Thanks for all the great comments here, very much appreciated! 🟣 If you would like to learn the bass line from the demos, please follow this link: th-cam.com/video/-bhc1n9s01Y/w-d-xo.html
I don’t even play Ukulele and find your channel really good, i watched an episode where you mentioned a Flea Ukulele and it’s made me want to buy a Magic Fluke, I’ve played guitar for 20+ years.
I've been playing the ukulele for about a year on my mum's uke and I've been watching your TH-cam channel a lot recently looking into getting my own. I bought an electro acoustic concert uke yesterday and your videos have been so helpful, and other videos on this channel are also really interesting and I've learned a lot about ukuleles recently. I might look into getting a bass ukulele in the future ☺️
That's awesome to hear. Hoping that you are having great fun with your new electro acoustic uke and if you do ddecide to get a bass and have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Hello again. Great review as usual. I really like the Thunder Browns the best. I haven’t been able to find a set yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to locate them soon. All the best to you.
Great side by side comparision. Thank you for sharing! I could difinitely hear the differences. I liked the Thundergut strings. just by good fortune I ordered the Thunderguts last night before I watched this video, so that would have been my choice anyway!
nice to hear. My friend 's Bass One had the reds and the only, a-string became very odd, not holding its tune on the fretboard. Changed new guts and seems to hold the tune when going up the fretboard. Still wondering what is the difference between the reds/browns/blacks?
Ihave to say i was glued to the screen watching you play and i have to offer a Standing Ovation for each and every performace ,amazing poetry in motion ,so very well done Brian uk
Oh. I had just ordered thunder black for my fretless cheap bass. Although I’m excited that it might sound better with this change, I’ll buy the thunder brown for the next change :) Thanks for your advice.
Glad you enjoyed Paola. I think I'll keeping changing them about for now to see which strings work best for each bass uke. Hope your strings have arrived and are good to play on.
The best strings I've found for my Kala Rumbler have been the Road Toad Pahoehoe set - not at all sticky to play, and slide very nicely. Unfortunately, difficult to get in the UK and expensive to buy direct. I've just (last night actually) restrung with the Thunderblacks. Quite sticky in comparison, but just need to get used to them (the instructions mention using talc.......). Thanks for the video, I've just subscribed to see more...😃👍
Thanks Mike. I have tried the Pahoehoe strings on one of my Kalas but I changed them out for the Thunderbrowns. Nothing wrong with the Pahoehoe strings just I prefer the texture of the Thunderbrowns. 👍
This was great info Rachel. I have been playing uke for about 6 years, but bass uke only 2. I got frustrated with the stickiness. We were playing outside for our practices because of Covid. I switched to flat wound on my Kala and really like them. Will switch a solid body bass to the Aquila black and see how they are. Thanks tons.
It is always my pleasure Loree because I know you really do appreciate it all. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Thunderblacks, it will make your bass look fantatsic too!
I just started learning to play the bass ukulele seven months ago. I have a Donner dub 1 bass ukulele with thundergut strings. I have noticed I seem to have some trouble with the E string. It never seems to have enough volume. My teacher and mentor has the same bass ukulele but recently put thunderbrown strings on his. I find they are much easier to play and definitely feel better than the thundergut and the E string seems to have more volume on his bass with the thunderbrowns. Thank you for your wonderful videos. Until seven months ago I had never picked up a musical instrument in my life. Playing the bass is like opening up a door into heaven for me. But I haven’t been able to progress to using middle and index finger to play. Still stuck on using my thumb and don’t know if I will ever have enough coordination to play with two fingers. I have a wonderful teacher but I get discouraged because I doubt I will ever have enough intelligence or ability to really be a good bass player. I wish someday I could be half as good as you are!
So glad to hear you are enjoying playing the bass, give yourself time, maybe one day you will pluck with fingers but just enjoy playing to start with. I agree, I prefer the feel of the Thunderbrowns too, I haven't noticed the volume changing with the strings - this is normally an issue with the pickup under the saddle. Sometime just firmly pressing down on the E string on the saddle fixes it but I am hoping to do a video soon on how to fix this problem properly. Keep up the bass playing.
Thank you so much for this video! I have the kala ubass with the Thunderblacks. I find them awkward, but I'm brand new at playing them. From this video, the guts sounds muddied than the browns and the blacks. I think I will get the browns and try them. Thanks again.
Thank you for the strings review. To me, the ThunderGuts sound the most like an upright bass, which is the sound that I would prefer. I just received my used Kala SMHG-FL, and I love it. Thank you for recommending that model. It arrived perfectly tuned from 4,000 miles away after a week's shipping journey. It came with metal wound strings, which makes it sound a bit like a bass guitar. I am going to try either ThunderBrowns or ThunderGuts for initially just the E and A strings, so that I won't be waiting for all four strings to stretch in at the same time. That will give me an interesting voicing variation, which I might be able to utilize creatively. I will report back. After they stretch in, I will also swap out the D and G strings. You recommended the _feel_ of the ThunderBrowns, but I love the _sound_ of the ThunderGuts. So I have not decided yet. Since I like portamento slides, perhaps the ThunderBrowns would be best.
Hi David, firstly congrats on the new u-bass, I am so glad to hear you like it! Yes, I would be interested to hear which strings you end up going with and whether you like them. I do think strings are very much a personal thing so it will be good to hear your thoughts once you have swapped, for me definitely the Thunderbrowns. Merry Christmas 🎄
Hi Rachel, great videos. i'm a double bass player, and have had a Batking Ubass for a few months. I do find the rubber strings a little sticky and difficult to keep the string fingering noise down. Have you thought of or have tried Superior bassworks strings, deluxe dirty gut? out of interest they are great sounding on my DB, and not high tension, so just wondered if you'd been tempted to try something like that?
Hi, yep I’m double bass too so I much prefer flat wounds although now I’ve got used to them I also love the rubber strings. I also find the white thunder gut strings a bit noisy but LOVE the Thunderbrowns. No stickiness or finger noise. You do need to be careful with what strings you use because of the scale, I’m guessing the DB deluxe dirty gut strings may be way too long??
I picked up the Ubass about a year ago as a curious person wanting to learn how to play the bass. Not quite a fast learner though. I'm using a loaner which is an older Kala solid body, Sunburst? that came with metal strings. I find it hard to press down on it. Would I be able to change out the strings? I love the sound of the Thunder Black or Thunder Brown. Those nylon strings, esp the E string looks relatively thick and wonder if the nut would need to be changed out. Love your videos!! I need to learn to practice playing around the fretboard.
Hi, so glad you are having a go of the bass. Regarding strings, it generally depends what kind of pick up. I'm guessing it's a piezo (not like bass guitar pick ups) so it *should be okay to use Thinder Blacks or Thunder Brown strings. As for nut size, again difficult to tell without seeing it or trying the strings, the rubber strings do tend to be thicker so the nut may need altering or getting a different nut so if you decide to go back to metal strings you can. Hope that helps but if you have questions, please ask.
I started on a Kala Scout with Thunderblacks. I found the lowest F and E to be muddy sounding. I switched to Gallistrings flatwounds and haven't experienced that problem since. That all being said, I really liked the sound of the Thundergut strings.
Glad you are enjoying the Gallistrings, I haven’t tried them personally but have heard good things about them. I think my favourites are the Thunderbrowns but I do love the new formula Thunderblacks.
