Introduction: Need a Baritone Ukulele? Restring a Guitar!

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About: In my free time, I like building and repairing almost anything especially with found or recycled materials.

My wife and I play in the Diamond Harbour Ukulele Orchestra and for Christmas I've ordered her a baritone ukulele.  If you didn't know, concert ukulele strings are tuned GCEA but baritone ukulele strings are DGBE (same intervals but a 4th lower).  So the chord she is playing would be a C on a concert uke but is a G on a baritone uke.  Clear as mud?

Anyway, she was desperate to practice the baritone ukulele chords so when the real one arrives, she can play with the group.  As luck would have it, we happened to have a guitar with two missing strings.  So if you want a baritone Hackelele, read on....

It's not hard at all, you'll see!

Step 1: Take Off the Two Low Strings

OK, a guitar has six strings: E-A-D-G-B-E
A Baritone Uke has four strings: D-G-B-E

So, the top 4 strings are the same.  Just take off the E & A strings (the thicker often metal strings nearest to you when playing) and start playing your baritone ukulele chords!


Step 2: My Wonky Stringing

Normally, you would string the top 3 strings on the right tuners and the bottom three on the left tuners, but the guitar had a broken winder so I strung it a bit wonky.

Step 3: It's Completely Reversible

My wife's baritone ukulele has arrived so all we need to do is add the E and A strings and we've got a guitar again!