minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Jan 27, 2022 23:28:12 GMT
Anyone done this? I have a mandolin, but its all kinds of bad, but I really like the tuning, and I had an idea of stringing a uke up with nylon strings but tuned to GDAE. Now, I don't think its possible with a conventional uke set because if you simply swap the first and second strings (EA) you'd get them in the wrong order. You'd have re-entrant tuning at the high end. And I'm not sure tuning an E string to a and an A string to e would work. So we'd be looking at custom sets, say, the two high strings off a classical, the B tuned down to A, and then G and C uke strings, the C tuned up to D. But again, would that work, because classical guitars have a much longer scale length than a uke. Tricky... I do have a baritone uke tho which is normally tuned DGBE...
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 28, 2022 6:31:57 GMT
Anyone done this? I have a mandolin, but its all kinds of bad, but I really like the tuning, and I had an idea of stringing a uke up with nylon strings but tuned to GDAE. Now, I don't think its possible with a conventional uke set because if you simply swap the first and second strings (EA) you'd get them in the wrong order. You'd have re-entrant tuning at the high end. And I'm not sure tuning an E string to a and an A string to e would work. So we'd be looking at custom sets, say, the two high strings off a classical, the B tuned down to A, and then G and C uke strings, the C tuned up to D. But again, would that work, because classical guitars have a much longer scale length than a uke. Tricky... I do have a baritone uke tho which is normally tuned DGBE... You also need to work on nut if you’re putting a bigger string in the top course (viewed as you play)?
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Jan 28, 2022 6:40:31 GMT
You also need to work on nut if you’re putting a bigger string in the top course (viewed as you play)? I don't think it would necessarily be a thicker string for the G...
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 28, 2022 6:50:43 GMT
That will make it easier Don’t know if this helps find the right strings? ukulele.de/RISAdata/StringGauge.html Then you can either butcher a suitable set or find somewhere that sells individual strings.
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Post by forestdweller on Jan 28, 2022 7:18:17 GMT
Go to the Southern Ukulele Store website doen here in Bournemouth. They do specific sets just for this purpose. It's definitely a thing but was warned the intonation made end up being a bit out. Robbie
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Jan 28, 2022 7:59:32 GMT
Go to the Southern Ukulele Store website doen here in Bournemouth. They do specific sets just for this purpose. It's definitely a thing but was warned the intonation made end up being a bit out. Robbie I bought some picks from them recently.
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Jan 28, 2022 8:02:27 GMT
That will make it easier Don’t know if this helps find the right strings? ukulele.de/RISAdata/StringGauge.html Then you can either butcher a suitable set or find somewhere that sells individual strings. Err...
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jan 28, 2022 11:47:31 GMT
George Hinchciffe (UOGB) frequently uses a tenor uke tuned in fourths (with something like DAEB) to increase the range and to facilitate tune playing.
Your existing top string should tune OK to B, only two frets up, as "English" uke tuning does that anyway. The second string is unchanged at E. You'll need to be more creative for the 3rd and 4th strings though. Perhaps a normal lowG could be the third string at A, and the 4th string (unless re-entrant, which rules out tune playing) could prob be sourced among baritone strings. Probably some nut fettling will be in order.
Bear in mind that if you take a string from a longer scale instrument and put it on a shorter scale it will not be able to play the lowest pitch it was designed for without being floppy or unplayable. You'll need to guestimate and experiment a bit.
Hopefully I'm not talking total ballcocks here, although it is a possibility.
keith
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minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
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Post by minorkey on Jan 28, 2022 13:25:43 GMT
Does such an instrument, a single course GDAE tuned ukealin, exist in the wild? I know electric mandos often have a single course ...
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minorkey
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My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
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Post by minorkey on Jan 31, 2022 9:12:21 GMT
I've been doing some hunting and posting and found a reply on mandolin cafe, in which a member uses 4 strings from a classical set to give GDAE on a concert uke and CGDA on a baritone. Might try that with my baritone, take the strings off my old classical, see how it works
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minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
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Post by minorkey on Jan 31, 2022 10:40:17 GMT
Success! Took the 5th 4th 2nd and 1st strings off my classical and strung up the baritone uke to CGDA-mandola tuning! Ideally it wants new strings, they've been on the classical since 2015 but not played much. The 2nd string (D) sounds a bit dead. But its still very playable!
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