Eac#f#

Blackdog131

Blackdog131

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Just recieved my Islander MAT-4 Tenor courtesy of Southern Ukulele store (Brilliant customer service 11/10).
Been playing around with defferent tuning and love the feel and sound of EAC#F#. GCEA and just felt horrid! can you get really low tension strings that would have the feel of the lower tuning but at GCEA? I ask only as i'm soon be joining a group and Im sure they'll be no place for that tuning there.

I'm aware i can transpose or Capo the third but just wouldnt have the same feel.
 
God, I'm a fan of alternative turnings, but that tuning must be flabby as hell, BD. Lol.

I doubt there are such strings that permit non-flabby, non-high wire act at both GCEA and that two step down thingy, but I'm all ears to anybody that knows of such so that I, too, can emulate my guitar heros on my uke.

PS Good point about your uke group, who will likely look at you with that tuning as a vegetarian at a butcher's convention.
 
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Not really on one of my ukes steve, it had high tension strings that were too brash and bright. In this tuning for
This particular uke it warmed the tone and was not floppy. I tried on several other ukes but they were floppy on those.
 
E,A,C#,F# is my standard tuning. Tenor ukuleles sound great detuned 3 semitones in my view. Playing with groups? I take a different ukulele.

Anthony
 
I use that tuning on my tenor Koa Fluke. Martin M620 strings are the way to go since the C or 3rd string is 0.034" and is the thickest for this position in ANY of the 35+ branded packaged string sets I've tried and the M620's are what I use for that tuning on tenor scale. I tried stealing a low G 0.0358" unwound fluro string from a Worth low-g set and it had a dangerous amount of tension along with almost no sustain. I removed it immediately.

The trick to getting this lower tuning with the M620 strings is NOT to tune up to GCEA at all, otherwise if you tune down after, you wont have enough tension since you've already stretched the strings too much. If you use a fresh set of M620's right out of the package, they will both hold tune at E-A-C#-F# and NOT be too flabby/floppy.

To solve the problem of needing certain tunings, well, that is a reason for UAS, as per my signature below. LOL. :)
 
GHS make a set of string for a a tenor scale length that can be tuned to a baritone DGBE. I believe they are called Craig Chee model, HMS sells them as I am sure others do. Since DGBE is very close to E A C# F# they would be very well suited to your tenor. I have a baritone tuned to E A C# F# and love it.

After rereading your question I think we missed your point. You want strings with the "low tension feel" that you are getting from your alternate tuning when they are tuned up to GCEA. I can't help you as I like high tension strings so that is what I seek out, maybe someone else can.

I know if I put soprano gauge strings on a concert the tension feels lower. Maybe try concert gauge strings on your tenor.
 
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DownUpDave said:
I know if I put soprano gauge strings on a concert the tension feels lower. Maybe try concert gauge strings on your tenor.
Click to expand...

that seems counterintuitive...:confused:
 
DownUpDave said:
GHS make a set of string for a a tenor scale length that can be tuned to a baritone DGBE. I believe they are called Craig Chee model, HMS sells them as I am sure others do. Since DGBE is very close to E A C# F# they would be very well suited to your tenor. I have a baritone tuned to E A C# F# and love it.
Click to expand...

The strings can also be purchased directly from Craig.
No connection, but I purchased a couple sets of Sarah's strings from the site. There's a video on the site so you can hear them.
 
I've used that tuning on a Treholippee that I break out every Halloween to play Season of the Witch.
 
I think what you're after is the Southcoast LU (or SLU) set: http://www.southcoastukes.com/ukulele.htm
If you really want "really low" you could try the XLU (or SXLU) but I think that would be too low tension for gCEA.
 
UkerDanno said:
that seems counterintuitive...:confused:
Click to expand...

It might seem counterintuitive but you are using a thinner gauge string designed to hold less tension. Just like Jim above recommending South Coast Light or Extra Lights, same idea because those are a thinner gauge string.

South Coasts website goes into great detail about picking the proper gauge of string to give you the tension you want.
 
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I tune my tenors DGBE using Worth CF strings. The tension is similar to a soprano in standard tuning with regular fluorocarbon strings (Worth clears or Living Water) or maybe a little lower. They should be fine tuned up to EAC#F#. I don't like the tension of a tenor tuned GCEA and I prefer the sound of a tenor in a lower tuning.
 
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