# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  How to string Baritone Uke in GDAE

## Torinsall

We finally found someone at a uke store (Bounty Music at ukes.com) who thought stringing a Baritone uke in GDAE sounded like a fun, interesting project and liked the sound of it when finished.  The uke is a Pono, the strings a mix of baritone strings and glassical guitar strings (which are a longer string length).

Here's what he ended with:
  G ... classical guitar high tension low E tuned to G
  D ... baritone DGBE set, move D over one space
  A ... classical guitar high tension G tuned to A
  E ... baritone DGBE set, keep the E

Sounded good when he played it over the phone and we expect it soon.  We paid for a few strings he tried and which didn't work well, but now know what strings to use and will have what I wanted...a nylon string instrument in octave mandolin tuning.

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DavidKOS, 

PhilGox

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## Dave LaBoone

I've got my Bari uke tuned to GDAE and I love it. I just used regular BU strings, with lower tension as a result. I'd be interested in knowing if the guitar/uke strings combo sounds better.

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## Torinsall

Will have it soon.  They did try tuning B down to A but decided it was too slack and sounded better with the guitar string.  The D and E uke strings were good already, just placed in the corect slots, so the G was the only one missing from the get-go...there is another post on the net somewhere which talked about using the guitar string, so he tried that.  I think he started with normal tension guitar strings but found the high tension worked better on this uke.

Single classical guitar strings are cheap (even a set is not bad), so you might try experimenting with normal tension and if that is not quite right try high tension.  Different ukes might have a preference.

Will post an update after the uke arrives.

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## bratsche

Here is one video (of many) that I've admired by a guy who plays a baritone uke strung GDAE.  He discusses his string gauge choices in the comments section if you view it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfEq0w_ti1A



bratsche

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kegcrowe

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## bruce.b

According to the site he links to it's a tenor uke, a Kala with a 17 inch scale. It sure sounds good.

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## bratsche

That shows how little I know about ukes!  It sounded deeper than that to me.  When I read he tuned it GDAE, I figured it was a baritone.  Yes, he does sound amazingly good.  But now, I don't know which I would rather have, a tenor or a baritone (if I can ever afford one, that is).  LOL

bratsche

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## bratsche

Whoops - it looks like that *is* a baritone uke, after all!  At least that's what it says on the Christmas CD that he sells.  That would be about a 20" scale I think.  That is definitely what I want.  I love the sound!

bratsche

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## Jim Adwell

Well, I know what instrument to build next.  :Wink:

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## bruce.b

Kala ukes like that are inexpensive, a couple hundred dollars. The luthier he links to only mentions setting up Kala tenor ukes this way and that does look like a tenor that he's playing in the photo. I've never seen a baritone body that small..... unless Benji is really tall, exactly like the way Iz made a tenor uke look like a soprano when he played it.

I agree though, I'd get a baritone if I wanted to tune it GDAE. I'm thinking of tuning a concert or tenor CGDA since I have both here. I did tune a soprano in mandolin GDAE and while it worked ok I didn't like it that much.

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## Bertram Henze

I did related experimenting with an electric tenor uke some time ago. 
Classical guitar nylons are definitely the way to go, since these instruments are not built to take the load of steel strings, and nylons are much more flexible regarding tension. Wound nylons, however, can be damaged by frets (the winding can break) when over-tensed.

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## PT66

I put some classical guitar string on my baritone and tuned it GCEA. An octave below normal uke tuning but with a low G. Some day I will get aroung to build one a little bigger to be tuned this was and call it a conta-uke.

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## notred

I did it! $50 shipped Baritone Uke from Ebay and $5 worth of high tension classical strings I got a whole lotta fun for not a lot of money.  And it does sound very nice tuned to GDAE.  Its a nice diversion from my trying to learn to play the mandolin.

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## mandobassman

> I did it! $50 shipped Baritone Uke from Ebay and $5 worth of high tension classical strings I got a whole lotta fun for not a lot of money.  And it does sound very nice tuned to GDAE.  Its a nice diversion from my trying to learn to play the mandolin.


I have a baritone uke that I have been wanting to do this same conversion with.  What strings did you end up using?

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## padawan

Thanks in part to this thread (and research elsewhere)  I now own an "*Ukuzouki !*" 

*Instrument*:  Oscar Schmidt baritone ukulele, model OU5B. Because that's what they had in stock (and it sounded pretty good).

*Strings*:  D'Addario "Pro-Arte" EJ46 (hard tension) nylon strings (Because those are the first 'high tension' strings I found on the rack)

Removed the baritone uke strings (will recycle as cat toys) 

Re-strung like this:

Guitar string-------Used as Octave mandolin string 
*1* (Low E)---------*G* 
*2* (A)-------------*D*
_3(D)----------------Not used_
*4*(G)--------------*A*
*5*(B)--------------*E*
_6(High E)	----------Not used_


 Remember kids (who find this thread via Google search) octave mandolins are tuned to G2, D3, A3, E4 - Don't try to tune them up as high as a mandolin.  

 From what I've found out you need to use use high tension strings as the normal classical guitar strings aren't up to the task.

 So far I'm loving this thing.  It sounds great (to me at least).  The longer scale length is messing with me but I'll get there.

 If I had a mic or decent camera I'd post a sound clip or video.  For now though you'll just have to take my word for it that this is a great way to cheap out on an octave mandolin / bouzouki.  

 Considering a baritone ukulele can be had for less than $100 and a set of strings is $5 or $6 you owe it to yourself to have a go at it.  I can't stop grinning when I play it.


 :Mandosmiley:

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## Torinsall

The bari uke is indeed fun and sounds great in gdae tuning, so I am glad to see more information available for those trying to find out what strings to use.  I was lucky to find a uke shop with someone willing to try something nonstandard, but not everyone has such luck.

In my search, so often threads would have someone recommend getting a Tenor guitar, but that is a steel string instrument so not well-suited to nylon strings.  To my ear, nylon string guitars sound better than steel string guitars, so a nylon string uke was preferred over a mandolin (though I do own a Sweat Pea mandolin) or a tenor steel string.  The results were worth the search.

It may be that some bari ukes will sound better with the combination of string I documented initially in this thread, while othersay sound better with the all guitar strings listed by Padawan, while for other ukes either combination (or a different set) will work best.   No doubt things like string length and what wood is used to make the uke, as well as how it was made all influence which combination is best.

Hopefully, more people will add what strings worked for them and so add to the knowledge base.

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## FatBear

The slots in the nut and bridge on my mandolin are carefully fitted to the size of strings on the instrument.  Is that the case for ukuleles?  If so, do you have to file some of them out to do this conversion?  And do any slots end up too wide?