Excellent video, thanks. My Ortega Caiman fretless bass came with the cream Thunderguts and I haven't really got on with them in feel or sound. I've ordered the Thunderbrowns for it. I like the Pahoehoes that came on my original Kala U bass but I don't think they would do as well on the fretless. The Pinky sounds brighter with good note separation in the video but that may be due as much to the solid body as the strings.
Thanks Linda. Hopefully your Thunderbrowns have arrived and that you like them. I agree about the sound with Pinky but that could also be as it was the only fretted bass. Hoping to do some more comparisons soon.
Today I went to the local guitar shop to get the "buttons" for the strap and a strap. I got my bass ukulele somewhere else, as they don't sell bass ukuleles. I did get my soprano and baritone uke there though. They put the buttons on the bass and tried it out. They were amazed by the sound (they plugged it in their equipment). They never thought that a bass ukulele could make such a good sound! It was also the first time I heard my bass on electric equipment. One of the guys recommended me to put baby powder (talcum powder) on the Aquila thundergut strings, to prevent the stickyness, especially for the left hand. What do you think about that? I didn't put powder on the strings yet (I only got the bass yesterday), but I may do it when the strings get sticky. I so much enjoy your videos and the great information about ukes, also your way of teaching! Thank you so much for this.A bunch of love from Scheveningen (The Hague), The Netherlands!
That is so cool to read, would love to have seen their faces if they hadn’t heard one before. 😎 I personally don’t use talcum powder on my strings, I never felt the need to - I do sometime get sweaty hands but I’ve found the more you play the strings, the less sticky them become. Thank You also for all of you lovely comments and super chat support, it really means so much. Love The Netherlands, I used to visit quite often as I was a Smurf collector and had Dutch friends and would attend Smurf fairs. 🫣
Great video, glad I found your channel. Lots of comparison footage and details. Had a quick question I'm hoping you can help with. I'm a classical guitar and ukulele player, so I have long fingernails on my plucking hand. This makes it difficult to play a normal bass guitar with metal strings, so I was considering picking up a Bass Ukulele. I was wondering if you had any opinions on these strings if any of them would be able to be played with long fingernails that wouldn't break them or sound unpleasant, like a normal metal string bass would. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely comment and a great question. You do still get a “clicking set sound” with longer nails unfortunately, maybe not quite a prominent but still noisy. I don’t think you’d need to worry about breaking the strings. I also play uke but whenever I’m playing bass I end up cutting my nails back. Have you considered using a plectrum on bass, maybe even a leather one for a softer sound?
You could try plucking with your index finger, playing a bit more parallel to the string, using the side of your finger, not the tip. It will put more meat on the string for a fuller sound.
I have the super budget Harley Benton electro/acoustic UBass which came with the white Aquilas. Only thing is they're super sticky for me. Do you know if the browns would work on it? It's a Kala knock off.
Hello Rachel. Thanks for your video. I have used all three 0f the types of strings you demonstrated. Like you I favour the Thunderbrowns. I have them on a fretted Aklot Bamboo acoustic/electric bass Uke. The only issue I have had with any of the strings is the amount they stretch. When all the stretching has been worked out of them they are all good to play I really enjoy your videos Love your Welsh accent. Gary.
Thanks for such a lovely comment Gary. Agree, they do take a time to settle but once they do they are great. I bet the Thunderbrowns look awesome on the Bamboo, I haven't tried them on a fretted bass yet but looking forward to doing it.
The cream ones sound more like an acoustic bass, and the black ones sound more like an electric bass. How much of this is the different instrument I don’t know.
My Goldtone M-bass came with the Thundergut strings and I noticed the stickiness. Before I go to play with the group I put a piece of paper towel beneath the strings and put a spritz of Chem-pak Finger-ease guitar string lubricant. And I like these strings because they have such a nice deep thump...resonates with me. Go figure. 8-)
I found the thunder guts a little sticky but playable but the Thunderbrowns really are much nicer to play and I don’t find them sticky at all. Hope that helps 👍
I've read on some forums that some people prefer silver rumblers by aquila. I see on Kala's website that they do offer these on some of their models. Have you had a chance to try these? I respect and am interested in your thoughts.
Hi Donna, I do actually have set of the silver rumblers but have never put them on a bass uke, mainly because I really like the Thunderbrowns, maybe one day.
Sorry for being a Johnny come lately but I’ve only just got back in to Uke Basses. I have fitted the Thunder Browns utterly amazing especially the fact that for the first time I have perfect intonation on the 12th fret ! One minor issue though, the A string is noticeably louder than the D and G strings (the G being by far the quietest). Is this a common issue ? It is significant enough that I have had to resort to a bass compressor for gigs.
Glad you are liking the thunderbrowns - me too. Was the A string louder before you changed the strings? A possible cause could be that because (in my opinion anyway) the Thunder browns are hava little more fexibility and therefore a little less tension on them, they are not pressing onto te saddle as heavily and cause the pickup underneath the saddle to be less responsive. It could be as simple as giving a firm push onto the saddle on the G & D strings to make sure it is sitting correctly on the pick up. Worst case, there is a fix where you cut the saddle into 4 pieces so the pickup works better for each string. Hoping to do a proper video on this at some point but Stephen Cox has looked at it as well. th-cam.com/video/71D1rqL16Ms/w-d-xo.html
thanks for this rachel! i been looking for sound comparisons amongst aquila bass strings and this one does the job. thunderguts sounds more of an upright specially on the strokes where you hear "thumps", full sounding - my personal preference. thunderbrowns are on the bright side to my ears while thunderblacks are balanced. me from PH
Hi Rachel on the subject of strings I like the thunder brown's will try the soon and let you know. Have you seen the Beringer bdi bass pedal it's only about £22 on Amazon and it's well specced has a Di XLR out so it's great for recording or going into the p.A might be worth reviewing.. I'm still fiddling around with mine but I do like it ...👏👍🇫🇴☮️☺️
Hi Bill, yes please let me know how you get on with the Thunderbrowns. Have the Behringer pedal - love it and it's right at the top of the list for a video. I think I very quickly mentioned it in a previous vid but can't remember when! For the price, I think it does an awesome job!!
Congratulations on your video and channel. I recently bought a U-Bass here in Brazil and the strings are terrible, I believe it spent a lot of time in the store and due to lack of use they got damaged, when researching about strings I found your video on TH-cam. Congratulations also on your instruments. And besides playing a lot, you're very friendly.
Thanks for the lovely comment. Yes some strings will perish if not played for a long while and changing them will definitely help. My favourites are definitely the Thunderbrowns. Greeting to Brazil.
Out of curiosity, I've recently ordered a set of Thundergut for my Kala Bakhiti Kumalo, but they won't fit thru the whole bridges. I though they were meant to be for any of the Kala's models. Shall I return the strings or drill bigger hole thru the bridge cavities? Thanks 🙏
Sorry about the delay in my reply. I’m not sure if you have tackled this yet? If it was me, I would return and try the Thunderbrowns as the are a lighter gauge. Once you drill there is no going back. 👍
Can these strings be used on a bass uke that has bridge pins? Great videos! Just discovered you and hoping you teach the basic ROOT-5th style of bass. Thanks, Again
Hi Alan, I can't say I've come across a bass uke with bridge pics but maybe I just not seen one. I think the tensions but be a bit much, plus with the guage of the strings being so large and so different, persoanlly I wouldn't like to try it. Hope that helps but please feel free to add any more info.
