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Steel string Uke?
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10128&t=32306
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Author:  Wade Sylvester [ Tue May 24, 2011 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Steel string Uke?

I have a perspective customer that is interested in a handmade Uke.
She was attracted to the Mandolele on my website but through a few emails, it seems she is more interested in a soprano size Uke instrument possibly with steel strings. We decided 4 double courses would be to hard to play so are considering just the single 4.
So if I build a soprano size Uke strong enough to hold up to steel strings, it would likely be too overbuilt if she wanted to put nylon strings on it instead. Correct?
Is a steel stringed Uke just not done?
Thanks,

Author:  Lincoln Goertzen [ Tue May 24, 2011 8:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Steel string Uke?

Are you familiar with the cavaquinho? (ca'va'KEEN'yo) D'Addario makes strings for these, and they measure .011, .013, .023, and .028. The tuning listed on the back of the string package is DBGD, same as the first four strings on a banjo, but there may be other tunings that I don't know about.

It's my thinking that it's just not called a ukulele, but it seems to be very similar. I had a chance a few months ago to play one that was made in Portugal, but regrettably, I was not able to study it much, or compare it to a nylon-stringed ukulele.

Sorry I couldn't help with the actual construction.

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