Hello, I just bought a tenor and was disappointed to learn that it is strung with the dgbe tuning and the strings thickness are in reverse order to what my concert uke is. I want the standard gcea tuning. The problem is that with the thickness order being reversed I can't tune to gcea because the strings would snap. Can I re-use these strings by changing the order? In other words the thicker string is fist rather than last like on my concert. Can I just take them off and reverse the order? I would buy a new set of strings to replace if I could but I am currently living in Sarawak, Malaysia and I cannot find a set of strings for a tenor. Hope this isn't too confusing. Thanks
Tenor tuning, string issues
- Thread starter JCMuke
- Start date
Welcome JC. Sounds like you may have a uke setup for a left handed player. DGBE is tuned like the highest sounding 4 strings of a guitar, meaning it's tuned 5 notes lower than a GCEA.
If indeed it's setup for a lefty, you can swiitch strings around for a righty if the nut and bridge will accommodate the string slosts but will still have to be, to the best of my knowledge, DGBE.
I trust others may have a better idea on what you need to do. I have my baritone tuned to dgbe and like the lower tuning a lot.
If indeed it's setup for a lefty, you can swiitch strings around for a righty if the nut and bridge will accommodate the string slosts but will still have to be, to the best of my knowledge, DGBE.
I trust others may have a better idea on what you need to do. I have my baritone tuned to dgbe and like the lower tuning a lot.
coolkayaker1
Well-known member
I think you may well have to buy new strings, GCEA. That's what I would do. No strings in Malaysia? I thought that's one place that strings were manufactured. I would assume you could order Ken's Living Water strings (if you have a bunch of Euros in your pocket) or strings from HMS or Elderly (if you have a bunch of Dollars in your pocket).
I se now that Ken's well liked strings ship anywhere in the world for a small price. Time to tock up:
http://www.kenmiddleton.co.uk/Pages/LWS.aspx
I se now that Ken's well liked strings ship anywhere in the world for a small price. Time to tock up:
http://www.kenmiddleton.co.uk/Pages/LWS.aspx
anthonyg
Well-known member
Hi, Tenors are usually tuned gCEA just like a concert although I like detuning my tenors 2 or 3 semitones. DGBE is for a baritone ukulele. Sounds like you have an instrument strung for a left hander.
Anthony
Anthony
Thanks for that, but I am still not clear about the relevance of the thickness of the strings. If I want a standard "C tuning" (GCEA) what is the order of thickness of strings. It seems the top string is thinner than the next ones down. Can I just follow this pattern with the strings that I have on now which are "G tuned" (DGBE) but rearrange according to thickness and then tune it GCEA? As I said, I cannot get tenor strings for awhile (ordering will take some time and I want to start playing). Thanks for any ideas.
anthonyg
Well-known member
OK, You might be puzzled by the reentrant string. Standard ukulele strings have a high pitched 4th string which is very skinny. Just like the highest string. If the lowest string (top) from the players point of view is thick then you have a low G string.
Reentrant strings go skinny, thick, medium, skinny, top to bottom when you have the ukulele in your lap. The reentrant G string is tuned an octave higher than a low G string.
Anthony
Reentrant strings go skinny, thick, medium, skinny, top to bottom when you have the ukulele in your lap. The reentrant G string is tuned an octave higher than a low G string.
Anthony
Here's an ad for a set of tenor uke strings showing the string gauges. These are basically shortened classical guitar strings. Any nylon guitar strings in Malaysia?
Here are the diameters you need.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/daddario-j71-pro-arte-tenor-ukulele-strings
Here are the diameters you need.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/daddario-j71-pro-arte-tenor-ukulele-strings
Aha! That might be a solution. To be clear, are you saying that I can use nylon classical guitar strings (the bottom four) on my tenor uke? Because I know I can get nylon guitar strings here. If this is possible than an easy answer has been found.
Thanks
Thanks
anthonyg
Well-known member
You can use the HIGHEST (in pitch, bottom four when sitting in your lap) and then have a low bass string set but not the ukulele standard reentrant string set. You can pickup ukulele string sets on eBay.
