Best Soprano Ukulele Strings (2023 Buyer’s Guide)

If you’re searching for the best soprano ukulele strings, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve played guitar for more than two decades, and I ventured into the realm of ukuleles about halfway through that time.

What I’ve noticed during my time with this beautiful instrument is that most people pay more attention to the wood than what’s actually making the sound – the strings.

Truth be told, it’s not too hard to spot a quality set – if you know what you’re looking for, that is. Novices and beginner players don’t pay too much attention to details, so it’s easy to mistake a playable string set for a “quality” set.

If you want to learn more about what makes the best soprano ukulele strings “the best” and how to pick out good sets, stick with me for a while longer and let’s head down to the reviews.

What Is a Soprano Ukulele String?

Ukulele strings resemble acoustic guitar strings in more ways than one, but they’re also substantially different. Commercial-grade ukulele strings are typically made of steel or nylon, and they’re absolutely necessary for this instrument to produce any kind of sound aside from percussive thumping.

Now, given that ukuleles come in a variety of sizes (soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone), it’s obvious that each sub-category should be equipped with different strings.

Larger models require longer strings and are even supposed to be tuned differently. Soprano ukulele strings can be used with the vast majority of ukuleles, as they’re supposed to correspond to the standard G tuning (G, C, E, A).

Types of Soprano Ukulele Strings

When I began playing the ukulele, I paid little mind to what kind of strings I should be using, and I was pretty oblivious to the fact that different kinds existed.

After a couple of months of talking to more experienced friends, I learned that the type of strings a ukulele is outfitted with can drastically change how the instrument sounds and feels. Essentially, it all boils down to variations of steel and nylon.

Nylon

As far as tone goes, nylon ukulele strings sound the warmest. Most strings made of nylon are also slightly lighter, and to top it all off, they’re also great for people who live in humid areas as they are resistant to this type of nuisance.

Fluorocarbon

Essentially, fluorocarbon is superior to nylon, although the two share many similarities. Both FC and nylon strings sound rather warm, although fluorocarbon promotes better intonation capabilities once put on a soprano ukulele.

Steel

Steel is commonly used for acoustic guitars. You won’t find too many ukulele models equipped with a set of steel strings, although it’s possible to fit your ukulele with them. Steel strings offer a bit of extra punch and are slightly louder, but are just a tad harder to play on.

Wound Nylon

Nylon-core strings are perfect for ukuleles as they are both better-sounding and more durable than typical strings made of regular nylon. Because wound nylon is just a bit heavier than regular nylon, they’re commonly fitted to baritones and tenors.

Wound Steel

The brightest-sounding type among the five is wound steel. If you want your ukulele to sound like an guitar, this is the way to go.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Soprano Ukulele String

As I mentioned earlier, choosing the right ukulele strings shouldn’t be too hard if you know what to look for. These are some factors you should take into account.

Size

Soprano is the smallest ukulele size, followed by concert, tenor, and finally baritone, the largest of the bunch. This categorization also relates to the scale length, not just the size of the instrument as a whole, so different types require different strings.

Soprano ukuleles typically feature a scale length of 21 inches, concert ukes 23 inches, tenors 26 inches, and baritones have a scale length of 29 inches (and beyond). This is the most important factor you should keep in mind when shopping for ukulele strings.

Sound

The sound a set of ukulele strings produces is mainly determined by the material they’re made of, while the second most impactful element is “personal touch.”

I personally recommend using nylon strings if you don’t have a particular tone in mind – nylon is light, playable, and offers a distinctively bright sound with plenty of overtones. Steel ukulele strings are not the polar opposite, but they’re much brighter-sounding and feel a lot different.

Price

One of the best things about ukulele strings is that they’re generally pretty inexpensive. Even the priciest boutique models aren’t more than $50. The price ranges shift around in increments of $5, which would be the bottom bar for the cheapest uke strings.

10 Best Soprano Ukulele Strings

I’ve dedicated the following sections exclusively to the string sets I’ve either used personally or tested specifically for the purpose of this review.

You’ll have the opportunity to choose between cheap sets, feature-packed boxes, and premium-quality bundles depending on how much cash you’re willing to part with, so let’s get started with the Best Soprano Ukulele Strings.

1. Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-100

• What’s included: Standalone string set
• Material & finish: Nylon monofilament
• Best for: Best soprano ukulele strings overall

When I began my search for the best soprano ukulele strings, the name that kept popping up everywhere was Aquila. I liked the Classic series, and the Red generation was also excellent for the buck, but I was particularly impressed with the Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-100.