@@UkuleleWales Yes, it's a Cordoba Mini II Base EB-E. I considered enlarging the bridge holes to accommodate the larger strings and adjusting the slots in the nut and bridge. Love the sound of those Aquila ThunderBrown Strings.
Great comparison video. I play a U bass solid body and electro acoustic at gigs. I'm still searching for the right set of strings# . I'm settled on Thunderblack's at the moment. Not too sticky but find them a little loose and difficult to do fast plucking as they don't recover fast enough. I've also tried round wound strings which feel like a full size bass, sound good, recover well but there is too much noise when sliding down the neck. Contemplating flat wounds but they are very expensive at the moment. Keep doing the comparison videos hopefully the perfect strings are being developed by someone.
Hi, yes I love flatwounds but they are difficult to find in the much shorter scale. I've recently had a Fanner Pee Wee bass with String Joy flat wounds and they sound and play beautifully but the Fanner has a normal magnetic pickup so these wouldn't work on a piezo p/u.
Thanks! Great questions, I'm using a Panasonic HC VX 870 4K Camcorder for the majority of the vids but I do use a Canon M50 for downstairs videos and any still shots and overheads upstairs. You might be interested in this, last years studio tour. th-cam.com/video/Yh76eswKVHs/w-d-xo.html
If you find the fingers on your right sticking to the strings while plucking them. Rub the fingertips (and thumb if you use it) on the side of your nose. The oil alleviates that Klingy-ness. I learned that from an old-time banjo player. Apparently it was common practice back when gut strings were used before steel strings came along...B^ )
I'm not sure pf the scale of the Ashbory Fender but in theory, yes the strings should work with that pick up. I am not sure wheteher the nit would need adjusting though.
Similar in many ways but the bass strings have a LOT more tension so IMHO I do think they are harder to change. I go through the whole process here: th-cam.com/video/eB5e6VuBjjY/w-d-xo.html
Super cool demo. I have a Kala California Bass 5 string with the black strings that came on it and I love it. I also have a Gold Tone Micro Bass with the white thunder gut and I love it too. Thanks for making this video 👍💕…
I have a set of Thunderbrowns on the way. I have used the original Kala Black strings and did not like them. They were sticky and floppy. I absolutely hated the Thunderguts. They were very sticky and they sounded very muddy. Since 2014 the Thundereds have been my favorite non-metallic string and I think the Thunderbrowns will be an improvement. They are supposed to have higher tension, less stickiness and they sound better. I'll see how they work out.
Great video and GREAT comparison! I have a Caramel Solid Acacia Ubass on order. (A solid gloss Acacia for under $200, I couldn’t resist!) They come with the Thunderguts but when you play the Thunderbrowns, they have so much more presence! I think I’ll get a set of Browns in case I don’t like the included strings. (Must be some magic in the browns, because my Favorite Uke strings are Worth Browns…they sound so much richer than any other string I tried!) Thanks for making such a great video…subbed!
Thanks Hobbycow. Yes, I have a few Caramel ukes and they always impress me. Good choice with getting the Thunderbrowns, let me know what they sound like on the Caramel bass. 👍
I just got a Kala Scout with Thunderblacks. At some point will switch to Thunderbrowns. Do you know of a string winder that will fit the hip shot ultralight clone tuners? I tried Dunlop bass winder, but no fit. TY. ❤
That is an excellent question Margaret and congrats on the Kala Scout. I’ve just checked with the different winders that I have and can confirm that the D’Addario Pro-Winder (which also has a string clipper) does fit all my bass ukes with the hip shot (inc. clone) tuners. It’s snug but does fit. Also, the Jowoom T2 automatic smart tuner also fits the bass tuners, but is of course a lot more expensive. Hope that helps. 👍
Hello Ma'am, I am considering buying the Bamboo U-bass which comes with Aquila rubber strings. I have a question for you. Generally how long do the strings last? This is important for me to know because getting replacements in my country is going to be a challenge as very few music stores stock Uke Basses and a accessories.
The bamboo u-bass is a lovely instruemnt. Generally I haven't had any snapped strings so generally I have changed them when I wasnted a different make / model of string. There are a few string sellers online that sell world wide if that helps?
Hello, great comparison video! I may be wrong, but it sounds like the original cream thunderguts has the most low end thump…? Couple questions. How do you feel about that batking fretless? I have been looking for a fretless with F holes, and it seems like that company is one of the only ones that makes it. Right now, this is what I’m playing: Kala U-Bass-JYMN-FS Journeyman Acoustic-Electric with round wounds. Which brings me to my next question. Did you have to change the nut on the Kala in order to play the thundergut strings? (The kala I have came with round wounds.) Thanks so much.
Thanks Minh. I think the Kala with the cream thunderguts has a better pick system which must be considered. I am hoping to swap the strings around very soon so it will be interesting to see how the basses sound then. I think for the price the Batking is a great fretless cheaper bass and as you say not many around like this as a fretless. I don't think I altered the nut but will check when I swap the strings.
@@UkuleleWales Hi! Thanks for the reply. I did see that you’d posted a review of the batking in a separate video. I ended up getting a Batking based on your review. So far, I’m happy w it. I wanted to ask: I noticed it doesn’t have a truss rod. Have you had any issues with that? Secondly, strings’ tuning is a bit loosey goosey (eg. 12th fret on G string is really sharp). Is this pretty much the nature of the rubber strings? Do I need to just wait for them to settle?
Hi, I'm glad you got a the Batking and you're fairly happy. I haven't had any issues with the neck and no truss rod. You mention the tuning at 12 fret, with it being fretless there is not much room for tuning, is it the same for all the strings as then it may be the side markings are slightly off. I hope this helps, but let me know if all the strings have the tuning problem, it may just be adjusting your finger position slightly.
In my opinion on the different sounds of the strings played in this video, I find the white Thunder guts deep like an upright, and the browns sound boxy and cheap, while the Thunder blacks seem to be in that just right place for articulate and more even from string to string instead of the E being so dominant. One thing to keep in mind is that the 3 different pickups may have a lot to do with some of these differences. The Batwing being the cheapest may have a cheap sounding pickup, thus that boxy cheap sound. But the solid body one is also cheap but has a much more even sound with the blacks. With those variables it is hard to favor one, but just going on the sound I prefer the blacks.
Hi Timothy, yes totally agree with you. The basses themselves make a huge difference to the tone and of course with and without frets also makes a big difference.
I have a question! Is the E-string of the Browns less "floppy" than the thunderguts? I find it difficult to create any volume with the E-string on my Batking because the string feels so loose. I appreciate all your videos and have learned a lot! So I'm particularly keen to hear your opinion! Thank you!
Thanks Rob. Personally I love the Thunderbrowns and have recently put them on another bass too. I can’t say I find the Browns more or less “floppy” but certainly haven’t had any issues with volume from them. Maybe the piezo pick-up is quieter for the bass, not necessarily just the string?
Ok, I know the original Thunderguts (cream colored) are STICKY. Are either of the other two NOT STICKY? I don’t care if they are LESS sticky; they have to be NOT sticky or I can’t play them. I’ve tried many times with a lot of different oils, powders, silicone, Armor All, etc. Apparently my skin oil turns the Thunderguts into glue….
The Thunderbrowns have absolutely no stickiness but a really nice texture. Personally I have never end found the new formula ThunderBlacks sticky at all and I played with them a lot. Hope that helps.
