Low G Tuning-- I See What You Did, There!

tad

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
771
Reaction score
19
Location
Outside DC
Okay, I like re-entrant tuning.

I'm a strummer, mostly, and I like the distinctive sound of it, how it's easily identifiable, unique.

But I finally just got around to trading out the stock strings on my tenor eleuke with some Aquila Low-G's, with wound C & G strings...

It's like a whole other instrument, now! It sounds FANTASTIC!

I now finally see why people like low G tuning. It's so much fuller and richer a sound-- it has real OOMPH!

I'm not converted, most of my ukes are staying re-entrant, but wow. This is a whole other world.
 
welcome to the world of low g
 
I can't wait to get a low g.

I've been wanting to do slash chord transcribing from guitars for a while now and I need that low g!
 
LOL you are right about the low G giving the extra OOOMPH. :D Where did you buy the strings?

man, I've wanted a low G ever since. Because that's what IZ played.

yea, thats what makes me want a low g:nana: iz kicks arse
 
LOL you are right about the low G giving the extra OOOMPH. :D Where did you buy the strings?

man, I've wanted a low G ever since. Because that's what IZ played.

MGM. For all your ukulele needs.
 
I have ukes tuned both ways. I like low G for some music - especially modern folk & pop stuff. But I prefer high G for older music and just noodling.

Next: I have to tune a uke to some open chord...
 
I have ukes tuned both ways. I like low G for some music - especially modern folk & pop stuff. But I prefer high G for older music and just noodling.

Next: I have to tune a uke to some open chord...

I like that idea-- how would you tune it, though? (What chord, in other words?)

I have enough ukes lying around-- I think I'm gonna have to try this...
 
You just tune your G string to G. The difference between the 2 is the gauge thickness. Most low G strings are wound, but there are Nylon low G strings....was either Aquilla or Worths that have it....nylon ones give a more mellow sound.
 
You just tune your G string to G. The difference between the 2 is the gauge thickness. Most low G strings are wound, but there are Nylon low G strings....was either Aquilla or Worths that have it....nylon ones give a more mellow sound.

It could well be that I'm just being completely thick, but if you tuned your G string to G, wouldn't you be effectively changing nothing?
 
Originally Posted by Dino
You just tune your G string to G. The difference between the 2 is the gauge thickness. Most low G strings are wound, but there are Nylon low G strings....was either Aquilla or Worths that have it....nylon ones give a more mellow sound.

It could well be that I'm just being completely thick, but if you tuned your G string to G, wouldn't you be effectively changing nothing?


I did this last night, I was changing my Tenor strings when I was loosing the High G I had my tuner on it and spun it down thru the letters A,B,C..... till I got down the G and It sounded alot like the Low G I was playin the other day that had all Nylon strings and the G string was kinda loose feeling and smaller.
 
So what's the final verdict?

I am having a custom solid body electric uke made and I can't decide between a Low G and a High G string set.

I had another uke strung up for Low G, but it sounded terrible. So now I'm a bit wary - but I think it might be different if the strings are all steel....

Can anyone shed some light?
 
I like that idea-- how would you tune it, though? (What chord, in other words?)

I have enough ukes lying around-- I think I'm gonna have to try this...

one common ukulele slackkey tuning is GCEG (Open C)...it's based on the taropatch guitar tuning (Open G -- DGDGBD), but capoed at the 5th fret and without the top 2 strings
 
It could well be that I'm just being completely thick, but if you tuned your G string to G, wouldn't you be effectively changing nothing?

Low g is tuned one octave lower than high G. Doing this gives you more range down low by effectively adding another octave to your instrument.

I did this last night, I was changing my Tenor strings when I was loosing the High G I had my tuner on it and spun it down thru the letters A,B,C..... till I got down the G and It sounded alot like the Low G I was playin the other day that had all Nylon strings and the G string was kinda loose feeling and smaller.

Slacking your G string down one octave? You need to get a low g set. Keep in mind, the low g string will be dimensionally smaller than the C because its wound (except Worth), but because it has greater mass, it will allow tuning one octave down.

I had another uke strung up for Low G, but it sounded terrible. So now I'm a bit wary - but I think it might be different if the strings are all steel....

Can anyone shed some light?

What kind of `ukulele? Also, what size? Usually, Standards don't fare too well with low g, Concerts are nice, but Tenors is where that tuning is at.

A steel string `ukulele will not sound like an `ukulele - it'll sound like something else. I'm not saying its bad, just saying that it is.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom