, comfortable strings that do its job well.

8. Mudder Nylon Soprano Ukulele Strings 

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Mudder’s Nylon Soprano ukulele strings are very affordable sets of strings that can produce a nice tone. They’re specifically designed for soprano ukuleles, coming set in the key of C. The strings themselves are strong and durable, lasting you a long time.

These strings are bright white, making them very visible and easy to see. They come in a pack of 4, labeled for easier recognition of each string.

Overall, these are great budget option strings for players who are looking for the cheapest priced strings that still produce a good sound.

Things to keep in mind

Types of Ukulele

There are 4 main types of ukuleles that we are going to discuss.

Soprano

The Soprano Ukulele is the most traditional size ukulele, sizing at around 20 inches (51 cm). They are the smallest and lightest ukulele size, with the shortest scale and the tightest fret spacing.

Thanks to its size, Soprano ukuleles are known to produce a brighter, softer tone with less projection and resonance than the other ukulele sizes.

Soprano ukuleles are great for players of any skill/experience level but are especially good for younger players and those who have smaller hands and fingers.

Concert

Concert ukuleles are next as they are just a little bigger than the soprano size. Players will find that concert ukuleles have a wider neck and weigh a little more than soprano ukuleles. Their scale is about an inch longer too.

This extra length that concert ukes provide allows for more frets with wider spacing between them.

Concert ukuleles have a fuller sound that is warmer in tone. They also have more mid-range than soprano ukuleles. Overall, they project more volume too.

These types of ukuleles are great for anyone, but they’re especially good for players with larger hands and fingers.

Tenor

After the concert ukes, we have Tenor ukuleles. Tenor ukuleles are bigger in size, with a scale that is about two inches longer than concert ukes. Their necks are a little wider as well. You’ll definitely notice a weight difference as tenor ukuleles are heavier.

Of course with the extra length comes wider spacing between the frets, making tenor ukuleles excellent for fingerpicking styles of playing.

These types of ukuleles produce a deeper, fuller sound with a resonant that has bass characteristics in the overall tone. They project more than concert ukuleles. All of this is thanks to the larger size of tenor ukuleles.

Tenor sized ukuleles are very popular among professional players, however, they’re still great for anyone, especially if you’re looking for an overall deeper sound.

Keep in mind that the standard ukulele tuning for tenor ukuleles is G/C/E/A.

Baritone

The last type we would like to discuss is the Baritone ukulele. Baritone ukuleles have the longest scale, around three inches longer than the tenor’s scale. They have the widest fret spacing available when compared to all of the other sizes of ukes. Players will also find the neck on baritones to be wider than any of the other sizes.

Baritone ukuleles have the deepest and fullest sound with the most low end. The sound is similar to what an acoustic guitar would produce. The similarities don’t end there, as baritones standard tuning would be D/G/B/E. This is similar to the four highest strings on a guitar.

If you’re already a guitarist, it can be easiest to transition with a baritone ukulele.

Ukulele String Types

There are a lot of different types of strings to choose from, each producing a different type of sound and tone.

Nylon

The most commonly used types of strings are Nylon. There are so many different types of nylon strings that result in different sounds. Keep this in mind as the sound of nylon ukulele strings can vary from brand to brand.

Nylon strings stretch over time, meaning you might be finding yourself tuning your ukulele more often. Certain temperatures cause the strings to stretch more but they won’t be affected by humidity.

Fluorocarbon

Fluorocarbon strings are made of polymer and were originally developed for use in fishing lines. They offer a slightly brighter sound and are less affected by temperature changes.

Titanium

Titanium ukulele strings offer more strength, durability, and a slightly brighter tone than nylon. This is all thanks to the monofilament material that these types of strings are made of. They project more sound at a higher level volume.

Wound Nylon

These types of strings have a nylon core that is wrapped with a polymer winding material. They are usually used with tenor and baritone ukulele as the two lower strings. Keep in mind that these strings are prone to producing finger squeaks as you slide from fret to fret.

(Cutting wound strings to length may ruin if the wrapping material starts separating from the core.)

Wound Metal

Similar to wound nylon strings, wound metal strings are usually used on lower notes and larger sized ukuleles. They are commonly composed of winding materials that are copper or aluminum. Again, keep in mind that they are prone to producing finger squeaks.

(Cutting wound strings to length may ruin it if the wrapping material starts separating from the core.)

Steel Strings

Stringing your ukulele with steel strings may not be the best idea. Steel strings add additional tension that exerts on the top, bridge, and neck of the ukulele.

Of course, there are a few instruments that utilize steel strings such as banjoleles, guitars/ukuleles that are built for them, and dobro/uke hybrids.

It may be best to consult a professional before replacing your ukulele’s strings with a steel set.

Tuning

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Ukuleles have different standard tunings that are better suited for them. Figure out what key your strings are tuned to before purchasing any set of strings. For example, if your ukulele is tuned to the key of C, your standard tuning would be G/C/E/A.

Check to see what type of tuning the set of strings are made for so you don’t run into any problems when they arrive.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it our recommendations for the 8 best ukulele strings available in 2019. Hopefully, our guide was able to help you figure out which type of strings would best fit your needs.

It may take some time for you to find the perfect set for you, so just keep experimenting.

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