Hi Ksamiams, Thanks for your enquiry. As far as I'm concerned brand of strings is irrelevant. If you are using established brands you're fine. What is important to me is...... string gauge from LowG thru CEA needs to be .030, .036, .036, .028. The Low G and C strings need to be wound strings. I opt for 'Rectified' Nylon but not sure if rectified is significant (and I do understand what rectified means). Here's the strings on my Ukulele as of July 2022: La Bella Rectified Nylon .028, Single String La Bella Rectified Nylon .036, Single String Hannabach 877 - Aluminum Polished 3rd string (g) Medium Tension La Bella .030 Silver Wound Bass String, Single String None of these strings are ukulele strings! They're all classical guitar strings! If you find the right spec of 'Nylon String' you can even use fishing line! Shock horror! There's probably 20 factors that affect the sound of your playing. String brand might just make it into this list! Greg
I prefer non-wound low-G strings because they don't cause squeaks when you slide your finger along them, such as you can hear in this example: ruclips.net/video/NsuB3_sC3WI/видео.html . If you can find a wound low-G that says it is polished or flat-wound to make the outer surface smooth, they may be okay. I have flat-wound steel strings on my solid-body electric ukulele and they don't squeak, but they have a steel core so they may not be suitable for a normal acoustic or electro-acoustic ukulele due to higher tension that might damage the weaker body and neck of that type of ukulele.
Well Stanley, it is a topic I've seen raised before in Ukulele circles. For some reason it's not such a big deal coming from the guitar world. The guy in this video covers the topic brilliantly ruclips.net/video/owdahmo3ALg/видео.html . Everything from "there's no need for string squeak, just play your instrument properly" to other techniques that reduce string noise greatly. I believe I use all of them without even thinking. Learning Ukulele as your first stringed instrument doesn't teach you good discipline / technique. Mr Bojangles just needs to pick up his fingers between chord changes! I remember as a boy listening to the string squeak in the intro to "You're in My Heart" by Rod Stewart. I accept it is a sound that goes with acoustic guitar playing from time to time. Noticeable occasionally in Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Don McLean and similar.
@@LowGUkeChannel While I was watching a video by Timothy Lerch, who is a long-time (30+ years) professional guitarist, I was annoyed by frequent squeaks on his wound strings. I wrote a comment to which he replied that the squeaks don't bother him. I replied, what about his audience? Are they bothered? He didn't answer that question, but he said he prefers the feel of the wound rather than flat-wound or half-round strings that don't squeak. Here's an example of his squeaks on a mellow jazz piece, not necessarily the one I wrote about but the same problem: ruclips.net/video/u1-FKRCMFxM/видео.html . So it's not just the inexperienced players who squeak on wound strings. Moreover, sometimes the music intentionally calls for a slide along the strings such as in the "approach from below". Fortunately, on a low-G uke with a wound low-G, those sliding chords don't involve more than 1 string, but as the Mr Bojangles video shows, sometimes the squeak can be quite loud, which detracts from the purity of the desired tones. So, if you can avoid wound strings, I say, just do it. I install Aquila Red low-G non-wound strings when I convert my acoustic ukes.
@@stanleysokolow Yep, I see what you mean. There's ways to eliminate it or minimise it and the motivation to do either is driven by tolerenace and personal taste. If these guys have their audio mix running hot when recording their RUclips video in order to capture the clear crisp sound of a string pluck then the string noise will record much louder than it will sound live. If I'm using amplification on stage I may use a De-esser to reduce the string noise going out over the PA or apply that fix during the edit of my video.
Hi I ordered a ukulele not knowing it came with a low G string I still don’t know how to tune the low G string what is an Octave down is it - 50 on a ukulele setting on a clip on tuner or is it a G or G3 on the guitar setting on a clip on tuner im so confused
Hi Ace, good question and there's a number of ways to answer it, all amounting to the same Low G pitch. 1) A LowG string on a uke is a G3 note. If you have a keyboard tune it to the G3 key. 2) If your C String is in tune simply place your finger on the G String behind the 5th fret and tune the G until both strings are the same pitch 3) Find this app on Play Store for your phone..... apkcombo.com/ukulele-tuner/com.myrapps.ukuleletools/ . Install it and tune your Low G String to G3. Standard Uke tuning is G4 Finally, rember all Uke chord shapes are the same on a Low G Uke as a standard. It's just that the LowG offers so much more in playing options if you want to recreate your favourite guitar-based songs and make them sound real Good Luck, Greg
Hi Sharmin, thanks for getting in touch and a good question! Not the same, but a Low G Uke and a Baritone Uke are both mini guitars, but different. A Suprano, Concert or Tenor Ukulele with a Low G String gives it the same tuning as a guitar with a Capo on Fret 5. A baritone Ukulele is effectively a 4-string guitar out of the box It's tuned DGBE which is exactly the same tuning as the top 4-strings on a guitar with no capo. Have a look at my video "Your Ukulele is a Mini Guitar" ruclips.net/video/dFZoI_Lr7Dg/видео.html and see if it's any clearer.
