Ukulele string diameters, please?

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: M.Ted
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 12:16 PM

Dave, I was fishing for that offer;-)

I play my tenor in the tuning that I mentioned above, and the Hawaiian players that I have run into tend to do it that way as well, though I have heard it described distainfully as "Lazy Left Coast Tuning"--Some ukes sound better tuned higher or lower--if I tuned my down to where you are, it would sound pretty dead--There are certainly other tunings that are used-- ADF#B was used by Roy Smeck, who wrote a lot of uke books, and is still used by people who play in his style--I know that George Formby used several different tunings so that he could sing in different keys without playing in closed position(a daunting task on his instrument).   I tune my little soprano ukes to the D because they are brighter sounding(my tenor is koa, but with a spruce top, so it has a softer sound).

Here is a good link with about an hour's worth of great uke music from old 78's-
Antique Phonograph Music Program Ukulele Show

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 01:31 AM

A friend who lives in Hawaii sent me a SMALL ukelele. I assumed it was a toy- it's a little more than half the size of a fiddle- but at the base there's a sticker that says: THIS IS NOT A TOY.

OK, if it's not a toy, what is it? Is someone just pulling legs?

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 10:46 PM

Oh yeah, well my expert can beat up your expert :). Certainly Kawika is an authority.

Also expressing an opinion(perhaps related to preference, or the set up of their instruments, not what is usual) are the makers at 3rd Wave, who recommend DGBE and Steve at Beltona who recommends DGBE or FA#DB (!) for their tenors, both of which I own/operate. So who knows?

Let's have a beer, a tune and discuss the finer points one day.

Cheers,
D

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: M.Ted
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 06:36 PM

Listen to me, Dave;-). More than anyone really wants to know about tuning a tenor uke is here:
Tuning the Tenor Ukulele

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 12:03 AM

Guess it depends on who you listen to, M Ted.

Thanks fer mending my link, Amos.

D

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Amos
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 01:33 PM

Correction to relative link: Flea Market Music is for uke lovers.

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 12:54 PM

DGBE is not the usual tuning for tenor ukes--it is GCEA--

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 06:33 PM

GCEA is the tuning found on sporano and concert ukes. DGBE is the ususal tuning for tenor and baritone ukes.

Flea Market Music has lots of uke info and links.

You can easily order uke strings through the mail. Hilo and Aquila are brands I've used and liked. You can find them at Flea Market Music.

D

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 05:16 PM

Baritone is usually tuned the same as the top four strings on the guitar.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Amos
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 01:18 PM

Dave -- yes but...Depends on the Uke, but see the link I posted above, it covers all the intricacies of the art!

A

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 12:51 PM

Okay, I'll hitch a ride on this thread.

I have an old baritone uke. I need to know diameters, but particularly I need to know tuning. Is it My Dog Has Fleas? Or something else?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: maldenny
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 04:27 AM

Thanks Cap't Bob, just what I needed, I'll be able to annoy loads of people at Christmas now with some sawn-off guitar strings!

Thanks Amos, yours was Plan B - we're fairly rural here, but might get into the Big City sometime before Christmas.

Harpgirl, your comments noted - I admit I'm a jack of many instruments rather than a master of one! (Got a broken Paraguayan harp though, which I've been threatening to fix and add to our lineup!).

Mal

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 10:51 PM

.026 (B), .032 (F#), .040 (D), .028 (A).    or
      (A)       (E)       (C)       (G)
Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: Amos
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 02:54 PM

If you go to a good music store and look at a wee packet of strings they would have the diameter written on the packet.

Here is a site that discusses a variety of uke issues including the difference between Hawaiian black strings and normal nylon.

Martin's standard uke strings range from .016 to .021 inches in diameter.

A

Subject: RE: Ukelele string diameters, please?
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 02:44 PM

Sorry to hear that, maldenny! But Mark Cohen would know. Is there a doctor in the house???

Subject: Ukelele strings
From: maldenny
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 02:40 PM

This might be a bit highbrow for Mudcatters, but does anyone know what diameter nylon strings would fit a ukekele? I'm trying to put an ancient ukekele into service for a Christmas 'do'.

Mal