Damage to uke caused by low G?
- Thread starter Oldtoolie
- Start date
Croaky Keith
Well-known member
If it can take a high G, it can handle a low G, & I've not found any of my commercially made ukes have needed any widening of the nut slot to accommodate it.
However, once you've tried a Low G, you may never want to go high G again.
However, once you've tried a Low G, you may never want to go high G again.
Of course, we are not talking about proper ukuleles - i.e. sopranos. Putting a low G on a sop. is a criminal offence.
John Colter.
John Colter.
Nickie
Well-known member
IT is indeed punishable my loss of one's tonal sensitivity, and maybe even a few friends.
captain-janeway
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It made my g slot bigger, but if I ever wanted to revert there's tons of ways to fix it, or I could pop on a new nut.
I have one on a cheapy $30 travelling uke and it hasn't bothered it.
I have one on a cheapy $30 travelling uke and it hasn't bothered it.
Arcy
Strummin' in the Rain
There's no problem taking a ukulele into low G:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/gallery/iss034e009697.html
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/gallery/iss034e009697.html
stevejfc
Well-known member
Really the only issue would be with a plastic nut and saddle which you may find on some , but not all non- wood ukes. Some of the Magic Fluke Co. instruments come to mind...………….ie: those with the formed, non- wood fretboard. And even this would only be an issue if you used a wound (metal) low G string. The wound string wound wear through the plastic nut.
I read somewhere that Ohta-San had a low g on a Soprano.
Ohta-San gets a free pass.
John Colter.
John Colter.
Lacole
Well-known member
I agree with this. I have a low G on a concert, a tenor might be better , but not a soprano.
Jim Hanks
Well-known member
Unless it's a long neck soprano. Then it's fine.
And I guess you better not tell Daniel Ho/Pepe Romero about this law. :nana:
Bwahahaha. I see what u did there. :rofl:
Well, not always...
I have a Waverly Street soprano I got used from Mitch Katz, and he bought it new - strung with a low G.
The low string is a little floppy, but it sounds quite nice.
-Kurt
I guess it depends upon which state you live in.
John Colter
John Colter
"Unless it's a long neck soprano" - Ain't no sich thang, Jim - if it's concert scale, it's a concert (with a small body.)
John Colter.
John Colter.
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Rllink
Well-known member
In what way were you warned that it would it damage the neck or bridge? Was there something particular to the string that this person who warned you told you would cause this damage? All I can think is that they thought that the string would have too much tension, and I don't think that is how it works. I believe that all the strings on a ukulele are about equal in tension and the tone comes from the diameter of the string and not from tension. My research tells me that is why you can't just tune the string an octave down, because the tension has to be fairly equal on all of the strings for it to strum well. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I believe is true. So using that as a criteria, it wouldn't make any difference unless you were trying to force some other diameter string to produce your low g.
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OP
OP
Oldtoolie
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Some guy on facebook stating imperiously that he had often seen it happen. Saying that since I had not strung a lot of cheap ukes with Low G, I didn't know what I was talking about.
Rllink
Well-known member
Well I speak only from my own reasoning and not from any experience as I've never strung up a low g. I'm just entering into the conversation. I did do a lot of research on string tension a few years ago though. So take my points with that in mind. A lot of my friends string low g however and I've never heard any of them say that their ukuleles were damaged as a result. Many people here do so as well. I would think that it if damage as a result was a common occurrence it would certainly be commented on.