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## Jacob

This *Aquila concert set* tunes to octave mando GDAE pitches on a baritone uke and fits the nut slots with no modifications.

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fox, 

Kathy-a

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## FatBear

Well that's cool.  Now another question.  It looks like that guy in the video, above, is using a pick.  Is that right?  Can you use a pick on those nylon strings without excessive wear?

I ask because I once tried to learn the classical guitar, but my work did not (and still does not) allow me to keep my fingernails all carefully manicured so I gave it up.  I still like that mellow sound and if I can get it in an instrument tuned in 5ths and while using a pick I might just have to get a Baritone ukulele and try it out.  In fact I have my eye on a Koloa KU-650 right now:  $160, "used" but supposedly never played.  Is that a decent instrument or a junker?

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## FatBear

OK, well I did it.  I bought that baritone ukulele from the Craigslist ad.  It is a Koloa KU-650 model.  I got some of those Aquila strings and tuned (and re-tuned and re-tuned and re-tuned) it to GDAE.  I tried it with my fingers, with a felt ukulele pick I got, and with my triangular plastic Wegen pick that I use on my mandolin.  The plastic pick won hands down.  The instrument sounds really nice.  Probably not up to the sound of a really high end ukulele, but probably better than I can consistently live up to.

Here are my impressions.  Keep in mind that I am only a third year mandolin player, so things might be different for someone more experienced.

Tuning: it takes a lot of re-tuning to settle in these nylon strings.

String tension: the single strings at much lower tension make it extremely easy to fret.  I thought that the longer scale length would make the "stretch" hard to get used to, but I think the real challenge for me will be not clamping the strings down too hard.  You just barely have to touch them is all.  The lower string tension also makes the strings kind of bouncy which might make it hard for playing fast pieces.  This is not a problem for me, since I can't play the fast pieces very well, anyway.

String spacing: these strings are really far apart!  I am actually considering drilling some new holes in the bridge and making some new slots in the nut so I can move the strings closer together.   If anyone knows a good reason to keep them so far apart I am all ears.

The "stretch": yes, the frets are pretty far apart on the upper end of the neck where I play the most.  This will make some chords challenging, but might just mean that I have to learn different ones.  It also means I have to work more on a light touch with my left hand so it can move around more quickly.  That's because I simply can't always reach from one note on the first or second fret to another on the sixth without actually moving my hand a bit.  This might actually help me to improve my mandolin playing, too.

Playability: For me the stretch has affected playability on my first few evenings with the instrument.  But I am already improving and I don't think it will be a long-term problem.  This thing is tuned GDAE and so is the mandolin, but this one is an octave lower.  I can read the notes on the treble clef well enough, but not the bass clef.  I think it will be a while before I tackle that one, so for now all of my songs will be an octave low.  :-)  I don't play with anyone else, so that doesn't matter.

The sound: this is the ultimately most important thing.  When I bought the thing my wife was making snide comments about how she wasn't sure she could remain married to a ukulele player.  Last night she actually came in and sat down to listen - something she hasn't done for months - and was just amazed at how nice this thing sounds.  It is a mellow, resonant sound, more like a classical guitar than I was expecting.  The songs I normally play on the mandolin take on a whole different character and some of them sound much nicer on this baritone ukulele.  Others will have to stick to the mandolin.  

Volume: this is not a loud instrument.  That's fine with me, but may not be for others.

Stardust, a song about a song about a dream, played on so mellow an instrument and an octave lower sounds almost like you are in the dream, not just playing it.

It looks like this may be a keeper, so I guess I'd better buy a decent case for it...

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cunparis, 

fox, 

Kathy-a, 

Mike Barber, 

padawan

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## KMB

> Here's what he ended with:
>   G ... classical guitar high tension low E tuned to G
>   D ... baritone DGBE set, move D over one space
>   A ... classical guitar high tension G tuned to A
>   E ... baritone DGBE set, keep the E


I bought a baritone Uke to play around with and tuned it to GDAE with these instructions above, and it sounds awesome. Really nice thing is I play both Guitar and Mandolin, so I can switch between the two if needed. I did notice however,  that the bridge and nut may not exactly fit the difference in string sizes (specifically the low E and G string from classical guitar, but I forced them on in there anyways). I think the string combination is perfect and it really does sound more like an octave Mandolin. The 'A' string seems to go out of tune a lot though, but may be that I am not used to nylon strings and maybe I need to tighten it down better on the tuner? I don't know, but I also think someone mentioned using high tension guitar strings instead, so I might give that a try next time as well. I think a B. Uke is a good alternative (price-wise) to a Tenor Guitar or Octave mandolin, so I may give it a try.

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## Lord of the Badgers

the next challenge is to do a bari uke with double courses in GDAE then (octave pairs) - I've yet to find one on the interweb video wise... but I am bad at searching  :Smile:

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## FatBear

Here's a little update.  I originally strung my baritone ukulele with the 31U Aquila set, tuned GDAE.  I liked it pretty well, but the G string was a little floppy and the A never seemed quite alive.  A few days ago I decided to try the recommendation in the very first posting.  I bought D'Addario Pro Arte hard tension strings for the G and A from juststrings.com.  Just for curiosity I also bought one of those Red strings from Aquila and a black string from GHS to go in the high E position.  I thought I had another Aquila 31U set around, so didn't buy one, but I was wrong.  

First I put the Red string on in the low G (4th) position.  Major floppy.  Floppy as in slap-bass sounding.  I SNIP! cut that sucker right off.  

Then I tried the Pro Arte "classical guitar high tension low E tuned to G".  That one is really big.  I really didn't want to file out the nut for just a test, but I decided I might as well because I really don't want to have to use the 31U low string anymore.  (I have nut files and know how to use them, but you can't put the material back on after you've filed it off.)  Then I found that the hole in my tuner is too tight to put the string through it twice, so it was fussy installing on the shaft.  I finally got it wound up tight and it is really nice.  Much better than before.  Tighter, stiffer, not nearly as floppy.

Since I didn't have another 31U set I left the old D string on.  It's a little tired, but OK for now.

I replaced the A string with the Pro Arte string as recommended and it, too, was wider than the nut slot.  But just a hair too large so I filed it out.  It's just a big, clear nylon string.  It sounds OK, but I can't honestly say it is better than the old one from the 31U set.  It is certainly not as loud.

That left the E string.  I was not unhappy with the 31U E string, but I figured in for a penny, in for a pound, and switched to the GHS black string.  I really like that one, too.  Better than the 31U string I took off, though it's possible it was getting tired.  The black string certainly felt stiffer in the hand and came up to tension more quickly than the two Pro Arte strings.

