How To Turn A Tenor Ukulele Into A Baby Baritone

[@short6691]

I make ukuleles. My first a pineapple tenor. The cavity was a bit too large and it tended to be a bit boomy at the low end. I used unwound low g tenor strings. I just tuned it down to baritone (DGBE) with the same tenor strings and it sounds very good. The string tension is ok and not too floppy. What fun!

[@drbekken]

You can just get a classical guitar set, get rid of the two E strings, and use the four middle strings tuned to DGBE. Works wonderfully.

[@VicSchmeltz]

Yes that will work.

[@oneseekinglight9491]

Thanks for posting this. I used Martin & Co M160 Classic Guitar Strings and it worked perfectly.

[@iapprove8392]

I'm going to try that. This will not do anything to the bridge because of the tension?

[@drbekken]

@@iapprove8392 The tension will not be as tight!

[@joseynoyb9467]

Thank you great presentation! Because my shoulder injuries I can no longer handle a regular guitar unfortunately so this is great and I really appreciate it so much

[@VicSchmeltz]

You are welcome. I’m in the same situation with my shoulder. The uke is more comfortable to play. Enjoy!

[@MrSupersidewinder]

Cool to hear dgbe with a low d on a tenor! Thanks for taking the time to demo...

[@Martin.T.C]

Interesting idea. An alternative might be to use the middle 4 strings from a guitalele set. High-D dGBE sounds nice on some tenors.

[@VicSchmeltz]

There are a few different combinations of strings you can use. Enjoy!

[@stevechristie8549]

Thank you for directing me to this review

[@VicSchmeltz]

You are welcome.

[@bernardinelermite1133]

Very informative, thank you !! Tenor ukes are kind of big fore me, but I absolutely love low tunings. So this would be an interesting way to get a baritone voice on a tenor size and avoid buying a larger instrument.

[@VicSchmeltz]

Yes, it does work well.

[@chiefjoseph88]

Good stuff. Those strings change the sound nicely so you can play tenor shapes and get a different sound. Or, play guitar/baritone shapes . I like having those options.

[@oneseekinglight9491]

As Tor Einar Bekken / Dr Bekken suggested I used Martin & Co M160 classic guitar strings and only used the 4 middle strings tuned to DGBE and it worked perfectly. So many thanks to Tor Einar Bekken / Dr Bekken

[@VicSchmeltz]

Glad it worked.

[@TJ-sy6lh]

So I got these stings in from Uke Republic and put them on my Kala solid mahogany. Sounds so rich and holds sound very well. I had actually purchased an Ohana just less than a year ago but was brand new to uke playing and took them off because they didn’t seem to sustain at all. I was too new and didn’t really know what to look for. I’ve been in almost a year now and have 6 ukes (well, including a guitarlele) and even a Taylor Gs mini. I pull toward uke playing most but love the guitar sound so putting these in my Kala solid mahogany is a good set up for me now. I wish the Taylor Gs sound could come through one of my ukes. 😀 I really do like the sound though and I love carrying my baby baritone with me wherever I go.

[@VicSchmeltz]

Baby baritones rock!

[@irissmusic3]

Great sounding ukulele! Thanks for sharing this video! Very nicely done!

[@VicSchmeltz]

Thank you.

[@johnrenshaw2461]

Hi from Spain. I really enjoyed your video. I have been playing guitars like you for a very long time and just bought my first tenor Ukulele at a local clearance auction not realising the tuning was completely different, so your video has really helped. The only reason I bought it was it is all solid wood, however the thought of learning all the chords I know, pentatonic scales etc., on a completely different fretboard was of real concern. I have found it impossible to buy the strings you recommend in Spain so I will try the suggestion of the last comment you have had, using the ADGB of a set of classical guitar strings tuned up to DGBE, I assume the tension required won't be an issue. Once again thank you for your video, John.

[@VicSchmeltz]

You are welcome John. Enjoy!

[@oneseekinglight9491]

Hi John. Would love to know how it went for you with the ADGB strings. Thanks

[@celesteramsey7854]

GHS/CheeMaisel Signature series currently has a set of re-entrant tuned Bari-Tenor strings. They will be coming out with a linear tuned set in the near future. I'd love to know how these strings work.

[@VicSchmeltz]

GHS makes great strings.

[@lynnemarriott8755]

Brilliant review thank you 😊🎵🎵

[@NoHomerS]

What are the best flat-wound strings for this? I can't stand round-wound 😖

[@jackrowland3967]

Hi Vic, I enjoy your videos. This is timely. Thinking along these lines except I have two baritones. Thinking about a smaller version. Some of the bigger "super" tenors have a longer scale I think. Do you think the strings would still work on a slightly longer scale? Thanks, Jack

[@VicSchmeltz]

Yes, I think they would but that is just my opinion. I can tell you the strings I received were very long so they would work on any scale as far as length goes. If you try this please let me know what the results are.

[@jimgibson5977]

Great video! It's also my understanding that the chord names will change if you are using baritone shapes on a tenor tuned dgbe. Would you be willing to make a chord chart for using baritone ukulele shapes on a tenor? I would even be willing to pay for it.

[@VicSchmeltz]

If the tenor is tuned DGBE just use baritone chord shapes. Google “baritone ukulele chord chart” and you will find many to choose from.

[@jimgibson5977]

@@VicSchmeltz Thanks for the reply! From what you just told me a baritone chord shape, like the G chord, would still be called a G chord on a tenor ukulele when its tuned Dgbe and you are using a baritone G chord shape. Is this correct?

[@VicSchmeltz]

@@jimgibson5977 Yes- 0003

[@jonneet2126]

All of the baritone ukes I have looked at on Amazon have truss rods. None of the tenors I've looked at have truss rods. Does this not seem to be a problem? Do baratones have more frets than tenors? I'm an old guitar hack and had been thinking about a baratone with pickup. When you wound strings, are you talking steel strings? Thanks for his video. I will be checking out your others too.

[@VicSchmeltz]

The strings are wound nylon most of the time.

[@silliaek]

does putting an additional wound string on a tenor hurt the instrument

[@VicSchmeltz]

It does not as long as it is made for the application.

[@jonneet2126]

Comparing most baritones to tenors, how many more useable frets on the baritone over the tenor?

[@VicSchmeltz]

My tenor and baritone both have 20 frets.

[@TJ-sy6lh]

Nice. Did you have to do anything to the nut to accommodate the strings, thickness?

[@VicSchmeltz]

I didn’t. They fit perfectly.

[@Slickycapo]

Could you use an e or b string as a high d tuning?

[@VicSchmeltz]

I’m not sure. I personally haven’t tried that.

[@idoeverything]

Could these work on a concert?

[@VicSchmeltz]

I think they would be too “floppy”.

[@DrWoofOfficial]

Edit: I just realised you're one of the people on KZbin form who it worked for 😂 I've seen people have success with these strings on their concerts on youtube. But depending on the uke you might need to make adjustments to the nut or the strings

[@robkunkel8833]

💈✍🏻… common hands stubby fingers. “ My Polish mom had that, as I do. She used to bang away at any piano she saw, classically trained but married to a young Lutheran college German. I resulted.

[@robkunkel8833]

I’m going to Ireland next year and my tenor Kala is going to. Thanks from this Donkey Growing Big Ears loves the video. … for 78 years.