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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
 Posted - 03/24/2008 : 8:33:55 PM
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New to the uke threads. I just am completing construction of my first uke. I showed someone the bracing pattern i used and he said "you going with steel strings?"
Well, I just might, but in either case, i would like to know what to tune to, low to high for a concert uke with a low G bottom string.
And, I have heard of tuning the uke for slack key; what are the pitches for that tuning, low to high
Thanks for the help
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Karl
Frozen North |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 9:00:38 PM
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| G C E A , G C E G |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 03/24/2008 9:01:11 PM |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 07:44:10 AM
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When you get your uke finished, please let us have a look at it. It may be overbraced, but that's something you figure out after doing a few.
Jesse |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 07:59:36 AM
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| Thanks for the "notes" and, yes, Jesse, I will post some pics when done (later this week) |
Karl
Frozen North |
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GUke
Lokahi
188 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 11:56:29 AM
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e Karl
If you do string your ukulele with steel strings, then your instrument will be more like the Brazilian cavaquinho.
Guke |
Genaro
Should I? Itʻs only $, and where Iʻm going itʻll burn or melt. |
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da_joka
Lokahi
361 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 6:02:29 PM
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eh karl!
one mo request ... if you use steel strings, you can post a recording o wat?
might as well throw in a fries and coke too ... heh!
shootz! |
If can, can. If no can, no can. |
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Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
507 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2008 : 06:36:38 AM
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Karl, I have experimented with slack key ukulele a little bit. Tune the 1st string down from A to G, which gives the same intervalss as the 1st - 4th strings in taropatch. It is a little weird (at least for me) giving up the alternating bass. I guess I need to concentrate on inner voicings within the four strings.
- Earl
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 09:44:04 AM
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I sent some pics to Andy to post for me, they should be up soon.
The first two are under construction. Someone at Aloha Camp asked if I could build a hollow necked uke. Sure, why not. I used scraps from the neck building process of my Medusas for the neck block, which is four laminates of lyptus, one of which is inexplicably lighter than the others, giving an off-center look to the instrument. The neck is hollow up to the first fret. I glued on some "wings" inside the body to help support the neck to the sides; that Weissenborn shape comes in handy for that sort of integral strength stuff.
Strung it up last night. I had NO IDEA how much nylon strings stretch! Intonation is almost spot on, I think I can tweak it across the width of the saddle. I strung up with nylon first, then tried steel. Sounded great open, but the intonation was totally off anywhere past the 3rd fret. Not sure what that was all about, but I put the nylons back on anyway. Anybody (Reid) have any ideas why intonation would be a whole fret off at 12th fret with steel, but spot on with nylon in the same instrument? Sorry, joka, but no recordings of steel until I can make it sound good.
Sure is a fun little instrument to play.
I had bought Mark' book on fingerstyle uke at camp and started playing some last night. Before i knew it, 2 am rang (or croaked; I think our bird clock hits a turkey at 2) |
Karl
Frozen North |
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GUke
Lokahi
188 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 5:58:14 PM
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What kind of steel strings did you use? Maybe you need to get a set of cavaquinho strings, although I wouldn't know where or who to order from.
Here's my WAG. Maybe it's the physics behind steel and nylon. Because they are different materieals with different stretching properties, setting frets could be different for one versus the other. Anyone out there pro or con with this view? Anyway looking forward to pictures, and hope you solve the steel string issue. If not at least you know nylon works.
Genaro |
Genaro
Should I? Itʻs only $, and where Iʻm going itʻll burn or melt. |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 6:23:43 PM
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Genaro,
Physics, schmizics. I didn't even use a uke fret scale chart; I used the same fret cutting template i use for a 25 inch scale guitar, starting at (I think) the 6th fret. This worked out to a 14.75" scale length, within 1/8 " of what I measured at local music stores for concert size ukes. Using my homemade scale/nut-saddle gauge I doubled the length from nut to 12th fret and added 1/16".
I used unwound strings of .10, .12, and .15, with a wound .22 for the bass. Someone on musical instrument makers forum suggested I need to put on a different nut with narrower slots, and a different saddle, both lowered down for a lower action with steel. The fellow who responded seems very knowledgable about uke construction and did not mention any difference in scale lengthor fret spacing with nylon vs steel.
I think I will leave it with nylon for a while; it took so long for the strings to stretch and settle in. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 6:27:00 PM
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Forgot to mention the woods used.
Body is all black walnut from my old home in New Jersey. I have carted it around for almost 40 years, hoping to make another gunstock out of it.
THe neck is laminated lyptus, a eucalyptus hybrid that looks a lot like mahogany and is very strong and stable.
The fret board and saddle are both maple.
Internal braces are sitka spruce. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 10:43:38 PM
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| Karl - it sure looks purdy. The top is absolutely beautiful and perfectly matched. Could the tension of steel strings be slightly moving the neck? Or raising the strings? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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da_joka
Lokahi
361 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 06:33:30 AM
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| looks awesome karl! no can wait fo da audio :-) |
If can, can. If no can, no can. |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 07:42:56 AM
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| Cool looking 'uke, Karl! I'd like to hear it, too. I hope you post here when you figure/find out why intonation would differ up the neck for different types of string. Maybe there is some weird arctic influence which no-one has discovered yet -- quick, trademark the phrase "Monetti Factor". |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 8:42:53 PM
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| A uke maker named Sonny D made steel string ukes try look him up on the net. He may have suggestions as to string sets in steel. You amaze me man first with the Medusa and now this uke. Right on. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 9:08:21 PM
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Ben,
The Monetti Factor is what keeps me asking these dumb questions. Had I taken the time to research these things, I would have gotten it right the first time! When I started to build my first guitar, I asked my local friend/luthier what resources to use. He told me about Cumpiano and Sloan, two "bibles" of guitar building. I got 'em both. Read about 4 pages in each, and got too excited and just built it. When I got the idea for the Medusa, I drew the outline on paper, measured my Backpacker to make sure the new one would be no longer than that, then I built it in 7 days. Didn't even finish it before I strung it up to see if it would hold together and if it sounded any good. When i showed it to my friend, he said "well, that;s cool, but will it hold together after a year?" I brought it to him last week, 14 months old, sounds better than ever, no warpage, etc..
So, you can see I am a fire, ready, aim sort of guy. Carol at camp asked if I could make a hollow necked uke. Well, now I know i can.
Some of the theories from the MIMF forum are as follows;
1. the fellow who gave me the string gauges for steels assumed I had made a tenor. So he had me get .10, .12, .15, and wound .22. Now that I told him it is a concert, he suggests .9, .10, .14, .18. THe shorter the scale length, the lighter the string gauge must be to prevent too much distortion in tone over the shorter distance.
2. action needs to be lower for steel because they do not stretch like nylon
3. i might need to set the saddle a little farther back (longer scale length)
4. i sent him pics of the bridge and he said the break angle needs to be sharper as well, not so much for intonation as for volume/soundboard drive
Al, thanks for the compliment.
I will post more after I rework the saddle, lower the nut, lower the action over all, put on lighter strings.
Is there a way to post a sound clip here??? |
Karl
Frozen North |
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