Quick question: If I buy a concert uke and tune it to the low G as well... will it still sound higher than my Tenor tuned to the low G? What's the difference in sound between the concert and the tenor?
Well Emily, if a Concert and Tenor are both strung with Low G Strings they will be tuned identically GCEA. Same pitch for both. There will be a difference in tone however. The Tenor has a bigger sound box and longer strings so the low notes, typically on the Low G String will sound richer, with more depth. It's like the difference between listening to your favourite song on a 2 inch Bluetooth speaker vs a pair of floor standing Hifi speakers. In both cases, size matters. Greg
Hi Akanksha, thanks for getting in touch. Happy to invite replies from other viewers on this subject as I don't own a Concert or Soprano Uke. However, I use Kala Rectified Black Nylon strings on my Tenor and I'm 100% happy with their performance and feel. You'll see in the link below that they also do Low G sets for Concert and Soprano. The guages (thickness) of the strings are adjusted to cater for the shorter lengths of these Ukes so my guess is, they'd be a good choice. If you do go ahead with these, please let me know how it goes. kalabrand.com/products/rectified-nylon-ukulele-strings?variant=24755159041 Stay in Touch, Greg
Thanks for subscribing. Glad to see I have a new happy camper! I've been using wound G and C strings on my Uke for 4 years and no sign of any wear. On well played guitars, over a period of 25 years or so, I've seen the wood on a fretboard experience some wear but possibly because the player is doing a lot of string bends which act like sandpaper on the wood over a long time. I think it's perfectly safe to put a wound Low-G on your Uke! Greg
Wound low-G strings are not recommended for ukuleles that have plastic frets, such as the original Enya Nova U or Kala Waterman, because they do wear down the plastic fret ridges. Also, the Aquila Red non-wound low-G string causes wearing on plastic frets. So use non-wound (but not Aquila Red) low-G strings on that type of ukulele.
I think the low g is absolutely lovely 🎶💕🎶
Hi Eli, thanks for watching. Glad you like it. Greg
What brand has those low G gauge strings in that order?
Hi Ksamiams,
Thanks for your enquiry. As far as I'm concerned brand of strings is irrelevant. If you are using established brands you're fine. What is important to me is...... string gauge from LowG thru CEA needs to be .030, .036, .036, .028. The Low G and C strings need to be wound strings. I opt for 'Rectified' Nylon but not sure if rectified is significant (and I do understand what rectified means). Here's the strings on my Ukulele as of July 2022:
La Bella Rectified Nylon .028, Single String
La Bella Rectified Nylon .036, Single String
Hannabach 877 - Aluminum Polished 3rd string (g) Medium Tension
La Bella .030 Silver Wound Bass String, Single String
None of these strings are ukulele strings! They're all classical guitar strings! If you find the right spec of 'Nylon String' you can even use fishing line! Shock horror! There's probably 20 factors that affect the sound of your playing. String brand might just make it into this list!
Greg
I prefer non-wound low-G strings because they don't cause squeaks when you slide your finger along them, such as you can hear in this example: ruclips.net/video/NsuB3_sC3WI/видео.html . If you can find a wound low-G that says it is polished or flat-wound to make the outer surface smooth, they may be okay. I have flat-wound steel strings on my solid-body electric ukulele and they don't squeak, but they have a steel core so they may not be suitable for a normal acoustic or electro-acoustic ukulele due to higher tension that might damage the weaker body and neck of that type of ukulele.
Well Stanley, it is a topic I've seen raised before in Ukulele circles. For some reason it's not such a big deal coming from the guitar world. The guy in this video covers the topic brilliantly ruclips.net/video/owdahmo3ALg/видео.html . Everything from "there's no need for string squeak, just play your instrument properly" to other techniques that reduce string noise greatly. I believe I use all of them without even thinking. Learning Ukulele as your first stringed instrument doesn't teach you good discipline / technique. Mr Bojangles just needs to pick up his fingers between chord changes! I remember as a boy listening to the string squeak in the intro to "You're in My Heart" by Rod Stewart. I accept it is a sound that goes with acoustic guitar playing from time to time. Noticeable occasionally in Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Don McLean and similar.
