What Are The Top and Best Ukulele Strings (2022)?
Selection Criteria – Best Ukulele Strings
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Best Ukulele Strings – The Basics
The best ukulele strings can be the difference between a dull sound and the clear, rich, and bright sound that’s characteristic of a ukulele.
Are you sure you have the right strings?
Most people make the mistake of settling with the strings that come with their Uke, only to discover a new and amazing sound once they switch them for better ones!
Still, if you’re looking for the right ukulele strings, there are many mistakes you can fall into if you don’t know where or how to look for them!
# 1 – There are different types of strings for a ukulele!
There are different types of strings for the ukulele and picking the best ones for your uke requires some knowledge!
There are generic strings, custom strings, wound strings, strings for alternative tunings, and strings for the many different types of ukuleles.
Do you know which are the right uke strings?
# 2 – Not all of the ukulele strings are good!
Some people commit the mistake of thinking Aquila or D’Addario strings are overpriced because they see some random brand offer 3 sets of ukulele strings for the same price.
As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.
If you want high-quality sound, you must get the best strings you can get – they’re not pricey for no reason at all!
In this guide, we’ll show you the top ukulele strings you must get to play comfortably, avoid having to change them too often and get the best possible sound from day one.
Comparison Table – Best Ukulele Strings
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Overall Ukulele Strings – Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-100
- Aquila's latest advance in synthetic gut ukulele strings
- Natural pearl color, super-smooth playing surface
- Less stretchy than previous strings, greater tuning stability
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you know about ukes, you know that there isn’t a better brand to get your strings from than Aquila and that there aren’t better strings than Aquila’s Super Nylgut.
The Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-100 ukulele strings were made to impress you with their clear sound, on-point tension, and sweet tone.
They can make a cheapo ukulele sound much better, which in turn will make you fall in love with it again.
Here are the reasons for picking these uke strings:
- They are made with synthetic gut, which achieves a sound that’s the closest to the real thing, but better.
- These Aquila ukulele strings are smooth as eggs, so you can play fearlessly without hurting your fingers.
- They maintain the right tension, and once they’re settled, they’ll hold a tune for months.
- And they’re beautiful, so you won’t have to worry about them changing the image of your ukulele.
Nothing can go wrong with these Aquila strings. It is the best ukulele string on this list.
After a week of constant playing and tuning they’ll settle for good, and will last a couple of weeks, then a couple of months, and then some more.
These Aquila ukulele strings are among the most recommended ones you can get, regardless of your skill level or the quality of your uke. Go to the checkout now!
Pros – about these ukulele strings
- Best overall strings you can get regardless of your level of skill or the quality of your uke!
- They’re smooth, easy to press, and feel like a massage for your fingers while strumming.
- They also settle rather quickly and last long after being tuned.
Cons
- These Aquila Ukulele Strings are pricey – and it’s worth every penny.
Best Budget Pick Ukulele Strings – D’Addario EJ65S Custom Extruded Nylon
- Pro-Arté Custom Extruded Nylon for highly accurate, laser sorted treble strings
- Optimized for Soprano Ukuleles tuned to traditional ADF#B tuning
- Soprano Ukulele, Pro-Arté Custom Extruded Clear Nylon, Non-Ball End
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
D’Addario is yet another outstanding brand that will surely come up when talking about ukulele strings.
The EJ65S is a great choice, and actually, they are fit to fill the spot of the best runner-up – but they’re also the cheapest, making them a nice budget pick.
They are made with top-quality Nylon, and just like Aquila’s strings, they can bring any instrument back to life.
This set is made to use another standard tuning – the aDF#B – but they can also be used to tune your uke with gCEA because the difference is minimal.
They are durable, easy to use, have nice flexibility, and have less tension than the ukulele strings above, which makes them perfect for beginners and kids.
Don’t get us wrong – these ukulele strings can be used by any musician, and they’re cheap enough for you to stock up on them if you have several ukes, again, regardless of their quality.
A slightly different advantage these wound strings offer is that they’re the best to teach newbies how to replace strings.
Why? Because these nylon strings are the longest, which gives their user a lot of room to practice the installation process.
Beginners and intermediate players definitely get the most advantages out of these – if you’re switching your ukulele strings for the first time, these are the ones to get!
Pros – about these ukulele wound nylon strings
- Great strings suited for beginners and intermediate music players. Not for pros music players.
- They’re easy to use, are long which eases their installation process, and are smooth and soft to play.
- You can also use them to tune your soprano to aDF#B.
- These nylon strings are the cheapest you can get without risking bad quality.
Cons
- No downsides for these ukulele strings.
Best Runner Up Ukulele Strings – Martin Soprano Fluorocarbon
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
These strings come from Martin, a great brand that’s been around for a long time.
They are made with fluorocarbon, which makes them both flexible and highly durable.
We like these ukulele D’Addario strings because they can be used for Soprano and Concert ukuleles, although that’s not necessarily a big advantage over the ones above.
These D’Addario strings still produce beautiful clear, bright, and natural tones – they’re slightly better than the budget pick, which is why they’re at the runner-up spot.
The only downside is that, even though they sound slightly better than the ones above, these D’Addario strings take a little more to settle – about two weeks or less depending on how much you play.
Impatient music players can’t get these and be happy about the beautiful sound, which is even better than the sound produced by the D’Addario strings.
If you’ve been blessed with extra patience, then you can easily get them and get the top sound, for the second-best price on the list.