Then I played the thing.  The only one I don't like right now is the A.  It's really nice and smooth for sliding my finger up and down, but it isn't as loud or crisp sounding as the other three.  I still need to find an A. 

And a D.  I hate to think that I need to buy a whole 31U set just to get the D, but it doesn't look like juststrings.com has the D.  If I have to get a whole set of strings, I'll probably get the Pro Arte set as proposed by Padawan.  I'm sure one instrument is different than the next, but we'll see how that works out.

I am also ordering a larger diameter GHS black string to try first in the A position.  (I have no idea if the blackness is a style thing or if they are actually different, but the .28" black one I put in the E position sure sounds good.  Unfortunately you can't just order strings by material and diameter, you have to figure out what instrument they go on and so forth.  I think a .34" black would be ideal, but it doesn't appear that they are available.  Or juststrings.com doesn't carry them.  Or something.  So I think I ended up ordering a .32" which may be too small.  We'll see.

Anyway, I'm 3/4 of the way there!  And I am enjoying it.  Mine is all mahogany and has a very mellow sound.  I figured out the basics of The Very Thought of You and now it's my slidey song.  Another new skill to work on and keep my self-respect at a very manageable level.

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## Steve Zawacki

I've been messing around with ukuleles for a while now, tuning all sizes of them (except baritone, don't own one) GDAE and CGDA.  With selective string choices, they come out well.  Interestingly the smaller the ukulele (five sizes, baritone the largest) the better CGDA sounds instead of GDAE.  The smaller the resinator, the sqeakier the E in GDAE seems to sound (to me anyway).

This thread has convinced me to get an inexpensive Baritone and give it a shot.  If it comes out to work as a "parlor sized" tenor guitar, that's great. My tenor ukuleles (second largest sized ukulele)( one is amp'd)  sound fine at CGDA and I use them as mini tenor guitars. 

Thanks for the string formula!

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## FatBear

I'm still working on the full formula, and it may be different for an instrument with a spruce top or different bracing or wood thicknesses or different playing styles or who knows what.  But I found this thread to be very helpful so I thought I would try to contribute what I have learned.  Finding the right strings isn't as easy as it seems like it should be.

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## fox

I would not like to say how long I have spent tying out nylon to get my baritone ukes tuned to CGDA but so far I have not found a good result - in fact I have even strung them up with steel & they still did not sound good!
I really hope one of you guys can get a good result as I gave up months ago...

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## FatBear

I'm trying for GDAE and like I said: I feel like I'm about 3/4 there.

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## Steve Zawacki

> I would not like to say how long I have spent tying out nylon to get my baritone ukes tuned to CGDA but so far I have not found a good result - in fact I have even strung them up with steel & they still did not sound good!
> I really hope one of you guys can get a good result as I gave up months ago...


It would seem the GHS 100 Black Nylon Baritone Uke pack should tune up CGDA.  The question is whether the increased tension is okay, but should hold as the higher tensions are applied for the same diameter strings on tenor ukes.  When a baritone shows up here in the next couple weeks, will give it a shot.

On another note, Pono is now selling a nylon-string-designed tenor guitar.  I have a Pono Pro Classic tenor ukulele strung reentrant CGDA (C4-G3-D4-A4) and the sound is super. May try a C3 string (have to look through the stockpile for something the right size), but am not sure it would be worth it.  Simply took a regular GCEA uke pack, swapped the G and C around, tuned the E to D and left the A alone.  It's a cheap way, but works on most uke sizes  (again, no baritone here, but have all the other sizes) fairly well.

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## FatBear

I wrote an email to GHS, telling them that I really liked the one black E string I put on my baritone ukulele and asking if they had other similar strings for G,D and A.  I'm going to excerpt part of the reply here for two reasons: one, this might be useful to others trying this tuning and two, as an example of extremely good customer service.




> Dave forwarded me your email, inquiring about strings for fifths tuning on a baritone ukulele. I brought my baritone into the office this morning (a Koloa KU-550) and grabbed some strings to try out. 
> 
> In regard to using something closer to a .034 for the A string, that would be a little light, mainly because the 2nd/B string in our 100 set for standard baritone tuning is already a .036, so I used a .040 black nylon, which works very well. The other strings I used were for the 3rd/D String a .034 wound string and for the 4th/G string I used a .043 wound. I'm going to let them settle in a bit more, but tonally they sound very even across the board, and have a consistent feel as well. If you're curious, you can order these strings (either through one of our fine dealers, or direct through our online store) using the part numbers below: 
> 
> 
> 1/E - T1BK
> 2/A - T3BK
> 3/D - T5S
> 4/G - T6S
> ...


Pretty amazing: he actually brought in his own instrument and almost the same model as mine.  Needless to say, I've got their web store open and will be ordering a trial set of these strings.

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alfie

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## fox

That is a good result  :Smile:  I wonder if they could be as helpful with CGDA?

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## FatBear

Ask fast, he's got his ukulele in the office today...

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## fox

I sent a mail to Andybanjos http://www.andybanjo.com/ to see if he could help with some short scale CGDA nylon strings, this is his reply....


Re: nylon strings for s/s tenor CGDA‏ 

andybanjo@andybanjo.com  (andybanjo@andybanjo.com) 
 8:50 AM  
andybanjo@andybanjo.com

Sorry, its a next-to-impossible set/tuning in NYLON
with metal strings, CGDA is easily done on a 20" tenor

the snag is that the top A is very close to the maximum tension even on
quite thin (0.009" 0.011)strings

the thinnest commonly available nylon string is 0.020" - trying to get
that string up to A is very difficult; even you do achieve the tuning,
the service life of that string will usually be quite short

that pretty much explains why you are having such difficulty finding a
set of strings. for ease of working, stick to metal strings (for which
the instrument was originally designed) or use a different tuning for
nylon strings (DGBE - baritone uke - works quite well)

regards, andybanjo

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## FatBear

I'm not an expert, but I am pretty skeptical about that.  Maybe he means that there isn't an off-the shelf set or something?  There are nylon strung mandolins out there and the high E is going to be roughly the same tension on a mandolin as the high A is on the longer scaled tenor.  Classical guitars have an even longer scale length and their high E is probably about the same tension as a tenor's A would be.  And they make high tension classical guitar strings which Andy might not have considered.  

The set that Jon Moody at GHS recommended for my GDAE is from classical guitar strings.  I don't know if they are high tension or not.  He based his recommendation for the black string set on the fact that I liked the one black E string I put on last week.  You would have to ask him if he can figure out a CGDA set.  He did ask me some questions about CGDA tuning and I think he was going to try and work out a suggested set.

