Baritone tuning on a tenor ukulele?

Inksplosive AL

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Ive spent a few days researching string thicknesses and tension etc and realize I'm not learning anything at all.

As I have a heavily built tenor from Vietnam that sits unused I have thought of either tuning it to an open chord and trying to play slide on it, entertaining the idea of making a DIY resonator out of it or just tuning it to a baritone to use it to accompany myself on recordings. The easiest is likely to be what happens.

Thoughts? I think I read somewhere to just use the four lower strings from a light classic guitar set but I'm uncertain.

Any thoughts, ideas, comments or complaints? All are welcomed.

~AL~
 
I have a set of Martin Baritone strings on my Tenor, and I have it tuned as a Bariton at the moment, it is just a little bit floppier then it would be on a real Bariton I guess but it works for me.
The video below was recorded with that Uke tuned that way (it has also some other noises so maybe it is not as easy to hear ;)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPH66p3WU4U
 
Living Waters makes a nice set of flourocarbons in both linear DGBE and reentrant dGBE for tenor. I have used both and liked them. I also have used light classical Savarez, but only on my Bari.
 
Southcoast has a reentrant dGBE for tenor as well. I have it on my tenor banjolele right now.
 
I also have DGBE baritone strings on tenor tuned DGBE. Same as mommen. The strings are a bit floppier than on a baritone but it works just fine.

Also my experience with Bruceweiart and Taisamlu ukulele's from Vietnam is that they aren't so much overbuilt as they are young. They often need 12 months to find their voice.

Anthony
 
Several string manufacturers make reentrant G6 sets for tenors—it used to be a more common tuning for tenor than it is nowadays. You should be able to special-order sets from your local suppliers. If you like Aquilas, try the 11U Nylgut "High-D" (reentrant G6) tenor set, which can be ordered from stringsbymail.com or Elderly Instruments, among other places.
 
Craig Chee and I worked together to get a set made up. I sent him a bunch of strings, he strung them up, we talked, tweaked, rinse and repeat. He usually has a couple sets for sale if you catch him at one of his and Sarah's clinics and/or concerts.
 
Aquila makes Dgbe or DGBE sets for tenors. If you really want a rich sound, convert it to cuatro tuning....low d is a low d string, The lowered A is a d string pulle up one interval Aquila has them as singles, and I am sure Dirk atSouthCoast also sells single low g strings. [i have a cuatro tuned soprano... does it ever get the comments and requests to try it!!]
 
I keep a tenor dGBE and a baritone GCEA. The tenor is deep enough to work with my baritone voice and gives me a nice handy change of keys when I want a lower pitch.

The same fingering always work, the names are just different. Southcoast string sets all the way.
 
Ive spent a few days researching string thicknesses and tension etc and realize I'm not learning anything at all.

Thoughts? I think I read somewhere to just use the four lower strings from a light classic guitar set but I'm uncertain.

Any thoughts, ideas, comments or complaints? All are welcomed. ~AL~
When you researched string thicknesses did you consider that For a given String Nylon strings are Two sizes larger than fluorocarbons? And that Fluorocarbons are x Sizes larger than Steel Strings. That might make things clearer?
 
Southcoast has a reentrant dGBE for tenor as well. I have it on my tenor banjolele right now.

Hey Jim,

What is the string tension like? I really like Southcoast strings and would consider this for a tenor uke I have ... cheers!
 
Craig Chee and I worked together to get a set made up. I sent him a bunch of strings, he strung them up, we talked, tweaked, rinse and repeat. He usually has a couple sets for sale if you catch him at one of his and Sarah's clinics and/or concerts.

What is the tension like? And is there a wound 3rd included in the set? I know both he and Sarah sell them on their sites.
 
First, in response to Sam, we have three sets that are rated for a reentrant G tuning on a standard 17" Tenor scale. Go to our String Sets page - it will explain the tension charts. The newer set - the Extra Heavy Gauge - is quite a bit different than the usual reentrant Ukulele set, but is the only way to go if you like a firm tension for this set-up. The differences are substantial enough that we wrote a String Tips newsletter on it, and you'll find it archived on the Tips page.

Still, in response to the OPs query, I wouldn't go this way with an instrument like he is describing. A deep, heavy stringing on a heavily built less than responsive instrument is not a successful combination for most. I'd go for a different sound.

You mentioned Open Tuning with a slide. We make a series of Open Tuning sets, and one of these is with our Classical Metals. On that 17" scale, the tuning would be g c' e' g'. The classical metals have a bright sound, and in that set-up, a relatively high tension. Being flat wound and noise free, they're perfect for slide. They should really liven up an instrument like you describe. I think you'd like that solution best. The set is called the HMO-CM (Heavy Medium Open - Classical Metal).

P.D: BTW, forget about the "string diameter" studies. It will get you nowhere. There's a letter on the Tips page about that subject as well.
 
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