Low d DGBE for tenor: possible?

Kimosabe

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Does anyone have experience with a standard baritone tuning on a tenor?

I have a Pono chambered body electric that I'd like to string like a baritone if possible.

I have two baritone acoustics, one high d and one low d.

The baritone tuning suits my baritone voice.

I've tried to research it but can't find any sets other than high d.

Much obliged I'm sure!
 
I suggest that you contact Dirk at South Coast Strings. If anyone would have the set you desire, he would.
 
Its certainly possible. I have a set of standard DGBE Baritone strings on a Tenor ukulele. It works for me. The tension is low and the sound is mellow but it does work. Just put a standard set of baritone stings on the ukulele. Tune it DGBE and see what you think.

Anthony
 
Hi, I went through the same search for a low d for my tenor banjolele without any luck at all. Finally I tuned it with the high D but, later, changed to another tuning. Then, just today, I re-tuned it back to DGBE.

A few UUers suggested using other strings (I don't remember what instruments.), but I didn't want to bother. :eek:ld:
 
I've done a fair amount of experimenting with this with my Kanile'a for this tuning.

The result that I love is:
D = Martin baritone wound low D string.
G = Martin baritone wound G string.
B = Aquila super nylgut tenor C string tuned down to B.
E = Aquila super nylgut tenor A string tuned down to E.

I must have tried gazillions of different options to get to this with surprising results e.g. Aquila tenor A tuned down sounding better than Aquila E for the E string.

I also tried the Aquila DGBE strings for tenor but they didn't work for me.

I'm just sharing what I found BUT I only used combinations of things I had in my cupboard; you might want to try the Living Water, Chee Maisel or Southcoast bespoke sets first! It's a lot easier!

I do love the sound of DGBE on a tenor. It's especially nice for jazz. Lyle Ritz stuff plays a dream in this tuning (though he used re-entrant.)

Matt
 
There have been at least two threads on this very recently so see if you can look back in the forums. It is possible but not common. I love Southcoast but I doubt that is an option here. Dirk doesn't even like low D on a baritone body. :)
 
Thanks, Matty. I'll try your recipe and experiment as well. Yes, I have seen both Gordon and Doc's videos. I have also searched Dirk's sets, and am familiar with the Chee/Maisel dGBE set. I was just wondering whether I had missed a set that has been perfected. It seems Aguila has a set that promotes itself as a DGBE set, but really it is a high d.

Matty and Doc B seem to have the most direct experience. Thanks.
 
...you could get a set and put a low D with them, I like the tension
 
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Well, I tuned my Gold Tone banjolele to DGBE again, and, again, I don't like it at all. The low G is boomy and the tone has got a "hollow" sound that I don't care for. It's tone was great until the strings settled in. I read somewhere that Ukes just don't sound good down low, and I agreed when I read it and changed from DGBE. Buuuut, then I decided to give it another try.

Soooo, it's back to the drawing board. I really don't understand what's in our uke'n minds that makes us change everything. Why can't we just leave well enough alone? It might be different, if we knew what we were doin'.

Now I gotta change strings again--Ahhh, well . . . :eek:ld:
 
Well, I tuned my Gold Tone banjolele to DGBE again, and, again, I don't like it at all. The low G is boomy and the tone has got a "hollow" sound that I don't care for. It's tone was great until the strings settled in. I read somewhere that Ukes just don't sound good down low, and I agreed when I read it and changed from DGBE. Buuuut, then I decided to give it another try.

Soooo, it's back to the drawing board. I really don't understand what's in our uke'n minds that makes us change everything. Why can't we just leave well enough alone? It might be different, if we knew what we were doin'.

Now I gotta change strings again--Ahhh, well . . . :eek:ld:

I think you need a wooden/laminate uke to make the tuning work. A banjolele is different.
 
You may be correct, but I have another idea.

Whenever I've had a boomy string before, I've noticed that it didn't boom when I finger picked but only when I strummed. Well, I'll just use my banjolele to learn some Clawhammer tunes I've been putting off and--viola!--save the day!

