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Thread: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

  1. #1

    Default Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    I'm thinkig about getting a Gold tone soprano banjolele and tunig it like a mando. Aquila produces these string sets meant to tune a sorano ukelele GDAE.
    I ordered such a set and put them on my soprano ukulele. Sounded quite nice, but the e-string broke quite quickly. It is terribly thin. My fault?
    Has anyone of you experience with ukes tuned as mandos in general and banjoleles in particular?

  2. #2
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    The Nylon high E's are pretty thin nylon, and do break more often than other strings.

  3. #3
    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    I put these on a concert grand (just barely fit) and they have been great, although I don't play it as much as my mandolins. It has a very cool sound, in fact I want to go home later and play it for a while!!
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  4. #4
    Bark first, Bite later Steve Zawacki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    Had the same problem with the E string on that string set when I used GDAE tuning. Ended up using 20-pound test monofilament fishing line for the E. Yes, it does work well and is much stronger than the Aquila E, and the price is right!

    Other alternative is to go CGDA using Aquila's 31U string set. Have my banjolele with that right now.
    ...Steve

    Current Stable: Two Tenor Guitars (Martin 515, Blueridge BR-40T), a Tenor Banjo (Deering GoodTime 17-Fret), a Mandolin (Burgess #7). two Banjo-Ukes and five Ukuleles..

    The inventory is always in some flux, but that's part of the fun.

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  6. #5

    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    I bought a set of charango nylon strings. It contains three E-strings that are long enough to serve as two. That makes seven E-strings, including the one from the Nylgut set. That should be enough, even if the E-string breaks once in a while.

  7. #6
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    Yes, I've done this -- works just fine with the Aquila string set for soprano uke in GDAE. I've posted about it a couple of weeks ago:

    Link

    Here is a Scottish hornpipe on banjolele in GDAE tuning:



    Martin

  8. #7

    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    Sounds nice. May I ask what Banjolele you have? I just put a set of Aquila mandotuning-strings on my soprano ukulele. Works fine. Only the tremolo doesn't come that smoothly on a single string.

  9. #8
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by crisscross View Post
    Sounds nice. May I ask what Banjolele you have? I just put a set of Aquila mandotuning-strings on my soprano ukulele. Works fine. Only the tremolo doesn't come that smoothly on a single string.
    It's not actually mine -- a friend has asked me to set it up for her. It's a Musikalia (Link) banjo uke. Somewhat unusual in that it's a zither banjo construction (an old British patent) rather than the more common US styles. Very small head. I'm fairly sure that it could also take normal mandolin strings, as Musikalia sell exactly the same instrument as Cavaquinho with steel strings and (with an alternative headstock) as an 8-string mandolin banjo.

    Martin

  10. #9
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    I have a banjolin with a much smaller head than typical, 5-6" across, about banjolele size. It also has a skin head, and these two factors make it a much more palatable instrument than the usual brash banjolin. Sadly, the head broke, and when I brought it in, my luthier said it needed some work, particularly about the neck, to the tune of $200. Since I had traded my old $50 Vega banjolin for it, and was no longer in the jug band, I told him I'd think about it. It is probably still sitting in his basement. Anyway, if you come across something like that, you should give it a try. The double strings provide a good tremolo.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  11. #10

    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    Thomann sells a soprano banjolele with a 6" rim similar to a Kala banjolele for a price I couldn't say no to. It arrived today, I put a set of Aquila mandotuning ukulele strings on it and recorded the Wonder Hornpipe.
    It's a real alternative to my mandos.

  12. #11

    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    I'm hoping to find a banjolele (or small banjo-mandola) that can work well with lower octave steel strings. Does such an animal exist? Mike G

  13. #12

    Default Re: Banjolele tuned like a mandolin

    My son makes cigar box ukuleles, and I had him set one up with the Aquila strings. I was going on an international flight, and I wanted to bring a mando that would fit in my luggage, both weight and size. I jammed with some folks overseas, but only the guy sitting next to me could hear anything I was playing.

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