I'm a Low G fan now. Don't know if I'd go back.

I have two tenors that I primarily play. One an Oscar Schmidt has a bright tone while the Lanikai has a more mellow sound. For a long time I looked into the Low G tuning, read all the debates on High G vs. Low G, read up on the new Aquila red series that have now made it out on the market comparing the initial reviews to the new unwound string fans to the wound string fans and then of course procrastinated for awhile because I didn't really want to leave the traditional re-entrant uke tuning for fear of not liking the Low G.

Finally I knew the only way to know was to do it. In late June I was able to snag some red series tenor strings and strung up my Lanikai in Low G and left the OS alone. A funny thing happened... I was picking up the Lanikai more often and eventually ignoring the Oscar. Everytime I played the Oscar I'd always put it back in the case and go back to the other. I realized the low G sound had clicked with me.

For a time I refused to string the OS in low G but then everytime I played it a disliked the sound. I new I was hooked and so finally today I put a Low G string on the Oscar as well. I'm now happy. Should have don't it sooner.

I still have a couple sopranos that remain traditional but the tenors are my primary players. I really like the new sound of the low G tuning. Now I'm not so sure I would want to go back.

I even feel the low G sounds more Hawaiian at least the tuning really makes the sound more enjoyable to me. The reds make them sound great but then I'm not native Hawaiian so what do I know about the true Hawaiian sound. I just know most songs I play sound better to me.

Jim

are you playing songs that are meant to be high g? strumming and finger pickingif yes how does it sound?

The first song beamed from Hawaii to the mainland was in 1939. That's 73 years ago.It was a Hawaiian's musical interpretation of a Rainbird sprinkler. It is played with a low G. Not everything old and Hawaiian was/is reentrant. I like them both.

While some folks like them....low g tends not to work as well with smaller ukes. That being said, I'm still going to try them for myself on one of my concerts, perhaps even my longneck soprano. I've been wondering about those Aquila reds.

Well, the nice thing is that if you ever have a change of heart, going back is nice and easy ...

Welcome to the low G group.

This is why uke players need more than just 1 uke! One for reentrant and the other for low G. And then different sizes for different songs. haha

I think low G is for people who beat their dogs.

Well, the nice thing is that if you ever have a change of heart, going back is nice and easy ...

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Trinimon said:

Welcome to the low G group.

This is why uke players need more than just 1 uke! One for reentrant and the other for low G. And then different sizes for different songs. haha

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That’s true!

Although I’ve been playing the Ukulele for about 2 years I would consider myself a novice. I’m not a bad player but there’s plenty of room for improvement and I certainly would not stand up on stage and entertain for money. The Ukulele is a fun activity for me to enjoy but it’s not my life’s blood.

Knowing which songs would be played in High G or not is something that has never concerned me. I don’t know really. I play what strikes my fancy. I mainly strum but I do have this kind of picking / strum style I do where I like to pluck the A and G strings simultaneously creating a chiming effect. I guess this sounds better in low G. It sounds good playing Aloha ‘Oe. I suppose I gravitate towards Tin Pan and the old standards with a few contemporary songs mixed in. While most Hawaiian songs I play are the ones in English which means they are the ones possibly for mainland consumption like Tiny bubbles and the Hawaiian war chant… stuff like that.

I noticed playing chord changes from say as an example C (barred) to B to B flat while using low G gives the uke a nice 40s style rhythm sound that I like so, playing songs like “You must have been a Beautiful Baby”, “You make me feel so young”, Sway and “Memories are made of this” sound better. Another song like “Tonight you belong to me”, a song I wanted to play but did not sound good in High G now sounds far better and I enjoy playing it now. In a nut shell I guess low G supports the songs I like to play

The red series low G strings do not overpower the other strings, they blend in. I found the change in sound to be very apparent but not to the point that the change is something you have to get used to. It sounds natural from the beginning. They are very stretchy. Stretch the string as much as you can before putting it on. Pull the string as taut as you can once attached to the bridge and through the hole in the tuning peg. As your winding the string around the peg keep the excess string from the peg taut. You don’t need any slack on these strings otherwise you’ll end up with a whole lot of string wrapped around your tuning peg, especially while the string sets. They’re that stretchy.

Jim

coolkayaker1 said:

I think low G is for people who beat their dogs.

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All my ukes are low G except for my Ohana which I may switch to low G. My uke instructor plays low G so all the music we learn are for low G.

I have three chihuahuas and would never ever ever think of beating them.

From a builder's stand point my personal preference is also for the low G. IMO stringing an ukulele with a high G robs it of it's full potential, ignoring it's full tonal range.

coolkayaker1 said:

I think low G is for people who beat their dogs.

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LOL, good thing I got a cat instead.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

From a builder's stand point my personal preference is also for the low G. IMO stringing an ukulele with a high G robs it of it's full potential, ignoring it's full tonal range.

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Chuck don't say that too loud...you gonna get the localz mad at ya!!

nongdam said:

Chuck don't say that too loud...you gonna get the localz mad at ya!!

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The locals here all play low G. At least the ones under 70.

coolkayaker1 said:

I think low G is for people who beat their dogs.

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My dog saw this!

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

The locals here all play low G. At least the ones under 70.

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That's pretty much what I always read. Hawaiins don't seem as hung up on what a Hawaiin sound is - they just want to make nice music. From time to time, I put a high G on one of my tenors, but I always come back to low G.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

From a builder's stand point my personal preference is also for the low G. IMO stringing an ukulele with a high G robs it of it's full potential, ignoring it's full tonal range.

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coolkayaker1 said:

I think low G is for people who beat their dogs.

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So ... Chuck beats dogs? How could someone who makes such lovely instruments abuse such great animals? Something don't add up here ...

My dogs asked me to pass on a message:

The last thing we want to do is hurt you...but it's still on the list.

For me (bracing for a good flaming), low-G is just a step too close to being a guitar.

What's a ukulele?

"Take a guitar. Capo the 5th fret. Chop off the two lowest strings. Raise the lowest string an octave."

For whatever reason, "raise the lowest string an octave" is really crucial for my own sense of ukulele-ness.

I like low G a lot for the extended range it gives in fingerpicking. But there are a lot of fingerpicking arrangements that take advantage of the campanella style in re-entrant that don't work so well in low G.

Of my 7 ukes, 2 are in low G (both tenors).