Tuning/Stringing a Tenor

Hi,

I'm picking up the uke again after some hiatus, and I'm finding I need to restring some of my ukes...

My tenor, a beautiful old Martin, has always bedeviled me. In the past, I've tuned it the same as a soprano (ADF#B), and it has sounded fine. But the D string broke in the hiatus, and I replaced it with an Aquila wound string for a Tenor, and I'm not in love with the sound.

Any reccs on strings? I see these Worth strings came out while I was on hiatus, but which ones? There seem a variety for Tenor tunings. I've tuned the same as soprano, though low I think...only to avoid confusion. I'm aware of the DGBE tuning, which I may switch to once I've warmed back into playing.

I recall there is another tuning for Tenor...can't remember.

Which strings? Which tuning?


Ah-Pook

Southcoast Guide to Tunings and Strings.

I have all of my tenors in "C" tuning (GCEA) evenly split between high G and low g. I've only used the DGBE tuning on one of my baritones, and even prefer the low g "C" tuning on my other Bari. As for strings the Aquila's can be a bit overpowering on solid wood especially mahogany, the Worth clears seem to be pretty good I have them on my mahogany concert a d really like them. The Worth browns are a bit more mellow sounding and may be a good match for your Martin. I've also heard good things about the new Martin flourocarbon string but I haven't had a chance to try them myself yet.

Aloha AhPookalele,
I like Martin Fleurocarbons on the Martins....clear like, they look similar to the fleurocarbon worths...and sound really nice to me....take some time before they sound nice to me.. MM Stan..

I'm hearing some good things about the Worth strings, but I'm a little overwhelmed by the variety. Brown? Clear? Fat? Heavy? EX? HD?

AhPookalele said:

I'm hearing some good things about the Worth strings, but I'm a little overwhelmed by the variety. Brown? Clear? Fat? Heavy? EX? HD?

Click to expand...

Go to their website and check them out...

I Have worth browns on my Martin, and they are great. Loud, but clear. I was told when I was looking that the low tension was just the thing for a 70 year old Ukulele and have been happy with them.
Here they are- course, it is a Mahogany Soprano, but it will give you an idea of what they sound like. Well, it may give you an idea, after you get past my lousy playing and the even lousier microphone.

I am a total Aquila fan boy- have them all the rest of the Ukes...but they sounded terrible on the Martin

AhPookalele said:

I'm hearing some good things about the Worth strings, but I'm a little overwhelmed by the variety. Brown? Clear? Fat? Heavy? EX? HD?

Click to expand...

I would keep things simple and tune your tenor to gCEA (high G). This is by far the most common tuning. I use nothing else.

A Martin sounds great with Worth strings. The Worth website is complicated though. Just look at 2 sets: CT and BT. These are normal tension clear and normal tension brown. The brown are slightly more mellow than the clears. It is really about looks. I like the look of dark brown strings on a dark brown uke. In the end it is personal preference though.

What Ken and TCK said, I'm swapping to Worth Browns = WBT (T for Tenor) for my Martin copy, also sticking with high G for this uke. Best possible option, it will sing like a prima donna.