Tenor Uke - What's this with high - low G string?

Thought I was following a thread on this topic but can't find it this morning....

My new Lanikai tenor CK-Teq uke has Aguila Nygut strings on it. It's tuned the usual GCAE, and I THINK the G is "low" from reading that somewhere on the net, but I really have no idea how I could verify if it's low or high. My tuner says it's G.

The uke came with a tag on it saying it had Nygut strings, but not much else.

I would like to know what G string tuning I have now, as I want to try the other (high/low) option to see how I like that alternative. I don't find what I have now disagreeable, except since I am a guitar player, I tend (stumming) to hit the G string, then strum the others.....old guitar habit of hitting the bass string then the others. I think I will eventually develope a better strumming pattern where I do not emphasisze the G string.

Here's what I THINK is on my uke now. I have not been able to find tenor uke strings that are labeled "high G". Are these special strings or is maybe the existing G string just would "tighter" to the next G? I don't want to break the string; it'd scare the heck out of me with a new uke! This thing feels so tiny and delicate compared to my 6 string steel guitars!

Your thoughts?

Here's a recent thread on the same subject:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?58738

If you don't get the difference from the sound, just look at the strings. With those white Aquilas, it's easy to see. If the G string is thicker than the C string, it's a low G.

If your G string is about the same diameter as your A
string and quite a lot thinner than the C string,then it
will almost certainly be a HIGH G or Re-entrant G.
Tune all four strings with your tuner G - C - E - A
and then fret your E string at the 3rd fret.If that gives
the SAME note as your open (unfingered) G then it is
definitely a HIGH G.

Sounds like you have it strung up as high G since you're talking about strumming differently than the guitar. If you want it to play like a guitar, you will have to get a low G set or you can just get an individual low G string.

I think this is the easiest way to explain it.

Pluck your open strings. If you find that your higher notes are the outer strings and your lower notes are the two inside strings, then you have a high G. That is called re-entrant tuning.

Like wise if you find that your notes descend (or ascend depending on which way you look at it) in pitch, much like a guitar, then you have a low G. That is called linear tuning.

Might be hard to find tenor ukulele strings labeled high G because high G is the is the norm. The link in your message goes to a page describing a low G set with a wound low G string, that means the low G is wrapped with metal. Probably not what you have.

Started playing tenor about 8 months ago and had to figure some of this stuff out too.

Mine strings are the white Aquila ones. The G is a little THINNER than the C string (regular GCEA tuning). So I guess that means my G is a "high C". I thought it was supposed to be a LOW G. Oh well!

bigchiz said:

Might be hard to find tenor ukulele strings labeled high G because high G is the is the norm. The link in your message goes to a page describing a low G set with a wound low G string, that means the low G is wrapped with metal. Probably not what you have.

Started playing tenor about 8 months ago and had to figure some of this stuff out too.

Click to expand...

Ah HA! That makes sense because I have seen strings labeled "low g", which I suppose implies if the "low g" is missing from the package label the strings (the g) will be a lower g than the standard tenor uke strings.

bigchiz said:

Might be hard to find tenor ukulele strings labeled high G because high G is the is the norm. The link in your message goes to a page describing a low G set with a wound low G string, that means the low G is wrapped with metal. Probably not what you have.

....

Click to expand...

I'd like to find a set of tenor nygut strings for my tenor the low g instead of the high g I apparently have. But all I have been able to find is THIS.

That says the g string is wound.....I THINK I'd prefer the g to not be wound, as I'd think the "squeak" they often could be distracting. Does anyone make them?

Hobo said:

Here's a recent thread on the same subject:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?58738

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll read that..........