Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Ukulele tuning?

  1. #1

    Default Ukulele tuning?

    I've been dorking around with a cheap, cheap ukulele, and have been enjoying the ease of chording. It occurs to me that I have a passel of 4-string mandos sitting around, and a restringing seems like something that has to happen. Does anyone have suggestions on strings that would be suited for this?

    Thanks,

    Magnus

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Eastern Iowa
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    Aquila makes a set of strings for tuning a uke in 5ths.

    I have a couple sets in concert length, but have not used them. The "concert fifths" are 2 wound and 2 nylon tuned CGDA. That would be a fun way to make a budget mandola equivalent.
    Last edited by Paul Opperman; Jul-07-2018 at 6:16pm. Reason: added info

  3. #3
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Ardnadam, Argyll, Scotland
    Posts
    2,280

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    I second the Aquila strings. They are in a material they call Nylgut and are great compared to the strings you get on a cheap uke. Mine are for a soprano uke, tunes in 5ths, and they are great fun to play.
    I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe

    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOldBores

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Chicagoland
    Posts
    720

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus Geijer View Post
    I've been dorking around with a cheap, cheap ukulele, and have been enjoying the ease of chording. It occurs to me that I have a passel of 4-string mandos sitting around, and a restringing seems like something that has to happen. Does anyone have suggestions on strings that would be suited for this?

    Thanks,

    Magnus
    I'm thinking that what you have in mind is to string a mandolin so it can be tuned like a uke, rather than to string a uke so it can be tuned in fifths like a mandolin?

  5. #5
    knows little
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    a remote Sierra Nevada village
    Posts
    63

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    Aquila 31U sets are for stringing and tuning a concert or tenor 'ule as a mando, not vice versa. The cheap, easy, and psycho way is to reverse the string courses on a mando, from EE-AA-dd-gg to gg-dd-AA-EE, totally re-entrant, high to low. For something similar, mix the courses so you're Gg-Dd-Aa-Ee or maybe a bit below that to avoid popping strings. I like Yank Rachell mando tuning (EBF$B) so taking it down to Ee-Bb-F#f#-Bb will be low-tension and bluesy and odd. I'll do that with my Rogue next time I feel like moving strings.

    PS: I bought the Rogue with the intention of turning it into a cheap 8-string taropatch 'uke. Didn't work. A mando fingerboard is narrower than a soprano 'uke and much narrower than a concert or tenor. The chording doesn't fit. A mando strung as an 'uke should maybe be in open tuning and played with a slide.

  6. #6
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    mandolin , I faked it .. martin baritone uke set .. substitute the 1st with one from the soprano set _

    1st & 4th same in Sop set.


    /
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  7. #7
    knows little
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    a remote Sierra Nevada village
    Posts
    63

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    Since my previous post a year ago (how time flies!) I bought a cheap 17-inch 8-string taropatch tenor 'uke and restrung it with two sets of Aquila 31U's to make it a tenor mandola or mand'uke tuned CGDA. Sounds fine, if not overwhelmingly loud, and the scale length is just right for the chording I want. I assembled that setup specifically to play music I couldn't quite stretch to on 19-inch mandola.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Ukulele tuning?

    Thanks, guys. I'll need to order some strings.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •