Changing Tenor G Strings - high to low

I just purchased my first ukulele, a Pono acacia tenor.

It came with a high G string. Can I replace the high G string with a low G with the nut & saddle as is, or does the G string nut & saddle slot need to be modified for the low G string?

If you use a wound low-G you will probably be all right. If you use an unwound low-G it will probably be too thick and will not sit fully in the slot in which case you'll need to widen the slot a little. (This sounds counter-intuitive but most wound Low-G strings are not much wider than an unwound nylon high-G and they will often drop right in place because most manufacturers leave a little "breathing room" in the nut slots).

In either case, it's easy to tell if the slot needs to be widened. Put the new string on, tune it to correct pitch, and then fret the string lightly just behind the first fret - you should get exactly a half-step up (i.e. G#/Ab) - if the string pulls sharp it means it's too high and the slot needs to be widened to accomodate the new string.

John

You can definitely use a low G. There are different gauges so a wound will be thinner in many cases than an unwound low G. If the string is too wide you can always widen the slot at the saddle. It's very easy to do. I had to modify one of my ukes as the G slot was super narrow. Just go slowly until it firmly slides in place. It does not take a whole lot of sanding or filing.

bildio said:

I just purchased my first ukulele, a Pono acacia tenor.

It came with a high G string. Can I replace the high G string with a low G with the nut & saddle as is, or does the G string nut & saddle slot need to be modified for the low G string?

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If I widen the slot to accommodate the low G, can I change back to the high G or do I need to stick with a low G?

I'm not sure I'll be doing this swapping, but I want to know what's possible without changing the nut & saddle.

bildio said:

If I widen the slot to accommodate the low G, can I change back to the high G or do I need to stick with a low G?

I'm not sure I'll be doing this swapping, but I want to know what's possible without changing the nut & saddle.

Click to expand...

As long as you are careful, yes. Make sure you don't change the depth of the slot (being a Pono it's a good bet the slots were cut the proper depth by the Ko'Olau techs) and don't go any wider than needed. If you go way too wide and especially if you flatten the bottom of the slot you might get some "squirm" when returning to a thinner string - this affects sustain and in the worst case can even make the string buzz.

But, if you are using a wound low-g, the chances are you won't need to do more than take a couple of swipes at the sides of the slot with 400 grit wet'or'dry paper and you'll be able to go back to high-g with no trouble.

John