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## fox

Well once you get bored with GDAE you might want to try the much better sounding CGDA & help me out  :Smile:   :Smile:

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## FatBear

I like the low, mellow sound of my all-mahogany baritone.  I can get CGDA with the capo and then I don't need to worry about stretching my stubby fingers, either. 

On the other hand, CGDA with the capo might not sound as good as CGDA on the full length fretboard.  Maybe once you figure it out I will try copying _you_.   :Smile:

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## fox

I wonder if I could get CGDA by using a steel .10 for the A and nylon for the other strings?

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## FatBear

Seems like having one steel string amongst all those nylon ones would sound really jarring.  Have you asked that guy at GHS if he can recommend a set of strings for CGDA?  (Be sure and specify _which_ CGDA: a 5th lower than mandolin.)  Let me know if you want his email address.  I don't think it would be right to publish it out in the open.

Otherwise, you live on an island, right?  So someone around there must sell fishing line.  I read a note in a youtube comment section where the player (who played clawhammer ukulele masterfully) said he used 20# fishing line for his top string.  That wasn't tuned to A, but the lesson is that there probably is a weight of fishing line that would tune to A without being too tight or too floppy.  You'd just have to experiment.  You'll probably want to use a pretty high quality line so it is consistent.

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## zoukboy

> I sent a mail to Andybanjos http://www.andybanjo.com/ to see if he could help with some short scale CGDA nylon strings, this is his reply....
> 
> 
> Re: nylon strings for s/s tenor CGDA‏ 
> 
> andybanjo@andybanjo.com  (andybanjo@andybanjo.com) 
>  8:50 AM  
> andybanjo@andybanjo.com
> <SNIP>
> the thinnest commonly available nylon string is 0.020"


That is simply incorrect. I have D'Addario nylon strings in .019 and .018, and La Bella makes .017 and .016. 

FWIW, I used the .018 for a Bb4 (1/2 step higher than the A you are referring to) on a 22.44" scale oud and it worked fine at 10.33 lbs of tension.  What is the scale length of the instrument you are trying to restring?

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## fox

Hi zoukboy, it would be great if you can suggest a suitable set to match my 20" scale baritone ukulele.

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## zoukboy

> Hi zoukboy, it would be great if you can suggest a suitable set to match my 20" scale baritone ukulele.


Fox,

Happy to do so. What are the standard string gauges for your instrument in baritone uke tuning? With that info we can try and match tensions for CGDA.

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## fox

Well I am not sure what the Aquila 21U Ukulele Baritone  DGBE set diameters are but I think the standard is around 1st 28 - 34 - 30 - 35?

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## zoukboy

> Well I am not sure what the Aquila 21U Ukulele Baritone  DGBE set diameters are but I think the standard is around 1st 28 - 34 - 30 - 35?


I looked up the D'Addario baritone set and it has the same gauges. They provide the mass per unit length data in their string tension brochure, so I was able to figure the tensions for that set:

E4  .028" Nylon .00002216  10.11#
B3  .034" Nylon .00003267  8.25#
D3  .030" NylW .00012419  19.7#
G3  .035" NyW  .00020667  18.44#
                              Total 56.5#  

The B string above looks light to me - did you have the Aquila set on your baritone?

Here are the tensions for a similar set for CGDA:

A4  .021" Nylon  10.11#
D4  .029" Nylon  8.48#
G3  .030" NylW  19.7#
C3  .040" NylW  20.02#
              Total  58.31#

You might try the .029" on the D and if it feels floppy go with a .030", and the .040" might feel tight on the C in which case you could substitute a .038".

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fox

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## fox

OK thanks, I will get my act together over the next few days.
I do have a large stock of fishing nylon & we do have a fantastic tackle shop .. no decent music shops unfortunately!
In fact we only have one guitar shop although that one shop will stock some nylon six string sets.

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## zoukboy

If anyone is interested in how to figure string tension the formula is fairly simple:

T = (UW x (2 x L x F)²) / 386.4

T = tension in pounds
UW = unit weight, or mass per unit of length, in pounds per linear inch
L = scale length in inches
F = frequency in hertz

For instance, if you have a 20" scale baritone uke as Fox does, and you wanted to see what string gauges might work for mandola tuning C3 G3 D4 A4, you would multiply 20 by the frequency of each of the strings:

A4 440hz     x 20 = 880
D4 293.66hz  x 20 = 5873.2
G3 196hz     x 20 = 3920
C3 130.81hz x 20 = 2616.2

For the first string A4 you then multiply 880 x 2 = 17,600 
then square that number: 17,600² = 309,760,000
This is then multiplied by the UW, which varies for string type and gauge. The .021 plain nylon I recommended has a UW of .00001246

309,706,000 x .00001246 = 3,859.6

Then divide that by 386.4

3859.6/386.4 = 9.98#

T = 9.98#  (Note: I used the wrong UW for the .021" in my previous message.)


To calculate the second string D4  you multiply 20" x 293.66hz = 5,873.2 x 2 = 11,746.4 

11,746.4² = 137,977,912.96

137,977,912.96 x the UW for .029" .0002377

137,977,912.96 x .00002377 = 3,279.73

3,279.73/386.4 = 8.48#


For the third string G3 .020" nylon wound:

20" x 196hz = 3,920 

3,920 x 2 = 7,840 

7840² = 61,465,600 

61,465,600 x .00012419 (UW for .030" nylon wound string) = 7,633.41 

7,633.41/386.4 = 19.75#


For the fourth string C3 .040" nylon wound string:

20" x 130.81hz = 2,616.2 

2,616.2 x 2 = 5,232.4 

5,232.4² = 27,378,009.76 

27,378,009.76 x .00028260 (UW for .040" nylon wound string) = 7,737.02 

7,737.02/386.4 = 20.02#

If you know the tension you want to maintain you can figure UW with this formula:

UW = (T x 386.4) / (2 X L X F)²

There are online string tension calculators that are pretty handy, but so far the ones that are really easy to use only do plain steel, nickel wound, phosphor bronze wound, and other metallic strings. I haven't found one for nylon strings that is convenient to use.

----------

FatBear, 

fox

----------


## zoukboy

Stringing a baritone uke for octave mandolin tuning G2 D3 A3 E4 might work like this:

Standard set tensions:
E4 .028" Nylon .00001246 9.98#
B3 .034" Nylon .00003267 8.25#
D3 .030" NylW .00012419 19.7#
G3 .035" NyW .00020667 18.44#
Total 56.37#

Similar tensions restrung for GDAE:

E4 .028" Nylon .00001246 9.98# (same as standard set)
A3 .039" Nylon .00004298 8.61#
D3 .036" NylW .00022060 19.7#
G2 .050" NylW .00045369 18.0#
                           Total 56.29#

I arrived at these gauges by this formula:   UW = (T x 386.4) / (2 X L X F)²

I multiplied each tension figure for the four gauges in the standard set by 386.4, then divided by the (2 x L x F)² figure to get an approximate UW for each string and then cross-referenced those UWs with the D'Addario figures and chose the gauges with the closest UW. I then recalculated the tensions to see how close they were.

