GCEA on a baritone, string theory

Steve in Kent

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So,

Just thinking about strings and GCEA on a baritone.

And no, I haven't got a baritone, just thinking about stuff, as you do.

I don't know much about string theory but I believe that frequency is a result of length, diameter, density, and tension.

Given that, would it not be possible to calculate for a set of baritone strings that have the same tension for a low g set of GCEA as for the original DGBE set?

And if it's possible, how do suppliers go about calculating it?
 
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It’s a mystery to me why UUers would buy a Uke, tell about how great it plays, etc, and then immediatly change it’s strings, or retune it to low G.

If one changes a baritone to GCEA, will it still be a baritone? :eek:ld:
 
It's definitely doable. Your best bet is classical guitar sets which have a range of tensions available. For example, I have the T-I CF127 set on a 19" guilele such that the top four strings are in Bb tuning, F3 Bb3 D4 G4. The strings are very comfortable at this tension so could probably go up a step to GCEA. If not, there are lower tension sets that could do it.
 
It’s a mystery to me why UUers would buy a Uke, tell about how great it plays, etc, and then immediatly change it’s strings, or retune it to low G.

If one changes a baritone to GCEA, will it still be a baritone? :eek:ld:

Yep. Think of it as a BIG TENOR.

My Kala solid spruce sounds Wonderful with light gauge strings in Low G. When I got my Pono BN-1, (DoGBonE), I made the switch more or less permanent.

Mind, it sounded Good (my playing notwithstanding) in G. But it sounds Wonderful in C
 
Well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I’ll bet there are folks out dere who bought a uke, learned to play it well, and, then, they played ‘til it looks like Trigger.

But . . . to each his/her own. If everyone thought like me, we’d really be in a mess! :eek:ld:
 
Steve my baritone is currently strung with Living Water trebles and Thomasstik-Infeld Chrome Flat wound CF27 and CF 30 basses. To my ear it's the best combination I have heard on my baritone tuned Low G. I'm not a fan of the DGBE baritone sound, too "guitaristh" for me. Strung with Low G strings my baritone really sings. As the saying goes, different strokes etc.
 
There are on-line tension calculators and formulae. You need to make sure you use the right units to go with the constants used. You may also need to understand the underlying assumptions.

Excellent, thanks.

I'll take a look around.



I think I may have confused people, I haven't got a baritone or anything, just interested in how the different string types and sizes are arrived at.

So thought I'd use using GCEA on a baritone as an example.

Short answer, with difficulty.


Think I'll go back to trying to understand the Theory of Relativity, it might be easier.
 
Aquila has a GCEA set for baritone, I got a cheapy baritone off off craigs one time and tried putting GCEA on it with a wound low G string and it sounded terrible. I restrung with Aquila baritone strings DGBE and it sounded awesome, YRMV...:D
 
Exploring various tunings and Ukulele models

Having played guitar and ukulele, I naturally prefer the warm mellow tone of the Baritone. Sadly there is little material for progressing Fingerstyle other than adapting Guitar music. That said and after terrific advice from Southernukulele I am about to adapt one of my Baritones to gCEA, simply because there is more reference material available.
Like many I wanted to progress beyond the simple basic Strumming that many clubs are restricted to (due mainly to consideration to inexperienced players). However if you really appreciate musical arrangement and wider genres, Classical, Jazz, Blues etc, then different tunings and models are part of the “Instrument Acquisition Virus” in exploring the mystery and passionof music. 😉
 
Hello guys,
I suggest to read this our FAQ N 14. It is for gut strings but soes not matter which c kind of material one employ. In the case of nylon the breacking Index is 270, 260 for Nylgut.
The product f xL (Hz of the 1st string x scale of the instrument in mt) is what can tell if a baritone can be tuned like a standard uke. The gauge afect the tension only

https://aquilacorde.com/en/early-music-faq/

Mimmo
 
I use fishing line in order to lower the tension on my ukuleles.



This fishing line is fluorocarbon, 25lbs and diameter is 0.435mm. This one is smaller than common 1st strings of ukuleles and classical guitars.
 
My Pono MBD baritone was my first ukulele, and I promptly switched it to GDAE tuning, since fifths are what I automatically think in and I wanted it as a stand-in for an octave mandolin. I use the Thomastik flatwound classical guitar 6th string for the low G. and it works great.

bratsche
 
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