Thanks, my own design. Available here if you are interested. www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Ukulaliens-Ukulele-Club-Original-Logo-With-Text-by-Ukulaliens/40894875.IJ6L0
The Whites - sound the most - by far - like an upright - very thick and legato, and quieter - if that is the sound you are after - bingo! The Browns are more pronounced - more staccato, but also seem to have some harmonics that jump out here and there - not pleasant to my ear... The Blacks are more precise, dry, and also staccato... My audible choices would be 1) white, 2) black, 3) brown... I have the Kala striped ebony fretless, with the original black strings... and I love them!
Hi, as far as I am aware, all Aquila strings are made in Italy. I know they are sold in bulk to Chinese makers and will often have an Aquila label on the instrument. I have also heard of labels being put on instruments where the strings are NOT Aquila. I hope this helps.
Thank you for this comparison, Rachel! In my opinion, the Kala had the best sound overall in this shootout. Maybe ist the strings, or the instrument. But to me it sounded "bassy" as it ought to. The Pinky, as a solid body instrument, surely sounded different, but still better that the Musoo Batking. That third one gave my the impression as if you were playing inside a cardboard box. ;-) I got flatwound strings from Galli / Kala and plan to put them on ym HarleyBenton Kahuna fretless... once I dare. Well, the Kahuna has a truss rod, other than the Musoo, so I hope it will not break anything.
Thanks for your opinion, yes the Kala certainly has the best electronics, it would beinteresing to try the Thunderbrowns on it see what they sound like.
I've tied my own knots in the past if that helps Jane. Try and get them as tight and close to the end of the string but you can always cut off any excess.
Hi Rachel, I love the browns and the blacks, but the whites seem to catch your fingers. I noted your playing ONLY on the whites was staggering a bit; your fingers seemed to catch a lot, slowing the flow of the tune in many places. On the blacks the sound is deep and luscious, the browns are lighter in timbre but sound great. It would be great to compare those two on the same bass or both on fretless, (or fretted) so the comparison was even. But that's a lot of work. On another topic, I've not been seeing you in my TH-cam feeds for a while. I checked your video list and found I'd missed a few. I really don't like missing my favourite TH-camrs (yours is not the only channel this occurs with) so I have put in a complaint/query to TH-cam, but I expect no reply.
Hi Tobias, the wonders of TH-cam eh! I get it sometimes with channels I subscribe to, really annoying! Yes, I was definitely finding the white Thunderguts were "stickier" than the other on both hands for me. Lovely to hear from you, hope you are all keeping well down under.
My feelings exactly. Even as a double bass teacher I would also recommend to my pupils to put the most expense strings that they could afford on a cheap double bass as it would make the world of difference, same with bass ukulele. 👍
Yeah ! Thanks I just received my black strings I have the cream ones can’t wait to get them stringed I do hear a difference sound with the black 🎶🎸 I learnt a lot from U, thank U 🎶🎶 O! Can U send me the notes of that song 🎶 I’ve only learned 2 songs so-far 😂
Awesome, hope you like the Thunderblacks, let me know what you think of them. The main demo song? Here you go, it's the 2nd video I've done about walking bass lines. There is a more basic one too. th-cam.com/video/-bhc1n9s01Y/w-d-xo.html
Btw Rachel " Aquila Thunderguts" was my wrestling name during the great depression of 1987 I'm.not proud but it kept the wolf from the door (never got on with those Gladiators 🤣!)...
Gotta say Rachel you should really make a band, a ukeband, and obviously I would get sent free tickets since im your biggest fan and I gave you the idea xD Just joking but would be fun to have a uke band.. I really wonder one thing about that.. WHY is it so few that make a band and so many that play instruments? Is it because a. Most people are so difficult they will never be able to work together in a group b. are they ashamed of their skill level in their instruments or is it c. they never thought about it .. or is it d. they dont know anyone who would like to join and make a group and if they would would it be tricky to decide what kind of group it would be ..
I do love your comments Kenneth. I do know of a few "ukulele bands" but at the moment I'm sticking to the bigger uke groups. If I do ever get the stadium gigs, you will of course get free tickets!! ;-)
This was a general demo of the 3 types of strings more that anything else and yes, agree that a true comparison would be better with the same instrument but that is a fair amount of work change the rubber strings and not something I really want to do.
Thanks for all the great comments here, very much appreciated!
🟣 If you would like to learn the bass line from the demos, please follow this link: th-cam.com/video/-bhc1n9s01Y/w-d-xo.html
That's a fantastically useful comparison. Thanks a lot!!
I don’t even play Ukulele and find your channel really good, i watched an episode where you mentioned a Flea Ukulele and it’s made me want to buy a Magic Fluke, I’ve played guitar for 20+ years.
Thanks Matt, what a great comment to read, very much appreciated.
I’ve ordered my Uke now, your channel really is inspirational ☺️ thank you
I've been playing the ukulele for about a year on my mum's uke and I've been watching your TH-cam channel a lot recently looking into getting my own.
I bought an electro acoustic concert uke yesterday and your videos have been so helpful, and other videos on this channel are also really interesting and I've learned a lot about ukuleles recently.
I might look into getting a bass ukulele in the future ☺️
That's awesome to hear. Hoping that you are having great fun with your new electro acoustic uke and if you do ddecide to get a bass and have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Hello again. Great review as usual. I really like the Thunder Browns the best. I haven’t been able to find a set yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to locate them soon. All the best to you.
Thanks Michael. I think they are appearing in most places pretty soon if they haven't arrived yet, fingers crossed.
I love the thunderblacks. They stay in tune for a good while! Love your advice!
Thanks Chris. I've just hold of some Silver Rumblers so they will be interesting to try!
@@UkuleleWales Have you tried them yet? I'm wondering how they compare to these other aquila strings
Just ordered the Browns! Thanks for the info.
Good choice! Hope you like them! 👍
Great comparison, thanks for doing this!
Glad you liked it, Thanks Dan.
I've got the fretless Batking and I like the sound of the Thunder browns. I might have to buy a set.
I am loving the sound and look from them Clive but they sooooo nice under the fingers. Thanks for your pics too.
Great side by side comparision. Thank you for sharing! I could difinitely hear the differences. I liked the Thundergut strings. just by good fortune I ordered the Thunderguts last night before I watched this video, so that would have been my choice anyway!
Glad you liked the comparison and like the Thunderguts, I love the fact we have so many choices. Good luck with the string change when they arrive. 👍
nice to hear. My friend 's Bass One had the reds and the only, a-string became very odd, not holding its tune on the fretboard. Changed new guts and seems to hold the tune when going up the fretboard. Still wondering what is the difference between the reds/browns/blacks?
I haven't tried the Reds but understand they have a new formula too.
Ihave to say i was glued to the screen watching you play and i have to offer a Standing Ovation for each and every performace ,amazing poetry in motion ,so very well done Brian uk
Thank You for such a lovely comment, much appreciated.
Oh. I had just ordered thunder black for my fretless cheap bass. Although I’m excited that it might sound better with this change, I’ll buy the thunder brown for the next change :) Thanks for your advice.
Glad you enjoyed Paola. I think I'll keeping changing them about for now to see which strings work best for each bass uke. Hope your strings have arrived and are good to play on.
@@UkuleleWales they did arrive. I haven’t had the courage to change them yet, though. Hehe.
