Metal strings?

anthonyg said:
The playing is very good. The thing is. The instrument is a cavaquinho which are built to use steel strings. It may look like a ukulele but its not a ukulele. If you want to buy a steel string ukulele, then go and buy a cavaquinho.

Anthony
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I'm pretty sure braguesa put the cavaquino strings on a soprano ukulele?

"I tried that string change on a cheap ukulele."

"Soprano ukulele has the same string length, so it's compatible."

"I tuned my ukulele a fifth higher and it sounds very good, maybe a little brighter."
 
Dan Gleibitz said:
I'm pretty sure braguesa put the cavaquino strings on a soprano ukulele?

"I tried that string change on a cheap ukulele."

"Soprano ukulele has the same string length, so it's compatible."

"I tuned my ukulele a fifth higher and it sounds very good, maybe a little brighter."
Click to expand...

Yes, I think Anthony didn't get the point...
 
braguesa said:
Yes, I think Anthony didn't get the point...
Click to expand...

Well surprise me with more information. I don't think you have a ukulele. I think you have an old cavaquinho.

Its a fundamental principle that steel and nylon strings don't mix. A builder has to decide at the start of the construction process which strings they are using and build accordingly. There are significant differences in how heavy the construction will be and whether the saddle will be perpendicular or slanted.

I HAVE seen people play guitars that were designed for nylon strings fitted with steel strings. It kind of works except the intonation is terrible. I guess some people just don't hear the intonation (pitch) problems. Instruments built for nylon strings will eventually warp under the stress of steel strings but this doesn't happen immediately. It could take a couple of months to become an issue.

SO your saying that you can just fit steel strings to a soprano ukulele. I want a lot more information on what you have before supporting this recommendation.
 
anthonyg said:
Well surprise me with more information. I don't think you have a ukulele. I think you have an old cavaquinho.

Its a fundamental principle that steel and nylon strings don't mix. A builder has to decide at the start of the construction process which strings they are using and build accordingly. There are significant differences in how heavy the construction will be and whether the saddle will be perpendicular or slanted.

I HAVE seen people play guitars that were designed for nylon strings fitted with steel strings. It kind of works except the intonation is terrible. I guess some people just don't hear the intonation (pitch) problems. Instruments built for nylon strings will eventually warp under the stress of steel strings but this doesn't happen immediately. It could take a couple of months to become an issue.

SO your saying that you can just fit steel strings to a soprano ukulele. I want a lot more information on what you have before supporting this recommendation.
Click to expand...

Like I said, this is an Ukulele I just changed strings! Well, I bought it as an Ukulele, it's a Mahalo Les Paul Cutaway. Intonation is not a problem, has you can hear on the video.
I have it like this for years without any warping at all.
 
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Anthony is correct that the bracing and saddle have to be different for instruments that use steel strings than for instruments that use nylon strings. I have two custom instruments that use steel strings -- a Compass Rose baritone and a tenor ukulele built for steel strings by guitar luthier Bruce Sexauer. MY steel string CR baritone has a nyliong string twin (tuned GCEA an octave lower than tenor) and Rick Truner expressly warned me that bad things would happen if I put steel strings on the baritone built for nylon strings because the baritone built for nylon strings had insufficient bracing to withstand the tension of steel strings. I was also told by both Rick and Bruce told that using nylon strings on the instruments built for steel strings wouldn't be a good idea because the heavier bracing for steel strings would result in a very muted sound with nylon.

My understanding of the Southcoast strings is that they are as close as you can get to a steel string sound with a nylon string instrument. Maybe Dirk will see this thread and weigh in on how the Southcoast strings work.

I have thought about trying steel strings on an incredibly cheap instrument so that when I ruin it my loss will be monetarily small. It's possible that the Mahalo soprano uke has survived steel strings because very inexpensive ukuleles are notoriously overbuilt (heavy bracing, unnecessarily thick soundboard), but I wouldn't be surprised if someday the bridge just flew off the soundboard from the increased tension of steel strings.

I think the idea of getting one of those Pono steel string baritone ukuleles is a good idea if you don't mind the scale of a baritone (as I understand it, these Ponos have a smaller scale than typical tenor guitars), and I imagine you could find strings to tune it GCEA if you wanted.
 
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mds725 said:
Anthony is correct that the bracing and saddle have to be different for instruments that use steel strings than for instruments that use nylon strings. I have two custom instruments that use steel strings -- a Compass Rose baritone and a tenor ukulele built for steel strings by guitar luthier Bruce Sexauer. MY steel string CR baritone has a nyliong string twin (tuned GCEA an octave lower than tenor) and Rick Truner expressly warned me that bad things would happen if I put steel strings on the baritone built for nylon strings because the baritone built for nylon strings had insufficient bracing to withstand the tension of steel strings. I was also told by both Rick and Bruce told that using nylon strings on the instruments built for steel strings wouldn't be a good idea because the heavier bracing for steel strings would result in a very muted sound with nylon.

My understanding of the Southcoast strings is that they are as close as you can get to a steel string sound with a nylon string instrument. Maybe Dirk will see this thread and weigh in on how the Southcoast strings work.

