Hi all,

Im in the closing stages of my first real build, and a niggling doubt I've had is that I don't know what strings I'm going to use. My best idea is to " suck it and see" which isn't very precise, any other ideas?

scale length is 20 inches, and i would like it strung GCEA preferably, like a baritone uke, otherwise DGBE.

Obviously baritone uke strings would work, but I'm building it to take steel strings.

any ideas?

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Baritone Uke is currently my go-to, play around the house instrument. I'm in the process of building several CBG's based on it... complete with the 20 inch scale length (though I might stretch it to 22 to avoid some finger crowded chords). I had the same thoughts and reservations about steel strings, myself. 

But note: Bari Uke is typically DGBE - like a guitar minus the 2 bass-iest strings. The GCEA tuning is for those other, smaller ukuleles. Maybe you swapped 'em in your post.

Very interested in this thread... Share the BUke love!

Cheers!

If you capo a six string as close as you can to a distance from the bridge equal to your scale you can see what strings are the closet to your desired tuning. If you don't have either of these holler back and I can check later on.

right On Kigar, that's my preferred method as well.

You can use a 16, 11,09, 09 steel strings on a baritone and still tune GCEA.

Thanks for your replies, Kigar's method sounds good, I also found formulae for calculating courtesy if D'Addario, on this site.

I have an acoustic guitar, a chromatic tuner and whilst I don't own a capo, I'll just have to use my fingers!  The strings suggested by Gary herget, doesn't sound right, two 09s unless it's a typo.


Why GCEA? I'm coming from a soprano uke player, so chords will stay the same, but be able to take those closed chords all the way up the neck.

I will take some pictures and post soon,

Cheers from Somerset, England where we had the hottest April day since 1949 today, but was snowing three weeks ago.

For GCEA I would guess it is lower (smaller diameter) strings as those are the notes of a guitar with a capo at the fifth fret.

The two 09's is not a typo. They work for the E and A. I've used them on every Baritone I've made with a mag pup. Might sound wonky but works great.

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