Solid Body Set Up

Knows Picker

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I've got one of those solid body electric tenors. Metal strings, dual pickups, I usually run it through a multi-effect box into a 25W Fender bass amp. I want a little more 'growl' out of it, and it needs new strings anyway. You know, hairball metal power chords on the ukulele.

I'm looking for recommendations, I'm thinking maybe a low G or even an EADG set up. Looking for advice on string gauges or full sets. Thanks!
 
I'm not one of those guys around here who have been playing guitar for 30 years before taking up the ukulele. I've never played guitar. However here's what I do.

First of all, always go low G. High G is a waste of time.

Secondly, I use 12 54 strings. I don't know why I use that gauge. Maybe someone advised me to. Maybe it is arbitrary.

Sometimes I will use the treble strings tuned to DGBE and sometimes I use the bass strings tuned to EAC#F#.

Right now I am using Ernie Ball Earthwood for my acoustic needs and Curt Mangan for the electric needs.

I use a 75W blackstar amp with a fuzz pedal, Cry Baby, and maybe a flanger thrown in for good measure
 
Out of curiosity, which steel string tenor electric ukulele?

Regarding string choices - good news is you can use electric guitar string sets; which are easy to find and quite affordable.

To tune like GCEA (low-G), use the DGBE strings (4th-1st) of electric guitar sets to tune it up to GCEA.

To tune like DGBE, use the middle strings (ADGB 5th-2nd) of electric guitar sets to tune it up to DGBE.

I generally stick to .009 and .010 sets, which is what most people use on electric guitar anyway.


When changing to a new gauge string set, you may have to do some setup and intonation.
 
I've got one of those solid body electric tenors. Metal strings, dual pickups, I usually run it through a multi-effect box into a 25W Fender bass amp. I want a little more 'growl' out of it, and it needs new strings anyway. You know, hairball metal power chords on the ukulele.

I'm looking for recommendations, I'm thinking maybe a low G or even an EADG set up. Looking for advice on string gauges or full sets. Thanks!

Uke Like the Pros sells Risa branded strings for their electric ukes. Probably costs more than tracking down the appropriate guitar strings, but it would be a quick and easy solution.
 
Out of curiosity, which steel string tenor electric ukulele?


Its just one of those cheap Asian ones, it might say "Vorsun" or something on the headstock. I think I only paid about $110 for it.

My four year old daughter likes to crank it up and just wail away on all four open strings at once. She's learning letters, so we are also starting to learn the chords that go with the letters.

Looking for that elusive "H" chord soon.
 
Quick question about these solid bodies; is humidity/temperature a concern with them? Been thinking about getting a Fluke SB and wondering if I can have it as a "leave in the car" uke. Thanks.
 
Quick question about these solid bodies; is humidity/temperature a concern with them? Been thinking about getting a Fluke SB and wondering if I can have it as a "leave in the car" uke. Thanks.

Any ukulele with wood in it will be affected by humidity/temperature.
While a solid body uke should be more resilient compared to a conventional acoustic wooden uke, the neck and fingerboard can still warp and shrink.

The only ukuleles I'd feel comfortable about leaving in the car are those all-plastic or all-carbon fiber ones.
(even then, the strings do not react favorably to extreme fluctuations in temperature).
 
Any ukulele with wood in it will be affected by humidity/temperature.
While a solid body uke should be more resilient compared to a conventional acoustic wooden uke, the neck and fingerboard can still warp and shrink.

The only ukuleles I'd feel comfortable about leaving in the car are those all-plastic or all-carbon fiber ones.
(even then, the strings do not react favorably to extreme fluctuations in temperature).

That's kinda what I thought the answer would be, thanks!
 
Yea want a little "growl" get an overdrive and/or a fuzz pedal. Perhaps a guitar amp would be more suitable. For mulit effects a Zoom G1 would get you a lot for a reasonable cost. After having a Zoom G1 I do prefer more single effects pedals. I play a Godin Mulituke tuned to GCEA. I do use effects pedals. There is a thread about all that down in the Audio section.

Plug in....let 'er rip.....have some fun finding your tone. :cool:
 
Nothing wrong with using a Bass amp for electric guitar/ukulele.

It just means you may not have immediate access to sound modelling options that are specific to electric guitar or uke sounds.
I am aware that in some professional applications, bass amps have been used intentionally to achieve a certain kind of bluesy sound.

At the very least, you're not doing any harm to the equipment and you are amplifying the sound of the guitar as required.
 
I've got one of those solid body electric tenors. Metal strings, dual pickups, I usually run it through a multi-effect box into a 25W Fender bass amp. I want a little more 'growl' out of it, and it needs new strings anyway. You know, hairball metal power chords on the ukulele.
I'm looking for recommendations, I'm thinking maybe a low G or even an EADG set up. Looking for advice on string gauges or full sets. Thanks!

My standard tuning now (standard for me anyway) on a 16" scale steel string ukulele is EAC#F# using the MIDDLE 4 strings from a standard steel string guitar 9-42 set. I was previously using the middle 4 strings from a 10-46 set but the lighter 9-42 is working well. Some people use the lightest 4 strings from a 10-46 set but that's too light for my liking.

You should be able to get EADG from that no problems.
 
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