baritone uke stringing.

Subject: baritone uke stringing.
From: Davetnova
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 10:31 AM

I've recently bought a tenor/baritone uke. OK its a cheap one but with a solid mahogany top. It's loud for the size of it but I'm not used to nylon strings and to me the top string sounds unbalanced (never sounds quite right) I'd like to put steel strings on maybe using 2nd to 5th strings from a straight guitar set tuned up EBGD but wonder if will take the tension. It seems fairly solid in that overbuilt way that cheap instruments have (not putting it down for being cheap, I like it). I just wondered if anybody has tried it or can suggest a way of balancing the top string somehow.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: GUEST,Waddon Pete
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 11:03 AM

Have you tried using "proper" uke strings or are you using guitar strings?

Have a look at the Highly Strung website (www.highlystrung.co.uk) for specialist uke string sets. I think steel strings may be too much for your new friend!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Davetnova
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 11:09 AM

The strings I have on it just now are D'arrio baritone uke set.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Jim Lad
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 11:57 AM

Davetnova: I played Baritone Uke exclusively for about five years, back in the Eighties. The nicest one I owned was a harmony & the entire instrument was constructed of ribbon grain mahogany. I don't know if you can find one with a Sitka Spruce face but that would certainly make a difference to the sound quality. Without a good sound board, I think that the instrument will always sound a little "Over built".
Daddario was my choice of strings back then. I tuned the instrument DGBE just like the first four strings of a guitar. Many of the song books, back in the seventies, came with Uke chords but guitar chords were just as easy to follow just by ignoring the 5th & 6th strings.
Your 3rd & 4th strings will be Nylon Bound and the first two will be plain. There are a couple of tricks to keeping them in tune but you probably know them.
Most here will probably agree that the manufacturer may have an "Ideal Tuning" for the instrument but the "Correct Tuning" is what you decide it to be.
DGBE for me.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Jim Lad
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 11:59 AM

"I'd like to put steel strings on maybe using 2nd to 5th strings from a straight guitar set tuned up EBGD" ......I wouldn't recommend that though.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 12:30 PM

If you try guitar strings, use silk & steel. Probably not a good idea. Sounds like you want a tenor guitar.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 12:36 PM

String it with nylon strings and tune it like Jim says.

It sounds "unbalanced" because you haven't yet learned how to make the nylon strings "speak"--They respond in a very different way than steel strings--You should strike them more gently than steel strings and concentrate on fretting so that the strings resonate as much as possible. It takes a while to get the right sound out of it--

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Jim Lad
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 12:41 PM

There are some excellent "Felt Picks" on the market too! Or you can make them.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Davetnova
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 05:40 AM

Thanks for the answers. I will heed the advice, nylon stays, I don't want to hurt my uke.
Good advice M. Ted, as I said I'm not used to nylon strings but playing around again last night I think my ears and/or fingers are starting to adjust.

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: open mike
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 11:45 PM

i know someone who has a baritone uke for sale..
in california. if interested, let me know i will
get more info.

my dog has fleas?

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 12:30 AM

I have tried several brands of strings over the years. The best I have found are Nylgut aquila uke strings made by Aquila. They will improve the sound of any uke. They cost a few bucks more than other brands but are certainly worth the difference.

You mentioned "I've recently bought a tenor/baritone uke"

It is important to know if you have a tenor or a baritone uke. The baritone uke is tuned the same as the first four strings of a guitar.
D, G, B, E.   4th to 1st

Tenor strings are tuned G, C, E, A, or A, D, F#, B. The forth string can be tuned high such as G above C or G below C. The higher 4th string produces more of a uke sound.

For a Baritone the body length is 14 inches and the scale length from nut to saddle is 20 inches.

The Tenor uke has a body length of 12 inches and a scale length of
17 inches.

Using the wrong strings can dislocate the bridge, break the string/s, or, if they are tuned low, produce a very poor sounding uke.

I would not recommend using metal guitar strings.

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: GUEST,M.Ted
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 12:39 AM

I missed the "tenor...." thing, but Cap't Bob caught it, and he is right---figure which one it is--incidentally, the Baritone Uke was invented by Arthur Godfrey--

Subject: RE: baritone uke stringing.
From: Jim Lad
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 01:53 AM

I presumed the "tenor" thing was just a mistake. Possibly thinking about Tenor Guitar at the same time.