5-String?

iDavid

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I am toying with getting a 5-string uke. I usually play high-g, but have played Low-g from time to time. Whenever I play a low-g uke, I miss the high-g ring. I figure the 5-string might be the ticket.

I was wondering if playing the low-g and high-g separately is doable, or if one is just better off treating them like a single string.

I was also wondering if any or you use a 5-string as your main uke. If so, are they concerts or tenors.
 
5-String!

http://youtu.be/XPFo8EBYbZA

Here's Bosko's... wide enough string spacing to be played separately. Probably costs several times what the Ohana costs, but... Bosko sure tears it up in the video.
 
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I am toying with getting a 5-string uke. I usually play high-g, but have played Low-g from time to time. Whenever I play a low-g uke, I miss the high-g ring. I figure the 5-string might be the ticket.

I was wondering if playing the low-g and high-g separately is doable, or if one is just better off treating them like a single string.

I was also wondering if any or you use a 5-string as your main uke. If so, are they concerts or tenors.

It is possible to pluck the two G's separately, but it is quite tricky. You are better off playing them as if they were just one string. A 5 string uke is great strummed. It gives such a full, rich sound.

I make this point on this product review video I recorded a couple of years ago.


 
I played a concert 5 string Maui Music at HMS the other day...it was tuned in unison...but I am sure octaves apart work fine too....
they are such fun ukes and different and would be a good addition to the family.....
 
I appreciate the input and leaning more towards a 5-string concert. I love the concert size and the added richness sounds like exactly what I looking for. Now I need to narrow down the model and woods.

equina, what woods did you choose?
 
I also own a 5 string uke. The same Ohana as mentioned above. I think it's great. I see it more as a second uke though. I don't know if I could have it as my main instrument. That deep G can sometimes dominate the sound when strumming. Sometimes this sounds lovely; sometimes it just doesn't work. I like to use it more for fingerstyle pieces.

Here's one of my videos which I think gives a good example of the sound.



As a side note, youtube user memorylane1980s doesn't like the sound of a 5 string uke. This was his recent comment -
'YAWN! over 600 people will have fallen asleep now!! :p'. Aren't people funny?
 
5 strings cool, but I prefer a 6 string. I have a 6 string Pono. A concert 6 on the list....unless I get a taropatch first
 
I think a 5-string concert might be less bassy and them more balanced. Maybe a 5-string concert and later a 6-string tenor at some point.

philUSAFRet, how do you have your string string set up?
 
Thats is why some who sell strings, but are first and foremost a player, carry the regular reentrant set and a separate low 4th string . I don,t know what others do, but that's what I do with Aquila whites for all four sizes of ukes, as well as charango strings and eight string sets for baritone and tenor sizes. Now I am building the inventory for the reds as well.
 
I think a 5-string concert might be less bassy and them more balanced. Maybe a 5-string concert and later a 6-string tenor at some point.

philUSAFRet, how do you have your string string set up?

I wanted "Chime" so I got a Southcoast 8 string set, mine is set up high G, low C/high C (low C first helps make up for not having a low G when fingerpicking) and the A strings are in unison.
 
I played a concert 5 string Maui Music at HMS the other day...it was tuned in unison...but I am sure octaves apart work fine too....
.....

What would be the advantage of a five string if both G strings are playing the same note? Louder? Just curious...

Note that Living Water strings are available in 5 string sets (tenor).
 
Five strings are my newest favorite string configuration I really like having a high and low G sound at the same time. Having a special model built by k brand to my specs. I love the sound of the 5 string maui music at the shop. hey Stan Somebody must've restrung the Molly music after I left should've been high and low G octaves apart
 
Five strings are my newest favorite string configuration I really like having a high and low G sound at the same time. Having a special model built by k brand to my specs. I love the sound of the 5 string maui music at the shop. hey Stan Somebody must've restrung the Molly music after I left should've been high and low G octaves apart

Do you prefer a 5-string on the concert or tenor?
 
For whatever reason, I always found that playing double strings quite hard!!!! It's one of the reason why I never get used to play mandolin...

Maybe a double nylon strings is easier but I think it's more fun for strumming than fingerpicking.....


https://soundcloud.com/baouke/lady-standby-by-lotus-notes ....get some funk......
 
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