The best strings I've found for my Kala Rumbler have been the Road Toad Pahoehoe set - not at all sticky to play, and slide very nicely. Unfortunately, difficult to get in the UK and expensive to buy direct. I've just (last night actually) restrung with the Thunderblacks. Quite sticky in comparison, but just need to get used to them (the instructions mention using talc.......). Thanks for the video, I've just subscribed to see more...😃👍
Thanks Mike. I have tried the Pahoehoe strings on one of my Kalas but I changed them out for the Thunderbrowns. Nothing wrong with the Pahoehoe strings just I prefer the texture of the Thunderbrowns. 👍
This was great info Rachel. I have been playing uke for about 6 years, but bass uke only 2. I got frustrated with the stickiness. We were playing outside for our practices because of Covid. I switched to flat wound on my Kala and really like them. Will switch a solid body bass to the Aquila black and see how they are. Thanks tons.
It is always my pleasure Loree because I know you really do appreciate it all. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Thunderblacks, it will make your bass look fantatsic too!
I just started learning to play the bass ukulele seven months ago. I have a Donner dub 1 bass ukulele with thundergut strings. I have noticed I seem to have some trouble with the E string. It never seems to have enough volume. My teacher and mentor has the same bass ukulele but recently put thunderbrown strings on his. I find they are much easier to play and definitely feel better than the thundergut and the E string seems to have more volume on his bass with the thunderbrowns.
Thank you for your wonderful videos. Until seven months ago I had never picked up a musical instrument in my life. Playing the bass is like opening up a door into heaven for me. But I haven’t been able to progress to using middle and index finger to play. Still stuck on using my thumb and don’t know if I will ever have enough coordination to play with two fingers. I have a wonderful teacher but I get discouraged because I doubt I will ever have enough intelligence or ability to really be a good bass player. I wish someday I could be half as good as you are!
So glad to hear you are enjoying playing the bass, give yourself time, maybe one day you will pluck with fingers but just enjoy playing to start with. I agree, I prefer the feel of the Thunderbrowns too, I haven't noticed the volume changing with the strings - this is normally an issue with the pickup under the saddle. Sometime just firmly pressing down on the E string on the saddle fixes it but I am hoping to do a video soon on how to fix this problem properly. Keep up the bass playing.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for this video! I have the kala ubass with the Thunderblacks. I find them awkward, but I'm brand new at playing them. From this video, the guts sounds muddied than the browns and the blacks. I think I will get the browns and try them. Thanks again.
Glad you enjoyed. Yes, I'd say muddier or bassier, it may be the bass uke itself but I would say the browns are great sounding and lovely to play.
Thank you for the strings review.
To me, the ThunderGuts sound the most like an upright bass, which is the sound that I would prefer.
I just received my used Kala SMHG-FL, and I love it. Thank you for recommending that model. It arrived perfectly tuned from 4,000 miles away after a week's shipping journey. It came with metal wound strings, which makes it sound a bit like a bass guitar. I am going to try either ThunderBrowns or ThunderGuts for initially just the E and A strings, so that I won't be waiting for all four strings to stretch in at the same time. That will give me an interesting voicing variation, which I might be able to utilize creatively. I will report back. After they stretch in, I will also swap out the D and G strings.
You recommended the _feel_ of the ThunderBrowns, but I love the _sound_ of the ThunderGuts. So I have not decided yet. Since I like portamento slides, perhaps the ThunderBrowns would be best.
Hi David, firstly congrats on the new u-bass, I am so glad to hear you like it! Yes, I would be interested to hear which strings you end up going with and whether you like them. I do think strings are very much a personal thing so it will be good to hear your thoughts once you have swapped, for me definitely the Thunderbrowns. Merry Christmas 🎄
Hi Rachel, great videos. i'm a double bass player, and have had a Batking Ubass for a few months. I do find the rubber strings a little sticky and difficult to keep the string fingering noise down. Have you thought of or have tried Superior bassworks strings, deluxe dirty gut? out of interest they are great sounding on my DB, and not high tension, so just wondered if you'd been tempted to try something like that?
Hi, yep I’m double bass too so I much prefer flat wounds although now I’ve got used to them I also love the rubber strings. I also find the white thunder gut strings a bit noisy but LOVE the Thunderbrowns. No stickiness or finger noise.
You do need to be careful with what strings you use because of the scale, I’m guessing the DB deluxe dirty gut strings may be way too long??
I picked up the Ubass about a year ago as a curious person wanting to learn how to play the bass. Not quite a fast learner though. I'm using a loaner which is an older Kala solid body, Sunburst? that came with metal strings. I find it hard to press down on it. Would I be able to change out the strings? I love the sound of the Thunder Black or Thunder Brown. Those nylon strings, esp the E string looks relatively thick and wonder if the nut would need to be changed out. Love your videos!! I need to learn to practice playing around the fretboard.
Hi, so glad you are having a go of the bass. Regarding strings, it generally depends what kind of pick up. I'm guessing it's a piezo (not like bass guitar pick ups) so it *should be okay to use Thinder Blacks or Thunder Brown strings. As for nut size, again difficult to tell without seeing it or trying the strings, the rubber strings do tend to be thicker so the nut may need altering or getting a different nut so if you decide to go back to metal strings you can. Hope that helps but if you have questions, please ask.
I started on a Kala Scout with Thunderblacks. I found the lowest F and E to be muddy sounding. I switched to Gallistrings flatwounds and haven't experienced that problem since. That all being said, I really liked the sound of the Thundergut strings.
Glad you are enjoying the Gallistrings, I haven’t tried them personally but have heard good things about them. I think my favourites are the Thunderbrowns but I do love the new formula Thunderblacks.
Excellent video, thanks. My Ortega Caiman fretless bass came with the cream Thunderguts and I haven't really got on with them in feel or sound. I've ordered the Thunderbrowns for it. I like the Pahoehoes that came on my original Kala U bass but I don't think they would do as well on the fretless. The Pinky sounds brighter with good note separation in the video but that may be due as much to the solid body as the strings.
Thanks Linda. Hopefully your Thunderbrowns have arrived and that you like them. I agree about the sound with Pinky but that could also be as it was the only fretted bass. Hoping to do some more comparisons soon.
Today I went to the local guitar shop to get the "buttons" for the strap and a strap. I got my bass ukulele somewhere else, as they don't sell bass ukuleles. I did get my soprano and baritone uke there though. They put the buttons on the bass and tried it out. They were amazed by the sound (they plugged it in their equipment). They never thought that a bass ukulele could make such a good sound! It was also the first time I heard my bass on electric equipment. One of the guys recommended me to put baby powder (talcum powder) on the Aquila thundergut strings, to prevent the stickyness, especially for the left hand. What do you think about that?
I didn't put powder on the strings yet (I only got the bass yesterday), but I may do it when the strings get sticky.
I so much enjoy your videos and the great information about ukes, also your way of teaching! Thank you so much for this.A bunch of love from Scheveningen (The Hague), The Netherlands!
That is so cool to read, would love to have seen their faces if they hadn’t heard one before. 😎
I personally don’t use talcum powder on my strings, I never felt the need to - I do sometime get sweaty hands but I’ve found the more you play the strings, the less sticky them become. Thank You also for all of you lovely comments and super chat support, it really means so much. Love The Netherlands, I used to visit quite often as I was a Smurf collector and had Dutch friends and would attend Smurf fairs. 🫣
Great as always. Can you compare any of these to the pahoehoe strings?
