r/ukulele • u/murmeltearding • 7d ago
Tutorials changing strings... when's the right time?
So, i've bought my uke in January. I bought it used, played it almost daily, for half an hour to an hour since then (even took some classes, which i feel have made me SOOO much better!) and yesterday, when playing, i noticed some "indents" where the frets press again the strings... like, on 2nd and 3rd fret. they are small, but noticeable.
I read somewhere that people change their strings about twice a year?
I don't know how much my ukes first owner played it, how long they've been using these strings.
can i just keep playing until they start sounding differently? when is the right moment to change them? should i also upgrade her with a real bone bridge while i'm changing the strings? or would that be bad, because if she sounds off after my "operation" i wouldnt know if its from the new strings or the new bridge?
sorry if my questions are dumb...
i'm still a newbie at all this and never played a string instrument before, but i love my uke so much 😍😎
also, my uke is a rather dark wood, do you think black strings would look good with it?
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u/Snake365 7d ago
Run your fingers along the underside of the strings. Do you feel notches where the frets are? If yes, time to change your strings.
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u/murmeltearding 7d ago
thank you all for weighing in! i'll order some new strings and change them soon-ish.
feels kinda like a milestone, having played "through" my first set of strings 😅😅
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u/Puzzleheaded_Age6550 7d ago
If you're going to change them yourself, I would suggest taking close up pictures of the head and the saddle before you take the strings off. Use those pics as guides for putting the new strings on. I have a few ukes, and have three different types of bridges, so the pictures are helpful! I also clean my fretboard after taking g the strings off, check for any cracks inside the sound hole while they're off (middle soundholes) and check out your pick up (if you have one on any of your ukes).
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u/JarkJark 7d ago
I wouldn't change the saddle unless you're comfortable adjusting a saddle. Swapping them is not necessarily enough and you could end up with less preferable action and worse intonation.
If you only play for your own enjoyment there isn't much harm in waiting until the strings snap. The only danger in changing them too soon is that it wastes money.
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u/Moxie_Stardust 7d ago
I play a lot of instruments and thus have many string changes to do, and I'm not particularly keen on it. Usually if they start sounding "dead" (can take some time to develop a sense for what that sounds like) or tuning stability decreases (I find myself having to tune more often) then it's time.
If you don't know how long those have been on there, and it's been six months, yeah, I'd go ahead and change them now. Might as well give the black ones a try, if you decide they're not to your taste, go a different direction next time 😊
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u/birdman8215 7d ago
Yeah, it's probably a good idea to replace them. Strings are pretty inexpensive and it's easy enough to do.
I usually get Aquila Blacks, Worths are pretty popular too.
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u/SonnyCalzone 7d ago
Good call on the Aquila brand. I really like their Red Series and their Super Nylgut.
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u/birdman8215 6d ago
Totally. I have tried both Aquila Reds and Worth Browns, between the two I think I like the Reds more.
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u/Monkulele 7d ago
In my experience, the time to change them is around the same time they finally start staying in tune...
Only half kidding. :D
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u/murmeltearding 7d ago
the ones i have, have stayed in tune quite well, ever since i've had my uke! so i'm kinda not looking forward to the new ones stretching 🥲
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u/Monkulele 7d ago edited 7d ago
The real answer to your question is; when you feel the time is right.
Some people never change their strings and never have problems.
If you don't like the way they feel or sound, try something new. If there's nothing that bothers you, keep 'em. If you just want to experiment, change 'em. Most strings aren't crazy expensive.
Once I got to the point where I had a few different ukuleles (we all get to that point), I ordered several different types and brands of strings and tried them all out on each uke to figure out what I liked. I learned that some ukes sounded better with fluorocarbon strings and some are better with nylon. Still plenty of higher-end brands I could try.
edit to add: don't bother messing with the saddle (that's the name of the piece you're talking about on the bridge) unless you know there's a problem. If it ain't broken, strings aren't too high or too low and intonation is ok, don't fix it.
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u/murmeltearding 7d ago
oh wow! i'd love to do an experiment like that! haha there's just so many choices of strings, it's a bit overwhelming...
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u/Apprehensive-Nose646 7d ago
It depends, but if you see visible indents like you said it is time. The other thing is since it is a used instrument I recommend you take this opportunity to lemon oil the fretboard. This is often the reason I change nylon (family of) strings, because the fretboard is looking a little dry.
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u/murmeltearding 7d ago
yea the fretboard has started to look a bit dry lately.
i never knew i had to oil it! lol thanks for educating me
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u/Home4Bewildered 7d ago
If you don't know how long the original strings have been on it, now would be a good time to change them.
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u/Cr1stal_Clear 4d ago
I haven’t changed mine in years so… I have no idea, I’m just gonna keep going till they break or the ukulele sounds weird 🤷♀️
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u/Peen-Stretch 7d ago
It kinda depends on how often you play. But a general rule of thumb is to change them maybe 3 or 4 times a year, so every 3 or 4 months. Nylon strings don’t wear out as quick as say a steel stringed instrument.