Help - muted sound

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Loveiz

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I recently got Concert Uke and wanted a low G sound so fitted a Fremont wound low -G.
Is sounds great.
Only problem is , I slackened off the other strings to enable me to tuck in the tail of the new string at the end and now I have a muted sound or dull sound from the C EA strings! Have I done something dumb? Or does it take a few days to settle after re-tuning?
Wish I'd left the tail loose, as it was fine before.aaaaaaaaaaaagh.
 
Stupid question but are you tuned back up to the same pitch as before?
Can you post a pic of the bridge where the strings are tied off?
 
Sorry Jim your dealing with a beginner here.
Not too sure what you mean regarding pitch. After tidying the strings. I have simply tightened the strings up and used a snark tuner.
I realise it may take a day or so to be settled but it sounds so dull now.

I'll try and post pic of the bridge.
 
Jim,
This is bridge end
Just looking at pitch it would seem the plucked strings sound flat.
 

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I don't see anything wrong with the bridge. If you're using a tuner p, and it is reading GCEA, and the strings feel about the same as they did before, then I am at a loss. It is possible the strings are tuned an octave too low. If so, they would be very loose and floppy. And the C would sound lower than your low G.
 
Jim,
Just realised I tuned the new low G string to G# which was making the whole thing sound so different.
Appreciate you replies.
 
That would certainly mess up your chord voicings. :p
But wouldn't do anything about dull or muted - unless I don't understand what you mean by that.

So it all sounds ok now? If not, it would help if you can post an audio or video sound sample somewhere.
 
I purchased a Kanilea tenor a few years back. I found it to be muted and dull. I use re entrant tuning. Out of curiosity I dropped the tuning down a whole step and the sound just opened up beautifully. I since have dropped it down another half step. The tighter strings just didn't ring. I use the Kanilea for solo playing and my Kamaka for ensemble playing.
 
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peanuts56 said:
I purchased a Kanilea tenor a few years back. I found it to be muted and dull. I use re entrant tuning. Out of curiosity I dropped the tuning down a whole step and the sound just opened up beautifully. I since have dropped it down another half step. The tighter strings just didn't ring. I use the Kanilea for solo playing and my Kamaka for ensemble playing.
Click to expand...

Since I don't play with other people, I don't have to worry about matching my tuning to theirs. So I too downtune. I have my Kamaka tuned to d#G#CF because I like the string tension, of lack thereof, which allows me to bend the strings and play long glissandi.
 
peanuts56 said:
I purchased a Kanilea tenor a few years back. I found it to be muted and dull. I use re entrant tuning. Out of curiosity I dropped the tuning down a whole step and the sound just opened up beautifully. I since have dropped it down another half step. The tighter strings just didn't ring. I use the Kanilea for solo playing and my Kamaka for ensemble playing.
Click to expand...

What does it mean to drop tuning down? I'm a noob, so please pardon me if this is a stupid question.
 
It means instead of tuning your ukulele GCEA, you tune it Gb B Eb Ab, where the note on each string is a fret lower. Since you are a self-professed noob, then let me add that this is not a good idea if you play with other people because your ukulele will no longer be in tune with their ukuleles which are tuned in the standard way. However, if you play alone, you can do whatever you want. For example, I tune my Kamaka eb Ab C F because I enjoy the string tension, but it would sound awry if playing with someone else.
 
ripock said:
this is not a good idea if you play with other people because your ukulele will no longer be in tune with their ukuleles which are tuned in the standard way.
Click to expand...
Well, I know what you meant, but the ukes will be "in tune" with each other if tuned to the same pitch reference. It's just that they will be playing in a different native key so that has to be accounted for to play in harmony with another instrument. Capos and transposition techniques can be used to compensate.
 
If I might throw my two-cents-worth in here with regard to Loveiz's original concern, that being the perception that the C, E, and A strings have a duller tone after replacing the high G with a low G-- Could that simply be a function of the total sound "array" coming across as "duller" simply because of the absence of a high G in the mix? In other words, maybe nothing is really wrong, and your ears just need a little time to get used to the overall "vibe" of the low-G tuning (lacking, as it does, what used to be the second-highest-pitched string of the bunch)?
 
Loveiz said:
I recently got Concert Uke and wanted a low G sound so fitted a Fremont wound low -G.
Is sounds great.
Only problem is , I slackened off the other strings to enable me to tuck in the tail of the new string at the end and now I have a muted sound or dull sound from the C EA strings! Have I done something dumb? Or does it take a few days to settle after re-tuning?
Wish I'd left the tail loose, as it was fine before.aaaaaaaaaaaagh.
Click to expand...

as to the original question, I might replace the other three strings, the C, E, and the A. Strings are pretty cheap and depending on how old they are, de-tuning them and then putting the tension back in them might have messed something up. Also, it looks like you have aquila strings matched with the Fremont wound low-G. I might try a flurocarbon which might pair well with the fremont. Some fine strings include Oasis, and Worth Clears. Good luck and welcome to the world of chasing strings!
 
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