Great suggestion Adrian. I have never actually played on the Pahaehoe strings but have always wanted to try them. I'll see what I can do.
@@UkuleleWales cheers big ears
Great video, glad I found your channel. Lots of comparison footage and details. Had a quick question I'm hoping you can help with. I'm a classical guitar and ukulele player, so I have long fingernails on my plucking hand. This makes it difficult to play a normal bass guitar with metal strings, so I was considering picking up a Bass Ukulele. I was wondering if you had any opinions on these strings if any of them would be able to be played with long fingernails that wouldn't break them or sound unpleasant, like a normal metal string bass would. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely comment and a great question. You do still get a “clicking set sound” with longer nails unfortunately, maybe not quite a prominent but still noisy. I don’t think you’d need to worry about breaking the strings. I also play uke but whenever I’m playing bass I end up cutting my nails back. Have you considered using a plectrum on bass, maybe even a leather one for a softer sound?
You could try plucking with your index finger, playing a bit more parallel to the string, using the side of your finger, not the tip. It will put more meat on the string for a fuller sound.
I have the super budget Harley Benton electro/acoustic UBass which came with the white Aquilas. Only thing is they're super sticky for me. Do you know if the browns would work on it? It's a Kala knock off.
Yes, I would think the Thunderbrowns will work and that should help. 👍
Hello Rachel. Thanks for your video. I have used all three 0f the types of strings you demonstrated. Like you I favour the Thunderbrowns. I have them on a fretted Aklot Bamboo acoustic/electric bass Uke. The only issue I have had with any of the strings is the amount they stretch. When all the stretching has been worked out of them they are all good to play I really enjoy your videos Love your Welsh accent. Gary.
Thanks for such a lovely comment Gary. Agree, they do take a time to settle but once they do they are great. I bet the Thunderbrowns look awesome on the Bamboo, I haven't tried them on a fretted bass yet but looking forward to doing it.
I like the Browns for sure, but have you tried the REDS yet? Thanks
Hi, no, the reds are the only ones I haven't tried. Maybe in the future.
Thank you for the comparison.
Glad it was helpful! 😊
The cream ones sound more like an acoustic bass, and the black ones sound more like an electric bass. How much of this is the different instrument I don’t know.
Personally I think all the poly strings sound more like an acoustic bass than the metal strings but it can sometimes depend on the instrument too.
Loved it! The thundergut really sound like an upright bass, but I'll probably go with the thunderblack
Hope you are happy with whichever strings you decided upon. I think the Thunderblack are an all-round great sound and playability.
My Goldtone M-bass came with the Thundergut strings and I noticed the stickiness. Before I go to play with the group I put a piece of paper towel beneath the strings and put a spritz of Chem-pak Finger-ease guitar string lubricant.
And I like these strings because they have such a nice deep thump...resonates with me. Go figure. 8-)
I found the thunder guts a little sticky but playable but the Thunderbrowns really are much nicer to play and I don’t find them sticky at all. Hope that helps 👍
I've read on some forums that some people prefer silver rumblers by aquila. I see on Kala's website that they do offer these on some of their models. Have you had a chance to try these? I respect and am interested in your thoughts.
Hi Donna, I do actually have set of the silver rumblers but have never put them on a bass uke, mainly because I really like the Thunderbrowns, maybe one day.
@@UkuleleWales Thank you.
Sorry for being a Johnny come lately but I’ve only just got back in to Uke Basses. I have fitted the Thunder Browns utterly amazing especially the fact that for the first time I have perfect intonation on the 12th fret ! One minor issue though, the A string is noticeably louder than the D and G strings (the G being by far the quietest). Is this a common issue ? It is significant enough that I have had to resort to a bass compressor for gigs.
Glad you are liking the thunderbrowns - me too. Was the A string louder before you changed the strings?
A possible cause could be that because (in my opinion anyway) the Thunder browns are hava little more fexibility and therefore a little less tension on them, they are not pressing onto te saddle as heavily and cause the pickup underneath the saddle to be less responsive.
It could be as simple as giving a firm push onto the saddle on the G & D strings to make sure it is sitting correctly on the pick up. Worst case, there is a fix where you cut the saddle into 4 pieces so the pickup works better for each string. Hoping to do a proper video on this at some point but Stephen Cox has looked at it as well.
th-cam.com/video/71D1rqL16Ms/w-d-xo.html
thanks for this rachel! i been looking for sound comparisons amongst aquila bass strings and this one does the job. thunderguts sounds more of an upright specially on the strokes where you hear "thumps", full sounding - my personal preference. thunderbrowns are on the bright side to my ears while thunderblacks are balanced.
me from PH
Glad you enjoyed and yes, the Thunderbrowns are brighter. I need to swap them around to get an idea of different basses.
Hi Rachel on the subject of strings I like the thunder brown's will try the soon and let you know. Have you seen the Beringer bdi bass pedal it's only about £22 on Amazon and it's well specced has a Di XLR out so it's great for recording or going into the p.A might be worth reviewing.. I'm still fiddling around with mine but I do like it ...👏👍🇫🇴☮️☺️
Hi Bill, yes please let me know how you get on with the Thunderbrowns.
Have the Behringer pedal - love it and it's right at the top of the list for a video. I think I very quickly mentioned it in a previous vid but can't remember when! For the price, I think it does an awesome job!!
Congratulations on your video and channel. I recently bought a U-Bass here in Brazil and the strings are terrible, I believe it spent a lot of time in the store and due to lack of use they got damaged, when researching about strings I found your video on TH-cam.
Congratulations also on your instruments.
And besides playing a lot, you're very friendly.
Thanks for the lovely comment. Yes some strings will perish if not played for a long while and changing them will definitely help. My favourites are definitely the Thunderbrowns. Greeting to Brazil.
Thanks for this video. Think I’m going to try the thunder black 👏… Big Thanks 😊
Hello, Have you tried the Thunderreds as yet? How do the Black, Brown and Red compare to each other? Cheers
Hi, sorry no I haven't tried the Thunder reds yet. Hopefully will do soon and I'll let you know what I think.
Out of curiosity, I've recently ordered a set of Thundergut for my Kala Bakhiti Kumalo, but they won't fit thru the whole bridges. I though they were meant to be for any of the Kala's models. Shall I return the strings or drill bigger hole thru the bridge cavities? Thanks 🙏
Sorry about the delay in my reply. I’m not sure if you have tackled this yet? If it was me, I would return and try the Thunderbrowns as the are a lighter gauge. Once you drill there is no going back. 👍
Can these strings be used on a bass uke that has bridge pins? Great videos! Just discovered you and hoping you teach the basic ROOT-5th style of bass. Thanks, Again
Hi Alan, I can't say I've come across a bass uke with bridge pics but maybe I just not seen one. I think the tensions but be a bit much, plus with the guage of the strings being so large and so different, persoanlly I wouldn't like to try it. Hope that helps but please feel free to add any more info.
@@UkuleleWales Yes, it's a Cordoba Mini II Base EB-E. I considered enlarging the bridge holes to accommodate the larger strings and adjusting the slots in the nut and bridge. Love the sound of those Aquila ThunderBrown Strings.
Great comparison video. I play a U bass solid body and electro acoustic at gigs. I'm still searching for the right set of strings#
. I'm settled on Thunderblack's at the moment. Not too sticky but find them a little loose and difficult to do fast plucking as they don't recover fast enough. I've also tried round wound strings which feel like a full size bass, sound good, recover well but there is too much noise when sliding down the neck. Contemplating flat wounds but they are very expensive at the moment. Keep doing the comparison videos hopefully the perfect strings are being developed by someone.
