ukulele strings

Aquila Bionylon ukulele set

Aquila's plant-derived nylon — warmer and mellower than Nylgut, and the first eco-friendly synthetic string.

Watch

Ken Middleton sets Nylgut against Bionylon on the same instrument, which is the comparison the material invites.

Why it matters

This is the one set here where the material itself is the argument: 68% of the raw material comes from castor oil, and Aquila reports a reduction of over 50% in carbon dioxide during polymer synthesis compared with common string nylons. The sound is deliberately not Nylgut — Aquila describes it as warm and mellow — so it suits a player who finds Nylgut bright. The wound strings use a New Nylgut multifilament core with silver-plated copper, chosen for low moisture absorption and stable intonation.

Note

The first synthetic string material made from a plant source. Bionylon's raw material is 68% castor-oil derived, which Aquila measures as cutting carbon dioxide emissions during polymer synthesis by more than half against the nylons normally used for strings.

Specifications

• Bionylon monofilament, 68% plant-derived castor oil
• first three strings plain, fourth wound
• soprano, concert, tenor and baritone
• warm, mellow voicing
• wound strings use a New Nylgut multifilament core with silver-plated copper
• made in Italy

Before you buy

• no USD price published by the maker at the time of writing, so the price column here reads n/a
• a warmer, less bright voice than Nylgut — the material is the difference, not the gauge
• the low strings are wound, so they feel and wear differently from the plain trebles

Sources

• aquilacorde.com
• gimmesomestrings.com