Dumb Question

Papa Tom · Nov 28, 2015

I have a First Act mini guitar (about the size of a baritone uke) sitting around the house. I'm thinking it might be fun to pick up a set of baritone strings, throw 'em on four consecutive slots across the neck, and make myself a bari uke to goof around with.

Has anybody done this?

UkieOkie · Nov 28, 2015

We rehabed a busted up little mini guitar and turned it into a soprano ukulele. We re-filed the nut so that the four strings were properly spaced up top. However the tie slots at the bridge didn't allow for any change in postion so there is a slight gap on that end between the strings. It works and is playable, but really needs a new bridge. It usually stays in my truck floorboard. I can be seen playing it at stoplights occassionally. ;-)

So yes I have done something similar and we have had fun with it.

kypfer · Nov 28, 2015

I found a "Crafter Cruiser" mini-stratocaster-look-alike electric guitar in a charity shop only yesterday. It's got a similar scale-length to my baritone, about 19".

I stripped it down, removed the rusty strings, cleaned the noisy electrics, fitted some replacement strings, adjusted the truss-rod, filed the nut and set up the bridge and pickups last evening.

It plays well, I haven't decided what it's final configuration might be, but at least I know it works if I decide to go for an electric ukulele or maybe an electric tenor guitar, though the six-pole strat-style pickups will need to be changed if I use the full width of the neck for just four strings

Papa Tom · Nov 28, 2015

>>>>However the tie slots at the bridge didn't allow for any change in postion so there is a slight gap on that end between the strings.<<<<

It seems there might be a pretty large gap at the bridge end if you spread the strings out at the nut. Is it playable? Does the gap diminish as you get near the hole or the base of the neck?

Jim Hanks · Nov 28, 2015

Need more info. What is the scale length? Steel strings or nylon?

UkerDrew · Nov 28, 2015

Papa Tom said:
I have a First Act mini guitar (about the size of a baritone uke) sitting around the house. I'm thinking it might be fun to pick up a set of baritone strings, throw 'em on four consecutive slots across the neck, and make myself a bari uke to goof around with.

Has anybody done this?

It's possible but my sister bought one of those as a starter guitar for her daughter. that thing wouldn't play in tune if you had it running through an auto-tune device. I ran out and found them a Yamaha 3/4 size that could actually be played as soon as I tried it. Why torture yourself?

One of these eBay grab bag bari's for 40 bucks would be light years better.

Xtradust · Nov 28, 2015

I have a mini electric guitar that someone turned into a "piccolo bass." It had a strat style head, so he cut off the top two tuners and put 4 bass tuners on it. He changed out the bridge and put an adjustable 4 string bridge on it, with "bass strings" and he changed out the pick up. I think that's it. Long story short, it is awesome! I brought it to my friend who teaches bass and he loved it and wanted to buy it. He was shocked that it "the harmonics are perfect and all tones are right."

Here's a pic (sorry about the quality)

UkieOkie · Nov 28, 2015

Papa Tom said:
>>>>However the tie slots at the bridge didn't allow for any change in postion so there is a slight gap on that end between the strings.<<<<

It seems there might be a pretty large gap at the bridge end if you spread the strings out at the nut. Is it playable? Does the gap diminish as you get near the hole or the base of the neck?

Yes the gap diminishes as you move towards the neck. It's actually very playable.

KohanMike · Nov 28, 2015

I converted a 22" scale Epiphone Les Paul Express electric guitar to a small bass and use it with my ukulele group. Replaced the standard tuners with bass tuners, replaced the nut with a bass nut, replaced the strings with bass nylon coated flat wound, replaced the chrome bridge with a black bass bridge, drilled holes in the tail to allow the 30" strings to work with 22" scale. Came out great and my bass teacher also was very impressed with it. All in for about $200.

original guitar

my converted bass

Papa Tom · Nov 28, 2015

It's a 3/4 length. I don't want to work as hard as some of you have suggested, though. I think i will just throw four extra long ukulele strings (G-C-E-A) on the bottom four slots and see what happens. Thanks!

Jim Hanks · Nov 28, 2015

Hmm, I did a quick search for 3/4 size guitar and most have a scale length around 22" (570mm). If that's so, you don't want to use anything designed for a ukulele. Or at least you don't want to tune them up to uke pitch. If you are aiming for DGBE baritone tuning, I imagine you'd want to use the middle four strings of the guitar set - or maybe the top four. What is tuning of the guitar? A to A? E to E? If the former, middle four should work. If the latter, the top four are already there.

Papa Tom · Nov 29, 2015

That would be great advice if I were a guitar player, but despite about seven years playing the uke, I have very limited guitar skills. My main instrument, which I played professionally for most of my life, is drums. As a drummer, my small motor coordination is not quite sharp enough to handle six strings placed so closely together, but I can get around a uke pretty well. That's why I figured I could make something playable out of this guitar that I somehow inherited or found in the garbage (I forgot!).

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