Hi, yes I love flatwounds but they are difficult to find in the much shorter scale. I've recently had a Fanner Pee Wee bass with String Joy flat wounds and they sound and play beautifully but the Fanner has a normal magnetic pickup so these wouldn't work on a piezo p/u.
Great stuff - can I ask what camera you use!? Great Quality and Sound...Thanks!
Thanks! Great questions, I'm using a Panasonic HC VX 870 4K Camcorder for the majority of the vids but I do use a Canon M50 for downstairs videos and any still shots and overheads upstairs.
You might be interested in this, last years studio tour. th-cam.com/video/Yh76eswKVHs/w-d-xo.html
Excellent Thank You! Keep up the good work...x
I HAVE THUNDER REDS ON MY KALA MAHOGANY WHICH HAVE A TEXTURE SIMILAR TO THE BROWNS AND ARE A THINER DIAMETER THAN TBE TBUNDERGUT. I LIKE THEM A LOT.
Great to hear, Thanks Malcolm. I haven't tried Thunder Reds so that is good to know.
If you find the fingers on your right sticking to the strings while plucking them. Rub the fingertips (and thumb if you use it) on the side of your nose. The oil alleviates that Klingy-ness. I learned that from an old-time banjo player. Apparently it was common practice back when gut strings were used before steel strings came along...B^ )
Great tip there, I tend to have sweaty hands when I play so I don’t suffer too much.
Desde Venezuela..saludos..
ese tipo de cuerdas serviría para el Ashbory Fender ?
I'm not sure pf the scale of the Ashbory Fender but in theory, yes the strings should work with that pick up. I am not sure wheteher the nit would need adjusting though.
Hello Racheal ..are Bass strings as easy to fit as other Ukes ?
Similar in many ways but the bass strings have a LOT more tension so IMHO I do think they are harder to change. I go through the whole process here: th-cam.com/video/eB5e6VuBjjY/w-d-xo.html
Super cool demo. I have a Kala California Bass 5 string with the black strings that came on it and I love it. I also have a Gold Tone Micro Bass with the white thunder gut and I love it too. Thanks for making this video 👍💕…
Glad you enjoyed Bob. How do you find the 5 string? I've played 5 and 6 string bass guitars but never a bass uke.
I have a set of Thunderbrowns on the way. I have used the original Kala Black strings and did not like them. They were sticky and floppy. I absolutely hated the Thunderguts. They were very sticky and they sounded very muddy. Since 2014 the Thundereds have been my favorite non-metallic string and I think the Thunderbrowns will be an improvement. They are supposed to have higher tension, less stickiness and they sound better. I'll see how they work out.
Great to hear, hope they've arrived and you are liking them.
Great video and GREAT comparison! I have a Caramel Solid Acacia Ubass on order. (A solid gloss Acacia for under $200, I couldn’t resist!) They come with the Thunderguts but when you play the Thunderbrowns, they have so much more presence! I think I’ll get a set of Browns in case I don’t like the included strings. (Must be some magic in the browns, because my Favorite Uke strings are Worth Browns…they sound so much richer than any other string I tried!)
Thanks for making such a great video…subbed!
Thanks Hobbycow. Yes, I have a few Caramel ukes and they always impress me. Good choice with getting the Thunderbrowns, let me know what they sound like on the Caramel bass. 👍
@@UkuleleWales I got the Thunderbrown strings on hand now, but currently enjoying those rubber Aquilas…might be a while before I swap….lol
I just got a Kala Scout with Thunderblacks. At some point will switch to Thunderbrowns. Do you know of a string winder that will fit the hip shot ultralight clone tuners? I tried Dunlop bass winder, but no fit. TY. ❤
That is an excellent question Margaret and congrats on the Kala Scout. I’ve just checked with the different winders that I have and can confirm that the D’Addario Pro-Winder (which also has a string clipper) does fit all my bass ukes with the hip shot (inc. clone) tuners. It’s snug but does fit. Also, the Jowoom T2 automatic smart tuner also fits the bass tuners, but is of course a lot more expensive. Hope that helps. 👍
Hello Ma'am, I am considering buying the Bamboo U-bass which comes with Aquila rubber strings. I have a question for you. Generally how long do the strings last? This is important for me to know because getting replacements in my country is going to be a challenge as very few music stores stock Uke Basses and a accessories.
The bamboo u-bass is a lovely instruemnt. Generally I haven't had any snapped strings so generally I have changed them when I wasnted a different make / model of string. There are a few string sellers online that sell world wide if that helps?
@@UkuleleWales Many thanks for the valuable info.🙏
The Batking sounds good if a little pitchy 😮. Looks cool, too.
Agree, as great looker and my playing may well have been a little pitchy - the joys of fretless. 🫣
Hello, great comparison video! I may be wrong, but it sounds like the original cream thunderguts has the most low end thump…?
Couple questions. How do you feel about that batking fretless? I have been looking for a fretless with F holes, and it seems like that company is one of the only ones that makes it. Right now, this is what I’m playing: Kala U-Bass-JYMN-FS Journeyman Acoustic-Electric with round wounds.
Which brings me to my next question. Did you have to change the nut on the Kala in order to play the thundergut strings? (The kala I have came with round wounds.)
Thanks so much.
Thanks Minh. I think the Kala with the cream thunderguts has a better pick system which must be considered. I am hoping to swap the strings around very soon so it will be interesting to see how the basses sound then.
I think for the price the Batking is a great fretless cheaper bass and as you say not many around like this as a fretless. I don't think I altered the nut but will check when I swap the strings.
@@UkuleleWales Hi! Thanks for the reply. I did see that you’d posted a review of the batking in a separate video. I ended up getting a Batking based on your review. So far, I’m happy w it. I wanted to ask: I noticed it doesn’t have a truss rod. Have you had any issues with that?
Secondly, strings’ tuning is a bit loosey goosey (eg. 12th fret on G string is really sharp). Is this pretty much the nature of the rubber strings? Do I need to just wait for them to settle?
Hi, I'm glad you got a the Batking and you're fairly happy. I haven't had any issues with the neck and no truss rod. You mention the tuning at 12 fret, with it being fretless there is not much room for tuning, is it the same for all the strings as then it may be the side markings are slightly off. I hope this helps, but let me know if all the strings have the tuning problem, it may just be adjusting your finger position slightly.
@@UkuleleWales Hi, thanks for the reply. I will try that w the strings. Also, I found the access to the truss rod. I feel like such a noob! Lol
This was wholesome af, love the strings btw they seem "comfy" lol
Thanks, I like the term comfy strings - yes, they are!
In my opinion on the different sounds of the strings played in this video, I find the white Thunder guts deep like an upright, and the browns sound boxy and cheap, while the Thunder blacks seem to be in that just right place for articulate and more even from string to string instead of the E being so dominant. One thing to keep in mind is that the 3 different pickups may have a lot to do with some of these differences. The Batwing being the cheapest may have a cheap sounding pickup, thus that boxy cheap sound. But the solid body one is also cheap but has a much more even sound with the blacks. With those variables it is hard to favor one, but just going on the sound I prefer the blacks.
Hi Timothy, yes totally agree with you. The basses themselves make a huge difference to the tone and of course with and without frets also makes a big difference.
