ukulele as a mando

[bblaedorn]

Would I be able to string a uke up with mando strings and tune it GDAE? How would it sound? Anyone ever just use the typical ukulele nylon strings and tune it to standard mando?

[Rod_Neep]

What you need is one of these...
Which, by the way, is called a Taropatch (this one is a Martin)

[Bob Wiegers]

I dont think you want to put steel strings on a uke. what I've been told before is to use 3 of the standard uke strings for G, D and A, and for E use some 20-pound fishing line.

[billkilpatrick]

i've tuned a baritone uke to GDAE without too much fuss - using nylgut baritone strings from aquila. check out the tenor guitar section at the bottom of the forum.

- bill*

[Rick Turner]

Aquila was going to offer 5th tuning uke strings of the appropriate gauges. I don't know if they ever did, though.

[John Flynn]

I dont think you want to put steel strings on a uke. what I've been told before is to use 3 of the standard uke strings for G, D and A, and for E use some 20-pound fishing line.

On a 14 5/8" scale uke I use the nylon 4w, 3 and 2 from a classical guitar set for the G, D and A, respectively and .4mm monofilament nylon fishing line, 20 lb. test, for the E. This provides roughly the right tension and good tone, although I needed some major bridge work to get the intonation in the ballpark.

[mandroid]

I string my wooden-headed Banjo-Uke, tuned to GDAE, with 3 strings from Martin's Baritone Uke
string set, and the high one from a soprano set.

As a B-U I have no issue with a bit more tension pulling on a Bridge glued to Top joint,
Local go-to instrument guy made a no tip-over banjo-uke bridge for it .

[8ch(pl)]

There is a set of nylon Banjo Strings from LaBella that may work. They are for 5 string banjo. Elderley sells them.

[mandozilla]

Not trying to be a wise guy but why not just get a mandolin?

[John Flynn]

Not trying to be a wise guy but why not just get a mandolin?

Everyone here, by definition, does have a mandolin. Here are a few reasons they might also want a mando-tuned uke:

> Some people have major grip strength issues due to hand injuries. A mando-tuned uke gives them something to practice on while they are healing up.

> Decent ukes are cheaper, even cheaper than decent beater mandolins, and smaller than mandolins, making them great for travel where you're just practicing in a hotel room.

> It's a different sound to experiment with, in a tuning you're familiar with.

[Tim2723]

Everyone here, by definition, does have a mandolin.

That is except, of course, for those who write in to say 'I'm thinking of getting my first mandolin...'

A fairly common occurance around here.

[AlanN]

No de-rail intent here:

The great Tal Farlow started on mando but it was tuned like a uke

...back to Uke as mando...

[EggerRidgeBoy]

Originally Posted by John Flynn
Everyone here, by definition, does have a mandolin.

Not quite everyone. I don't play the mandolin, nor own one, but I still check the Cafe every day or two. I can almost always find discussions that interest me, and I've learned a lot, even if I can't put much of the knowledge to practical use (I've also discovered that even non-players can be afflicted with MAS). Hmm, I suppose that makes me some sort of mando groupie, but I guess there are worse sites to visit every day.

[John Flynn]

OK, I should have said "By definition, ALMOST everyone here has at least one mandolin." Happy now?

[man dough nollij]

Originally Posted by John Flynn
Everyone here, by definition, does have a mandolin.

Not quite everyone. I don't play the mandolin, nor own one, but I still check the Cafe every day or two. I can almost always find discussions that interest me, and I've learned a lot, even if I can't put much of the knowledge to practical use (I've also discovered that even non-players can be afflicted with MAS). Hmm, I suppose that makes me some sort of mando groupie, but I guess there are worse sites to visit every day.

Wow, ERB, you get the Lurker of the Year award! I don't know if I could have held out that long without buying a mandolin (or ten)!

[mandozilla]

John said:

Everyone here, by definition, does have a mandolin. Here are a few reasons they might also want a mando-tuned uke:

> Some people have major grip strength issues due to hand injuries. A mando-tuned uke gives them something to practice on while they are healing up.

> Decent ukes are cheaper, even cheaper than decent beater mandolins, and smaller than mandolins, making them great for travel where you're just practicing in a hotel room.

> It's a different sound to experiment with, in a tuning you're familiar with.