@@LowGUkeChannel While I was watching a video by Timothy Lerch, who is a long-time (30+ years) professional guitarist, I was annoyed by frequent squeaks on his wound strings. I wrote a comment to which he replied that the squeaks don't bother him. I replied, what about his audience? Are they bothered? He didn't answer that question, but he said he prefers the feel of the wound rather than flat-wound or half-round strings that don't squeak. Here's an example of his squeaks on a mellow jazz piece, not necessarily the one I wrote about but the same problem: ruclips.net/video/u1-FKRCMFxM/видео.html . So it's not just the inexperienced players who squeak on wound strings. Moreover, sometimes the music intentionally calls for a slide along the strings such as in the "approach from below". Fortunately, on a low-G uke with a wound low-G, those sliding chords don't involve more than 1 string, but as the Mr Bojangles video shows, sometimes the squeak can be quite loud, which detracts from the purity of the desired tones. So, if you can avoid wound strings, I say, just do it. I install Aquila Red low-G non-wound strings when I convert my acoustic ukes.
@@stanleysokolow Yep, I see what you mean. There's ways to eliminate it or minimise it and the motivation to do either is driven by tolerenace and personal taste. If these guys have their audio mix running hot when recording their RUclips video in order to capture the clear crisp sound of a string pluck then the string noise will record much louder than it will sound live. If I'm using amplification on stage I may use a De-esser to reduce the string noise going out over the PA or apply that fix during the edit of my video.
Hi I ordered a ukulele not knowing it came with a low G string I still don’t know how to tune the low G string what is an Octave down is it - 50 on a ukulele setting on a clip on tuner or is it a G or G3 on the guitar setting on a clip on tuner im so confused
Hi Ace, good question and there's a number of ways to answer it, all amounting to the same Low G pitch.
1) A LowG string on a uke is a G3 note. If you have a keyboard tune it to the G3 key.
2) If your C String is in tune simply place your finger on the G String behind the 5th fret and tune the G until both strings are the same pitch
3) Find this app on Play Store for your phone..... apkcombo.com/ukulele-tuner/com.myrapps.ukuleletools/ . Install it and tune your Low G String to G3. Standard Uke tuning is G4
Finally, rember all Uke chord shapes are the same on a Low G Uke as a standard. It's just that the LowG offers so much more in playing options if you want to recreate your favourite guitar-based songs and make them sound real
Good Luck,
Greg
hey, i'm new about playing a ukulele. so low G is baritone ukulele? please let me know. take love dear.
Hi Sharmin, thanks for getting in touch and a good question! Not the same, but a Low G Uke and a Baritone Uke are both mini guitars, but different. A Suprano, Concert or Tenor Ukulele with a Low G String gives it the same tuning as a guitar with a Capo on Fret 5. A baritone Ukulele is effectively a 4-string guitar out of the box It's tuned DGBE which is exactly the same tuning as the top 4-strings on a guitar with no capo. Have a look at my video "Your Ukulele is a Mini Guitar" ruclips.net/video/dFZoI_Lr7Dg/видео.html and see if it's any clearer.
Quick question: If I buy a concert uke and tune it to the low G as well... will it still sound higher than my Tenor tuned to the low G? What's the difference in sound between the concert and the tenor?
Well Emily, if a Concert and Tenor are both strung with Low G Strings they will be tuned identically GCEA. Same pitch for both. There will be a difference in tone however. The Tenor has a bigger sound box and longer strings so the low notes, typically on the Low G String will sound richer, with more depth. It's like the difference between listening to your favourite song on a 2 inch Bluetooth speaker vs a pair of floor standing Hifi speakers. In both cases, size matters.
Greg
Do you have any recommendations for a low g strings for a concert ukulele? Most I've seen only work for tenor.
Hi Akanksha, thanks for getting in touch. Happy to invite replies from other viewers on this subject as I don't own a Concert or Soprano Uke. However, I use Kala Rectified Black Nylon strings on my Tenor and I'm 100% happy with their performance and feel. You'll see in the link below that they also do Low G sets for Concert and Soprano. The guages (thickness) of the strings are adjusted to cater for the shorter lengths of these Ukes so my guess is, they'd be a good choice. If you do go ahead with these, please let me know how it goes.
kalabrand.com/products/rectified-nylon-ukulele-strings?variant=24755159041
Stay in Touch,
Greg
@@LowGUkeChannel thank you! I'll let you know how it goes!
This is lovely! Sorry for the question sir, but are you Irish?
Yes Melissa, I'm from Dublin.
Greg
Hello, I have a question. Will wound g-string noticeably wear the frets?
Thanks for subscribing. Glad to see I have a new happy camper! I've been using wound G and C strings on my Uke for 4 years and no sign of any wear. On well played guitars, over a period of 25 years or so, I've seen the wood on a fretboard experience some wear but possibly because the player is doing a lot of string bends which act like sandpaper on the wood over a long time. I think it's perfectly safe to put a wound Low-G on your Uke!
Greg
@@LowGUkeChannel
Thank you so much！
Wound low-G strings are not recommended for ukuleles that have plastic frets, such as the original Enya Nova U or Kala Waterman, because they do wear down the plastic fret ridges. Also, the Aquila Red non-wound low-G string causes wearing on plastic frets. So use non-wound (but not Aquila Red) low-G strings on that type of ukulele.