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Thread: Ukulele tuned like a mando

  1. #1
    Ben Beran Dfyngravity's Avatar
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    Ok in an ealier thread about a mando for a 7 yr old, jflynnstl said you can buy ukulele strings with the tension to tune it like a mandolin. I would like to know where I can find these strings because I would like to do this to my ukulele. You might ask why, well I play a lot of classical mandolin and would like to experiment with this idea and do some finger picking and play some classical peices. If anyone knows where I can get the strings to do this please let me know.

    This could tune into a new style....who knows...but I like the idea

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    Essentially - you can use a standard set of Uke strings, just rearrange them from the reentrant tuning, to GDae. Look at the strings which are already on a standard uke - the middle two strings are the thicker ones of the set. With the new set but the thicker strings on the bass side going up to the treble. This will give you some place to start with and - if you need to use classical guitar strings - not really recommended, use single strings which are for the for Gdbe strings. This could net two sets of strings for the price of one set. But - depending on the construction of the instrument, may tear the bridge off.

    I'd first stick with standard Uke strings, rearranged.
    Mandola fever is permanent.

  3. #3
    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    According to a post on the Flea Market Music site, which is a bit like the Mando Cafe' for ukuleles, Radim Zenkl supposedly said at a workshop that he sometimes plays a mando-tuned uke. Reportedly the strings he uses are D'Addario Gauged Nylon Strings, with .91mm for the low G, .86mm for the D, .64mm for the A and .53mm for the E. These are rectified nylon strings and can be ordered individually from www.Elderly.com.

    I cannot vouch for this, I am only reporting it. There was also a report of a store in Oregon called Aquilla that would put together custom sets of nylon strings for applications like that, but I could not find a website for them. Please report back and let us know if you are successful.




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    Registered User Bob DeVellis's Avatar
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    I've actually been toying with the idea of getting a uke and, in the course of looking around, I've discovered that a common alternative to the customary re-entrant tuning (with what we'd expect to be the bass string (4th) tuned to a high G a mere 2 half-steps below the highest-pitched 1st string) is dropping the 4th string down an octave, using a wound nylon low-G string. Although this tuning costs you the characteristic strum sound (same idea as clawhammer banjo, sort of), it gives more opportunities to use the 4th string as more than a drone. So, I would think that string sets for this tuning should be not that hard to come by at "uke-aware" dealerships. That would give you a real G string and a C string that could be coaxed to D. Getting the other two in mandolin pitch (an E 2nd to A and an A 1st to E) seems like it might be tougher. But I do not speak from experience here.
    Bob DeVellis

  6. #6
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    I tried Radim's Flamenco mando a few years ago at a post gig party- Jam #its built along the lines of a classical guitar/glued on bridge cedar topped #body in roundish flat A style.
    it was made by Chris Berkoff, in Benecia Ca. as my memory, spotty as it is, serves me.
    I WANTED ONE !
    Then I got real and saw I already had something that only required changing strings.
    A friend had helped me rescue a few parts of a 20's banjo uke and built it into a useful instrument, which at the time had steel light mandolin strings, which with friction pegs were hard to tune.
    so i restrung it with a nylon string assortment.

    With #this Wood head rebuilt banjo uke I use The 3 out of Martin Baritone Uke Wound with silvered copper and aluminum over a multifiliment core and the clear ones 1 from that set, and 1 of the 2 that come with the soprano sets, those being clear nylon.
    I Tune a step lower F C G D. #F~Cu,.035 C~Alu.034, clear nylon .034;& .022 (bari set is .027, not used , it tunes up much tighter than the other 3 at pitch]
    GDAE shortens the wound strings lives, as they break sooner.




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    hey folks, i'm actually the uke builder for flea market music/the magic fluke. i can tell you that our instruments (flukes, fleas) most likely cannot withstand that kind of string tension. however there are sets of uke strings made for tuning in fifths. we do not carry them but i believe elderly does. most ukeleles are not built to be tuned that way but if you have some success id like to hear about it.
    aaron shaw
    I wonder what normal people are thinking about?

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    cool to meet you Aaron!
    I really dig your ukes and some day will pick one up, I also like the idea of the concert with the pick up to cut thru the mix with a band. I wish there were more of us ukers in my neck of the woods. No shops that stock anything good either. For now I'm using a Roy Smeck (he is like a God to me)Harmony (plastic fretboard type) and a newer Martin S-O

    There are so few of us here on long island but we are trying to get more folks into the fun http://www.geocities.com/thesandbarukers/

    cheers!
    Russ
    RR

  10. #9
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (Russ(String-Alley) @ April 15 2004, 13:39)
    Roy Smeck (he is like a God to me)
    I actually took lessons from Roy in the 1980s on uke, tenor banjo and guitar. he was an amazing musician even in his later years. He had a mandolin BTW but I never saw him play it.
    Jim

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  11. #10

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    Whoa!
    That is awsome Jgarber! I wish I would have had that kind of opportunity. He was one of the most fluid, well-rounded players. What couldn't he play. A quick question for you, How many Uke tunnings did he use? Im sure of 2 but rumored to be a few more. I'm always trying to find more Smeck stuff (wish I could find more on video), I have one of his steels and 2 of the ukes ( but no Vita-uke....yet) any interesting stories or facts you care to share? thanks

    cheers!
    Russ
    RR

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    I just bought my 2 1/2 year old a very cheap uke from Musician's Friend. She has been very interested in my mandolin picking and I wanted to get her something that she could play with while I played. When I took the thing out of the box I had no idea how to tune it and my first thought was to rearrange the strings and tune it gdae but I ended up not really tuning it to anything because she's 2 and I figured the more tension I had on it the better the chance of it exploding when she dropped it, sat on it, hit a wall with it, etc. Anyway, for $9.99 the thing wasn't a bad deal considering a nonplayable toy costs more, although I doubt this has much playability in it. She likes it and it is saving wear and tear on my instruments.

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    Default Re: Ukulele tuned like a mando

    I recently have started taking lessons on what was my grandfather's f4/1916 "The Gibson" mandolin. I also wanted to play with a local uke group but wanted give my brain a break and learn one instrument. I tried stringing a concert uke with guitar strings and tuned to 5ths GDAE but found the high E string was too much tension and broke routinely. I was a safety hazard. Solution: get the set of Aquila strings (30U) designed to be tuned in 5ths from elderly.com and do it on a SOPRANO uke. I now am enjoying playing both my mandolin and the soprano "mandolele". One of the keys is using on a soprano uke which the strings are designed for.

  15. #13
    Registered User artilleryo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ukulele tuned like a mando

    One of my wife's sopranos is tuned without the re-entrant tuning and is very close. I wouldn't think it would be tough to just tune it GDAE rather than GCEA.
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    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ukulele tuned like a mando

    Last April we went to Hawaii, I bought a Concert Uke and put the GDAE strings made by Aquila... They are great! It is the low G that makes it hard to use standard strings, and I like that low G...

    http://www.elderly.com/brand/STUK_aquila.html
    ===================================
    ... I'm a California Man!

  17. #15
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ukulele tuned like a mando

    Aquila makes amazing Ukulele string sets for that Tuning on a Soprano uke, they do make Guitalele Strings for High E Tuning (an Octave above a Standard Guitar) so that might work

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