bigdog
Well-known member
What gauge of string would you use for tuning a baritone with a high D string? Anyone use this tuning ?
What string for Renterant high D on a Baritone ?
- Thread starter bigdog
- Start date
southcoastukes
Well-known member
This is a great tuning for Baritones (key of G / high re-entrant).
We make a set for that tuning without wound strings:
http://www.southcoastukes.com/stringuide_files/hvuke.htm
There's a sound sample at the bottom of this page:
http://www.southcoastukes.com/index_files/inters.htm
We make a set for that tuning without wound strings:
http://www.southcoastukes.com/stringuide_files/hvuke.htm
There's a sound sample at the bottom of this page:
http://www.southcoastukes.com/index_files/inters.htm
Tsani
Well-known member
Does Southcoast Ukes have strings for tuning a baritone to GCEA reentrant high? I don't want to over stress my Favilla baritone by putting strings on it that put too much tension on the bridge or neck, but I would like to tune it to high-reentrant GCEA, so that I could use the same tabs that I use for soprano.
southcoastukes
Well-known member
Sorry Tsani,
No such animal. I think Aquila makes a set for that. We've always thought that tuning was just too high / too weak for a big Baritone body.
Drop the 4th string for a low 4th C tuning, and it's a different animal altogether. That low G makes all the difference. We do make a set for that (one of our most popular - no wound strings). You'll still use all your Soprano tabs, but have a much better sound out of your Baritone, and more of a contrast with your Soprano. Here:
http://www.southcoastukes.com/stringuide_files/linuke.htm
cb56
Well-known member
We strung my mother in law's baritone with High D tunung (dGBE) we just got an extra high E string 1st string and put it in the 4th string position tuning it to high D. Sounds great!
Before one of my children took over my Baritone, I experimented with the Aquila high g strings. I thought the tension was too high, and I didn't like the sound, not very resonant. It was a Kala Baritone. I love the re entrant tuning, so I switched it to a high D. Very nice sound! Also, I used a capo at the 5th fret sometimes to get the regular Uke tuning. I liked that option better than the high G string set from Aquila. The Baritone gives you options where the capo makes sense.
I will vouch for South Coast strings. I have used a set on a concert Uke to get B flat tuning, and loved it. My oldest son has a set on his tenor that sound great. Now my whole family wants them! I would recommend the OP check out the material on the South Coast site about strings and tunings. very informative, and interesting stuff!
Right now, I'm playing my Yamaha Guitalele in re entrant tuning. I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha 1/2 size guitar, and tuning it like my Guitalele, but in G or B flat instead of C. Then, I could get a lot of versatility with a capo on that baritone sized instrument.
All this to say, a re entrant baritone, with a capo, gives you a very versatile instrument! Give it a try!
I will vouch for South Coast strings. I have used a set on a concert Uke to get B flat tuning, and loved it. My oldest son has a set on his tenor that sound great. Now my whole family wants them! I would recommend the OP check out the material on the South Coast site about strings and tunings. very informative, and interesting stuff!
Right now, I'm playing my Yamaha Guitalele in re entrant tuning. I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha 1/2 size guitar, and tuning it like my Guitalele, but in G or B flat instead of C. Then, I could get a lot of versatility with a capo on that baritone sized instrument.
All this to say, a re entrant baritone, with a capo, gives you a very versatile instrument! Give it a try!
strumsilly
Well-known member
I just did that with a set of Worth CB baritone strings. they come double length so I just used the extra E for the high 4th D. sounds really nice and deep.
now I can take the extra low D and try to string one up with a low D and a low E, wonder what that will sound like?
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southcoastukes
Well-known member
You can get by with this. Ideally, the 4th string should have a slightly greater diameter than the first, but it's a great baritone tuning, so even less than ideal is still very nice!
It will be like an extra deep Cuatro tuning. They're about the same size as a Baritone. This tuning will be less than ideal in that it will have too much bottom end. Cuatros have been tuned in this fashion (low reetrant as opposed to ukulele high reentrant) for almost half a millenium, so they have a bit of history.
With the low reentrant tunings (two low notes) it's best to bump up in key quite a bit. Typical for Cuatro is key of D, like the old standard ukulele. It's a beautifully rich and vibrant sound.
If you look back up at the link I posted earlier for sound samples, there's also a low rentrant tuning sample there (and we make a set of strings for it).
Chris Tarman
Well-known member
I have an Aquila baritone set that uses an unwound high D. I use them on my Islander Plastic Baritone, which has plastic frets and fretboard, so I REALLY didn't want to use a wound string. I tried using a tenor set and tuning it to a normal tenor tuning (that particular uke is kind of between a normal tenor and a normal baritone scale), but it seemed to be way too much tension, and I didn't want to damage it. Then I found the Aquila reentrant baritone set, and I love them. I don't play that uke much (I'm kind of a soprano fan), but it has a lovely rich sound with those strings.
