Concert ukulele to sound like guitar

ongandy86

ongandy86

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Hi guys! First post!

I'm not so sure if this question is already been posted or stickied but I'm just wondering if its possible to tune a concert ukulele to sound like guitar while retaining the chords?

I and am sure we would appreciate for answers and instruction on how to do it if yes.
 
Can't answer your question but why not just play a guitar or get a baritone uke?

Welcome to UU!
 
Hi Ryan!

Fewer strings is easier to use and the smaller neck is a perfect fit for my seriously small hand. I have played ukulele before and I really like it so I bought one.

But I really like the sound of guitar too.
 
define "sound like a guitar"...?

if you want bass notes than effectively.. no

although a tenor with a low g or a baritone can come close. and the do make utars (talk to Mim).. basically a guitar permanently capoed at the 5th fret. so there are some base notes there, fuller body too.

But if you want the rich, full sound of a guitar, then play a guitar. :)
 
Welcome to UU, ongandy86!

ongandy86 said:
I'm not so sure if this question is already been posted or stickied but I'm just wondering if its possible to tune a concert ukulele to sound like guitar while retaining the chords?
Click to expand...
The short answer is no.

You could put a low G string on your concert and it would be relatively the same as the four highest strings on a guitar... the equivalent of putting a capo on the guitar at the fifth fret.

But it will still be GCEA, not DGBE. You can't just tune a uke down to those pitches because there will not be enough tension on the strings for them to sound properly (if at all).
 
@JT,@itsme:

thanks! I just somehow want the uke to sound just a little like guitar, not a full guitar.

I was thinking of tuning the uke to DGBE but will not try now since you guys said it no possible.
 
ongandy86 said:
@JT,@itsme:

thanks! I just somehow want the uke to sound just a little like guitar, not a full guitar.

I was thinking of tuning the uke to DGBE but will not try now since you guys said it no possible.
Click to expand...

The low G will probably get you what you want. Doing that's more common on tenor than concert scales, the string might be a bit slack on a concert but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I've got an 8-string tenor that I bought thinking it would be the cats meow and I'm probably going to sell it now that I bought a 4-string tenor. The 8-string just sounds too much like a guitar to me and I've got all the guitars I need!

If you want to really get close to guitar territory a baritone uke might be your best bet - or just get one of those half or three-quarter size "children's guitars" and you'll have all six strings.

John
 
I agree with fitncrafty, a Fluke or a Flea, possibly with a low g string tuning. The Fluke, being a bit bigger, would be more guitar-like, especially with a tenor neck. I think the scale length will affect the tone as well. If you need the concert scale, you can get a concert size neck on Flukes and Fleas. If you think you want to go with wound strings, make sure you get a rosewood upgrade for the fingerboard. The Fleas and Flukes come with a plastic fretboard as standard, and that is not recommended for use with wound strings.
Another option is to go with an electric uke of some type and play amplified. That will give you more of a guitar sound, since the smaller soundbox is taken out of the picture. There are effects pedals that can make an instrument sound lower, I believe.
–Lori
 
@fitn:

thanks for the advice! I dont think I will be able to buy a flukes or flea though as I just bought a new concert ukulele this month.
 
@everyone:

guys what i have is a soprano sized uke. really sorry for the wrong information. will the arguments still apply for the soprano uke?
 
Some people have successfully tuned their sopranos to low g, but it is more difficult to find a string/ uke combination where it sounds good. It will not come anywhere close to a guitar in sound. Adding a pick-up to amplify your uke might give you more of a guitar tone, but it is like you are asking a violin to sound like a cello. You are fighting against the laws of physics.

If a regular acoustic guitar has a string tension that is too hard for you, try a half sized classical guitar, or an electric guitar. However, none of these will be as light in tension as a soprano ukulele.

–Lori
 
@lori, @jt: thanks again!

i got your point and i guess its impossible to make ukulele sound close to guitar. i have to admit that ukulele is pretty unique and fun in its own way and i'm fine the way it is.

i just initiated this thread because i just want to have an experience on playing a guitar without the need to buy an actual one. since i have this ukulele i might as well see if its possible.
 
Hi ongandy86

I have a classical guitar (and I can play it too), and a 5 string banjo (maybe I have 8 songs I can play, if I practiced again), but these days it's all about the uke for me. I have just as much satisfaction playing the ukulele as I did playing the classical guitar. The sound is different, but the musical experience is the same.
–Lori
 
It's important to note here that you can tune a tenor to baritone tuning with the right tensity strings.
 
I don't think a soprano can sound like a guitar, even in low-G. On the other hand, I have a Kala Solid Acacia Tenor in low-G that sounds so guitar-like that even my guitar-playing friends say "hey it sounds like a guitar!" when they first play it.
 
@lori: you are cool! i bet you are a good musician. if the experience will be the same...

@epig, @marymac: what good string then will be best for soprano ukulele that will somehow sounds like guitar? gCEA, GCEA, or aDF#B?
 
Lori said:
Hi ongandy86

I have a classical guitar (and I can play it too), and a 5 string banjo (maybe I have 8 songs I can play, if I practiced again), but these days it's all about the uke for me. I have just as much satisfaction playing the ukulele as I did playing the classical guitar. The sound is different, but the musical experience is the same.
–Lori
Click to expand...

I've kept two of my luthier-made classical guitars and a luthier-made mandolin, but these days it's all about the uke for me too. Agree that the musical experience is pretty much the same. Looking forward to receiving my MP spruce/rosewood and the different tonal qualities it will have compared to my koa ukuleles.
 
Last edited:
ongandy86 said:
@epig, @marymac: what good string then will be best for soprano ukulele that will somehow sounds like guitar? gCEA, GCEA, or aDF#B?
Click to expand...

If you have a Makala Dolphin the best strings you can put on are the Aquilas. Aquila come in a high-G and low-G set. Maybe you can get a high-G set and a single string low-G. That way you can try the Dolphin in both high and low G. I know that Mike at UkeRepublic.com sells single low-G strings so that would be a great place to pick these up. I haven't tuned to D (aDF#B) so I can't tell you how these would sound in D.
 
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