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Thread: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

  1. #76
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Well maybe but, I do in fact have a steel string baritone uke - come small tenor guitar & that took a lot od trial & error to get right as well! (as do 20" scale tenor banjos)

  2. #77
    Orso grasso FatBear's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Quote Originally Posted by fox View Post
    After many months of intensive string testing I can honestly say that I have yet to find any combination that works really well!
    Hi Fox,
    Did you ever try the ones that were recommended by GHS? See post #28 in this thread. I reported the response from that GHS guy, but I'm sorry that I never followed up. I have been very happy with this "set" of strings. They all sound like they are on the same instrument - something I had problems with when trying other strings. (I'm sure there's a musical name for that phenomenon, but I don't know what it is.) My instrument is a Koloa KU-650 mid-range mahogany bodied ukulele, so I'm not sure how they would sound on a different one.

    They are classical guitar strings and are also higher tension than the regular ukulele strings so they feel nice and tight and not bouncy. I rarely miss a bouncing string anymore. At risk of further lightening your wallet, you might give them a try. They are available as individual strings, but not as a set.

    I'm beginning to get the impression that sets only work for some instruments or for some styles of playing. I'm a pretty crappy player, but I can really tell when the strings are right or wrong or old or dirty. Maybe it's because I pluck them one at a time (with the occasional chord mixed in.) I suspect that people who strum loud chords and sing along may not be as particular about the sound of each individual string as long as they tune up correctly. That's not an insult, just acknowledgement that there are lots of different styles with lots of different demands.

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  4. #78

    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I just purchased a Kala Baritone, and converted it to GDAE. I ended up doing exactly what the OP stated in the first post. I originally tried to take the B from the original string set down to A, but it was too floppy for my tastes, and sounded a bit off. I combined the original Aquila strings with D'Addario Pro-Arte Classical Guitar strings EJ46. I had to file the edge of the nut at the D slot, as the low E bound up pretty bad.

    As a tip for anyone else that is doing this, do yourself a favor and buy a set of Aquila Strings Baritone DGBE strings. Good for in case you make a mistake, and in my case, there is no way the original D string was going to work in the third slot, it was too short.
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  5. #79
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I have yet to be satisfied with the overall sound from any of the combinations I have tried.
    Certainly the re-entrant sets from South Coast Ukulele sound great but do not offer me the effect I really want & the super thin A (CGDA set) did not last more than a few days.
    However, for those interested, my best results for GDAE on 20" scale baritone uke came from .30p .24w .36w .48w.
    All the plain 'A' string gauges I tried sounded crap but the wound .24 sounds great. I still think the .48 G sounds crap but it is better than a .44
    I think the C tuning has more potential but I find that .20 plain nylon is very thin physically & musically & soon snap especially if you use a pick.
    I have had quite a bit of correspondence with SC ukes & basically they have not so far found a decent sound without using re-entrant tuning however they are still working on it......

  6. #80
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I am using strings based on the D'Addario Ukulele Titanium Baritone, EJ87B set.
    .028p, .0415p, .035w & .050w
    This is the best sound I have found.
    Info from the D'Addario String Tension Pro website.
    Wound string for the G that matched the tension of the D string in the set.
    Plain titanium string for the A that matched the E string tension.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  7. #81
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Nice one Jacob, I found a 50w a bit dull but it does depend on the instrument, can you use your calculator to see what lb a .24 A string is?

  8. #82
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Wound .024 A string tension: 9.66 lbs
    (click on small image)
    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #83
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    So where do you guys buy nylon singels?
    I can't find much for sale on the net, not in the UK anyway.

  11. #84
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I shop D'Addario Guitar Single Strings from JustStrings.com here in the US.

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  13. #85
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE


  14. #86
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Well I have been quite happy with the .029p, .024w, .035w & .050w format, (I really don't get on with a .040p A) now I wonder if I could find a wound E string?
    I guesse I am trying to get away from the traditional Ukulele sound & duplicate the steel string tenor guitar sound & I feel with the wound A string I am very close, however a wound E might just produce the sound I really want!
    Does anyone know what the smallest diameter nylon wound string available is, or can anyone suggest a wound replacement for the .029p E string?

  15. #87
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I bought an extremely damaged Ozark tenor guitar, I thought I could use the neck for something but ended up repairing it & fitting Nylon strings.
    My friend popped around at Christmas time & I took a bit of video, it has a 21" scale & is in fact tuned AEBF with the same strings I use on my 20" baritone ukulele.


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  17. #88
    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Once again resurrecting this thread I replied to when it first started, in 2013, and when I first developed a serious jonesing for a ukulele to complement my small instrument herd. Well, today at long last, my baritone arrived, and taking it out of the case, I just re-tuned the DGBE strings to GDAE, and am having a blast just noodling on it!

    I opted for a very gently-used deluxe Pono all-mahogany baritone that I found on eBay - after reading the stuff here on the new Pono octaves and thinking no, I didn't want a guitar-shaped octave, and I still wanted one with an even shorter scale anyway, I decided Pono baritone ukes might be worth looking into. (Certainly much less expensive, too.) And I'm not disappoainted - this is a beautiful little instrument, and so easy on the fingers that I can hardly put it down!

    So how's everyone doing with your GDAE baritones? Still happy? Any new string epiphanies to report? Back in the thread, someone mentioned that the fifths set by Aquila would work for GDAE baritone tuning with no nut modification. Are they really long enough for a baritone? I had thought they were for CGDA tuning on the shorter ukes. The seller of my instrument didn't know what brand the strings are that are on it now. (I didn't realize there are people who don't install their own strings!) I was quite frankly surprised that I could tune the D string down a whole fifth without it sounding like a rubberband, though, but it doesn't! It's a little on the quiet side, but still produces a decent tone. Sooner or later, I will begin experimenting, but for now, I'm just having fun getting acquainted!'

    bratsche
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  19. #89
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    They are good fun
    I have not found anything better than the above stated gauges 29p 24w 35w 50w.

