6 string and 8 string baritones - your thoughts?

I just noticed at Kanile'a's website that Kanile'a offers 6 strings and 8 strings as an option on its baritones. (kanile'a also offers a five string baritone, but I'm not that interested in one of those.) That got me to wondering what 6-string and 8-strings sound like and what it would be like to play one. I appreciate the differences in sound between my 8-string and 4-string tenors; the sound is more full and, to my ears, a little more "folksy," and playing an 8-string presents its own challenges. However, I've never heard (live) or played a 6-string or 8-string baritone. If you've played one (of any ukulele maker, not just Kanile'a), please post what you thought of the ukulele(s) you played. Thanks!

hey mds725,
Check with Aaron or Gordon @Mya-Moe, there are probably some videos with their 6 string bari.
This weekend is their Gorge Fest, so I would wait until next week.

#635 is looking good, the color will change when the oil goes on.

You don't see a lot of them at this point, and I've not played one, so I won't comment on that.

From a string perspective, however, I can tell you this. These instruments offer one option that really just doesn't work that well on a Tenor - the chance to use unwound sets and play in the key of C.

We've never offered a "low G" unwound 4th for the standard 17" Tenor scale - to us no unwound material performs to our standards there. Go up to 20", however, the standard Baritone scale, and now it becomes a very viable option. "Low A" @ 17" on a 6-string set (your low octave 1st) is not quite as bad, but given it's location, the thinner diameter @ 20" makes it much more playable.

We make unwound sets for both 6 and 8 strings, and in both cases you would tune up a step to D for a standard 17" Tenor, but on a standard Baritone, they'll set up in C.

SailingUke said:

hey mds725,
Check with Aaron or Gordon @Mya-Moe, there are probably some videos with their 6 string bari.
This weekend is their Gorge Fest, so I would wait until next week.

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Thanks for the good idea. According to Mya-Moe's website's uke-finder function (under "gallery"), Mya-Moe has made two 6-string baritones. I'll ask about a sound sample, but I didn't find anything on YouTube.

SailingUke said:

#635 is looking good, the color will change when the oil goes on.

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Thanks! I've seen some finished ukes made of similar wood and it turns a nice brown color after oiling. The hardest part of waiting has been seeing the ukulele sitting at step 5 for a week while Gordon and Char have been preparing for the Gorge Festival. (Wish I could have gone. It sounds like fun.) But I've waited this long already, and watching the ukulele get built step by step has been cool.

southcoastukes said:

From a string perspective, however, I can tell you this. These instruments offer one option that really just doesn't work that well on a Tenor - the chance to use unwound sets and play in the key of C.

We've never offered a "low G" unwound 4th for the standard 17" Tenor scale - to us no unwound material performs to our standards there. Go up to 20", however, the standard Baritone scale, and now it becomes a very viable option. "Low A" @ 17" on a 6-string set (your low octave 1st) is not quite as bad, but given it's location, the thinner diameter @ 20" makes it much more playable.

We make unwound sets for both 6 and 8 strings, and in both cases you would tune up a step to D for a standard 17" Tenor, but on a standard Baritone, they'll set up in C.

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Thanks for pointing that out, Dirk. I wouldn't have thought of it. It's great to know, in case I get a 6-string or 8-string baritone, that Southcoast makes strings for them

Kristin and Joe Sousa of Kanile'a Ukulele are going to be in the Bay Area sometime soon to present workshops on their ukuleles. I may email them and ask them if they could bring along a 6-string or 8-string baritone. Otherwise, I'll have to do the Kanile'a factory tour the next time I'm in O'ahu. I'm not really sure anyone other than Mya-Moe or a custon luthier makes a 6-string baritone, or that anyone other than Kanile'a makes an 8-string baritone.

Wouldn't an 8 string Baritone basically be a Renaissance guitar?
...similar scale length, 4 paired strings, GG CC EE AA
Dirk would probably know best.

Paul December said:

Wouldn't an 8 string Baritone basically be a Renaissance guitar?
...similar scale length, 4 paired strings, GG CC EE AA
Dirk would probably know best.

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Not sure if that's Renaissance tuning or not - I've also heard DGBE (doubled). Our strings would set up in your tuning, Paul.

Hello mds725,
Here is a thread from the 24th Feb. last that makes for good reading for you. Some of the family were also there at that time.
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?61162-6-string-discussion
1931jim

Paul December said:

Wouldn't an 8 string Baritone basically be a Renaissance guitar?
...similar scale length, 4 paired strings, GG CC EE AA
Dirk would probably know best.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't the G and C strings (or the D and G strings, if one uses regular baritone tuning) be octaved instead of paired, as is the case with a tenor 8-string? For that matter, couldn't one also octave the A string on an 8-string baritone (or tenor), as is generally the case with the A string on a 6-string ukulele?

You are correct, I octave the Dd and Gg on my regular tuned DGBE baritone rehab.
PS: I had to use .020 fishing line for the high g because there wasn't any strings locally.

mds725 said:

Wouldn't the G and C strings (or the D and G strings, if one uses regular baritone tuning) be octaved instead of paired, as is the case with a tenor 8-string? For that matter, couldn't one also octave the A string on an 8-string baritone (or tenor), as is generally the case with the A string on a 6-string ukulele?

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I was referring to a Renaissance guitar that is of similar size as a Baritone uke. While watching a video of one on YouTube, the musician states it is tuned GG CC EE AA

Here's a video of a 6 string Myamoe Baritone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UywPq8n6_9A

Very nice

And, here's a video of an 8-string Mele:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqC2vqq_ilE

I just got my first baritone and I just love it!

And just last night, playing it at a gig for the first time, I was thinking about what it'd sound like in 5-, 6- or 8-string, with a couple of strings octaved up to give it some high end... and here is this thread!
Gotta love UU, no?

Thanks for the videos... now I realize I need to make a grajillion dollars, rather than the bajillion I was planning, so I can afford them all.

Thanks, Flyke and hmgberg for the video links. I'd love to know what they're like to play, but they're hard to come by.

Paul December said:

I was referring to a Renaissance guitar that is of similar size as a Baritone uke. While watching a video of one on YouTube, the musician states it is tuned GG CC EE AA

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My confusion. You had asked, "Wouldn't an 8 string Baritone basically be a Renaissance guitar?" so I thought you were suggesting that both instruments had the same tuning. My apologies.

A tenor can be tuned with Dd Gg BB EE strings from Aquila. They also make a octaved set for the baritone. If you are are only interested in strumming, you might like dd s dd s arrangement. It drives me nuts!! either multiple all of them or none of them. . A tiple with dbl trpl trpl dbl is much easier for playing melody than a six stringer.

I'd love an 8-string baritone, but it doesn't show up on Mele's website. Perhaps discontinued?