Aquila Red Series Installation Guide
Aquila Red Series strings are a complex composition of Nylgut combined with copper powder designed to increase the density of the string to around twice that of standard Nylgut.
In doing so, a string of higher density can be produced without having to increase the string gauge, resulting in a brighter, more powerful sound with greatly improved response across the full range of the fretboard.
Aquila Red Series strings are un-comparable to any other string in their construction and care must be taken when fitting Red Series strings to your ukulele, banjo or banjolele as incorrect installation can lead to problems with string snapping.
To help our customers appreciate the excellent sound properties of Aquila Red Series, please watch the video below as Mimmo Peruffo shows the correct way to fit Aquila Red Series strings to a ukulele and how best to avoid problems.
Most Common Mistakes Made Fitting Aquila Red Series Strings
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Tuning to the Wrong Pitch
Many players are used to seeing the thicker wound strings on their ukuleles and so when viewing a Red Series ‘un-wound’ string for the first time (such as a Low G) the fact they are so thin means buyers often tune them up too far assuming they are for a higher octave, i.e high G.
In the same manner, some beginners also tune their ukuleles too low.
Make sure you have a tuner available and that you know which frequency or octave you are tuning to. There are lots of videos on You Tube that show the correct pitch of many different types of ukulele tuning. You can use these as references to tune your own uke to.
Please click the link below for some examples.
You Tube – How To Tune Your Ukulele Videos
Keep Strings Away From The Nut When Tuning
The grooves or slots on the nut of the ukulele often have sharp edges or can be a little too narrow. This may not have affected your old, less responsive strings, but the complex make up of Aquila Red Series means they must be treated with respect and should not be passed through imperfect grooves, causing rubbing against the nut.
Nut grooves and edges should be sanded with fine grit or emery paper to ensure they are completely smooth and the slots should be wide enough not to place excess strain on the string.
While tuning the ukulele up to correct pitch, the string must be held just above the nut, keeping it away from the grooves while it is brought up to tension.
This ensures the string does not catch in the groove and is stretched evenly across it’s length.
Only drop the string back into the nut slot when the string is near correct tuning pitch.
Stretch Gently
Once the strings have been installed on your instrument, they must be stretched very gently by pulling them away from the fretboard in a gentle manner.
Many musicians like to pull hard on strings while stretching them in to achieve faster stability and quicker tuning. Please do not do this.
Please be aware that Red Series strings are a complex product and should not be treated in the same way as other strings.
Tuning Pegs
The angle through which the string enters the tuning peg hole is quite sharp and as the peg rotates, the tension at that point can act like a knife against the string. Ensure you allow the string enough slack to make a few turns of the peg (as Mimmo shows in the video above) so as to avoid concentrating all the tension in one spot.
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Follow the tips above to enjoy the full benefits of Aquila Red Series and never snap a string again.
Click the Eagle below to view our wide range of Aquila Strings
