The Best 6 Nylon Ukulele Strings – Reviews & Buyers Guide!

Check Out The Best Ukulele Strings Available On The Market In 2023!

Most ukulele players know that strings are a very important part of their instrument. Depending on the ukulele you are using you should decide if you need nylon strings for your ukulele.

Most of the ukulele models are finding the nylon strings more compatible and capable of producing really great sound in combination with certain materials.

In this article, you will be able to see the best 6 nylon ukulele strings that are available on the market in 2023!


1. Aquila 162U AG x AQ Tenor Set

Aquila 162U AG x AQ Tenor Set ukulele strings are great and they were a great addition to the Aquila catalog. They were made in collaboration with Aldrine Guerrero, who is a friend of the Aquila for a long time.

The sets are made as a result of a shared passion for good music and additionally, they come in environmentally friendly packaging. These strings are made with unmatched sustain and intonation, made to be bright, warm, and responsive.

Aquila 162U AG x AQ Tenor Set strings are perfect for musicians that are performing or someone who would like to improve the sound of their high-end ukulele. They come in a Transparent Mint Green color and are made in Italy.

Aquila 162U AG x AQ Tenor Set - Nylon Ukulele Strings

Features

  • Aldrine Guerrero (Ukulele Underground) Signature Set.
  • Tuning: G, C, E, A with low G-string.
  • String gauge in mm: 0,71, 0,81, 1,04, 1,08.
  • Material: Custom Nylon.
  • Fourth string from the Aquila Red Series.
  • An expressive warm, soft, round and full sound.
  • Colour: Transparent Mint Green.
  • Made in Italy.


2. Kala Metal Round Wound 4

If you are trying to take the sound of your Bass ukulele to the next level? Why not change the strings of your 4-string Bass uke with the Kala Metal Round Wound string set?

These strings have a nylon core with silver-plated windings that supply correct intonation and a warm however powerful sound on your ukulele.

Despite the fact that this set is designed for the Kala U-Bass, you may as well use it on similar models from different brands.

Kala Metal Round Wound 4 - Ukulele Strings

Features

  • Round wound.
  • Nylon core.
  • Thickness: 050 – 065 – 095 – 110.
  • Windings are silver-coated.
  • Specially developed for use with the Kala U-Bass.
  • Warm, powerful sound with a clear articulation of the notes.
  • Strings designed and dimensioned for very accurate intonation.
  • Made in the USA.


3. Ernie Ball 2326 Ukulele String Set

Ernie Ball 2326 Ukulele Strings are one of the best ukulele strings that you may find around. You should definitely consider these strings, especially if you like a warm, rich tone, with a more percussive attack.

They are 100% made out of nylon monofilament and are available in both black and clear nylon sets. The ball-end construction providing enhanced tuning stability, together with a lot easier installation than with the traditional string type, are both easy to use and a dream to play on.

Ernie Ball strings are widely considered one of the very best brands out there and are often used by a number of the world’s most popular musicians.

Ernie Ball 2326 Ukulele String Set

Features

  • Nylon.
  • Black.
  • For soprano and concert ukuleles.
  • Thicknesses: .028, .032, .040, .028.
  • Ball end.
  • Made in the USA.


4. Harley Benton Valuestrings Uke Black

Harley Benton Valuestrings Uke Black are budget nylon strings that you would like to buy for your kid who is learning the ukulele, maybe for your cheap soprano, tenor, or concert uke.

For the price, these strings do their job great, the tone is reasonable and they hold pitch well. They can be used on Concert, Tenor, and Soprano ukuleles and they come in black color that can go nicely with colorized ukes.

We would recommend these strings for beginners and cheaper ukuleles, you will get good value for the price.

Harley Benton Valuestrings Uke Black - Ukulele strings

Features

  • Material: Black nylon.
  • Gauges: 022, 028, 032, 022.


5. Pyramid Ukulele 8-string Set Tenor

Pyramid strings set for eight-string Tenor ukulele is an excellent and high-quality product made in Germany. They are superior to the factory set strings usually and will bring you a noticeable improvement in sound and playability on your ukulele.

Strings like these are great value for the money, and many customers agree that they sound like steel strings. We highly recommend these strings because of the many satisfied customers, their price, and their high quality.

Pyramid Ukulele 8 string Set Tenor - Ukulele strings

Features

  • For 8-string tenor ukulele.
  • Tuning: aa Nylon / ee Nylon / cc nylon / g.
  • Plated wound G nylon.


6. D’Addario EJ53B Baritone Set

D’Addario EJ53B Baritone ukulele string set is designed specifically for baritone ukuleles and is made in the USA.

The 3rd and 4th strings are a silver-plated copper wound on nylon complimented by the 1st and 2nd strings that are made out of black precision rectified nylon. This set is optimized for usage with standard DGBE tuning.

