Found a bari in my garage

luluwrites

luluwrites

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The nut was busted and the body is a very cheap laminate, but I took it to the local guitar shop and they've fixed the nut and they're stringing it up for me.

I'm having it tuned gcea like my soprano -- I understand that the increased tension might be bad for the uke, but since it was essentially free to me, I'm willing to risk it so that my kids and I can all learn chords together and use the ukes we have interchangeably.

Does anyone want to tell me this is a really bad idea? Any advice?
 
It's a bad idea. Either tune it correctly and use a capo on the fifth fret or buy strings designed for that tuning.
 
Aquila strings make a very good set of gCEA plain
strings for Baritone Ukulele,I used a set last year
and they are fine for the job! Of course you lose
the distinctive 'bari' sound,but it still makes for a
nice instrument.
 
luthien said:
Aquila strings make a very good set of gCEA plain
strings for Baritone Ukulele,I used a set last year
and they are fine for the job! Of course you lose
the distinctive 'bari' sound,but it still makes for a
nice instrument.
Click to expand...

I believe that is what the shop is using. . . I should double check . . .
 
Aquila 23u are the gCEA strings for the baritone.
 
If you have the right strings for a baritone ukulele, there's nothing wrong with tuning a baritone gCEA. As you probably know, a baritone tuned DGBE uses the same shord SHAPES as an ukulele tuned GCEA, but the shapes result in different chords. For example, using the chord shape that would be F major on a GCEA ukulele produces a C major chord on a DGBE uke. I'm considering stringing one of my baritone ukes gCEA so I can play with people whose ukes are tuned GCEA (or gCEA) without having to transpose in my head.

I asked Gordon Mayer (Mya-Moe) about tuning a baritone GCEA, and he said, "you'll need a custom set of strings--that additional scale length increases string tension by about 25% over the tenor, and conventional strings will break. Even a custom set is pushed pretty far up into its comfort zone. Other than that, no big plusses or minuses. Certainly I think a tenor body is best for C6 tuning--the bari at that tuning gets a bit "mushy" and loses its tightness, but it still plays and sound ok."
 
mds725 said:
As you probably know, a baritone tuned DGBE uses the same shord SHAPES as an ukulele tuned GCEA, but the shapes result in different chords. For example, using the chord shape that would be F major on a GCEA ukulele produces a C major chord on a DGBE uke.
Click to expand...

Thank you for assuming that I am smarter than I am, but for explaining things anyway. :)
 
Okay. I checked. These are bari gcea strings.
THANK YOU ALL for your guidance.

I love this forum.
 
I don't know if this chart will help or not. I made it for myself to visualize the difference in ukulele tunings and how they relate to the guitar/baritone uke -- and how the Low and High G ukulele tunings relate to each other.

ukulele tunings.jpg
 

Attachments

  • ukulele tunings.jpg
    ukulele tunings.jpg
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I tried the Aquila, and they will be fine if you are playing a standard Ukulele (Concert or Soprano)...but they are such a waste of that big body. It just wants to blast those bass notes out, and with a High G string they just aren't there. I switched to Southcoast Linears and they were perfect. Low G string so I get the bass response I want from the Bari (or why own it...) and the chime in the higher notes I wanted. Strung up all my ukes with them shortly after.
 
TCK said:
I tried the Aquila, and they will be fine if you are playing a standard Ukulele (Concert or Soprano)...but they are such a waste of that big body. It just wants to blast those bass notes out, and with a High G string they just aren't there. I switched to Southcoast Linears and they were perfect. Low G string so I get the bass response I want from the Bari (or why own it...) and the chime in the higher notes I wanted. Strung up all my ukes with them shortly after.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! Nice to know the Southcoast Linears can make such a difference!

While my first goal is to help my kids learn to play (which is why I'd like all our ukes strung with the same tuning) it would be nice if the instrument sounded okay, too. Someday, we'll string it with proper bari tuning and learn that, too. For now, though, this will make a third uke in the house and we can all play together.
 
Hobo said:
I don't know if this chart will help or not. I made it for myself to visualize the difference in ukulele tunings and how they relate to the guitar/baritone uke -- and how the Low and High G ukulele tunings relate to each other.

View attachment 37843
Click to expand...

Very helpful! This goes in the three ring binder with all the chord charts, circle of fifths, etc...
 
Well, we ended up going with traditional bari strings and tuning and I love it. Even on this cheap, slightly buzzy garage uke, the tone is pretty swell and we're working on remembering the new chords.
The only downside is that my fingers now seem awfully cramped on my soprano . . .

Thanks again for all your help!
 
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