Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on September 18, 2010 at 7:10am

Hi Diane, I'm a bit confused with your question as baritone strings can be a combination of wrapped silver plated copper over a plastic core and the others also plastic. Some sets the two lowest are wrapped and the higher non wrapped. Some sets just the D string is wrapped, depends on the maker. Some are all plain. Most are the later if memory serves me right. Here in Mexico I just buy a classical guitar set and use the DGBE. One wrapped, three plain. I would keep my sound hole small to make up for the lack of volume in your box. Good on the young people! I wish them all the best. Keep us posted on your progress Diane.
Saludos, Don

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on September 18, 2010 at 7:23am

Oh, I thought they'd all be nylon! Well that solves that problem -- I was thinking of substituting wound strings anyway.

Yes to the small soundholes! I generally have pretty small ones.

I was going to put a pickup in this one just in case, but might not after all.

These instruments have jumped to the front of the line, don't want to lose the enthusiasm just because I am a slow builder.

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on September 18, 2010 at 10:42am

Hi Diane,

I play in a ukulele orchestra of 14 instruments and as a builder of a couple of baritone ukuleles, I thought I'd reply to your subject.

I usually use an under saddle electric pick up for ukuleles. These cost about £17 or (I guess) about $30. They work really well with nylon soprano/concert strings and also work well with wound tenor/baritone strings.

I you want to use an electric guitar type pick up, don't forget that a baritone ukulele is usually tuned D G B E. This is the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar, so you could use guitar strings and a guitar type pick up.

You might be interested in our ukulele orchestra website. Not quite the ukulele orchestra of great britain (we played with them last year) but interesting non the less.

orchestra

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on September 18, 2010 at 11:39am

Thanks, that is very helpful!

There was no link in your post, can you put it up again? My trio would really like to see your orchestra!

edited: wait, i found it embedded in the html!

http://www.myspace.com/sleafordukuleleorchestra

Yellowbelly Flatt said:

Hi Diane,

I play in a ukulele orchestra of 14 instruments and as a builder of a couple of baritone ukuleles, I thought I'd reply to your subject.

I usually use an under saddle electric pick up for ukuleles. These cost about £17 or (I guess) about $30. They work really well with nylon soprano/concert strings and also work well with wound tenor/baritone strings.

I you want to use an electric guitar type pick up, don't forget that a baritone ukulele is usually tuned D G B E. This is the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar, so you could use guitar strings and a guitar type pick up.

You might be interested in our ukulele orchestra website. Not quite the ukulele orchestra of great britain (we played with them last year) but interesting non the less.

orchestra

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on September 18, 2010 at 11:54am

Here's another question then: are baritone uke strings plain end, ball end or loop end?

Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on September 18, 2010 at 1:04pm

Diane, They can be plain and you tie a knot or they come knotted.

Diane in Chicago said:

Here's another question then: are baritone uke strings plain end, ball end or loop end?

Permalink Reply by Bryon Dodds on October 26, 2010 at 1:58pm

Yellowbelly Flatt said:

Hi Diane,

I play in a ukulele orchestra of 14 instruments and as a builder of a couple of baritone ukuleles, I thought I'd reply to your subject.

I usually use an under saddle electric pick up for ukuleles. These cost about £17 or (I guess) about $30. They work really well with nylon soprano/concert strings and also work well with wound tenor/baritone strings.

I you want to use an electric guitar type pick up, don't forget that a baritone ukulele is usually tuned D G B E. This is the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar, so you could use guitar strings and a guitar type pick up.

You might be interested in our ukulele orchestra website. Not quite the ukulele orchestra of great britain (we played with them last year) but interesting non the less.

orchestra

Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on October 27, 2010 at 6:34am

Not sure I would recommend steel strings on a ukulele that was designed for nylons. Last year someone brought a baritone they had put steel strings on for repair and the whole instrument bowed badly at the neck and body joint. the truth was it wasn't worth fixing but I clamped the body down and hung some weight over time on the neck. Over some time it did straighten out somewhat. At least playable. I would have removed and reset the neck but that was more money than he wanted to spend. If a bari was built from the beginning for steels then it would work.
Don





Yellowbelly Flatt said:

Hi Diane,

I play in a ukulele orchestra of 14 instruments and as a builder of a couple of baritone ukuleles, I thought I'd reply to your subject.

I usually use an under saddle electric pick up for ukuleles. These cost about £17 or (I guess) about $30. They work really well with nylon soprano/concert strings and also work well with wound tenor/baritone strings.

I you want to use an electric guitar type pick up, don't forget that a baritone ukulele is usually tuned D G B E. This is the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar, so you could use guitar strings and a guitar type pick up.

You might be interested in our ukulele orchestra website. Not quite the ukulele orchestra of great britain (we played with them last year) but interesting non the less.

orchestra

Permalink Reply by herb Berwald WWW.CigarGuitar.com on October 27, 2010 at 9:57pm

My son and I just finished a couple of Tenor Ukes, we did find that the standard nylon strings were not so good. I needed new strings as we broke one and went to the local acoustic shop. They had tenor uke strings in stock and I thougth they were expensive at around $9.00 a set. When I got home, i realized that they were Nylgut strings. They really do have a better sound. Teddy can add more to the dicussion. This is the only Uke he has been playing now..

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on October 28, 2010 at 1:48am

I"ve got some mandolin nylguts on order. It will be interesting to see the difference!



herb berwald said:

My son and I just finished a couple of Tenor Ukes, we did find that the standard nylon strings were not so good. I needed new strings as we broke one and went to the local acoustic shop. They had tenor uke strings in stock and I thougth they were expensive at around $9.00 a set. When I got home, i realized that they were Nylgut strings. They really do have a better sound. Teddy can add more to the dicussion. This is the only Uke he has been playing now..