OH OK

[Martin Jonas]

Yes, you can tune a standard ukulele in GDAE mandolin tuning, using a custom set of nylon strings. Check out the recent Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain thread: their leader Geoff Hinchliffe tunes his uke in GDAE to get a greater range for soloing.

I have a Risa uke-stick electirc uke which I tune GDAE -- works fine and is good fun, although the tone is quite different from a mando (thinner and even less sustain than mando, but pleasingly soft and mellow).

Martin

[EggerRidgeBoy]

Wow, ERB, you get the Lurker of the Year award! I don't know if I could have held out that long without buying a mandolin (or ten)!

Lurker of the Year - cool! Any chance that comes with a cash prize I could apply toward a mandolin fund?

Actually I do occasionally play around with my aunt's rarely played mandolin, and I would have bought one of my own by now, but upon deciding at 45 to finally learn to play an instrument, I chose the banjo. I listen to all sorts of music, but old-time stringband music strikes perhaps the deepest chord with me, so I'm plugging away at clawhammer banjo tunes. If I ever get to a reasonable level with that, I might try my hand at the mandolin, but for the moment one instrument is all I can handle. In the meantime I pay special attention to the occasional thread here on the role of the mandolin in old-time music.

But that is all way off-topic - sorry. I clicked on this thread because I do also occasionally play around with my sister's rarely played ukulele - for a basically non-musical family we seem to own a lot of instruments. I'd like to be able to play them all - wish I had started this about 30 years ago.

Back to mostly lurking mode...

[M Hollen]

Boy, I wish I had the patience (attention span) to stick with one instrument. I'm trying to learn the mando, guitar, banjo and uke. I hit a point with one then switch to the other. Jack of all trades, master of none. (but a lot of fun trying) :P

[Dan-0]

Very helpful advice on this thread, especially about stringing the ukelele in order to be able to tune it like a mandolin. That's the key to being able to play it like one. Stringing and tuning a uke like a mandolin works really great in certain types of music, particularly Latin music. I've tried to play the requinto guitar, which is kind of a cross between a guitar and a mando, but I much prefer playing the mandolin and nylon strings when playing Latin music. So, the uke strung and tuned like a mandolin would work well for me. I tried it on a cheap, baritone uke but I'm thinking about getting a good one and really having a go with this.

I'm curious, for those who play a uke strung like a mando, do you use a soprano or baritone uke?

[mandroid]

'Kawlija' , my wooden headed banjo-uke is originally a Soprano, 35cm scale [13.75"]..

.. 3 of the strings, 2 wound, are from Martin's baritone uke string sets . Windings wear 1st,

I only seem to need to replace the wound ones, 4th is silvered copper 3rd is aluminum wound .

[Marcus Kaufman]

I play my mando every week with on the beach with the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz (UCSC) and have been tempted to pursue this same path (modify a Uke for GDAE so I can play leads with the scales I already know). But I must say that the traditional ukulele re-entrant tuning is what make the uke sound so distinctive and cool. There are strumming patterns that take advantage of this tuning to create the unique Hawaiian sound. You cannot replicate this with GDAE. I think the only way to play ukulele and get the full personality of this instrument is with the standard tuning. If you want GDAE on a Uke for some other reason than just the convenience of familiar scales and chords, than at least be sure to get an instrument that has a truss rod, as the higher GDAE tuning will break the back of your average uke.

[Martin Jonas]

Would I be able to string a uke up with mando strings and tune it GDAE? How would it sound? Anyone ever just use the typical ukulele nylon strings and tune it to standard mando?

Just to update this oldish thread: I have just restrung a cheapo soprano uke with the new Aquila nylgut set for GDAE (mando) tuning. Works a treat and is great fun! More details, and three sound files, in this thread.

Martin

[Steve Conley]

Does anyone know where or how to get the Aquila GDAE uke strings in the United States? Elderly lists them but says they're on order with no estimated arrival date.

According to Aquila's website, they also make CGDA sets for concert and tenor ukes!

[Martin Jonas]

I would expect Aquila's online shop to ship to the US quite happily. Try this link. The way it works is that you submit your order without having to pay up front. Aquila will then contact you with a Paypal invoice for the final total including shipping to wherever you are, and you can then decide whether you want to go for it or not. Shipping to the UK was very cheap (EUR2.95 regardless of the number of strings). No doubt it will be a bit more to the US, but you won't have to pay the 20% Italian VAT (sales tax), so it may even work out cheaper for you per set than for me.

Martin