Or . . . just use this idea to keep from having to change strings again . . . :eek:ld:
 
Well, I'll just use my banjolele to learn some Clawhammer tunes I've been putting off and--viola!--save the day!

Actually, I think it will still be a banjolele, and that restringing won't turn it into a viola.
 
Out of desperation or in a moment of inspiration I picked up my very nice Pono Tenor Electric and tuned it down to DGBE. I expected the strings to flop around and for my hands to get caught in the strings. Well, low and behold, it ain't so. The tension is actually very pleasant as is the sound.

So, a major discovery I've made this year is that there's much more leeway in the tuning of your strings. I use South Coast and Aguila.

Let's make sure we understand the basics: the third string is the name of the tuning! So, if you play baritone consider tuning it G, G#/Ab/, A, A#/Bb. That all depends on what's best for your voice or the resonance of your instrument.

Of course, you don't want to break off the neck of your instrument, or lose an eye from a broken string. I haven't broken any necks or lost any eyes with those tunings.

And with tenors, tuning down from C to G or anywhere in between only involves the chance of tripping over your strings if they're dangling on the floor.

Just do it!
 
Kimosabe, in the third paragraph of your post. I have no idea what you're talking about.

"Baritone tuning" is indeed the key of G, but it's Hi D GBE! I think "tuning down" would make the strings very floppy. :eek:ld:
 
Explaining tuning

Kimosabe, in the third paragraph of your post. I have no idea what you're talking about.

"Baritone tuning" is indeed the key of G, but it's Hi D GBE! I think "tuning down" would make the strings very floppy. :eek:ld:

Going from G to G# is raising the tuning a half step higher than standard baritone tuning. Raising it to A is a full step higher.

Dirk of South Coast talks of how the optimal tuning for the resonance of a baritone is not the G tuning. It's higher.

I was referring to the name of the tuning, the pitch of the third string.
 
This has become an interesting thread to me since I just happened to find a nice Harmony baritone and I am really enjoying it. Finally found what it's like to play a baritone.

So, I have a 18" tenor that is not getting much use at the moment. Has anyone taken the A-D-G-B strings from a classical guitar string set and used them on a tenor tuned as D-G-B-E?

John
 
Well, Kimosabe, I still don't understand, but it doesn't really matter, I guess. Maybe you're on a different level from me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy whatever you're talking about.

Dirk posted me a long time ago. He's the one who told me that low, low tones weren't best for ukuleles. Something about the size of the body. But I had the strings and decided to try it again. Maybe the strings'll sound better when I'm clawhammering, and I won't have to change.

Anyway, good luck on your Uke Journey! :eek:ld:
 
I tuned my high-tension high G Southcoast stringset in my Covered Bridge tenor down to reentrant dGBE this past morning. I played it several times during the entire day. It "works", but is not nearly as pleasant sounding as my two baritone ukes with dedicated baritone strings when I play them side-to-side.

The down-tuned tenor strings are "muddy", with less string-to-string distinction than the strings on my baritone. Also, the G string of the dGBE-tuned tenor strings has sustain that is longer and out of proportion to the other three strings; this is not the case on the "proper" baritone sets.

So, yeah, I agree with the notion from Mr. Hanks that it's possible--technically, on my tuner, it's baritone dGBE on my tenor, and using tenor strings--but it's not common, and now I know why. I'd have to break out my galoshes every time I'd want to wade into the muck. Lol.

It's akin to putting Prius tires on a Corvette. Is it possible? Yes. Is it pleasant to drive? No. Lol.

Ymmv. Just my take. (And I'd have thought if any strings would have been successful,mit would have been, in fact, the Soiuthcoat High Tension tenor set...it's the highest tension set they make, dont know the lettering nomenclature)
 
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Actually, I think it will still be a banjolele, and that restringing won't turn it into a viola.

LOL Davey, you made me bust a gut laughing.
I just restrung a tenor uke with the dGBE set that Craig Chee uses. They are from GHS strings.
I think it sounds pretty darn good.
 
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