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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on August 23, 2014 at 1:05am

Depends on tuning. At this scale ( presumably 17"), I'd try the first four strings of a set of 8's, typically referred to as super or extra lights,where the 1st (highest) E string has a diameter of 0.008". That'd be D-G-B-E, but you could also tune that up to E-A-C-F, or down to C-F#-A-D.

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Permalink Reply by Old Fingers Green on August 23, 2014 at 1:24am

010, .013, .017 and .026 seems to be the general consensus in the ukulele community. wouldn't be right to say that and not warn you though, are you sure your ukulele can take the tension of steel strings? if it's a solid body or a neck through with bracing then all should be fine but I'd think twice about putting steelies on anything else. I did experiment for a while with steel strings on ukes but it wasn't for me in the end but from my experience you can't go wrong with the above guages.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Bennett on August 23, 2014 at 3:19am

Thanks all they are for my resonator I recently built...thanks for the variations in tuning too...I have it at the moment on GCEA      Yes it is a 17" scale

I have brown Worth flurocarbons with a low G on at the moment ...sounding far better that Aquila with the low G

Worths are better for Banjoleles than Aquilas ...I have worths on a Gold tone Deluxe...sounds really good

but added a velum skin too.

With the Resonator I want more of a twang.....its there with the worths but not pronounced enough

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Permalink Reply by Will King on August 23, 2014 at 4:39am

I use light electric strings 4 thru 1, DGBE, but put them on in DBEG/4213 order and tune D4 up to G, B2 up to C, E1 to E, and G3 up to A.  This gives you a low G and low A compared to regular uke tunings, but nobody seems to notice.  This method gives you strings that are one note higher/tighter that the regular tunings for that string and gives a good crisp note/sound instead of configurations that use the string looser and give a more thud sound.  I use a regular mag pickup and have made them in scale lengths 17" all the way up to 21".  They even sound good when played without the mag pickup.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Bennett on August 23, 2014 at 4:51am

OK...thanks Ill have a go....

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