----------

fox

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## fox

That is fantastic information - thank you for your trouble to explain.

I do however wonder about the consistency of nylon especially with the plain strings.
There would appear to be a huge variation among the types of nylon available.
A .20 could have a breaking strain of 10lb or 30lb depending on the make, use & type!
So I assume it would be difficult to calculate unless there is a standard form?

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## FatBear

I bet the UW corrects for the variation.

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## fox

Ok I can see how the formula works a bit more clearly  now that it is morning time for me!
So the UW is obviously a critical factor but how do you establish the UW.

----------


## zoukboy

> I bet the UW corrects for the variation.


Exactly!

----------


## zoukboy

> Ok I can see how the formula works a bit more clearly  now that it is morning time for me!
> So the UW is obviously a critical factor but how do you establish the UW.


For D'Addario products I use this document:Attachment 128138

For other products you would need to consult the manufacturer, but for a given string material and type of construction I think the data would be fairly consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer. The UW is mass per unit length, so it is the overall mass that is the crucial factor in string tension. Other variables such as the core diameter on wound metallic strings affect stiffness/flexibility but not tension, i.e., a nickel or bronze wound string with a thicker core diameter/thinner wrap diameter will play stiffer, as if it is higher tension than the same gauge with thinner core/thicker wrap, but the tension will be the same if the mass per unit length is the same.

----------


## zoukboy

FYI:

For plain steel, bronze and nickel wound, as well as "half round" and "XSG/Pro Steels" stainless steel strings I use this online tension calculator:

http://www.bangzero.org/stringtension/

It won't do nylon or wound nylon strings, though.

----------


## FatBear

I figgered if we kept this going long enough someone who knew what he was talking about would eventually chime in.   :Smile:

----------

fox, 

zoukboy

----------


## zoukboy

Since I play so many custom and/or "non-standard" instruments and use various tunings I learned to geek out on string data many years ago. And even with standard instruments and tunings I sometimes like to tweak the individual gauges in a set so they suit me.

I have not gone as far as David Lindley, though, who winds his own strings, but that would be cool to learn how to do...   :Wink:

----------


## fox

zoukboy , your info has been a great source of fun for me, I cant thank you enough to help solve the problem until GHS or someone makes some commercial sets...

Well I spent 4 hours today chopping and changing strings like nobody's business! 
I started with a bag full of nylon ukulele & classical guitar strings but I still cant get a decent overall sound from either of my two baritones!

The problem I found is mainly due to the type of nylon, as the stiff, coated type, sounds complete different to the plain clear mono.
The low wound strings are easy enough but the plain strings just don't sound right.... ok for melody but try & strum & it sound awful.

I have managed to get a reasonable sound from GDAE using clear mono .28 .40 & Aquila .31w plus a classic guitar .46.(although the Aquila .26 is possibily better for the E)
The difference from a .28 clear mono, compared to GHS .28 is like chalk  & cheese.
It makes you realise how much work has gone into producing the established brand strings
Anyway I will have another go tomorrow, might try a wired string for the A (GDAE)... happy holidays for me  :Smile:

----------

zoukboy

----------


## fox

I have pretty much exhausted  my locale music store range of strings now, the owner cant find a .50 nylon w string or a .21 plain.
I have also searched the UK market for them with no joy.... anyone know where I can but those sizes?

----------


## zoukboy

> I have pretty much exhausted  my locale music store range of strings now, the owner cant find a .50 nylon w string or a .21 plain.
> I have also searched the UK market for them with no joy.... anyone know where I can but those sizes?


Strings and Beyond has them.

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/dclgusistclb.html

----------


## fox

Thanks, I hope to find some in the UK.... but while you are hear could you please suggest a wired string for the A in GDAE.
I use wired A on my banjo & archtop, whether it would work on the uku I don't know?

----------


## zoukboy

> Thanks, I hope to find some in the UK.... but while you are hear could you please suggest a wired string for the A in GDAE.
> I use wired A on my banjo & archtop, whether it would work on the uku I don't know?


I would be wary of putting a steel string on there. What is it about the .021" nylon for that first string A4 that you don't like?

D'Addario makes composite trebles and "titanium" trebles for extra hard tension on classical guitar. That material might sound good on baritone uke.

----------


## fox

How about this one!.....
http://www.stringtensionpro.com/

----------


## zoukboy

> How about this one!.....
> http://www.stringtensionpro.com/


I checked that out the other day but it does't seem to do all gauges for a particular string type. To me, the bangzero one seems much easier to use.

----------


## fox

I have a new question!

What size nylon gauges do I need to power a 23" scale classical guitar ?

I have built a four string 3/4 size guitar with light weight fan bracing & a cedar top.
The only starting points I have are ... standard classical guitar strings based on a 25.5" scale, there does not seem to be much choice out there based on a 3/3 size & what there is seems the same as for the longer scale!!

So if I want to try GDAE, what can anyone suggest?

I think it might be something like G .44 D .34 A .36 E .30 but where can I get these sizes anyway?

----------


## Eric Armstrong

> Since I play so many custom and/or "non-standard" instruments and use various tunings I learned to geek out on string data many years ago. And even with standard instruments and tunings I sometimes like to tweak the individual gauges in a set so they suit me.
> 
> I have not gone as far as David Lindley, though, who winds his own strings, but that would be cool to learn how to do...


Hey, Roger! Long time no listen.
I met you at Zoukfest in Missouri, lo these many ages ago. (If memory serves, you were "instrumental" in arranging it.) I met Chris Smith there as well, and Gerald Trimble gave the truly memorable and truly inspirational rendition of Shambo Shankara, interspersed with taksim by his group. It was 18 minutes of heaven, and I've never found anyone since who has done such a remarkable combination of Indian mantra and Arabic taksim.

Anyway, I wanted to thank the people on this thread for giving me a terrific new instrument to play. But that belongs in another message...
:__)

----------

zoukboy

----------


## Eric Armstrong

> Thanks in part to this thread (and research elsewhere)  I now own an "*Ukuzouki !*" 
> 
> *Instrument*:  Baritone ukulele
> *Strings*:  D'Addario "Pro-Arte" EJ46 (hard tension) nylon strings
> 
> Re-string like this:
>    Guitar string-------------On the Baritone Uke / Octave mandolin
> *1* (Low E)--------*G* 
> *2* (A)-------------*D* 
> ...


