Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Loco on March 30, 2013 at 3:46am

I'm in the same boat... Just finished building my new baritone and want to learn slide playing like Todd on YouTube.

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on March 30, 2013 at 9:33am

Hi there Mal and Loco.

I've been playing slide guitar for a long time and have been concentrating on slide ukulele (both cigar box and factory built baritone scale) and would be willing - if say 10 or so people were interested - to post a few basic 4 string slide ukulele lessons on this site. Mainly using Spanish tuning (low to high D G B D) and also some Vestapol tuning (low to high - D F# A D) I could cover all the real basics and a couple of tunes. If enough people  contact me I'll get on with it.

I play mainly basic delta style blues, but this is a great grounding for all types of slide playing. I might even put it on You tube as well.

Permalink Reply by Loco on March 30, 2013 at 10:31am

That sounds amazing Yellowbelly... Please do it... I know others will join in soon with the requests... I'm very interested in the strings you out in your baritone uke?

1 down and 9 more requests to go.. Lets go fellow CBG players! Let Yellowbelly know we want his tutorials!

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on March 30, 2013 at 11:06am

The strings that I am currently using for slide on my factory baritone ukulele and my cigar box baritone ukulele( built specifically for slide), after a bit of trial and error, are DADDI steel ukulele strings. They are made for baritone ukulele  'Chicago' tuning which is as I'm sure you know (low to high) D G B E. All I have to do is to do to get 'Spanish' tuning is to drop the top E to D. This gives a chord of G with open strings. For Vestapol tuning of D (low to high) D F# A D, you adjust the tunings from the standard string tuning to give a chord of D with open strings.

The strings are made in China and the packaging gives a code - UK080S

Permalink Reply by Loco on March 30, 2013 at 11:25am

Great I'm going to look for them online... So the steel tension doesn't harm your factory made uke? I does that uke have a tension rod? My uke doesn't, would you advise me to still use or not use steel strings... I want to play slide but im thinking the tension of steel string might harm my uke.. would I then have to result to building a CBG Baritone with a through neck then?

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on March 30, 2013 at 11:41am

My factory built ukes don't have  truss rods but the string tension seems to be very similar to the Martin 'proper' ukulele strings that I use on other baritone factory built ukes. The necks have remained undamaged but it is up to you whether you use the steel strings. Steel strings give a much better sound for slide work and makes the slide (the types of which would elicit a huge discussion) much easier to use. 

My cigar box ukes, slide and standard strings, are built with a through neck

Permalink Reply by Mal Chilvers on March 30, 2013 at 5:41pm

I would be very interested but would my cigar box tenor tune that way Mal

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on March 30, 2013 at 6:40pm

Good question Mal, no. For the 'smaller' ukuleles you would tune to C.

The chord of C uses notes C E and G, so you would drop the top string - the A - to a G to give the 'Spanish' tuning.

For 'Vestapol' tuning in the key of G the notes used for this Chord are G B and D so the strings would be tuned to (low to high) G B D and G instead of G C E and A.

You can use re-entrant strings but I prefer the low bottom string that is available for ukuleles. String choice is difficult, there are - as far as I know - no steel strings available as sets so initially it might be better to stick to ukulele strings or experiment with half size guitar strings?

Permalink Reply by Mal Chilvers on April 3, 2013 at 9:09am

Hi guys the strings yellowbelly sugested are on e bay at this moment Mal(Uk)

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on April 3, 2013 at 9:35am

Yes Mal. I get mine from Janica's music shop in Nottingham. An e-bay seller that I have used many times and offer a premium service. I have just ordered 3 sets @ £3.15 per set, post free

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160790727459?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

Permalink Reply by Dan DiMarco on April 1, 2013 at 7:46am

 Hopefully this will help you,  http://ukulelehunt.com/2009/04/15/slide-ukulele/

Permalink Reply by Loco on April 3, 2013 at 9:38am

Yellowbelly, I too ordered some... I ordered two sets as soon as you told me the code. The I wanted to get my set so I put on my new build once it's done.

Better grab them while they are still in stock guys!

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