I am surprised that tenor uke string gauges are thicker, heavier, than soprano or concert strings.
Let me explain:
At first consideration, it might seem natural, for a larger instrument to use thicker, heavier strings. For instance, a string bass has much heavier strings than a violin.
However, that string bass is tuned much lower than a violin! Whereas usually tenor, concert, and soprano ukes are tuned to the exact same pitches. Therefore, if one used the exact same strings on tenor and soprano, to tune to the same pitches, stretching to a much longer scale on tenor, will give a much higher tension, even with the same string. One would think that tenor strings would be lighter and thinner than soprano strings, in order to get the same pitches on a longer scale.
For instance, a requinto guitar tunes to the same pitches as standard uke (of course with two extra strings) (same as guitalele tuning). Yet it is a larger instrument, about the size of a 3/4 guitar. In order to get those same pitches on a longer scale, the strings are thinner than uke or classical guitar strings.
Why then, are tenor strings not thinner and lighter than soprano strings, as one would imagine, but on the contrary, they are heavier and thicker?
Let me explain:
At first consideration, it might seem natural, for a larger instrument to use thicker, heavier strings. For instance, a string bass has much heavier strings than a violin.
However, that string bass is tuned much lower than a violin! Whereas usually tenor, concert, and soprano ukes are tuned to the exact same pitches. Therefore, if one used the exact same strings on tenor and soprano, to tune to the same pitches, stretching to a much longer scale on tenor, will give a much higher tension, even with the same string. One would think that tenor strings would be lighter and thinner than soprano strings, in order to get the same pitches on a longer scale.
For instance, a requinto guitar tunes to the same pitches as standard uke (of course with two extra strings) (same as guitalele tuning). Yet it is a larger instrument, about the size of a 3/4 guitar. In order to get those same pitches on a longer scale, the strings are thinner than uke or classical guitar strings.
Why then, are tenor strings not thinner and lighter than soprano strings, as one would imagine, but on the contrary, they are heavier and thicker?