What's wrong with a ukulele sounding like a ukulele?

[oldjazznut]

Ah, why wait? Nylgut can last a decade before it’s worn. Fit what you like and enjoy it now, a pack of GHS strings is relatively affordable.

For what it’s worth I’m normally quite tight fisted with money.

FWIW, over the years I've accumulated 50 sets of the GHS. I was that sure I liked them. They will likely outlast me ! ...

I'm still cheap (and lazy) keeping the nylguts on .....

 

[Kermit80]

To me, gCEA is a ukulele. Something else is not a ukulele.

Until recently I would not have agreed at all. But then I tried a different tuning on one of my ukuleles. I really liked it and kept it but I have to say it sounds like a completely different instrument. I was actually a bit confused by it.

 

[Wiggy]

I, by happenstance, never caught on to gCEA.

I didn't avoid it. It just didn't happen.

The GBE I liked, but not the D

So I dropped it 1 step, and CGBE I be.

But mostly now, it's cGBE

Strum-a-Long aficionados play gCEA.

I do my best to blend in, and they do let me play.

<edit> So how do I "test play" a standard tuned ukulele?
I simply detune the 4th string to fCEA and go from there, albeit in a different key.

 

[pluribus]

There should be a sub forum for the baritone...

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

To each his / her own.

Though my preference is reentrant soprano, I really enjoy the albums of Gerald Ross, Matt Carlson and Kimo Hussey. Though I like Tin Pan Alley and Swing tunes, I also enjoy the challenge of improvising finger style versions of jazz standards and country- western tunes. I’m presently working through a 1980’s ballad by Alabama that is starting to sound really great on Yowling Tom, high G and all.

 

[Joyful Uke]

The ukulele is an instrument for making music.
Enjoy it!

 

[ripock]

The worst uke offenders get a new uke and change the strings before they play it; never giving the originals a chance. ..

I'm not the worst, but I do know my mind and I have cut strings off within 24 hrs. When I received my Kamaka I hated the stock D'Addario black strings that came with it and I took out a pair of scissors and cut them off. Same thing when I tried a pricey set of Guadalupe strings that a professional uke player recommended to me. I cut them off and took glee in the quadruple twang the strings emitted as their souls left their bodies.

 

[vcs700s]

I guess Herb Ohta Sr. (Ohta San) had it wrong playing a Martin soprano tuned Low G.

 

[Jerryc41]

To me, gCEA is a ukulele. Something else is not a ukulele.

Low G is still the same note, just an octave lower. Sounds more like a guitar. Issues with type of string, matching tone to other strings, nut and saddle mods. Only plus I see is a slightly wider range.

D tuning is at least equally higher, but more "plinky". And again, you have high A and low A.

Lots of alternate tunings and open tunings to get different "sounds".

I'm a casual target shooter, and I run into the same thing on those forums. People get a new gun, and before they fire one shot, they take it apart and modify everything. They'll never know, maybe those things were great out of the box? Same thing with car forums. Buy a new one, and change it!

I guess some people just have to tinker ...... ??? I like all of my stuff the way it was designed and engineered to be. ...

A ukulele by any other tuning would sound as nice.

 

[Stoneyrun]

I've recently changed my budget spruce top KMISE baritones' strings from aquila GCEA to martin 630s DGBE and it really "woke up" the instrument for me. There was nothing wrong with the factory aquila strings aside from the fact that it was brighter than I like. The option of simply changing strings on a baritone to get a whole new sounding instrument is fascinating to me and provides endless opportunity for experimentation, education, and musical exploration. I'm in love with baritones now for the versatility. Want GCEA after changing strings to DGBE? Simply capo the 5th! Just bought a KNA pick up. Swapped the strap buttons for black. Contemplating buying black tuning peg paddles. Just enjoying making this cheap uke my own. My Donner tenor is the the first uke I ever owned. I still play it often. I'm gonna try pepe romero baby baritone strings on that tenor soon! Excited to play and hear what they sound like. Speaking only for me, learning to modify and play ukulele is a lifelong learning process. Considering that, I'm thankful for options and variety that ensures the uke society will take over the world. As it should.
Additionally, there is an entire industry of aftermarket varieties of ukuleles and mods that helps to support local music shops. Which, in turn, benefits communities. It's fun for me to learn to play the baritone after years of GCEA. My forgotten guitar playing days are feeling revitalized. But now, I'm a uke player for life. No matter what tuning I enjoy.