I have thought about trying steel strings on an incredibly cheap instrument so that when I ruin it my loss will be monetarily small. It's possible that the Mahalo soprano uke has survived steel strings because very inexpensive ukuleles are notoriously overbuilt (heavy bracing, unnecessarily thick soundboard), but I wouldn't be surprised if someday the bridge just flew off the soundboard from the increased tension of steel strings.

I think the idea of getting one of those Pono steel string baritone ukuleles is a good idea if you don't mind the scale of a baritone (as I understand it, these Ponos have a smaller scale than typical tenor guitars), and I imagine you could find strings to tune it GCEA if you wanted.
Click to expand...

Portuguese cavaquinho steel strings are REALLY low tension!
 
Try one of the "ukulele like" South American instruments designed for metal strings such as cavaquinho, braguina, charango, etc.
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
Try one of the "ukulele like" South American instruments designed for metal strings such as cavaquinho, braguina, charango, etc.
Click to expand...

Brasilian cavaquinho is a different instrument, super high tension strings not to be fingered/strummed with fingers, it will hurt you for good!!!
Braguinha is nylon stringed and not south american, it's portuguese.
 
braguesa said:
I tried that string change on a cheap ukulele. You know, portuguese cavaquinho has very, very low string tension so we can pick/strum it with fingers. The main difference is that ukulele has a soundboard raised scale while portuguese cavaquinho is at soundboard level. Soprano ukulele has the same string lengh, so it's compatible. I tuned my ukulele a fifth higher and it sounds very good, maybe a little brighter. To get an idea, once i bought a ukulele case for my cavaquinho and it fitted perfectly well!!!
I made a video of that for testing purposes, on this video I used the irig acoustic mic with some reverb added, I seems like it distorts a little when strumming has the irig acoustic does not grab perfectly on soundboard:
https://youtu.be/pGpQxoNt7VM
Click to expand...

So are these cavaquinho string set installed on the Mahalo soprano? or did you use specific gauges of guitar strings?

If the cavaquinho set, can you share the brand and model? I would like to try this too, knowing full well that I may have to modify the saddle for proper intonation.

Thanks in advance. :)
 
Booli said:
So are these cavaquinho string set installed on the Mahalo soprano? or did you use specific gauges of guitar strings?

If the cavaquinho set, can you share the brand and model? I would like to try this too, knowing full well that I may have to modify the saddle for proper intonation.

Thanks in advance. :)
Click to expand...

Brand name is "Dragão" and you can find it here:
https://www.thomann.de/pt/dragao_ca...search_rslt_cordas+dragao+cavaquinho_360998_5
note that they sell strings with the same gauge because there are different tunings. mine is DABE, so I use .009,.010,.010,.009. I think any brand will work when using this gauge.
 
braguesa said:
Brand name is "Dragão" and you can find it here:
https://www.thomann.de/pt/dragao_ca...search_rslt_cordas+dragao+cavaquinho_360998_5
note that they sell strings with the same gauge because there are different tunings. mine is DABE, so I use .009,.010,.010,.009. I think any brand will work when using this gauge.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info and link.

Do you know if they make any metal cavaquinho strings for GCEA uke tuning?

What about for fifths tuning GDAE like mandolin but low tension for uke?

I dont want to buy a mandolin or cavaquinho right now.
 
Booli said:
Thanks for the info and link.

Do you know if they make any metal cavaquinho strings for GCEA uke tuning?

What about for fifths tuning GDAE like mandolin but low tension for uke?

I dont want to buy a mandolin or cavaquinho right now.
Click to expand...

It works like this, you can tune as you like, as long as you maintain a "high tuning". You can tune like a mandolin but de G and D string has to be tuned an octave higher.
I think they do not make steel string set for ukulele, such a gauge would loose its bright tone, I think.
Reedit: I think I didn't get it right, on ukulele you can use a mandoin tuning, of course, as long as you use a very low tension set of strings...
 
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OK, thanks for the clarifications.

Personally what I think you have done is convert a soprano ukulele into a cavaquinho. Its not really a steel string ukulele in that it can't handle regular gCEA tuning.

As all the strings are the same light gauge then the intonation won't even be that bad. You still run the risk of ripping the bridge off one day but so far so good.

ANthony
 
Hi there !

I have a Beltona Tenor resonator that I would like to try steel strings with.

Apparently, vintage National resonator ukuleles originally (or at least some) shipped with steel strings - and National sold steel strings for ukuleles - so, at least for resonators, using steel strings for ukuleles should be OK.

Steve Evans, who makes the wonderful fibreglass resonator ukuleles (and guitars, and he used to make them all with metal bodies, like vintage Nationals), offers his ukuleles with steel strings, as an option.
He advised me to send my uke to him and he will do the necessary changes - including, he said needing better tuners - specifically the Gotoh Planetary tuners with 1:4 ratio, as simple friction-fit 1:1 tuners will not hold the tuning of steel strings well enough.

So, anyone out there playing a National uke with steel strings care to comment for me ?

Many thanks !
 
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