Harmony Baritone string suggestions?

bunnyf

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I just picked up a 40/50s Harmony baritone and put DGBE Living Waters flo. Strings on it. I have these same strings on different bari and have been very happy with them but on the Harmony they seem so floppy. Does any one have experience with the old Harmonys and can suggest a string set with more tension?
 
I dont have a string suggestion, but while waiting, you could try tuning up to Eb or E and see if they feel better there.
 
I had a Harmony baritone that I had a complete set of umwound Aquila reds. Very nice strings and bassy. It has been sold to another member, so maybe he will soon chime in. My mom also has a Harmony baritone with Martin M600 strings and it sound and feels good to me.

Dan
 
I dont have a string suggestion, but while waiting, you could try tuning up to Eb or E and see if they feel better there.
I thought about that but I am so used to playing/singing certain songs in a particular key, that I am not sure if I can do the mental gymnastics to play it where I can sing it, but just to see how it sounds, I think I will try tuning it up for now. I really can't stand how loose they are now, so I find myself not playing it, but it is my camping baritone and I would like it to play better. I used it for the past 5 days camping and it drove me crazy. The D string, especially, wants to bend so much, I can practically fall off the fretboard.
 
I had a Harmony baritone that I had a complete set of umwound Aquila reds. Very nice strings and bassy. It has been sold to another member, so maybe he will soon chime in. My mom also has a Harmony baritone with Martin M600 strings and it sound and feels good to me.

Dan

Hope he sees this and weighs in. I would like to hear his opinion. This is the first time that I've been bothered by a set on a particular instrument.
 
I have harmony baritone with hilo red package strings I put on...my friend had one too, and he said mine sounded way better....I hope I did not make him sell his...geez
 
Well i bought the harmony baritone from dhoenisch and i really like the reds on there. Granted I am a fan of the reds and probably always will be so im a little biased, i feel like they really fill the baritone with a good warm bass sound, plus they just feel good to me. Although they do feel a little loose on it(not in a bad way but it might bother you if thats the issue with the others) i think ud enjoy them.
 
I have harmony baritone with hilo red package strings I put on...my friend had one too, and he said mine sounded way better....I hope I did not make him sell his...geez

Stan, did they have decent tension as well as sound good? I feel like, in my hands, loose strings make for sloppier playing and just aren't comfortable. I don't want a super tight string that makes it hard for me to fret, just not sooo bendy.
 
I have the Martin 630 set on my Favilla baritone and like them. the Favilla has a 19" scale though.I had a Harmony, but I don't remember what strings I used on it.
 
I had a Harmony baritone that I had a complete set of umwound Aquila reds. Very nice strings and bassy. It has been sold to another member, so maybe he will soon chime in. My mom also has a Harmony baritone with Martin M600 strings and it sound and feels good to me.

Dan
the Martin 6oo is a soprano/concert set. I think you mean the 630. which is the baritone set with 2 floro trebles and 2 wound bases. that;s what I have on my bari.
 
the Martin 6oo is a soprano/concert set. I think you mean the 630. which is the baritone set with 2 floro trebles and 2 wound bases. that;s what I have on my bari.

Yup, that's what I meant. I stand (well... sit) corrected.

Dan
 
Thanks guys for all the suggestions! I'm not a fan of wound strings (don't like the squeak) but perhaps that's what I need since the low D is particularly loose. I still don't understand the mechanics of why the same set of strings is looser on one uke than another.
 
I'm with you on not liking wound strings on a uke. With the Aquila reds, I made a custom set. I purchased a set of Aquila reds for the baritone, then purchased a separate unwound D and G plain red string. Picked it all up at Elderly.com, and I had a complete, non-wound set for the baritone.

Dan
 
The set that Dan put on my harmony is great. The sound that comes outta this thing is pretty impressive,ive barely picked up my other ukes since i recieved it. Ive had an old beat up harmony guitar that was never very impressive but they really had it right with these baritones.
 
I just picked up a 40/50s Harmony baritone and put DGBE Living Waters flo. Strings on it. I have these same strings on different bari and have been very happy with them but on the Harmony they seem so floppy. Does any one have experience with the old Harmonys and can suggest a string set with more tension?
the tension should be the same unless the scale length is different. baritones can range from 19-21.5 inches.
 
I have the martins on my harmony. They feel fine and sound very nice on it. Sadly I've discovered I'm not a bari fan unfortunately, so it sits forlornly next to my desk.
 
Stan, did they have decent tension as well as sound good? I feel like, in my hands, loose strings make for sloppier playing and just aren't comfortable. I don't want a super tight string that makes it hard for me to fret, just not sooo bendy.
Aloha Bunny,
I do not feel the tension is too floppy and nor too stiff.... and the tone is like using light guage... bright and crisp
 
I use D'addario Titanium strings on my Savannah bari,& I love them! The 2 upper strings are a cool see thru purple to boot.
 
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