 

[ploverwing]

Hm.

Sounds overwhelmingly that the reason for playing these instruments, changing their strings, experimenting with different tunings, messing with their tuners, adding/removing strap buttons etc., is enjoyment. Ukuleles bring joy.

I'll take that.

 

[rustydusty]

In my years of playing guitar, I was always told that you should change out the strings on a new guitar as you didn’t know how long they had been on it. I have always believed that strings “age out” whether you play them or not. This would also hold true for any stringed instrument…

 

[baconsalad]

In my years of playing guitar, I was always told that you should change out the strings on a new guitar as you didn’t know how long they had been on it. I have always believed that strings “age out” whether you play them or not. This would also hold true for any stringed instrument…

I think the aging out is mainly a problem from oxidation on wound or metal strings. That's why elixir strings are popular with mfgs and retailers - the goretex coating reduces oxidation so a guitar that has sat around around for a long while still sounds decent. I heard that classical guitar players hardly ever change their unwound strings.

 

[hendulele]

A ukulele by any other tuning would sound as nice.

You must not have heard me play!

 

[spongeuke]

I'm a fan of the soprano with reentrant tuning, this goes for concerts as well. I do not disparage a low G on any ukulele, if I want to have the lower range and sound, I go all the way to a traditional DGBE Baritone. For those who want more "Plink" listen to a braguinha that has steel strings. Then there is the Tahitian ukulele that is a fine rhythm instrument. It seems that tuning, scale, length, sound, cultural and song consideration determine what your personal preferences are. Diversity is a strength of the ukulele and it's community.

 

[niwenomian]

Hooray to you (or anybody else) for figuring out what they like......


Boo to gatekeeping.......

 

[lakesideglenn]

Guitar players use lots of different tuning’s and they’re still called guitar players. Why should ukulele players be any different?

 

[keenonuke]

For me - I love that Ukulele is a schmogasborg with the delight of variety. I play Soprano, Concert and Tenor. I'd play Baritone but my fingers seem too short. I love 4 string, 5 string and 8 string. I'm hoping to add 6 string and Harp Ukulele to the mix. I love the variety of woods and tones. And I have Linear and Reentrant tuning ukes. And I'm planning to experiment with tunings.

And yes I love the ukulele sounding like a classic standard ukulele as well.

What I love is the enormous spice of life ukuleles give to us. And it's wonderful - live and let live - and as my daughter sings to the Journey song of don't stop believing and changes it to - strumming down the boulevard.

 

[70sSanO]

What separates the ukulele from all the other instruments is not the tuning.

A ukulele is an instrument without the baggage that all the other instruments have to contend with.

You can play whatever you like however you like and fit in.

John

 

[Jerryc41]

I've recently changed my budget spruce top KMISE baritones' strings from aquila GCEA to martin 630s DGBE and it really "woke up" the instrument for me. There was nothing wrong with the factory aquila strings aside from the fact that it was brighter than I like. The option of simply changing strings on a baritone to get a whole new sounding instrument is fascinating to me and provides endless opportunity for experimentation, education, and musical exploration. I'm in love with baritones now for the versatility. Want GCEA after changing strings to DGBE? Simply capo the 5th! Just bought a KNA pick up. Swapped the strap buttons for black. Contemplating buying black tuning peg paddles. Just enjoying making this cheap uke my own. My Donner tenor is the the first uke I ever owned. I still play it often. I'm gonna try pepe romero baby baritone strings on that tenor soon! Excited to play and hear what they sound like. Speaking only for me, learning to modify and play ukulele is a lifelong learning process. Considering that, I'm thankful for options and variety that ensures the uke society will take over the world. As it should.
Additionally, there is an entire industry of aftermarket varieties of ukuleles and mods that helps to support local music shops. Which, in turn, benefits communities. It's fun for me to learn to play the baritone after years of GCEA. My forgotten guitar playing days are feeling revitalized. But now, I'm a uke player for life. No matter what tuning I enjoy.

Do I need different strings to change to DGBE?