6 or 8'er as a 4 string?

FromTheWayside

FromTheWayside

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Hi guys -

I have a somewhat obvious question for you regarding six and 8 string ukuleles. As the player, you can pick how many strings you want to put on your instrument, so long as the instrument allows it (i.e. you can't put on six strings if you only have 4 tuning pegs!). My question is this - does anyone have any experience with stringing up a 6 or 8'er as a 4 string? If that 6 or 8 string happened to be a concert or tenor, would it feel different from a 4 stringed concert / tenor? It seems like the strings might be (slightly) further apart, and the instrument might be a bit heavier...but other than that, I can't think of any downsides to doing this...

Thoughts?

Thanks everyone! :D
 
I can't think of anything wrong with doing this at all. However, I use the 4, 6 or 8 string for different tunes. For example my 8 string has a lot of bass so I play songs on it - like Golf Coast Highway, Nance Griffith to get the bass sound into the mix.
 
nohandles said:
I can't think of anything wrong with doing this at all. However, I use the 4, 6 or 8 string for different tunes. For example my 8 string has a lot of bass so I play songs on it - like Golf Coast Highway, Nance Griffith to get the bass sound into the mix.
Click to expand...

Ah, okay. I sort of figured that 4, 6, and 8 string ukes would all be for different purposes. I think it's nice to have a choice on how to use your uke, though. If you want your 8 to be a 4, you can, and vice versa.

Full disclosure - I'm asking because I want to get an 8, but no stores in my area stock them, except on special order. I want to make sure that even if I don't like an 8 string, I'll still have a uke I'll love to play.

Thanks for your response, by the way!
 
One thing to consider, an eight string model is probably built a little heavier to accomodate the extra string tension. You might lose a little volume in going to four strings. You can correct for this somewhat by using heavier gauge strings.

Brad
 
Bradford said:
One thing to consider, an eight string model is probably built a little heavier to accomodate the extra string tension. You might lose a little volume in going to four strings. You can correct for this somewhat by using heavier gauge strings.

Brad
Click to expand...

I'm not worried about it being heavier, because I am a big guy. I like the idea of it being louder, though...nice. All in all, this is seeming like a pretty sweet deal. :D
 
FromTheWayside said:
Ah, okay. I sort of figured that 4, 6, and 8 string ukes would all be for different purposes. I think it's nice to have a choice on how to use your uke, though. If you want your 8 to be a 4, you can, and vice versa.

Full disclosure - I'm asking because I want to get an 8, but no stores in my area stock them, except on special order. I want to make sure that even if I don't like an 8 string, I'll still have a uke I'll love to play.

Thanks for your response, by the way!
Click to expand...

Ah I see better what you are after. I believe if you removed the lighter string is would still be close in voice and volume. Anyone agree?
My 8 string is a Lanikai rose wood. It sound great and won't break the bank.
Go on the holy grail of string searches when you buy and find the ones that sounds best to you. I haven't had an instrument that couldn't improved over the years no matter how great is sounds out of the box.
 
I've seen videos of Taimane Gardner with her 8-string Kamaka that I swear was not fully strung. As with so much in ukulele - if it works for you, it's a good thing!
 
bbycrts said:
I've seen videos of Taimane Gardner with her 8-string Kamaka that I swear was not fully strung. As with so much in ukulele - if it works for you, it's a good thing!
Click to expand...

Are you sure you looking at her uke.....just saying.
 
Taimane's 8 string custom Kamaka is not strung with 8 strings. The 1st (A) and 2nd (E) course are singles while the 3rd (C) and 4th (G) are doubled. To the OP's original question, you can string it anyway you want. If strung with singles, the width between the string may be wider than what you're used to. On my 6 string, I removed the low A and kept it as a single so it's essentially a 5 string. I have tenors, so my FB may be a bit wider than a concert.
 
nohandles said:
My 8 string is a Lanikai rose wood. It sound great and won't break the bank.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I've been eyeballing one of these for a while now.
 
I don't think you would disappointed with it. Mine was given to me by my deceases friends widow. It needed some work but it sounds great. It was still in the box never opened when I got it so essentially it was new. New strings and a set up and it sounds great.
 
deach said:
Are you sure you looking at her uke.....just saying.
Click to expand...

*blush*

All I can say is, the part I was looking at didn't have strings. Now that you mention it, I'm not sure I recall seeing the uke, though...
 
Kanaka916 said:
Taimane's 8 string custom Kamaka is not strung with 8 strings. The 1st (A) and 2nd (E) course are singles while the 3rd (C) and 4th (G) are doubled. To the OP's original question, you can string it anyway you want. If strung with singles, the width between the string may be wider than what you're used to. On my 6 string, I removed the low A and kept it as a single so it's essentially a 5 string. I have tenors, so my FB may be a bit wider than a concert.
Click to expand...

I agree with Kanaka. You can string your uke anyway you want, but if you take off a string or 2 from a 6 or 8-string uke, the spacing between the strings will be slightly off if you are used to playing a 4 string.

Hey Kanaka....one of my A strings busted on my 6-string. So mine is a 5 like yours!
 
Some artists like to use 8 and 6 strings and run only 4 our 5strings on them cause they have a fatter neck and fret board. They main benefit of doing so gives the player more finger room spacing on the strings for triple our double finger picking our multiple finger roll picking.
 
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