I'm loving it, too! It's a great sound, without as much string tension as a full-size octave mando, so it's
easier to play. 

I got a Kala baritone uke for all of $140, and it sounds wonderful. Add the strings,
and the thing has tones that ring for at least a _minute_. Talk about sustain!

Chords are going to be a challenge, with the scale length, but less of a challenge
than they were on the Irish Bouzouki. If nothing else, I finally have a way to get
back the fiddle/mando tunes I used to know, while keeping the same scale length
as my long-neck tenor (on which chords are uber-easy).

So folks, I'm in heaven! Thanks a ton for this thread.
 :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Eric Armstrong

> I now own an "*Ukuzouki !*"


I do, too. Only I call mine a "*Bouzouk-ulele !*"

BTW:
I see Octave Mandolin strings on Amazon. Is there a reason that guitar strings were chosen over some set of OM strings?

----------


## fox

You have seen nylon octave mandolin strings for sale on Amazon?

----------


## Eric Armstrong

> You have seen nylon octave mandolin strings for sale on Amazon?


Ah. Probably not. I didn't look closely enough!

----------


## Eric Armstrong

Plug for the bouzouk-ulele:



> The baritone uke strung up in GDAE is turning out to be pretty darn close to perfect!
>  I played octave mandolin/Irish Bouzouki for a while.
>  I found the fret-stretches pretty unmanageable on the guitar-length scale--even with large hands and long fingers.
>  That, coupled with the steel strings and high tension (highest of the string instruments, I believe) made it hard to play.
>  The bouzouk-ulele has longer stretches than a mandolin, but I find them manageable--even for chords.
>      (But someone with smaller hands probably needs to find a setup for a concert-size (aka alto) ukulele.)
>  String tension is more than a ukulele, but I find that manageable as well--especially with nylon strings.
>  And then there is the sound! Deep, low notes like the ones you get on a guitar. And strings that ring forever.
>  I love it!

----------


## kkmm

I have done this type of GDAE tuning using guitar nylon strings on my tenor uke (17" scale length).
The choice of strings is very important for the tone, each string is designed to sound best at a certain tension and we need to follow this requirement. The string set below is suitable for "tuning in fifth"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquila-31U-U...item58c25bdade

It is for a scale length of 15" and the tuning is CGDA. On a 17" scale length (2 frets longer), tuning the strings at proper tension would result in Bb/F/C/G. There are two choices: either tuning each string one full note higher to get CGDA  or ... put a capo at fret#2 to get CGDA. Using a capo has advantage when playing in Bb or Gm keys.

I am not sure if this string set is long enough for baritone.

----------


## Eric Armstrong

> The choice of strings is very important for the tone, each string is designed to sound best at a certain tension and we need to follow this requirement.


Having played with my baritone bouzouk-ulele for a while now, I still love the tone. And the frets are definitely more reachable than they were on my guitar-sized octave mando. However, they are just *barely* reachable. When fingering the 2nd, 4th, and 5th frets, the 7th is pretty easily reachable with my pinky. But when fingering 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, I find that I have to rotate my hand. (I keep the 5th in place, but lift the fingers on the 2nd and 3rd frets to get to the 7th with my pinky.)

So now I am planning to try restringing my original (now loaner) concert uke to GDAE. That should totally solve the stretch problem, and give me the wider fretboard that I just love, compared to the standard mandolin.

Does anyone have any suggestions on strings to use? Or warnings about the impossibility of it all?  :Smile:

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## fox

GDAE might be difficult on such a small instrument but 5th tuning (same chord shapes) in CGDA is very easy, you just buy the strings as linked by Kkmm.

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## Eric Armstrong

UPDATE:
I got a lead on a fellow who makes custom string sets: Olav (Chris) Hendrikson at Boston Catlines ("catlines" at aol dot com). 
I was planning to try stringing my 15" concert Uke to GDAE, but he talked me out of it. The reason:
   a) With octave mando tuning, the bottom string has to be so thick, it's hard to play and sounds muddy
       (I'm betting it produces a lot of fret buzz, as well.)
   b) With standard mando tuning, the high string is so thin that it breaks if you look at it.

Bottom line: There is no way to get good GDAE tuning at that scale length.
He said that the 17" scale is the shortest scale you could do in octave mando tuning.

So I checked, and found that it is also the _longest_ scale length at which I can do "fiddle fingering", reaching the 7th fret with my pinky while still holding my index finger on the 2nd fret. 

In other words, the 17" scale is PERFECT for what I want to do. So I am now the proud owner of a new Kamoa tenor uke ($260). And the strings are on the way. The only thing left is to check the sound. 

The baritone uke with a 20" scale does sound pretty darn good. The middle strings sound like they're in the guitar range. The bottom string is very low--just a little muddy actually, with just a teeny bit of fret buzz--while the top string sounds just a bit "tinny". Those are just quibbles, though. I like the overall sound a lot. It's unique enough that I can hear myself while others are playing, without being so loud that I destroy a session when I'm off... (Right now, I'm in a mando class. When I stop playing, it's _very_ obvious. The sound in the room has a depth and richness that goes away when I stop, leaving a bunch of thin-sounding mandolins (but of course, "richness of the sound" is what makes ensemble playing so special).

It will be interesting to see how the professionally-recommended strings sound on the tenor. I already know it's playable. So if it sounds as good as I hope, I'll have a winner! (The bottom strings will be wire wound. The top strings will be either Nylgut (enough friction so your finger doesn't slide off) or Carbon Fiber (slippery, but can be made much thinner, so it tends to sound brighter). He's doing the calculations today. If the Nylgut strings can be thin enough to work, he'll go with that. Otherwise, he'll go with the Carbon Fiber.

----------


## Eric Armstrong

YES YES YES!!

The Kamoa tenor uke projected really nicely in the job--better than instruments costing more, actually. And the 17" scale is VERY playable for Irish and Bluegrass tunes. (It's the longest scale I can really play those tunes on, actually.

Meanwhile the strings that Olav (Chris) sent me from Boston Catlines are spectacular for GDAE tuning. The top string is a carbon fiber--thin enough that maybe it should be called a "carbon filament"!. We worried that it might be too thin, and/or too slippery to keep the fingers in place. On the other hand, it could be made thin enough to produce a really good sound. So I ordered two E strings--that one, and a Nylgut for backup. Result: It too is _very_ playable. So no worries on that score--no slipping, not so thin it hurts, and it sounds terrific. So I never got around to trying the backup E string. (I know how that sounds. It's a warm tone that I like on my tenor uke, but for the Bouzoukulele, I like the brighter high end the carbon fiber gives me.)

