Ohana Sopranino - Low G? (well, possibly low A!)

Hey up,
I got hold of an Ohana Sopranino this week, which is absolutely lovely... I think this is going to become my go-to uke!

I was just wondering... I'm going to order some Worth Browns for it, has anyone tried low-G on a sopranino - I'm sure I read somewhere on here that someone tried it and loved it, but can't find the thread now... if anyone has, and has an opinion (and sound samples!) I'd be grateful for the input.

Also, I'm reckoning this sopranino should be tuned ADF#B... so if I did do low-G, that'd be low-A, right? Is a 'normal' soprano low-G set of strings alright to tune up to the ADF#B?

Cheers!

Well I have an opinion but currently don't have a soprano. I've tried low G on a couple of soprano ukes and really hated it so I wouldn't even consider it on a soprano for myself. I find regular C tuning on a sopranino barely tolerable. Everyone has their own taste. You can try the low G on your sopranino and report back.

Czutney said:

Hey up,
I got hold of an Ohana Sopranino this week, which is absolutely lovely... I think this is going to become my go-to uke!

I was just wondering... I'm going to order some Worth Browns for it, has anyone tried low-G on a sopranino - I'm sure I read somewhere on here that someone tried it and loved it, but can't find the thread now... if anyone has, and has an opinion (and sound samples!) I'd be grateful for the input.

Also, I'm reckoning this sopranino should be tuned ADF#B... so if I did do low-G, that'd be low-A, right? Is a 'normal' soprano low-G set of strings alright to tune up to the ADF#B?

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I know it's probably a personal preference thing, but was just wondering if anyone had tried it before I shell out for the strings... I guess my main worry is whether the bridge of the uke can stand up to the tension of a low-G tuned to a low-A tuning!

Czutney said:

Yeah, I know it's probably a personal preference thing, but was just wondering if anyone had tried it before I shell out for the strings... I guess my main worry is whether the bridge of the uke can stand up to the tension of a low-G tuned to a low-A tuning!

Click to expand...

First: you only need to change the one string.
The shorter the scale the lower the tension to get to pitch.
I would think you would be ok with taking a low G up a step to A.
I agree with Katy usually low G works best on tenor, but try it you may like it.
I have low g on a soprano peanut I use to pick melodies on.

I have owned one of these little beauties for several months now.

I bought mine from luthier / music store owner Bob at CGS Music.
On his advice, I immediately tuned the factory Aquila strings up seven steps from standard C uke tuning to an octave above baritone G tuning.
Bob has 40 years experience, fixed a uke for Jake Shimabukuro when he played here once, I trust his judgement.
The Ohana is plenty well built to take much higher string tension.

I'm a big low G fan myself, on any size uke. With the proper strings I think low Gs are wonderful on sopranos and concerts as well as tenors.

Have no fear of trying it out for yourself.
You wouldn't even need different strings if you use the old IZ trick of moving the C string to low G (or A, or D, for that matter) and rotating the remaining three.

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As I said, my Ohana held up fine for many months with the factory strings tightened way beyond what most folks would consider.

But I recently bought a set of Southcoast extra light strings and like them even better, because they're designed to be tuned up that high on a 12" scale instrument. The tension is now more uke-like with a great sound.

Dirk at Southcoast could help you out with some recommendations, no doubt.

G tuning on sopranino has been great for me, because it uses the same chord shapes as a standard uke at the 7th fret where I'm trying to learn the alternate positions. Not to mention matching baritone names and shapes.

I think it's a great idea to try some higher tunings with a smaller uke. I've found when playing in a group or multi-tracking it adds a distinctive voice, rather than just being a smaller soprano.