Review: Seaguar Fluorocarbon Uke Strings

Uke clubs and shops have been using Seaguar fluorocarbon fishing line as bulk string material for a while and I decided to bite the bullet and get a bunch of it in varying gauges myself. My review of the "blue label" stuff, though?

It sounds more or less like Worth clears or standard Martin fluoros, though the Martins are slightly more "sparkly." It's exactly what I was looking for to do away with endless uke string packaging and give me easy access to "custom lengths" for things like tenor and five-string banjos, long scale baritone ukes, and whatnot.

The "standard" soprano/concert/tenor set gauges-out in their lb-tension readings as G = 40, C = 80, E = 60, A = 30. Those are approximately the same gauges as Martin/Worth clear strings when you do the measurements. I have a "50" roll for E strings that seem to tense, though, or for stepping the C/E down a notch.

I also bought some lighter rolls for alternate tunings and octave strings. 25lb works well for replacing the A with a high C for open C (gCGC) tuning or as an octave in a 6/8-string set next to the low C. The 12lb works great for a high E in DGBE tuning (starting a full step above the low C string on that D) which is a tuning I like a lot for recording as I can double guitar lines in weird keys easily and it has a sort-of Charango-ish/Latin-ish high-pitched sound to it.

That same high E is a mandolin-pitched high E as well, so this also works well if someone comes in wanting to try "mandolin tuning" on a uke and has trouble with those Aquila fifths-tuning strings snapping (I always have trouble with them, anyhow).