The unique ukulele offering from D’Addario, every black nylon string is carefully center-less ground to an ultra-smooth, ultra-precise final diameter for a glorious feel and unparalleled intonation with a warm, lengthy acoustic tone.

These strings just like other nylon strings will need some time in order to stretch and show their full potential. The sound will make you feel like a full-blown acoustic guitar with clear highs, powerful lows, and above all, much less resonance.

Daddario EJ53B Baritone Set - Ukulele strings

Features

  • Pro Arte Rectified Black Nylon.
  • Gauges: .028, .034, .w030, .w035.
  • Silver-plated copper wound G- and D-strings.
  • Optimized for standard DGBE tuning.


Nylon production

String makers use numerous types of nylon polymers and because of that, sound on the ukulele can vary from brand to brand.

The least costly nylon strings are produced through extrusion—a process where nylon monofilament is created by pushing the molten polymer through holes of specific diameters.

Nylon durability and performance

Nylon isn’t affected by humidity, however, temperature shifts can require you to retune. Additionally, all nylon strings are likely to stretch more when new and they need additional time to “settle down”.

Before trying to adjust the intonation or fine-tune your ukulele, it’s a good idea to give new strings some more time for stretching. Some nylon strings are made with polymer formulas that are meant to mimic the rounder, warmer tone of conventional gut strings.

One of these polymers, D’Addario’s Nyltech strings, is designed to supply the warmth of traditional gut strings while offering punch and tuning stability. Due to the inherent properties of nylon—and the processes used in its manufacture—the shape and diameter of clear nylon strings isn’t always perfect.

There might be tiny variations along the length of a string, that are too small to notice. To handle this, string makers developed rectified strings, which start as clear nylon and are then ground to specific sizes and shapes.

The resulting strings maintain closer tolerances for dimensions along their length, which improves intonation and consistency. However, the grinding process leaves a textured surface on the string, fairly different in feel from the slick, clean feeling of clear nylon.

Black nylon

Black nylon is usually associated with a softer, warmer tone and less clarity and articulation. The lower tension of these strings can be a great fit for beginners or those with less hand strength.

In order to get decent strings for your ukulele, you should experiment a little bit. Ukulele strings even those of the best quality are not much expensive.

By trying different brands of string sets, designed for your type of ukulele, you will be able to narrow down the brands and strings that you can use.

Additional Information

Before we put our final words we would like to clarify some additional things about strings, how to use new strings or when you need new pair for your ukulele.

Tension

How many pounds of pressure a string pulls when tuned up to pitch is the “string tension.”

Low tension lets the string move extra and be “floppy.” It’s easier to fret notes with low-tension strings.

Higher tension puts extra pressure on the soundboard making a more snappy sound however makes the strings tougher to press down.

Tension is affected by a number of things – primarily density and scale length. The material the string is made up of and also the thickness contribute to density. It comes down to mass. More mass within the string = higher tension.

Which tension you need to choose depends on the way you want your ukulele to feel and sound. Generally, the lighter the strings, the quieter and brighter they are going to be. Heavy strings are louder and have a fatter tone.

In regards to feeling, the tension affects how hard you need to press the strings onto the frets and how easy it is to play out of tune.

Since a lighter string will vibrate more, you need a higher action set up to accommodate the wider ringing arc. However, if you put heavier tension ukulele strings on a uke that buzzes because of low action, you may find that the increased string pull clears the frets better, leading to less buzzing.

Why you should change ukulele strings?

In case you haven’t ever changed out the stock strings on your ukulele, you should consider doing so. If you need some help when changing your strings here you will get some help.

We have found that most of the time on a lower-budget instrument some negative factors are going to impact the tone and handling of stock strings.

Manufacturers usually use low-cost strings. If you’re placing strings on 100,000 ukuleles a year, every cent spent on strings adds up.

It’s common for ukuleles to ship with budget-quality strings that don’t showcase the instrument’s sound. These stock strings normally sit on the uke for months, in storage, and on the music store shelf before you ever pick it up.

Strings set-up is often completed rapidly at the factory by unskilled laborers who over-wrap the strings and sometimes don’t even lock them in place correctly. This may result in tuning issues and a ukulele that’s constantly slipping.

Conclusion

Every instrument reacts to the same strings in a different way. What sounds best on one ukulele might sound terrible on another.

Once you determine your basic sound-independent string preferences like tension and feel, you’ll be able to tailor your ukulele’s sound depending on the strings you are going to use.

We hope that our review will help you purchase your new strings and you will have a great time playing your instrument.

Happy Strumming!

Felix Sanchez

Felix Sanchez

Felix Sanchez specializes in string instruments and their use in contemporary music. Felix is passionate about music and has studied and played a variety of string instruments including guitars, ukuleles, and cellos.

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