steel strings

I use Southcoast HML-CM steel strings (classical metals)on my baritone. Have to tune it to Bb. A tenor can be tuned up to a C. They are very thin but sure produce a nice sound.

Am getting an archtop Baritone built that will handle steel strings tuned to G. Jazzboxukes.com. Rick Turner has made a few baris that can handle a steel string.
 
Ido have a Baritone can i put steel on that it has nylon at the moment?
 
In general, it is not advisable to put steel string on a ukulele. You can cause its neck to warp, it is not designed to withstand that much tension.
Is it possible to get a uke with steel string...maybe.... I am no luthier :p
 
No don't do it. You can put nylon core wound strings on the bass side, but don't use strings made for instruments that are built to take real steel.

Having said that I have a very cheap second quality Lanikai bari I put extremely light steel strings on, and it sounds great, but I tune it up only for 30 minutes or so at a time to mess around with it, then slack the strings to floppy. It will bend the neck and put some dip in the belly if you leave it tuned up and you could have the bridge pull off at some point. I may screw the bridge down and add some braces to mine, but it is just a cheap experiment. I want a 17 inch scale acoustic that can take steel strings at some point. I have a Risa LP but love acoustic steel and tenor guitar scale is too long for me to reach very many frets. I do have a 19 inch scale acoustic guitar, you might one to try one of those if you want steel strings, or a tenor guitar if a 22 inch scale works for you, you can tune it like a baritone uke, and they sound really nice.
 
sound advice guys thanks....... but i will leave well enough alone :D
 
I'd be more nervous that a saddle (not designed for steel) will snap under the tension rather than the neck bowing.
 
Not trying to threadjack OP but I just bought a used tenor and the C string is a wound steel string. Is that steel wound around a nylon core that was mentioned? Should I change it?
 
Dirks Classical metals are the only steel string I would put on a uke. They are very thin to take less tension and no higher than Bb for a bari. Wonderful clear sound. Was going to change back to nylon last night but they sound so good I changed my mind.

"This set is also used for the same tunings as the other Heavy Medium Gauge Linear sets. “No squeak” flat wound bass strings are used for strings 4, 3 & 2, and a light steel string is used in the 1st position. This gives this set a dramatic acoustic guitar-like sound, with great sustain combined with a bright finish on the 1st string. All strings are ball end. For more details, see our Materials page. 37” Length."

Rodog your C string is more than likely a nylon wrapped in metal of some sort.
 
Not trying to threadjack OP but I just bought a used tenor and the C string is a wound steel string. Is that steel wound around a nylon core that was mentioned? Should I change it?



Yeh that would most likely be nylon core wound with steel. Some ukulele string sets come with those
 
Ukuleles can be built to withstand steel strings, but because steel strings create more tension, the ukulele has to be built and braced to handle them. Rick Turner built me a steel string Compass Rose baritone ukulele, and Bruce Sexauer built me a steel string tenor.

Here's amy thread about the Compass Rose steel string baritone: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?91213-New-Ukes-Day!-Twin-Compass-Roses/page2&highlight=compass+rose+steel+string

Here's Bruce's thread about his steel string tenor ukulele build: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?94309-JB-Uke-follow-up

And he recently started a new thread about a steel string baritone ukulele he has built. http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?98804-JB-Baritone
 
Dirks Classical metals are the only steel string I would put on a uke. They are very thin to take less tension and no higher than Bb for a bari. Wonderful clear sound. Was going to change back to nylon last night but they sound so good I changed my mind.

I really love the sound of the Southcoast classical metal set, but I've put them on two ukes, and in both cases, I've found the intonation to be way off even at the first fret. I'm wondering if it is because they are so thin compared to standard uke strings. Does anyone know if there is some kind of setup work that could be done to a uke to fix that? A compensated saddle, perhaps?

- FiL
 
I make Ukes specifically for steel strings. I also make traditional nylon strung Ukes. They are very different designs internally, and the strings are not interchangeable at all. I personally prefer the steel string version as I am a flat picking guitar player. The steel string Ukes are very strong sounding, and retain much of the Uke character, probably because I cling to all Koa as the material of choice.
 
I really love the sound of the Southcoast classical metal set, but I've put them on two ukes, and in both cases, I've found the intonation to be way off even at the first fret. I'm wondering if it is because they are so thin compared to standard uke strings. Does anyone know if there is some kind of setup work that could be done to a uke to fix that? A compensated saddle, perhaps?

- FiL

Metal strings will require more compensation than nylon. Just blame it on physics.
 
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