I was given a Cordoba uke and all the strings have what I consider good sustain but the A string has none, and it seems to me the tension on the string is extremely high compared with all the other strings. At first, I thought it had an incorrect string installed, so I changed all the strings. The A string, still just kind plinks, no sustain whatsoever. I thought maybe it was tuned too high, so I tuned it down an octave, but this was wrong, and it was like a wet noodle. By the way, it doesn't appear to be a fret problem, where the string is touching a fret. The string has no sustain whether played open or when playing a chord. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Strings Zero sustain - just A string on Tenor
- Thread starter JimiJoe
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Joyful Uke
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I play concert size ukuleles, but always feel like no one makes a really good A string. I'll be watching this thread to see if someone comes up with a good solution.
The thing I'd want to know first is, do you have any idea what kind of strings are on it now? Even if not the brand (D'Addario, etc), do you at least know the material (nylon, flourocarbon, etc)?
fwiw, I tend to fall back to Uke Logic Soft Tensions, and while the A can wear out a little quicker (maybe because I do more pull-offs with it?), I find that I like the sustain on that string just fine.
Some brands of strings have a hard-tension version. The biggest difference between these and regular or soft tension strings is a thicker A-string for more sustain and volume, especially when you are playing chord melodies that use the A-string a lot.
merlin666
Well-known member
The tension chart for this set shows that A has higher tension, and this should make it project more than the other strings and not less. As these are quite thick strings maybe the nut slot is too tight, so tune it down a bit and see if you can lift it out of the nut easily or if it is stuck in there.
Oldscruggsfan
Well-known member
What Merlin said^^^^^^ 
Is it on the whole A string even open, or only on the higher frets? I have a concert that sounds choked on the A string. Open it sounded ok but still weaker than the rest.
You can try using different string sets or just the A string until something works. For my testing, I found the Aquila red were no good, Daddario black nylon no good. Daddario titanium (tenor set with a heavier A string) was alright but I didn't like the sound. Super nylgut seems to work and I stopped experimenting for now. I think the thinner strings were just too weak to vibrate the top, especially at higher frets.Using a thicker gauge may improve the sound. The Daddario titanium set seems like the same gauge for GCE strings, and the tenor has a thicker A compared to the concert set. Raising the action on the treble side with a saddle shim also improved my sustain a bit.
You can try using different string sets or just the A string until something works. For my testing, I found the Aquila red were no good, Daddario black nylon no good. Daddario titanium (tenor set with a heavier A string) was alright but I didn't like the sound. Super nylgut seems to work and I stopped experimenting for now. I think the thinner strings were just too weak to vibrate the top, especially at higher frets.Using a thicker gauge may improve the sound. The Daddario titanium set seems like the same gauge for GCE strings, and the tenor has a thicker A compared to the concert set. Raising the action on the treble side with a saddle shim also improved my sustain a bit.
Thank you for your advice. I'll give this a try. I may also get a little graphite in the nut slot. This may prevent the string from getting stuck again. I use this technique on guitars, it allows some string movement in the nut slot and minimizes some string breakage.
I'll give the this lubricant a try. I just placed an order. I have been very pleased with all the products I've purchased from music nomad but never tried their lub. Great "how to" videos and customer service. I'm kind us stuck in the past with using old-school technique with graphite doing guitar set-ups. I'm new to ukes. Thank you for your tip.
