Kmise tenor guitar (KMU31TG) Review with DGBE & GCEA tuning
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.พ. 2020
- In this video, I review the Kmise KMU31TG tenor guitar. I also give sound samples using DGBE and GCEA tuning and compare it's sound to the Ibenez PFT2-NT tenor guitar tuned DGBE.
The Kmise tenor guitar is available on both ebay and Amazon:
www.ebay.com/itm/Kmise-Tenor-...
www.amazon.com/Kmise-Guitar-M... - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
Just got one these for my nephew for xmas. I liked it so much I ended up ordering one for myself. So far I've just tuned to DGBE, but it sounds great. Setup was great, no buzz, fret ends had a few sharp burrs (Knocked them off in 5 minutes with a fingernail file). Tuners are decent and very smooth. Really projects well for such a small guitar. These are so cheap I may get another for other string/tuning setups. I plan on learning CGDA tuning and play it in its true glory.
I’m glad you like it. I have thought about getting another as well!
I would also prefer the wider neck of the Kmise. Another great video.
Thanks!
I always enjoy your VIDEO.
The comparison between DGBE & GCEA is very interesting and good
I'm glad if you play and show me the tenor ukulele. aklot, kmise, Maho, Bamboo, Solid, Laminate etc
Thanks! I’m glad you like it. Thanks also for the suggestion for a tenor comparison video!
Thanks for the vid, really wanting one of these! Wondering about the intonation up the neck. My baritone uke starts to go sharp around the 9th fret, and gets pretty sharp around the 12th. Is it good on the Kmise?
The 1st and 2nd strings are still true at the 12th fret but the 3rd and 4th strings are slightly sharp at the 12th fret.
I am amazed by the quality for price in the Kmise ukuleles. I didn’t need any adjustment to the action.
I agree! Kmise ukuleles are a great value! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Just got one of these, and it's a nice instrument for the money. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm debating trying nylon strings and still tuning to DGBE to be a bit kinder to my fingertips. Do you think this would work OK? It's basically the same as the baritone uke they make, right?
I agree! That’s right. The body is the same as their baritone ukulele with the same X bracing. Either use a set of baritone ukulele strings or use the middle 4 strings from a set of classical guitar strings.
@@stevesstrings5243 Thanks, Steve! I decided to give the D'addario Silk and Steel strings a try. Seems like maybe they'd be a nice compromise between nylon and steel, and easier on the fingers. I'll let ya know how they turn out. This is a pretty versatile little "guitar" for the price. My main instrument is piano, but this will be fun to learn.
@@TheExtraTerrestrial I think they should work. Good luck!
Hi Steve, do you think it would sound good with nylon baritone ukulele strings? I like the long scale Pono ukes but they are very expensive, so I thought that filing the nut to host wider nylon strings it would work...
That should work with no problem! The body of this is the exact same body and bracing that Kmise uses on there mahogany baritone ukulele. I reviewed that as well so you can check it out and see how you like the sound. I have thought of using the four low strings from a high tension classical guitar set (EADG) and retuning them as an octave ukulele. It should handle the sting tension fine.
@@stevesstrings5243 I would like to hear that! I've been thinking of something inexpensive to keep at work, nylon string...
Thanks for the video. Have you ever tried tuning it like a mandolin to GDAE?? I'm curious about whether the strings it comes with could handle that.
You might get away with it but the tension probably won’t be even. D’Addario tenor guitar CGDA string gages are 10, 14, 22, 32. Their tenor banjo GDAE string gauges are 12, 16, 24, 36.
@@stevesstrings5243 I see, thank you for responding! That is helpful.
To be clear, the D’Addario tenor guitar CGDA string gages are 10, 14, 22, 32 (that is ADGC). Their tenor banjo GDAE string gauges are 12, 16, 24, 36 (that is EADG)
@@stevesstrings5243 would the gauges differ, since the Kmise is such a short scale?
No. It uses standard tenor strings. I’ve seen tenor guitars (and banjos) range from 20-23 inches in scale and the strings seem to work fine across the range.