I have a question! Is the E-string of the Browns less "floppy" than the thunderguts? I find it difficult to create any volume with the E-string on my Batking because the string feels so loose. I appreciate all your videos and have learned a lot! So I'm particularly keen to hear your opinion! Thank you!
Thanks Rob. Personally I love the Thunderbrowns and have recently put them on another bass too. I can’t say I find the Browns more or less “floppy” but certainly haven’t had any issues with volume from them. Maybe the piezo pick-up is quieter for the bass, not necessarily just the string?
@@UkuleleWales Thanks for your insight!
Great job! Thank you 🙏🏽✨☺️
Glad you enjoyed, Thanks 😊
Ok, I know the original Thunderguts (cream colored) are STICKY. Are either of the other two NOT STICKY? I don’t care if they are LESS sticky; they have to be NOT sticky or I can’t play them. I’ve tried many times with a lot of different oils, powders, silicone, Armor All, etc. Apparently my skin oil turns the Thunderguts into glue….
The Thunderbrowns have absolutely no stickiness but a really nice texture. Personally I have never end found the new formula ThunderBlacks sticky at all and I played with them a lot. Hope that helps.
Love your t-shirt!
Thanks, my own design. Available here if you are interested.
www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Ukulaliens-Ukulele-Club-Original-Logo-With-Text-by-Ukulaliens/40894875.IJ6L0
The Whites - sound the most - by far - like an upright - very thick and legato, and quieter - if that is the sound you are after - bingo! The Browns are more pronounced - more staccato, but also seem to have some harmonics that jump out here and there - not pleasant to my ear... The Blacks are more precise, dry, and also staccato... My audible choices would be 1) white, 2) black, 3) brown... I have the Kala striped ebony fretless, with the original black strings... and I love them!
I may try the browns on the Kala as it has a much better pickup set up, might be interesting to hear the difference again.
Parece que hay una desafibacion al tocar el kala?
I have now put Thunderbrowns on the Kala and it is much easier / nicer to play. 👍
How is the preference of snares accoustically?
I think you mean strings? I would say the Browns are brighter, the Blacks are mellow and the Thunder Guts are "bassier" but not as clear to hear.
Hi ma'am, what do you think about ukulele bass strings made in China, such as Aquila thundergut made in china.
Hi, as far as I am aware, all Aquila strings are made in Italy. I know they are sold in bulk to Chinese makers and will often have an Aquila label on the instrument. I have also heard of labels being put on instruments where the strings are NOT Aquila. I hope this helps.
@@UkuleleWales yes, thats right.
Thank you for this comparison, Rachel!
In my opinion, the Kala had the best sound overall in this shootout. Maybe ist the strings, or the instrument. But to me it sounded "bassy" as it ought to.
The Pinky, as a solid body instrument, surely sounded different, but still better that the Musoo Batking. That third one gave my the impression as if you were playing inside a cardboard box. ;-)
I got flatwound strings from Galli / Kala and plan to put them on ym HarleyBenton Kahuna fretless... once I dare. Well, the Kahuna has a truss rod, other than the Musoo, so I hope it will not break anything.
Thanks for your opinion, yes the Kala certainly has the best electronics, it would beinteresing to try the Thunderbrowns on it see what they sound like.
There are no knots on my low g string how do I put a knot in it
I've tied my own knots in the past if that helps Jane. Try and get them as tight and close to the end of the string but you can always cut off any excess.
Nice comparison and congrats on making it to the world cup :p
Thanks and yes, very much looking forward to the world cup!
Me gusta mucho tu canal y agradezco mucho el esfuerzo qué haces en enseñar 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Muchas gracias de hecho
is the cab mic'd?
Yes, I've got a Sennheiser e609 in front of the cab.
Hi Rachel, I love the browns and the blacks, but the whites seem to catch your fingers. I noted your playing ONLY on the whites was staggering a bit; your fingers seemed to catch a lot, slowing the flow of the tune in many places. On the blacks the sound is deep and luscious, the browns are lighter in timbre but sound great. It would be great to compare those two on the same bass or both on fretless, (or fretted) so the comparison was even. But that's a lot of work.
On another topic, I've not been seeing you in my TH-cam feeds for a while. I checked your video list and found I'd missed a few. I really don't like missing my favourite TH-camrs (yours is not the only channel this occurs with) so I have put in a complaint/query to TH-cam, but I expect no reply.
Hi Tobias, the wonders of TH-cam eh! I get it sometimes with channels I subscribe to, really annoying!
Yes, I was definitely finding the white Thunderguts were "stickier" than the other on both hands for me. Lovely to hear from you, hope you are all keeping well down under.
ThankQ
Nothing wrong with putting expensive strings on an inexpensive strings, or going through a good amp for that matter.
My feelings exactly. Even as a double bass teacher I would also recommend to my pupils to put the most expense strings that they could afford on a cheap double bass as it would make the world of difference, same with bass ukulele. 👍
Yeah ! Thanks I just received my black strings I have the cream ones can’t wait to get them stringed I do hear a difference sound with the black 🎶🎸 I learnt a lot from U, thank U 🎶🎶 O! Can U send me the notes of that song 🎶 I’ve only learned 2 songs so-far 😂
Awesome, hope you like the Thunderblacks, let me know what you think of them.
The main demo song? Here you go, it's the 2nd video I've done about walking bass lines. There is a more basic one too.
th-cam.com/video/-bhc1n9s01Y/w-d-xo.html
I have the thunderguts strings on mine. To me the thunderguts was a deeper sound.
I would also say they had a bassier sound but that may also be the bass uke they are on
Btw Rachel " Aquila Thunderguts" was my wrestling name during the great depression of 1987 I'm.not proud but it kept the wolf from the door (never got on with those Gladiators 🤣!)...
LOL! I did actually spit me cuppa when when I read this Bill, you are genuinely hilarious!
@@UkuleleWales 🤗♥️
They all sound good but the blacks on pinky win for me
I do like the sound they are making on Pinky, I think they will be staying on it.
For me, it was the browns, hands down.
Agree with you 100% Browns for me too.
#1: Browns. #2: Blacks. Enough said. 🤗
100% yes! Still trying to decide what to try the Silver rumblers on?? They've got to suit......
I've found Thunderblack sound most stable then brown and gut.
Glad to heat you are enjoying the blacks, a great string! 👍
Oh yes a small bit of talcum power will get rid of the sticky drag 👍…
Great advice, totally agree.
Gotta say Rachel you should really make a band, a ukeband, and obviously I would get sent free tickets since im your biggest fan and I gave you the idea xD Just joking but would be fun to have a uke band.. I really wonder one thing about that.. WHY is it so few that make a band and so many that play instruments? Is it because a. Most people are so difficult they will never be able to work together in a group b. are they ashamed of their skill level in their instruments or is it c. they never thought about it .. or is it d. they dont know anyone who would like to join and make a group and if they would would it be tricky to decide what kind of group it would be ..
I do love your comments Kenneth. I do know of a few "ukulele bands" but at the moment I'm sticking to the bigger uke groups. If I do ever get the stadium gigs, you will of course get free tickets!! ;-)
the strings should be tested with the same instrument, not with 3 different u-bass, in this way the comparison makes no sense
This was a general demo of the 3 types of strings more that anything else and yes, agree that a true comparison would be better with the same instrument but that is a fair amount of work change the rubber strings and not something I really want to do.
Great video. Thanks so much for that
Glad you enjoyed! 😊