Aside from the fact that the AQ-100 set sounds absolutely fantastic, I also noticed that these strings remained in tune for a few weeks longer in comparison to my usual strings.

They’re not particularly expensive, and in my humble opinion, they perform significantly better than most similarly priced models.

Why I Recommend It

I warmly recommend Nylgut AQ-100 to anyone looking for versatile, great-sounding soprano ukulele strings. This set has it all, and I’ve yet to spot any potential drawbacks it may hide.

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2. Ernie Ball P02326 Ukulele Strings

• What’s included: Standalone soprano ukulele strings
• Material & finish: Black nylon construction
• Best for: People on a tight cash-strapped budget

Ernie Ball has been on my radar ever since I picked up the guitar. Naturally, I turned to them as soon as I switched over to ukuleles, and P02326 was one of the first string sets I got my hands on.

The ErnieBall P02326 is a set of black nylon ukulele strings that can easily fit on smaller concert ukuleles, although it was specifically designed for sopranos. These strings are remarkably sturdy, and they look great due to the black nylon construction.

Why I Recommend It

If you’re a music student on a budget, you may find Ernie Ball’s P02326 string set perfect. The black-colored strings look cooler than the average unfinished ones, and the improved intonation capabilities of this set will help you focus on more important things.

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3. Martin M600 Ukulele Strings

• What’s included: Standalone soprano ukulele strings
• Material & Finish: Fluorocarbon construction
• Best for: Best for immediate beginners in music

Martin is one of the boutique brands that is recognized for premium-quality high-end instruments and accessories. It was a breath of fresh air seeing that they also offer inexpensive gear when I stumbled across Martin M600 ukulele strings.

Light and warm, these ukulele strings offer pristine clarity and abundant flexibility when it comes to tone. They aren’t as sturdy as you’d expect, though, but they’re certainly not flimsy.

Why I Recommend It

Even though most beginner musicians may want to start out their journey into the uke world with strings made of typical materials, I think going with fluorocarbon ones may be beneficial for several reasons.

First and foremost, M600 strings are much lighter than average, and they sound surprisingly richer and clearer than most nylon-made strings. To top it all off, they’re also decently cheap.

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4. D’Addario EJ87S Ukulele Strings

• What’s included: Standalone string set
• Material & finish: Titanium construction, polished finish
• Best for: Best for strumming

If years of strumming an electric guitar have taught me anything, it’s that you’ll need a robust set of strings. Even though most Martin and Ernie Ball strings are generally great for this particular purpose, D’Addario EJ87S strings are simply unmatched.

These strings are some of the sturdiest I’ve had the pleasure of using, and I always keep a pack handy when I’m out on the road. Even though they’re not as light as Nylgut ones, they’re still highly playable.

Why I Recommend It

If the sound is good, I always recommend going with sturdier strings, even if they may not feel as playable. Luckily, EJ87S strings don’t present such problems – they’re just a tad heavier than average, but they’re also much more durable than average soprano uke strings.

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5. Aquila Corde Armoniche New Nylgut Ukulele Soprano Strings

• What’s included: Standalone ukulele strings
• Material & finish: Synthetic material, polished finish
• Best for: Best for fingerstyle playing

Bass is my second instrument, so my normal routine consists of practicing various stringed instruments fingerstyle nearly just as much as strumming them. The ones that I play this way I fit with synthetic strings, and most of my ukuleles are equipped with Aquila’s Synthetic Corde Armoniche.

This particular set belongs to one of the most popular Aquila series, and rightly so if I may say. They’re considerably sturdier than you would expect, and they feel as gentle as summer rain. I only wish they were a bit louder, though.

Why I Recommend It

In a nutshell, you can’t go wrong with any Aquila Nylgut strings, especially those from the Corde Armoniche series. This set is as close to traditional uke strings as it gets, so if you really want to capture the original Hawaiian sound while playing fingerstyle, I suggest you try them out.

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6. DR Handmade Strings

• What’s included: Standalone soprano ukulele strings
• Material & finish: Fluorocarbon strings, natural finish
• Best for: Best fluorocarbon strings

I’m not too fond of handmade strings, mostly due to consistency issues. However, I’ve made an exception with DR Handmade Soprano Ukulele Strings FC set. These strings look pretty much like any other uke strings, but they feel (and are) much lighter.