On a side note, my recently acquired Aklot tenor uke (sister brand to Kmise) has a smaller body than my Enya tenor uke. I was a tad disappointed with the smaller body (not much bigger than my concert ukes). So, yes it would be nice if Kmise enlarged their "bigger" ukes.
I can't quite get myself into buying a low cost tenor guitar. The tone seems on the weak, tinny side. The baritone uke seems richer and more wide in tonality. I guess the main benefit is in having steel strings.
Good video, Steve!
I hope so! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi, what strings set did you use for the DGBE tuning on the Kmise one?
I used the tenor set that it came with. I just retuned it. It was much brighter than the top strings of 6-string acoustic set.
Steve's Strings thanks Steve. How was the pressure on the string when you change the tuning that way? Coming from a baritone player, I really love the idea of owning one :)
After this vid I bought the same guitar and set it up gcea and overall I’m pretty happy with it but the A string sounds very tinney even though it’s tuned correctly. Any suggestions for different strings that might help that A string? Thanks!
Going up in gauge may help. If you have a .10 now, going up to a .11 or .12 may improve the sound.
The .11 turned out to be the one. Took a couple days for the string to come into its own but worth the wait. Thx
@@dolbydarma I’m glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know!
I have noticed with the metal high G strings on the kmise tenor guitar the bridge is starting to pull off the top... so I am putting nylon high g strings on it.
That sounds like a good plan! I saw the corners of mine are lifting a bit, so first I tuned down to DGBE for playing and now I just detune when I'm not playing it since I have other instruments I play more often.
@@stevesstrings5243 Thanks... this is my frankenstein instrument. It has been a dulcimer and which was great fun, and now a baritone uke... I will try the high G nylon strings and see how it goes.
Hello! Do you think is possible to get an high G, so to get the same G of a tenor uke? Of course buying some extra strings. I’m buying a tenor guitar and I’d love to play it as a tenor uke, with an high G. Thanks!
Yes, absolutely! You could do that by using the same gauge as the A string.
Steve's Strings So I put an A string and then downtuning it into an high G?
Btw thanks for the super fast answer. :) So kind.
@UCtcxcVx-ZuHvO3RBYdBubTw
For GCEA Tuning you can use some Clifford Essex Strings designed for that Tuning.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Steve (or anyone reading this comment), I'm trying to tune it more like a mandolin/tenor banjo GDAE. I'm using .028 .022 .014 .010 but when I try to tune it, my .022 for D keeps breaking. But every string calculator I check said it should be fine (10lbs tension). Any thoughts? Am I just trying too light of gauge?
Is it breaking at the tuner? If so, the hole in the post may have a sharp edge. If that’s the problem, smoothing the edges should fix the problem. If it’s breaking in the middle, going down in gauge may work because it will take less tension to come to pitch.
@@stevesstrings5243 Thank you Steve. I might have been tuning it an octave too high. One site had the low D (0.022) at D4 (294hz) but I think it should have been D3 (147hz). Yes?
@@jimbagsh9569 That would explain it.
Thanks again for putting together a great review. My brother is an accomplished musician and I asked him to check out your video to see what he thought of the Kmise tenor guitar. He was impressed. And then when I got the guitar, he was even more impressed. Can't wait to learn how to play it. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.
@@jimbagsh9569 I’m glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for watching!
Hi Steve, I have this kmise, I want to replace the strings with nylon strings, can you pls recommend any nylon strings for gcea tuning on it..thanks
What tuning do you plan to use?
Thanks for reply, I need to tune it on gcea..