The A string is nylgut, and the two low strings are wire wound. And they sound fabulous! The sound is still reminiscent of a guitar's rich tones. (I play it more, just because I love hearing it!). And while it's not quite as deep as the baritone ukulele version, it also stays well shy of the "muddy" bottom end, while being even more playable!

So there you have it. Tenor ukulele makes the _ideal_ vehicle for an octave mando, imho. (I've heard that a soprano uke works well in standard fiddle/mando tuning. A friend is planning to try that. I look forward to finding out how that experiment works.)

----------


## David Kennedy

I have my Baritone Uke tuned to GDAE using a set of linear tuned strings, with no wound strings, from the Southwest Ukulele and Guitar Company, www.southcoastukes.com.
They have a great selection of Ukulele strings and some really great information about strings as well. They have charts to show tension and what works well for all sizes and tunings of ukuleles.
The set I use are LL-NW Light Gauge Linear Set. I love my Baritone strung with these strings. But I see that they have a new set, LML-NW Light Medium Gauge which will give you slightly higher tension.
Cheers,
Dave

----------


## David Kennedy

> I have my Baritone Uke tuned to GDAE using a set of linear tuned strings, with no wound strings, from the Southwest Ukulele and Guitar Company, www.southcoastukes.com.
> They have a great selection of Ukulele strings and some really great information about strings as well. They have charts to show tension and what works well for all sizes and tunings of ukuleles.
> The set I use are LL-NW Light Gauge Linear Set. I love my Baritone strung with these strings. But I see that they have a new set, LML-NW Light Medium Gauge which will give you slightly higher tension.
> Cheers,
> Dave


Hullo folks, my brain is now back from its holiday. It informs me that my baritone uke is tuned GCEA and not GDAE. With my brain on its annual leave, I had been seeking info on tuning my Tenor Guitar to GDAE and had successfully confused myself.
However the Southwest Uke Company may be able to help with strings for a GDAE tuning.
Bye for now, I'm just off to have a little lie down.
Cheers.

----------


## fox

After many months of intensive string testing I can honestly say that I have yet to find any combination that works really well!
Most testing has been done using my 1953 Harmony Baritone mahogany top & my newish Lani  Cutaway, spruce top.

I have read & even heard some good results from you guys but I cant seem to match them on my instruments.

So my latest attempt has been to purchase two sets from South Coast Ukes... that works out at $5 a string delivered but I dread to think how much I have spent overall on nylons strings  :Smile:  Only ordered them today so I will wait with baited breath for a good result.

----------


## kkmm

It's hard to find a good set of NYLON string to match a baritone for CDAE tuning. If you use steel strings instead, a matching set would be the one for a bouzouki around 20" scale length. You will have two set of strings, that's a bonus.

----------

fox

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## fox

Well maybe but, I do in fact have a steel string baritone uke - come small tenor guitar & that took a lot od trial & error to get right as well! (as do 20" scale tenor banjos)

----------


## FatBear

> After many months of intensive string testing I can honestly say that I have yet to find any combination that works really well!


Hi Fox,
Did you ever try the ones that were recommended by GHS?  See post #28 in this thread.  I reported the response from that GHS guy, but I'm sorry that I never followed up.  I have been very happy with this "set" of strings.  They all sound like they are on the same instrument - something I had problems with when trying other strings.  (I'm sure there's a musical name for that phenomenon, but I don't know what it is.)  My instrument is a Koloa KU-650 mid-range mahogany bodied ukulele, so I'm not sure how they would sound on a different one.  

They are classical guitar strings and are also higher tension than the regular ukulele strings so they feel nice and tight and not bouncy.  I rarely miss a bouncing string anymore.  :Smile:   At risk of further lightening your wallet, you might give them a try.  They are available as individual strings, but not as a set.

I'm beginning to get the impression that sets only work for some instruments or for some styles of playing.  I'm a pretty crappy player, but I can really tell when the strings are right or wrong or old or dirty.  Maybe it's because I pluck them one at a time (with the occasional chord mixed in.)  I suspect that people who strum loud chords and sing along may not be as particular about the sound of each individual string as long as they tune up correctly.  That's not an insult, just acknowledgement that there are lots of different styles with lots of different demands.

----------

fox

----------


## Gary Leonard

I just purchased a Kala Baritone, and converted it to GDAE. I ended up doing exactly what the OP stated in the first post. I originally tried to take the B from the original string set down to A, but it was too floppy for my tastes, and sounded a bit off. I combined the original Aquila strings with D'Addario Pro-Arte Classical Guitar strings EJ46.  I had to file the edge of the nut at the D slot, as the low E bound up pretty bad. 

As a tip for anyone else that is doing this, do yourself a favor and buy a set of Aquila Strings Baritone DGBE strings. Good for in case you make a mistake, and in my case, there is no way the original D string was going to work in the third slot, it was too short.

----------


## fox

I have yet to be satisfied with the overall sound from any of the combinations I have tried.
Certainly the re-entrant sets from South Coast Ukulele sound great but do not offer me the effect I really want & the super thin A (CGDA set) did not last more than a few days.
However, for those interested, my best results for GDAE on 20" scale baritone uke  came from .30p .24w .36w .48w.
All the plain 'A' string gauges I tried sounded crap but the wound .24 sounds great. I still think the .48 G sounds crap but it is better than a .44
I think the C tuning has more potential but I find that .20 plain nylon is very thin physically & musically & soon snap especially if you use a pick.
I have had quite a bit of correspondence with SC ukes & basically they have not so far found a decent sound without using re-entrant tuning however they are still working on it......

----------


## Jacob

I am using strings based on the D'Addario Ukulele Titanium Baritone, EJ87B set.
.028p, .0415p, .035w & .050w
This is the best sound I have found.
Info from the D'Addario String Tension Pro website.
Wound string for the G that matched the tension of the D string in the set.
Plain titanium string for the A that matched the E string tension.

----------


## fox

Nice one Jacob, I found a 50w a bit dull but it does depend on the instrument, can you use your calculator to see what lb a .24 A string is?

----------


## Jacob

Wound .024 A string tension: 9.66 lbs
(click on small image)

----------

fox

----------


## fox

So where do you guys buy nylon singels? 
I can't find much for sale on the net, not in the UK anyway.

----------


## Jacob

I shop D'Addario Guitar Single Strings from JustStrings.com here in the US.