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  21. #90
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Hello Bratsche,

    Thanks to this topic I've just received a Kala electro accoustic barytone uke.
    As I thought that DGBE native strings would never work for GDAE, I've bought a Aquila CGDA 5th tuning string set too.
    But the uke came before the strings so I run to my music dealer to buy a high tension d'Addario EJ46 string set.
    I tuned it GDAE exactly as explained in the "all guitar strings" method above in this topic.
    It works very well!!
    The sound is very good, the tuning is ok all along the neck and it's really sweet to play!
    When plugged it sounds great too!

    To answer your question the CGDA string set is designed for concert ukes (shorter) tuned CGDA.
    I tuned one like this and it works good too.
    I tried to measure the strings lenght and I think it should be long enough for a barytone if you don't make too much turns on the tuning pegs.
    As the barytone is longer scale there should be no problem for GDAE tuning with this set.
    I don't want to remove the strings of my concert uke because it's a mess to tune it after, but when I receive the new set I'll tell here if it's long enough. (tomorow or the day after...).

    For the moment I have made no set-up at all to the new uke and I don't see no reasons to do some because it already sounds great.
    I can play it with my finger nails or with a pick.
    Two different sounds but both are very nice.

    Lot of fun!!!

    Have a good day!!
    My english is not perfect.
    Nor my french anyway...

  22. #91
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Hello,

    I've received the 31U Aquila string set.
    (Concert uke CGDA string set).
    The strings are just enough long for a barytone if you don't waste any length making the knots.
    I havent' tried it because I'm not expert for making classical guitar knots.
    I think it is possible to put it but not confortable to do.

    Anyway I've bought an Aquila classical guitar nylguts set, high tension.
    They say it's the same material used for ukes with tensions designed for guitar.
    I'm going to try this first and I will tell you.

    For the moment the d'addario guitar set works good so I hesitate to change it.
    My english is not perfect.
    Nor my french anyway...

  23. #92
    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Hi Phil,

    I too just put high tension d'Addario EJ46 strings on my baritone the other day, after they came from Amazon. The tension difference on the lower strings was immediately noticeable (as was the 3rd, D string's tendency to stretch and stretch, and stretch some more). I am still getting used to them. The action is on the high side on this instrument, but I'm too lazy to lower the saddle at this point. Besides, I'm used to double course steel strings, so I'm tough!

    My main beef is with the annoying string noise from my fingers, as usual. I've even got an expensive set of Thomastik flatwound classical strings on order, for my next experiment. I suspect the lower change of tension will be immediately noticeable once again, whenever I get around to trying them. But this is how I see and hear what I like, and eventually settle on favorites...

    I can't pick with my fingers to save my life! I never know which finger to play which note with, they get all confused and jumbled, and I'm so used to a pick that I mostly use one on the baritone uke. I mostly play things that fall into the note and chord melody category (such as Bach), so the finger picking thing is quite an enigma to me! (I got a blister on my thumb from trying, though. haha!)

    I suspected that the 31U Aquilas would be short - thanks for confirming that!

    bratsche
    Last edited by bratsche; Feb-22-2017 at 7:17pm. Reason: punctuation
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  24. #93
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    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    Hi,

    Finaly I put the Aquila nygut guitar strings on the Barytone.
    The difference of sound and tension between the G and D strings and the A and E strings is a bit less noticable.
    The G and D have a little less "bass power" and the all strings sounds more well-balanced under my finger.

    Anyway, I would not say that the Aquila is better than the d'Addario because the difference is not drastic and both sound good.
    I will finaly let the Aquila because both sets seem to take lot of retuning before to stay in tune.

    What is sure is that the GDAE barytone uke is a great instrument for me and lot lot fun to play!!!

    Enjoy!
    My english is not perfect.
    Nor my french anyway...

  25. #94

    Default Re: How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

    I strung up my kala spruce top baritone uke using these pro-arte strings as described here, and it sounds and feels AMAZING... thank you so much!!

    Quote Originally Posted by padawan View Post
    Thanks in part to this thread (and research elsewhere) I now own an "Ukuzouki !"

    Instrument: Oscar Schmidt baritone ukulele, model OU5B. Because that's what they had in stock (and it sounded pretty good).

    Strings: D'Addario "Pro-Arte" EJ46 (hard tension) nylon strings (Because those are the first 'high tension' strings I found on the rack)

    Removed the baritone uke strings (will recycle as cat toys)

    Re-strung like this:

    Guitar string-------Used as Octave mandolin string
    1 (Low E)---------G
    2 (A)-------------D
    3(D)----------------Not used
    4(G)--------------A
    5(B)--------------E
    6(High E) ----------Not used


    Remember kids (who find this thread via Google search) octave mandolins are tuned to G2, D3, A3, E4 - Don't try to tune them up as high as a mandolin.

    From what I've found out you need to use use high tension strings as the normal classical guitar strings aren't up to the task.

    So far I'm loving this thing. It sounds great (to me at least). The longer scale length is messing with me but I'll get there.

    If I had a mic or decent camera I'd post a sound clip or video. For now though you'll just have to take my word for it that this is a great way to cheap out on an octave mandolin / bouzouki.

    Considering a baritone ukulele can be had for less than $100 and a set of strings is $5 or $6 you owe it to yourself to have a go at it. I can't stop grinning when I play it.



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