Anthony
Anthony
Just want to add one more question regarding using classical strings for my tenor. By the way, I may have found the answer to my previous question. A quick search online showed that using classical strings on a uke is not only OK but for some it is preferred. So, that's great. But given that only the lower three strings (classical guitar) are nylon, could I use the wound fourth string for the G on the uke? Or am i better off trying to pick up another individual nylon E string? Oh, and by the way, I realise that I can order online but shipping costs to Malaysian Borneo would not be attractive, thus I must depend on local market offerings until my next trip home. Thanks again
Ken Middleton
Well-known member
You are going to get very confuse if you keep referring to the highest strings as the lowest. The highest or top strings are the thinnest. String no.1 is the highest string on most stringed instruments, including the ukulele. the lowest, or bottom strings are the deepest and thickest.
This is important. It really is.
Thanks Ken,I will be more careful how I refer to strings, but could you answer my question about using the wound string from the classical guitar string set--this would be the fourth string, I believe a 'D' string (on a guitar). Can I use this on the tenor uke? Can it be used for a 'G' on the uke? I have read that this might not be advisable. thank you.
~dave~~wave~
Well-known member
Those of us who favor "low G" or "linear" tuning use wound G strings all the time.
Shouldn't be a problem as long as you tune it low, not traditional re-entrant.
Ken Middleton
Well-known member
I think Dave has correctly answered the question. I personally don't use low G very often. However, I don't like wound strings at all. I feel that they change the character of the tone too much.
My questions to you would be
1. Why use classical guitar strings when ukulele strings are so easily available?
2. Why use nylon when fluorocarbon or nylgut has a much louder, more vibrant tone?
Ken, you are in the industry so please ask Jake and Aldrine next time for us. They use D'addario Pro Arte in the past and may still use it.
I think your question is simply answered with one word, subjective.
Last edited:
Ken Middleton
Well-known member
No, I am saying why buy guitar strings when you can get them packaged as ukulele strings. There is nothing wrng with nylon, if that is what you want. last time I spoke to Aldrine he was still using nylon. I think he feels (I do too) that is has a very neutral sound that amplifies well. He plays mostly plugged in. I don't know any professional players who use nylon that play primarily acoustically though.
Other players , like James Hill, prefer the vibrancy of fluorocarbon.
Hey guys, sorry to enter the fray on string choice. For a newbie like me that is way beyond my current focus. My issue, which is resolved now thanks to some good advice from this forum, was easy and cheap access to strings. Ken, believe it or not, but where I am currently living in Sarawak, the music stores around do not have any tenor ukulele strings. They do not even sell a tenor uke. And they have no plans to. To order online and then pay shipping costs is more than I want to invest in this very entry level ukulele which I recently purchased. When I get a little better and invest in a better instrument, I will be more concerned with string type and quality. For now, I have found an easier and cheaper solution to stringing my uke in the standard tuning I am more familiar with (C).
I want to say how impressed I am with this forum and the number of comprehensive, knowledgeable and speedy responses I have received. I look forward to spending more time exploring this website and learning from the forum.
Many thanks to you all,
Jeff
Back to your post about nylon strings being available in the proper thicknesses...if you go re-entrant you might consider using the same size for the fourth string as the first. If you check out sizes for ukulele strings you will see that the sizes are often pretty close for the A and g strings. You might be able to get two different sets of guitar strings that actually will combine to give you the same gauges as a ukulele set in all nylon for all four strings. Bet you didn't think this would get so complicated. It's fun, however, and learning a few of the more technical bits about strings and nuts and set-ups will make it more fun in the long run.
If you're making a trip to W Malaysia soon or know anyone popping over, you may want to consider purchasing the strings from Ukulele Malaya? Or maybe check with them if they offer delivery services too?http://ukulelemalaya.my/
I know Ukulele Movement offers delivery services but I'm not sure what it costs to send the strings over from Singapore to E Malaysia. http://www.ukulelemovement.com/index.php
I know Ukulele Movement offers delivery services but I'm not sure what it costs to send the strings over from Singapore to E Malaysia. http://www.ukulelemovement.com/index.php
Similar threads