That is a good question! Aquila makes a gCEA set for the baritone ukulele but I find it has very high tension. Since this instrument's scale is a couple of inches longer than the typical baritone ukulele, it may not work. That is, the tension may be too high. I have considered using high tension classical guitar strings for octave ukulele tuning. That is, one octave lower than usual. If you want to try that, try the high E string (1st string) in the 4th (g) string position and tune it up to a "g." Then use the 5 -3 strings (ADG) in the 3-1 string positions and tune them up to CEA. That will give you a reentrant gCEA tunning, one octave lower than usual. Since classical guitar strings are made for instruments with a longer scale, tunning them up in pitch should not be a problem for the strings. Since the instrument was made for metal strings, it can handle the string tension. I have been wanting to try it but haven't gotten around to it yet. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Good afternoon, I am writing to you to find out how to switch from CGDA to DGBE tuning on the Kmise Tenor guitar. I'm a beginner and I wanted to understand if I can use the same strings or if I need to buy a specific set of strings, best regards Cristiano Chiggio from Italy
You can get Aquila AQ-11U Tenor to Baritone Ukulele Conversion Strings - Tuned D G B E
@@stevesstrings5243 thank you 😊
@@CRISTIANOCHIGGIO I just realized I sent you the link for strings for a tenor ukulele, not a tenor guitar. Instead, keep the same strings and tune the C up to D and tune the D and A down to B and E.
Thanks ❤
I'm confused about the tuning. Do you use the supplied strings to tune it DGBE?
Yes! The set is for CGDA but you just tune the C up to a D, keep the G a G, drop the D down to a B, drop the A down to E. Or you can always get a set of standard guitar strings.
@@stevesstrings5243 Thanks for the video. I think that it will be an interesting instrument. I've ordered one. It's nice to know I can play it like a baritone ukulele until I learn tenor guitar.
I think you’ll be happy with it.
@@stevesstrings5243 are you saying same gcea strings can be adjusted to dgbe tuning
No. The instrument comes with a set of strings for CGDA tuning, which you can tune to DGBE. To tune it to GCEA, I moved the G string from the third to the fourth position, I used a .019 gauge in the third string position and tuned it t C, then retuned the D string to E. That gave me GCEA, linear tuning.
Is it possible to DIY one from a 3/4 electric guitar or 3/4 bass ??
Good question! Yes, you could convert a short scale guitar to a tenor guitar. However, the neck would be wider than a typical tenor guitar so you would have to be okay with that. For the tuning machine holes, you really should fill them and drill four new ones. (Alternatively, you could reshape and refret the neck or build a new one.) You would also need to replace the nut and the bridge. The bass would be more problematic since it’s a longer scale.
@@stevesstrings5243 I was thinking of either using a 12 string nut & bridge and just double what would become the 3rd and 1st strings. or replacing the nut with a Banjo nut and a metal Banjo bridge on a 3/4 guitar. As for the neck I imagine there would be some consessions. Building a new neck would be perfect but just replacing the nut and bridge would be easier.
@@TroyNaumu808 Some interesting ideas!
i like the smaller neck of the Ibanez cause it lets me use mandolin capo. if your trying to go for a real tenor guitar sound or using capo alot the ibanez is they way to go . other wise u could go with something like Pono UL4 - Super-Baritone Ukuleles and tune it any way u like .. Also I lean towards the ibanez as most ukuleles do not have a truss rods which might be a problems on the ukulele when going thicker strings gauges to achieve the sound your looking for . also try guadalupe custom strings they have a wise range of different string some even one octave lower.
Great information, Leo! Thanks for sharing! I like the bigger body of Ibenez, It's just taken me some adjustment with the narrower neck.
@@stevesstrings5243 ya u will get use to the narrower neck over time. the only thing that i can think what would make the wider neck better would be for finger picking as the wider neck which would make the springs have more gap between them.
Hey Steve how was the action on this when purchased?
Thanks for asking! The action is .25 mm at the 1st fret and 2.25 mm at the 12th fret. Thanks for watching!
@@stevesstrings5243 Awesome thanks for quick reply. Did you have to adjust it to that or did it come out of the box like that? How do the higher notes sound up the fret board do they sound in tune? I am considering getting this instead of a tenor ukulele since i already play mandolin and the chord shapes would be the same in the standard tenor tuning.
@@mooflaghero1 I did not need to adjust the action. It has a compensated saddle and the intonation up the neck is fine. I currently have it tuned GCEA.
Why not Chicagoville Tuning? It's basically Chicago Tuning & Nashville Tuning combined. So take your regular DGBE Tuned tenor Guitar & Swap out the D, G & B Strings with the Octave Strings from a 12 String Set (High B at .006 made by Octave4Plus) & now you'll sound like a Vihuela which is why it can also be called Vihuela tuning. This sounded great because in a few weeks I have a gig with a Spanish group that's wihtout a Vihuela player & I was asked to simulate the sound of a Vihuela as close as I could.