They boast a characteristically warm sound and are more durable than I imagined, but more importantly, they managed to remain tight and in tune even after several weeks of playing.

Why I Recommend It

Once you start using fluorocarbon strings, you’ll get to understand where they excel and where they fail. DR’s custom-made set is a bit better than most since it fixed the shortcomings FC strings typically present and retained the benefits I normally expect from them.

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7. Aquila Red Series AQ-83 Soprano Ukulele Strings

• What’s included: Soprano ukulele strings
• Material & finish: Composite material
• Best for: Best for pop music

From where I stand, modern pop songs are a bit overproduced, especially if they don’t feature too many guitar, banjo, or ukulele parts. If this style suits you and you want to take a shot at covering some tunes in this genre, you may want to check out Aquila’s AQ-83 Red Series Ukulele Strings.

They are made of top-shelf composite material that is substantially more responsive and durable than typical synthetic nylon or steel.

Why I Recommend It

Absolutely top-notch responsiveness and sturdy construction make these strings a force to be reckoned with. I recommend them if you’re seeking versatility in your tone and don’t mind the extra heaviness and paying a few extra dollars.

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8. Patelai Ukulele Strings Accessories Kit

• What’s included: 12 ukulele picks, four packs of soprano strings, capo
• Material & finish: Nylon construction, unfinished
• Best for: Best for music students and classical music

Regardless of whether you’re attending a music college or simply wish to try your hand at playing classical songs on an ukulele, the Patelai Ukulele Strings accessories kit has got you covered.

These nylon strings are super soft and light, and the pack features a number of felt picks, a capo, and two additional replacement packs.

Why I Recommend It

Even if you already have a bunch of ukulele picks and a capo, I’d say that an affordable box of four nylon-made strings is perfect for this price. Aside from affordability, some of the reasons why I recommend this particular set include excellent playability and sonic performance.

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9. Chengu Nylon Ukulele Strings Bundle

• What’s included: Five sets of strings plus a set of 10 felt picks
• Material & finish: Nylon, unfinished
• Best for: Best for budget buyers

The quality of its contents is the reason why the Chengu Bundle is a great choice if you’re looking to buy soprano strings in bulk.

This bundle doesn’t include a capo (unlike Patelai’s set above), and instead of 12 you’ll get only 10 felt picks. However, these strings are slightly sturdier and offer a drastically higher level of playability, not to mention that they’re even cheaper.

Why I Recommend It

This uke string set has five packs of replacements, which should be enough for about half a year, even if you’re playing all the time. I recommend this uke bundle to music students who spend more than a few hours with their instrument, as these strings offer excellent durability and tone for the buck.

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10. Mudder Nylon Soprano Ukulele Strings

• What’s included: Standalone ukulele strings
• Material & finish: Unwound nylon
• Best for: Best versatile affordable soprano ukulele strings

Mudder Nylon Strings are both cheap and durable. These two qualities are seldom attributed to any pack together, which is one of the main reasons why I’ve saved them for last.

Even though they may not sound as great as Aquila’s Nylgut, and even though they may not be as sturdy as D’Addario’s EJ87S strings, they’re fairly close while costing almost half the price.

Why I Recommend It

Personally, I keep Mudder’s nylon strings as replacements. They offer consistent performance and are sturdy enough to survive several weeks of constant playing, which is more than enough for my playing needs.

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Best Soprano Ukulele String Brands

Frankly, it’s much easier to pick a quality ukulele than quality ukulele strings, mainly due to the fact that string makers are not abundantly present on the market.

Be that as it may, a few companies have done an amazing job so far in this field, and I wanted to share what I know about them with you:

Aquila

Aquila is the uncontested champion of nylon strings. This brand is famous for producing top-quality acoustic guitar and ukulele strings, and their reputation is, in my opinion, more than well deserved.

If you’re looking for sturdy, great-sounding ukulele strings, I suggest trying some of theirs first.

Ernie Ball

Another huge name in this particular industry is Ernie Ball. Even though they mainly specialize in crafting high-quality guitar (acoustic and electric) strings, they’ve done a tremendous job with their uke string series as well.

What separates Ernie Ball strings from similar brands is that they offer substantially more diversity.

Each pack is different than the next, with different specs and characteristics, so whenever you want to drastically change the sound of your ukulele, you should pick some Ernie Ball sets.

