For re-entrant dGBE tuning, do you prefer a tenor or a baritone uke?Really curious to read people's preferences on this, and particularly curious to see if people's preferences are based more on the sound or on the feel of the instrument.
I would have voted "neither", if that option had been included.
I tried it on both my Pono baritone (spruce, rosewood) and on my two tenors (Barron River, cypress, and ukuMele, acacia). On the baritone it sounded decently, but not overly different from a tenor in any other re-entrant tuning, and it sounded a little "narrow". I also felt the single wound string (the G) was a bit imbalanced (and a wound G on a baritone sounds thuddy to me). I used a variety of string combos here, including nylon.
With my two tenors, the tuning didn't work at all on my very lightly built Barron River, but was better on the acacia tenor. The BR, which is normally bright and lively, sounded dead with that tuning. Like it had been packed into a plastic bag. I was really surprised how this normally wonderfully sounding instrument wilted with dGBE. The acacia tenor sounded better, but also a little muted. For the tenors I tried it with the Living Waters strings (custom one from Ken) and the Acquila dGBE tenor set. Of the two, the Living Water set was better.
If I wanted re-entrant dGBE, I'd opt for a baritone, but I feel that it really depends on the instrument more than the size (perhaps other wood choices are more suitable). I didn't feel my Pono is suited for that tuning, it really shines with the low fourth string.
20" - longer scales - clearer sound, but I'd also go 19" over 17".
Bear in mind the thread says "what do you prefer". I know some folks like heavier strings.
The two tunings are both reentrant - it's standard notation. The second one looks like what the O.P. wrote, the first one is what seems to be meant for the most part on the forum. Always confuses me a bit as we make both sets.
I have strung both my Bruko tenor and my tenor Fluke dGBE. The Bruko retains it's Bruko brightness but toned down somewhat and the Fluke I thought was a little boomy but others seem to see it as mellow and I get a lot of positive reaction to the Fluke in this tuning.
In both cases I'm happy with the result of the lower tuning of my tenors and see no need to get a baritone as a result. I have Bruko concert tuned low G and I'm not entirely happy with linear tuning and I might well go back to re-entrant tuning with it.
Both the tenors mentioned above plus a Solid body Risa Uke'Ellie are all strung with Worth Clear Fats and I'm very happy with the result. When I need to change strings next, I will look to get a Living water dGBE set to try as an alternative to the Worths.
I vote tenor just because baritone means linear tuning to me. I don't want to "waste" my baritone on reentrant. Although I admit I've never tried it. I do have dGBE on my tenor banjo uke.
I have tried to like low G on tenor and low D on baritone - but it just doesn't suit my playing.
I have re-entrant (ie. dGBE ) Living Waters on a Pono barritone that sound and feel great, and keeping it in G tuning gives me a lovely, low(ish) sound experience that is a nice change from my other ukes.
Craig Chee worked with ghs Strings to develop a set of strings (CU-BTR) for the tenor uke in baritone re-entrant tuning (dGBE, or with a high D). I have put them on 1 of my tenors (Kala ASAC-T Tenor Solid Acacia) as an intro to baritone since I don't own a baritone uke (Yet...). So Far, I really like them.
