How to Tune a Tenor Guitar like a Ukulele (new and improved!)

[@aarondminnick]

I did exactly the same thing with my tenor banjo -- except I moved the D string to 3rd position and tuned down to C (then added a new E string). Works great!

[@JayAndTheFictones]

I tried a similar method the first time, but what I describe in this video is what I ended up liking best after lots of trial and error with different arrangements of strings ... especially in terms of intonation and even tension across the strings on this guitar.

[@khonsmosis]

Great video, very informative! I’m a ukulele player and have just purchased a Kala Tenor Guitar. Just wondering, why couldn’t you take the top C string of the tenor guitar and just swap it’s place with the G string. That would take you from CGDA to GCDA, and then you could tune the D string up to E as you did in the video. Would this not work? Why purchase another C string when the tenor guitar already has one?

[@JayAndTheFictones]

Interesting idea ... Have you tried this? Here are the main reasons ~I~ didn't think seriously about doing it in the first place: 1. The tenor guitar's standard C string is an octave lower (and thus much heavier) than a ukulele C string, so to me it would probably feel pretty odd next to the high E. 2. More importantly, I assume the low C string would probably not fit in the third nut slot, and I imagine it would produce even more tuning problems, at least on my guitar. Thanks for asking, though; I'm curious now. I just might try this at some point, because it would be interesting to leave the full range of the tenor guitar intact, but still be able to use uke fingerings.

[@JayAndTheFictones]

Also, putting that low C in the "middle" of the instrument would make it harder to play melodies, but it might be OK for just strumming chords.

[@aaroncashin]

Thank you X100 for the informational video! Big thanks for showing the strings and set numbers. Now I know what to buy and aren't frazzled trying to figure out gauges and blah blah blah.

[@JayAndTheFictones]

It's more-or-less the video I wish I could have found two years ago.

[@bjl4433]

Any tips on changing strings on this to Chicago tuning, i.e., same as a Baritone Ukulele -- low D, G, B, E ?

[@JayAndTheFictones]

Not really. I tried Chicago tuning when I first bought this guitar, and just didn't like the sound of it. Never really liked the sound of the baritone uke either. YMMV.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

have you ever tried tuning a bass guitar ukelele style?

[@JayAndTheFictones]

Uh ... no. I'm not sure what that would even mean,