----------

fox

----------


## fox

I found them in the UK ..... http://www.stringbusters.com/Ko-Besp...ASSIC/DADDARIO

----------


## fox

Well I have been quite happy with the .029p, .024w, .035w & .050w format, (I really don't get on with a .040p A) now I wonder if I could find a wound E string?
I guesse I am trying to get away from the traditional Ukulele sound & duplicate the steel string tenor guitar sound & I feel with the wound A string I am very close, however a wound E might just produce the sound I really want!
Does anyone know what the smallest diameter nylon wound string available is, or can anyone suggest a wound replacement for the .029p E string?

----------


## fox

I bought an extremely damaged Ozark tenor guitar, I thought I could use the neck for something but ended up repairing it & fitting Nylon strings.
My friend popped around at Christmas time & I took a bit of video, it has a 21" scale & is in fact tuned AEBF with the same strings I use on my 20" baritone ukulele.

----------

PhilGox

----------


## bratsche

Once again resurrecting this thread I replied to when it first started, in 2013, and when I first developed a serious jonesing for a ukulele to complement my small instrument herd.  Well, today at long last, my baritone arrived, and taking it out of the case, I  just re-tuned the DGBE strings to GDAE, and am having a blast just noodling on it!

I opted for a very gently-used deluxe Pono all-mahogany baritone that I found on eBay - after reading the stuff here on the new Pono octaves and thinking no, I didn't want a guitar-shaped octave, and I still wanted one with an even shorter scale anyway, I decided Pono baritone ukes might be worth looking into.  (Certainly much less expensive, too.) And I'm not disappoainted - this is a beautiful little instrument, and so easy on the fingers that I can hardly put it down!  

So how's everyone doing with your GDAE baritones?  Still happy?  Any new string epiphanies to report?  Back in the thread, someone mentioned that the fifths set by Aquila would work for GDAE baritone tuning with no nut modification.  Are they really long enough for a baritone?  I had thought they were for CGDA tuning on the shorter ukes.  The seller of my instrument didn't know what brand the strings are that are on it now.  (I didn't realize there are people who don't install their own strings!) I was quite frankly surprised that I could tune the D string down a whole fifth without it sounding like a rubberband, though, but it doesn't!  It's a little on the quiet side, but still produces a decent tone.  Sooner or later, I will begin experimenting, but for now, I'm just having fun getting acquainted!'

bratsche

----------

40bpm, 

kegcrowe

----------


## fox

They are good fun  :Smile: 
I have not found anything better than the above stated gauges 29p 24w 35w 50w.

----------

40bpm

----------


## PhilGox

Hello Bratsche,

Thanks to this topic I've just received a Kala electro accoustic barytone uke.
As I thought that DGBE native strings would never work for GDAE, I've bought a Aquila CGDA 5th tuning string set too.
But the uke came before the strings so I run to my music dealer to buy a high tension d'Addario EJ46 string set.
I tuned it GDAE exactly as explained in the "all guitar strings" method above in this topic.
It works very well!!
The sound is very good, the tuning is ok all along the neck and it's really sweet to play!
When plugged it sounds great too!

To answer your question the CGDA string set is designed for concert ukes (shorter) tuned CGDA.
I tuned one like this and it works good too.
I tried to measure the strings lenght and I think it should be long enough for a barytone if you don't make too much turns on the tuning pegs.
As the barytone is longer scale there should be no problem for GDAE tuning with this set.
I don't want to remove the strings of my concert uke because it's a mess to tune it after, but when I receive the new set I'll tell here if it's long enough. (tomorow or the day after...).

For the moment I have made no set-up at all to the new uke and I don't see no reasons to do some because it already sounds great.
I can play it with my finger nails or with a pick. 
Two different sounds but both are very nice.

Lot of fun!!!

Have a good day!!  :Smile:   :Smile:

----------


## PhilGox

Hello,

I've received the 31U Aquila string set.
(Concert uke CGDA string set).
The strings are just enough long for a barytone if you don't waste any length making the knots.
I havent' tried it because I'm not expert for making classical guitar knots.
I think it is possible to put it but not confortable to do.

Anyway I've bought an Aquila classical guitar nylguts set, high tension.
They say it's the same material used for ukes with tensions designed for guitar.
I'm going to try this first and I will tell you.

For the moment the d'addario guitar set works good so I hesitate to change it.

----------


## bratsche

Hi Phil,

I too just put high tension d'Addario EJ46 strings on my baritone the other day, after they came from Amazon.  The tension difference on the lower strings was immediately noticeable (as was the 3rd, D string's tendency to stretch and stretch, and stretch some more).  I am still getting used to them.  The action is on the high side on this instrument, but I'm too lazy to lower the saddle at this point.  Besides, I'm used to double course steel strings, so I'm tough!   :Wink: 

My main beef is with the annoying string noise from my fingers, as usual.  I've even got an expensive set of Thomastik flatwound classical strings on order, for my next experiment.  I suspect the lower change of tension will be immediately noticeable once again, whenever I get around to trying them.  But this is how I see and hear what I like, and eventually settle on favorites...

I can't pick with my fingers to save my life!  I never know which finger to play which note with, they get all confused and jumbled, and I'm so used to a pick that I mostly use one on the baritone uke.   I mostly play things that fall into the note and chord melody category (such as Bach), so the finger picking thing is quite an enigma to me!  (I got a blister on my thumb from trying, though. haha!)

I suspected that the 31U Aquilas would be short - thanks for confirming that!

bratsche

----------


## PhilGox

Hi,

Finaly I put the Aquila nygut guitar strings on the Barytone.
The difference of sound and tension between the G and D strings and the A and E strings is a bit less noticable.
The G and D have a little less "bass power" and the all strings sounds more well-balanced under my finger.

Anyway, I would not say that the Aquila is better than the d'Addario because the difference is not drastic and both sound good.
I will finaly let the Aquila because both sets seem to take lot of retuning before to stay in tune.

What is sure is that the GDAE barytone uke is a great instrument for me and lot lot fun to play!!!  :Smile: 

Enjoy!

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## vesabios

I strung up my kala spruce top baritone uke using these pro-arte strings as described here, and it sounds and feels AMAZING... thank you so much!!




> Thanks in part to this thread (and research elsewhere)  I now own an "*Ukuzouki !*" 
> 
> *Instrument*:  Oscar Schmidt baritone ukulele, model OU5B. Because that's what they had in stock (and it sounded pretty good).
> 
> *Strings*:  D'Addario "Pro-Arte" EJ46 (hard tension) nylon strings (Because those are the first 'high tension' strings I found on the rack)
> 
> Removed the baritone uke strings (will recycle as cat toys) 
> 
> Re-strung like this:
> ...

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