These ukulele D’Addario strings are good enough for beginners and intermediate music players – pros musicians might need something of superior quality, like the Aquila strings at the top.
Pros – about these Soprano ukulele strings
- Great soprano ukulele strings suited for beginners and intermediate music players.
- These D’Addario strings produce clear, natural, and bright-punchy sounds that feel very Island-like.
- We love that they’re easy to play with and can fit both Sopranos Ukuleles and Concert ones.
- They’re the second most affordable option on the list.
Cons
- These ukulele D’Addario strings take longer to settle when compared to the ones above.
Best Generic Uke Strings – Chengu Nylon
- Universal ukulele strings: substitutional strings for soprano (21 inch)/ concert (23 inch)/ tenor (26 inch) ukulele, remove extra strings for a smaller ukulele after installation
- Easy to install: labeling number 1, 2, 3, 4 to differentiate 4 strings and the durable material of nylon help you practice ukulele
- Quantity: 5 sets of white ukulele strings (each set has 4 strings) and 10 pieces felt picks (each color 2 pieces, yellow, gray, black, red, white)
Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you’re bent on getting generic strings, let them be the top ones – the Chengu Nylon strings.
These are the best generic ukulele strings we’ve tried so far, and like the ones above, they can be used for Sopranos and Concerts, but also for Tenor Ukuleles.
These nylon strings are very conveniently bundled.
With this pack, you get 5 sets of 4 strings which can be used for the three standard tuning sizes of ukulele, plus 10 felt picks of different colors.
Another advantage that’s unique to this product is that the nylon strings come labeled, which is really helpful when you’re installing them.
When compared to the others on the list, these strings sound great, close in sound quality to the budget pick.
Also, they’re fairly durable and feel thick – they offered good resistance when we cut the excess string after the installation.
These nylon strings are yet another cheap option that’s easy to consider because it comes with five times the number of sets of the budget pick and 10 useful felt picks, at only twice the price.
Yes, they’re made in China, but these are medium-quality nylon strings that can withstand about 1 year of constant playing.
Considering that most of them last about 1 & ½ and 2 years, they are a very convenient bargain.
Pros – about these ukulele strings
- This is a bundled product – you get 5 sets of strings and 10 felt picks!
- The ukulele nylon strings are of medium quality and you can expect them to last a year or more.
- They sound almost as good as the budget pick – that’s actually really good!
- This is a very convenient and affordable pick.
Cons
- A single set won’t last as long as other standard picks – but the 5 sets most certainly will!
Best Uke Strings for Kids – Aquila New Nylgut AQ-138 Kids Soprano
- New Nylgut strings provide better sound than traditional nylon or PVDF
- Designed to have excellent player feel and a sweet tone similar to that of genuine gut strings
- Proprietary composite material absorbs less moisture to assure tuning stability
Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
These Aquila strings are marketed for kids, but they’re actually a great choice for musicians of all levels, aside from beginners.
Yes, they’re color-coded, which means they’re for beginners… Wrong!
They can also be used to spice up your colorful ukulele, and since they’re high-quality Aquila Nylgut strings, you can use them even if you’re an advanced musician!
Here are their advantages:
- We love these ukulele strings because they offer the same quality as the Martin’s, but look way better.
- The color-coded design is perfect to teach children and absolute beginners.
- They settle in about a week of use, which is always a plus.
- These Aquila uke strings sound amazingly well, with the difference that they offer a very bright sound.
- They’re soft on beginner’s fingers and are a pleasure to strum, too.
These Aquila strings have surprised more than a few music players because of their quality.
You can also expect these to exceed your expectations – they’re Aquila ukulele strings, after all.
The only downside we could find about them is their price.
They’re just as pricey as the ones at the top, which feels odd because they’re marketed toward kids.
Still, granted these are not just for kids, and even a colorful pro musician can use them to rock some tunes.
Pros – about these ukulele strings
- Perfect design for beginners and kids.
- They’re soft and easy to play. They’re marketed for ukulele kids, though they’re not necessarily just for kids.
- These Aquila uke strings offer a similar quality sound to the runner-up!
- They settle quickly, too.
Cons
- They’re pricey.
Frequently Asked Questions – Best Ukulele Strings
Yes!
Most acoustic and E/A ukulele strings are made out of nylon, which is, you guessed it, a type of plastic. Ukuleles are meant to be used with nylon strings!
Nylon and Nylgut, for sure. They’re durable, soft on the fingers, and provide warm and bright tones that are characteristic of the ukulele.
Nope. Steel strings are made to have a higher tension, which means they’ll pull your ukulele apart after a while – and you can count on that!
It depends. Many factors play a role in this; material, brand, type, and more.
Still, generally speaking, they take about 1 week to 2 weeks, and this is common for the best and the worst strings you can get.
Conclusion – Top Strings for your Ukulele
We created this article to aid you with your purchase of the best overall ukulele strings you can get whether you are looking for Soprano Ukes, Concert Ukuleles, etc.
Buying strings for your ukulele shouldn’t be a difficult task – and it isn’t!
You just have to pay attention to many factors, like your type of ukulele, the type of strings you like – if you know a little bit about their materials and more, that’s a plus!
The ukulele strings we’ve selected for you are the absolute best you can get on Amazon.
There are many options available online, but some of them can lure you away from real quality with very cheap prices.
But, as we said at the top, you get what you pay for – the best quality ukulele strings are worth every penny.
Are you still playing with old worn-out strings?
