Can strings be reused?

[Blunderbuss]

I am not happy with the sound of my Ohana TK-15 willow laminate with a set of Worth Brown (low g) on it. I am looking to change the strings to try to get a better tone (for my ears) and feel. If I manage to get the Worths off without too much issue, can they be reused if I want to try them on something else? I went with the Worth Brown because I have an arthritic/skin conditions and wanted something that would be a little easier on that. I am considering Martin Graphite or Living Water fluorocarbon as replacement.

 

[miqbri]

Why not? If they fit, you should be able to use them.
The only potential issue I see is if they developed dents that don't fit on the new instruments (from the nut or knots at the bridge) and you cannot fit them well (as in, behind the nut/bridge) on the new uke. That might cause intonation issues..

 

[badhabits]

Sure, give it a shot if not worn out and too short. Even tho they will stretch some (more), if clipped close to the peg it will be almost impossible to reinstall on the same scale...no prob if going from concert to soprano for example.

 

[man0a]

I have not had good luck with reusing strings. Once they are cut to size, reinstalling them is difficult. Also, winding and knotting at the ends causes kinks that may not settle in properly when used again. YMMV. Strings are cheap enough that it is not worth the effort to me.

 

[Mike $]

No, you can not reuse Worth Brown strings. It's illegal. You can, however reuse Aquilas, D'Addarios and La Bellas without fear of being arrested by the string police.

 

[pondweed]

when someone finds a really rubbish ukulele and you can furnish a free improvement....all good! Just make a legible note of condition/why you took em off.... and use the packets that came with your new strings.

 

[eternal tinkerer]

I sometimes reuse my strings. If I put new strings on a uke and immediately do not like them for that uke, then I may save them for a different uke.

The above said, sometimes I start accumulating a lot of "used" strings and sometimes those cut strings don't fit the new application. Then I just have to pare down my "used" string collection and toss the ones that don't seem likely to find another purpose soon. Occasionally, my efforts are rewarded when, for whatever reason, one of my ukes needs a particular replacement string and I just happen to find one that fits!

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

No, you can not reuse Worth Brown strings. It's illegal. You can, however reuse Aquilas, D'Addarios and La Bellas without fear of being arrested by the string police.

Why not? Seems like everything is becoming "arrestable"...

 

[ripock]

It probably is related to your personality. not being a pack rat or a penny pincher I don't re-use tea bags or strings. For one thing, I'd have to store them. As it is, I either play strings or I cut them off and toss them. Regarding the arthritis, I use Worth concert strings on my tenors for lessened tension. Years ago I tried some Living Waters strings and they seemed fine (although not especially suited to lower-tension needs) but I couldn't abide them because I didn't like their color; I prefer dark strings for aesthetic reasons

 

[ripock]

plus, I forgot to mention I have enough trouble tying straight strings. I don't want to complicate the process with crimped or curly strings. But, back to my premise, that's just me and if you don't have those issues, then re-use

 

[Bibs]

The new ones may be worse than the old ones.

 

[Ukecaster]

My drawer of used strings says YES, as long as you left enough extra length at the headstock to grab. Even when I cut them short at the string post, I can often reuse strings by grabbing the end with needle nose pliers, and holding the end until I get it all wound up. I always try to leave 1" extra at the string posts when I cut the extra off, just in case I may want to remove them to try something else.

 

[about2]

Absolutely! Some of my craziest tunings have happened because I repurposed a string.

Worth browns do seem to be easy on the hands . . . Galli strings are as well (at least on my baritone).

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Yes!
I’ve developed the habit of keeping “pull off” strings after really hating the sound and feel of a set of D’Addario Nyltech. Re-installing the old Fremont Blacklines felt like reconnecting with an old friend.

Admittedly, as @ripock cautioned, putting them back on is much trickier than negotiating a clean, straight set of new strings, the additional time it takes to do so is measured in seconds and why waste anything that can reasonably be re- used?

I even kept the Nyltechs, rolled together in a repurposed Altoid’s breath mint tin, just in case I need some heavy gauge dental floss one day.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

My drawer of used strings says YES, as long as you left enough extra length at the headstock to grab. Even when I cut them short at the string post, I can often reuse strings by grabbing the end with needle nose pliers, and holding the end until I get it all wound up.

Precisely how I do it, and it works well with new strings too.

 

[Blunderbuss]

The new ones may be worse than the old ones.

Good point... don't think I'll be saving any

plus, I forgot to mention I have enough trouble tying straight strings. I don't want to complicate the process with crimped or curly strings. But, back to my premise, that's just me and if you don't have those issues, then re-use

Another reason not to save them

 

[Blunderbuss]

It probably is related to your personality. not being a pack rat or a penny pincher I don't re-use tea bags or strings. For one thing, I'd have to store them. As it is, I either play strings or I cut them off and toss them. Regarding the arthritis, I use Worth concert strings on my tenors for lessened tension. Years ago I tried some Living Waters strings and they seemed fine (although not especially suited to lower-tension needs) but I couldn't abide them because I didn't like their color; I prefer dark strings for aesthetic reasons

I like the idea of using concerts on the tenor. It seems to make a lot of sense for lessened tension... Now, forgive the newbie question here: I use an app to tune. If I use concert strings on my tenor, I assume I use the concert setting on the app and not tenor, correct?

 

[ploverwing]

I like the idea of using concerts on the tenor. It seems to make a lot of sense for lessened tension... Now, forgive the newbie question here: I use an app to tune. If I use concert strings on my tenor, I assume I use the concert setting on the app and not tenor, correct?

Do you tune a tenor differently than a concert? As far as I'm aware, typically soprano/concert/tenor are all tuned with the same four notes (depending on reentrant vs linear, but they are all the same G C A and E). Baritone is the oddball at DGBE. A lot of string packages say you can use the exact same strings for a soprano, concert or tenor!

 

[Blunderbuss]

Do you tune a tenor differently than a concert? As far as I'm aware, typically soprano/concert/tenor are all tuned with the same four notes (depending on reentrant vs linear, but they are all the same G C A and E). Baritone is the oddball at DGBE. A lot of string packages say you can use the exact same strings for a soprano, concert or tenor!

Well, yes of course. I guess I am referring more to the tuning app (SimplyTuner). It actually has choices for Concert, Tenor high G, Tenor low G, standard, and myriad of others...

 

[ploverwing]

Well, yes of course. I guess I am referring more to the tuning app (SimplyTuner). It actually has choices for Concert, Tenor high G, Tenor low G, standard, and myriad of others...

Oh! I had no idea! My tuner app is just ... a tuner. It doesn't specify the instrument (maybe there's an option for that??). You could certainly use the concert setting, but it might be for reentrant (which is fine, if that's how you're tuned to).