Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 28, 2016 at 11:37am

Some nylon strings have a metallic core, so it will depend on your strings.

I would also recommend a piezo with preamp system in a Uke.

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Permalink Reply by Jim_N on November 28, 2016 at 5:18pm

Not being one to spend more money on a pickup than I spent on the ukulele itself...
I've had good luck with several of the very cheapest eBAY rod piezos mounted under ukes' saddles. I don't know if your customer would consider 'em “great sounding” or not, but with a decent pre-amp, who knows.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 28, 2016 at 10:32pm

Good way to do it, the rod piezo's are a lot less harsh.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 29, 2016 at 7:25am

Got a pic or link for those?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 30, 2016 at 11:56am

Turns out I have the second one you listed which I got from CBGitty. Just haven't put it in anything yet.

Permalink Reply by Jim_N on November 29, 2016 at 7:31am

FWIW... from a knowledgeable and trusted source, the (battery-less) Mi-Si Acoustic Trio Ukulele System has been highly recommended to me.
No affiliation, just passing along a Very Serious uke player's opinion. YMMV.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on November 29, 2016 at 9:13am

Nylon strings do NOT have a metallic core...the clue is in the name. Some nylon strings have  wire windings on the bass courses.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on November 29, 2016 at 8:14pm

Some concert uke sets have a wound 3rd, and baritone ukes also have wound bass courses.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 30, 2016 at 11:52am

Metal-nylon strings[edit]

Metal-nylon strings (that is, a steel core wound with nylon) were developed in China in the 1950s as a temporary measure to solve the shortage crisis of silk string production and supplies. Eventually, this type of string replaced silk altogether as they are easier and quicker to produce as well as being far easier to play as the strings are smooth to slide on. Initially, the strings were too smooth and had to be lessened to regain some of the sliding string sounds that were felt to be distinctive of qin music.

The strings were very strong and could retain their tuning unlike silk and also they were louder and more stable. A set could last many years and not break. The only drawback for traditionalists was that the strings had a harsh metallic sound which was considered inelegant. Another factor was that the strings could eventually wear the lacquer out requiring the qin surface to be repaired more often.

Nylon-composite strings[edit]

Around 2007, a new set of strings were produced made of mostly a nylon core coiled with nylon like the metal-nylon strings, possibly in imitation of Western catgut strings.^[2] The sound is similar to the metal-nylon strings but without the metallic tone to them (one of the main reasons why traditionalists do not like the metal-nylon strings). The nylon strings are able to be turned to standard pitch without breaking and can sustain their tuning whatever the climate unlike silk.

The nylon-composite strings have various names such as bingxian (冰弦; "ice strings") or fuhexian (復合弦; "composite strings"). One of the main advertising points of these strings is that they are said to sound very close to the silk strings made prior to the 1950s when silk string production ceased for a while. They were tested on Zeng Chengwei qins and have the backing of Li Xiangting.

Hybrid strings[edit]

In 2016, the Japanese string maker, Marusan Hashimoto, produced what they call hybrid strings for qin. They are made like traditional silk strings but with a Tetron twisted core and for the four thicker strings having a nylon wrapping. Their main selling point is that they can be tuned to standard pitch without breaking and are more stable. Other than that, they are very similar to silk strings, especially in the sound being the closest compared to the other synthetic strings.

(copied from Wikipedia)

I had said earlier that ( some nylon strings have metallic cores). There are nylon core strings wrapped with Nickle or Bronze out there as well.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Lettau on November 29, 2016 at 11:42am

I am going with cable piezo under saddle with pre amp.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on December 1, 2016 at 7:20am

https://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-parts/1pc-ukulele-rod-piez... They are listing it as a rod piezo with individual wafer piezos, but it looks just looked like the second one that you listed Way.

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Permalink Reply by JL on December 2, 2016 at 1:06am

An intellectual puzzle, a concert ukule with a mag pickup.....

14in scale, that's about the 10th fret on a standard scale...hmmm...sort of a drop tuning from the octave....

Tuned C Major Add 6, C E G A, 5th moved to the front G C E A...

OK, from a pack of light tension electric guitar strings you could use

#2 (B) tuned to the G, #4 (D) tuned to the C, #3 (G) tuned to the E, another #2 (B) tuned to the A (or a #1 if you are trying to be frugal)

It will feel a little stiffer than nylon strings, but would probably work with a mag-pickup.

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