Interesting! I have not heard of "Chicagoville" tuning before. Thanks!
@@stevesstrings5243 Check out Baritone Ukulele tuned for playing Mariachi.
I will. Thanks!
@@stevesstrings5243 This allowed Baritone Ukulele peeps to play Vihuela parts.
Cool!
I'm so glad you did the comparison with the Ibanez. I much more prefer a wider neck and smaller scale.
I’m glad you found it useful, Christy! Thanks for watching and commenting. I hope you find my other videos helpful as well!
What strings did you use? Gages please. I have that Kmise tenor guitar and want to try this. Thanks
It comes with D'Addario EJ66 strings. The gauges are 10, 14, 22, 32. I show that in the video at 2:23. The instrument comes with a set of strings for CGDA tuning, which you can tune to DGBE. To tune it to GCEA, I moved the G string from the third to the fourth position, I used a .019 gauge in the third string position and tuned it to C, I then retuned the D string to E. That gave me GCEA, linear tuning.
@@stevesstrings5243 what gage G string to use for high G tuning instead of linear tuning?
@@dean-orochester7374 A 10 or 11 should do the trick.
@@stevesstrings5243 kool gonna try it. I gone a baritone high G ukulele string set, but they are too floppy… so I will try your street set. Fun experimenting
@@dean-orochester7374 What brand did you try? I'm surprised that a gGEA baritone string set would be "floppy" given that this instrument has a longer scale than the typical baritone ukulele. I find the Aquila gCEA baritone strings sets on my baritones have very high tension.
I kind of skimmed through as I'm not a fan of the zebra-style woods. I like Kmise though and like that they're doing the larger instruments. FYI "tuning" is misspelled at 2:35.
I never thought of mahogany as a “zebra-style” wood. Although I suppose some are stripped. What kind of wood do you prefer? I’m partial to spruce or cedar. Thanks for pointing out the typo! I saw that after I published it. D’oh!
@@stevesstrings5243 I guess I like a more subtle grain, but bolder trim. I also like a gloss finish, which seems hard to come by. I wonder if something like Ax Wax would give me the gloss I want without re-spraying.
Try True Oil! You just wipe on layer after layer. It can buff to a high shine. Check out some TH-cam videos on it.
What about EADG bass tuning ?
I suppose that could work. Thanks for the suggestion! Thanks also for watching and commenting!
@@stevesstrings5243 i am a bass player looking for a way to learn chords and recently discovered that these 4-string tenors were a thing after discovering Kala Uke basses
Kmise is better...i play to the tuning of A C E A....I find it easier to do chords and play... Have u tried it?
I have not tried that tuning yet. Thanks for the tip!
The GCEA tuning sounded like high G?. Yes? No? I'd prefer the low g tuning
No. It was linearly tuned. That is, it was low G tuned. Thanks for asking!
@@stevesstrings5243 THANKS
You are welcome! I’m glad I could help!
obviously you enjoy the Kmise better and you're more comfortable with it. fingerpicking the ibanez, you play it slower, with less sureness and warmth. probably because the neck is so narrow, and you're an older guy with less nimble fingers than young people--not an insult, just an observation (i'm no spring chicken anymore either, lol).
to me, it's obvious that you really enjoy playing the Kmise much more than the ibanez.
the ibanez has a warmer, richer sound...but it isn't a night and day difference.
you can pick up one of these Kmise tenors for $50 on ebay (including a gig bag), vs $200 for the ibanez (no case). to me, that's no contest. Kmise all the way.
i broke two fingers playing football in high school, and my left ring and pinky stick out slightly at odd angles, making 6-string very hard to play. that's when i fell in love with baritone ukulele, as i'm no Django Reinhardt. i think the Kmise is gonna be my next buy, for when i want a higher, brighter sound and more punch.
great vids, i enjoy them a lot.
Thanks! I’m glad you like them.
looks like the same company that makes caramel baritone uke
I think they are different companies but there so seem to be many similarities across Chinese uke manufacturers.