Baritone low-D in a tenor ukulele

khs10uk

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Thought I would try something a bit bonkers.

I used Aquila 11U strings (3 Nylgut string with a red string for the low G) for tenor DGBE, high-D ... and put them on in a different order to get a low-D tuning.

E goes where you would expect. Re-entrant D goes on next for the B. The B goes where the G should go, and the red string goes on for the low-D. This means that all the strings have a lower tension than they should have (except the E, of course). (I.e., gauges get thinner from G-B-E, and the heavier red string takes up the low-D.)

For what I am playing, slow jazz chords and bit of classical guitar fakery, this is astonishingly effective. I have never heard this sound before. I have tried this on a Kala travel tenor, and the lower pitch/range makes it sound very different, but beautiful.

So having failed to find a set of strings for low-D baritone tuning on a tenor, I just took matters into my own hand, and bent the high-D tuning to my own will. I suppose I could I have tried an ordinary low-D baritone set of strings, but all I could find was sets with two wound strings ... and I have really gone off wound strings ...
 
Worth Brown Baritone strings, or Fremont Bari-Tenor strings work well. But for a tenor I found a Fremont Soloist works for a low D on a tenor. I know it's wound, but it's not too rough on the fingers.
 
Thought I would try something a bit bonkers.

I used Aquila 11U strings (3 Nylgut string with a red string for the low G) for tenor DGBE, high-D ... and put them on in a different order to get a low-D tuning.

E goes where you would expect. Re-entrant D goes on next for the B. The B goes where the G should go, and the red string goes on for the low-D. This means that all the strings have a lower tension than they should have (except the E, of course). (I.e., gauges get thinner from G-B-E, and the heavier red string takes up the low-D.)

For what I am playing, slow jazz chords and bit of classical guitar fakery, this is astonishingly effective. I have never heard this sound before. I have tried this on a Kala travel tenor, and the lower pitch/range makes it sound very different, but beautiful.

So having failed to find a set of strings for low-D baritone tuning on a tenor, I just took matters into my own hand, and bent the high-D tuning to my own will. I suppose I could I have tried an ordinary low-D baritone set of strings, but all I could find was sets with two wound strings ... and I have really gone off wound strings ...

Here is a set from Aquila with no wound strings.
Aquila 89U Baritone Ukulele String Set, New Nylgut, No Wound Strings
PS: Dec. 1st. I must retract what I wrote regarding no wound strings on Aquila 89U set. There are 2 wound strings and 2 red strings.
D .028" wound in white envelope, G .031" wound in green envelope, B .031" in blue envelope, E .024" in red envelope.
 
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Hello khs10uk,
I thought I should add that the Aquila 89U baritone packet had been opened by someone before me.
This prompts me to ask this question regarding the wound strings D and G. The .028" wound and the .031" wound are perhaps not in the correct envelopes. To my way of thinking they should be the opposites. ie. The .028" on G and the .031" on D.
Any input from knowledgable baritone enthusiasts would be greatly appreciated. Jim.
 
More info for khs10uk. Aquila 21U baritone set.........
D wound .82mm = .032", G wound .90mm = .035", B .88mm = .032", E .67mm = .026". This is the end. giggle.
 
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