Martin

Martin is the first name that popped into my mind when I started searching for boutique strings. Even though their products are slightly more expensive than average, you can rely on the dependability and impeccable sonic performance of Martin-made ukulele strings.

D’Addario

D’Addario strings are well recognized for their remarkable durability and great sound. Their catalog is fairly broad, and their reputation is absolutely pristine. I suggest trying their strings if you’re looking for sturdiness and playability.

Mudder

Mudder is slightly less popular than Aquila, Martin, and D’Addario, but rest assured that they offer quality first and foremost. Strings made by this brand are a bit more affordable, although they also sound pretty great and keep in tune for extended periods.

Soprano Ukulele String Aesthetics & Build

Strings pop when they’re flimsy, and they go out of tune if they’re poorly designed. Knowing what ukulele strings are made of will greatly help you find value in the set you have in mind:

Material

Some of the most common ukulele string materials are steel and nylon. Personally, I recommend nylon as it complements the natural tone of soprano ukuleles, although a steel-made string set is an excellent alternative.

Finish

Basically, when the brand labels their strings as “nylon” or “steel,” for example, that means that the set is unwound. Wound sets feature a core layered with additional materials.

Wound strings are sturdier and often pack additional tonal characteristics and overtones, but they’re also a bit heavier and feel slightly different.

Color

Ukulele strings are typically not colored, as the layers of paint may add additional weight, slightly reducing the overall playability. However, colored sets may be useful for beginners for easier string navigation.

Buying New vs Used

New ukulele strings are typically pretty inexpensive, so I can’t imagine a valid reason why anyone would buy used ones. If you’re really low on cash, consider buying strings that were seldom (if ever) used, but personally, I would advise against it.

What’s in the Soprano Ukulele String Box?

Ukulele strings are typically included in ukulele bundles. You could either buy them at a local music store or look for string packs.

Ukulele strings should be replaced every couple of months (depending on how often you play), so it may be worthwhile to opt for buying packs. If you’re looking for a ukulele bundle, here are some of the accessories that are often found inside alongside strings:

Tuner

Most brands outfit their ukulele bundles with a clip-on tuner. These are typically inexpensive and moderately accurate at best, but they’re valuable accessories for beginners nevertheless.

Picks

Ukulele picks are slightly bigger and at a different angle compared to guitar picks. (They resemble bass guitar picks more.) If you’re playing fingerstyle, you may not find much value in these accessories, though.

Capo

A capo is basically a gadget that you can attach onto a straight bar of frets, which helps you play in different tunings without using the tuning pegs. Experienced players typically use them, but they could also be valuable for beginners who aren’t afraid to experiment.

Lessons/Chord Sheets

Whether it’s an illustrated book or a compilation of common chords, ukulele lessons are fairly common in bundles and boxes. Obviously, they’re perfect for beginners, but even some more experienced ukulele players could benefit from revisiting certain things they may have forgotten.

Extras

Polishing accessories are sometimes supplied to uke bundles, but if not, you should consider investing in them. Keeping your ukulele clean improves its playability and helps it remain durable for extended periods.

Soprano Ukulele String Brands to Avoid

The blacklist of ukulele brands is enormous, so I’ll just give you a couple of guidelines instead:

• Brands with ineligible names are often scam sites. This doesn’t relate to brands that are hard to pronounce – for example, Lanikai is one of the biggest names in the industry, but names such as “ITOPFBVX123” and similar should be avoided.
• Look up what others had to say – if you’re shopping online, any kind of review may be helpful, especially negative ones.
• Ratings are reflections of a brand’s trustworthiness – if the strings you want to buy have thousands of ratings and hundreds of reviews, they’ve been on the market for a while and are made by reputable companies.
• Be cautious when searching for entrepreneur handmade strings – you never know whether they’re made by a professional or by someone who just had a bit of extra time on their hands.

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In Conclusion

Let’s wrap up the review of the best soprano ukulele strings with a few final words on the ultimate models that the current market has to offer.

Aquila’s Super Nylgut AQ-100 are the best-rounded, best-sounding strings I’ve ever used on an ukulele. However, they may be a bit too expensive, in which case I recommend the Chengu Nylon Uke bundle instead.

I feel like I’ve covered everything that had to be said: the top brands, the best-performing models, and the things you should keep in mind when looking for them. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on my selection of the best soprano ukuleles below in the comments.