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#1
08-22-2018, 11:55 AM
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Tenor Guitar v. Baritone DGBE Differences
I know the Baritone Ukulele has a 20 inch scale and the Tenor Guitar has a 22 inch scale. My question is, if both are tuned DGBE strung with classical strings, what are the differences then in sound, playability, etc?
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Yamaha F310 Almanza 401 Mate Classical Ventura 12 string V17, now a 6 string Lap Guitar. Kala Baritone Ukulele Melokia, Solid Acacia Tenor Ukulele Yamaha Guitalele GL1 Yamaha CS40 Classical 
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#2
08-22-2018, 06:05 PM
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Classical strings for 25" guitar used on a 22-23" tenor will feel slack. The hard or extra hard versions will feel more normal.
The extra hard version feels and sounds good on my Cordoba Mini which is a six string classical with a 20" scale built on a baritone uke body shell. Strings for 20" baritone ukes used at 22" will be 10 percent over stretched: will feel tighter but probably sound normal. Comparable vendors may use different thicknesses and for the same material the thinner gauges will be less stretched. .
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#3
08-23-2018, 09:42 PM
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I hope you mean that your baritone uke and tenor guitars have 20" and 22" scales.
There is no standard scale length for a baritone uke or a tenor guitar. It depends on the manufacturer. There are large baritone ukes and small tenor guitars that aren't much different except that the tenor guitar usually has steel strings while the baritone uke usually has nylon strings. Standard tuning for baritone uke is DGBE and for tenor guitar is CGDA, though many tenor guitar players tune DGBE (Chicago tuning) and some tune GDAE (Irish tuning).
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Jim _____________________ -1962 Martin D-21 -1950 Gibson LG1 -1958 Goya M-26 -Various banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, ukuleles, Autoharps, mouth harps. . .
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#4
10-23-2019, 03:01 PM
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As far as the original question goes, and very simply put, a tenor guitar is built a bit heavier and will sound more like a small 6-string steel string guitar. A baritone ukulele is built lighter and will sound more like a classical guitar.
The thing about strings is more complex than with "standard" 6 string guitars. The tone a string makes is based on its weight, length, and tension. Not on what position it might be used on any particular instrument. While guitars do come in varying scale lengths, they don't really vary that radically. So a set of "guitar strings" will work for any of them. When you get "heavy" or "light" strings you are varying the diameters and hence the weights to get a different sound or feel. There is no standardization of scale lengths in tenor guitars and baritone ukuleles. Some tenor guitars can have scale lengths as long as 24" or so while others are as short as 20" or so. Baritone ukuleles seem to run from 19" to 22". Players of these instruments seem to discuss strings and scale lengths a lot more than players of 6 string guitars. You can find a string calculator somewhere online. I found it when trying to find the best string sizes for my baritone ukulele tuned in Irish tuning. You put in the scale length, tone, and tension you want and it tells you what diameter of string to get to produce that tone on that instrument at that tension. Problem is I never found one for nylon strings. Instead, I consulted with customer service at GHS strings and the guy was very helpful. I gave him the four open tunings I wanted, the scale length, and the tension I wanted and he told me which four strings to buy. And he was right. You can buy individual strings online. The thing to do is experiment until you get the set you like, then buy a bunch of them to save on shipping and maybe get a quantity discount.
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#5
10-23-2019, 06:14 PM
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Quote:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
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