There's a lot to say about Low G tuning. It can seem a bit complicated at first. Here, I will explain as best I can.
What is Low G?
The ukulele has a rather unique sound compared to many other string instruments. Much of this is due to how the ukulele is tuned, and it is tuned in so-called re-entrant tuning, which can be translated as circular tuning. Or high G.
Yes, that term is also used.
Most string instruments are tuned linearly. Guitar, violin, etc. This means that the first string is tuned highest, and then the tuning decreases for each string, so that the last string is the lowest tuned. But this is not how the ukulele and some other instruments work. The five-string banjo and sitar, for example. Here, the last string is not the lowest tuned, but the last string is octaved, meaning it sounds an octave higher than one "expects" from it. This reduces the spread of notes, and often the first and last strings play the same note. This, in turn, gives the ukulele its special sound character.
Thus, a ukulele with Low G is a ukulele with linear tuning. A ukulele tuned as it "should have been" tuned.
There are very few ukuleles on the market that are sold and delivered with Low G from the factory. In most cases, you buy a circularly tuned/high G ukulele, i.e., a perfectly normal ukulele, and then you change the strings.
Advantages and disadvantages of Low G
Here we enter what is often a matter of taste.
One advantage of Low G for guitarists is that a ukulele now plays like a guitar. Minus the last two strings. This makes guitarists quickly feel more at home.
Another advantage, and the most common use, is that melody playing becomes more logical. With a circularly tuned ukulele, you practically only have access to the first three strings when playing scales and melodies. With Low G, you get a larger range of notes.
Traditional chord playing with a Low G ukulele also occurs. The low-tuned fourth string adds a melancholic touch to the sound and is well suited for calm folk songs and ballads.
The disadvantage is that much of the ukulele's sound character disappears. Especially its ability to "cut through" the soundscape. Now it sounds more like a guitar. Both good and bad, of course. The ukulele can also feel less powerful in sound, as the low string would really need a larger soundbox.
You may need to learn some chords, and play them in new positions. Many chord progressions that sound good on a high G ukulele tend to sound monotonous on a Low G ukulele.
Low G, Low A, Low D
It's called Low G because a C-tuned ukulele's fourth string, tuned to G, is tuned an octave lower. But as you know, we often tune ukuleles to D in Scandinavia. D-tuned ukuleles can be tuned according to the same principle.
They are then, by definition, called Low A, since the fourth string is now tuned to A. But in common parlance, it's called Low G, regardless of C or D tuning.
Special string sets exist for this, but it's unusual to tune soprano and concert ukuleles this way. Problems can arise, depending on the short string length, where the low string now intones poorly, meaning it sounds out of tune when played. Soprano and concert ukuleles also have soundboxes that are a bit too small for the low string's tone to resonate properly. But that's a matter of taste.
With baritone ukuleles, it's the opposite. Here, Low D is the most common. You'll need to visit a very well-stocked music store to find a high D string set. Far from all string manufacturers offer high D.
Converting a ukulele from high G to Low G
This is actually not always so simple if you're unlucky. What mainly distinguishes a standard string set from a Low G string set is the fourth string. It is twice as thick as a standard fourth string. Often, it is a wound string.
The slot/groove in the saddle along which the fourth string runs usually needs to be filed and widened. Otherwise, the new, thicker string won't fit and will essentially sit on top. At best, the string action will be too high. This means it will be difficult for the fingers to press down. But more problems are likely to arise. The string will rattle and buzz, and it will intonate poorly.
A fine file doesn't cost much. However, you also need to know how to file, otherwise the new, wider slot can also cause rattling and buzzing. Don't file yourself if you're unsure.
Depending on the ukulele's string attachment, the saddle may need adjustment. Different string attachments and saddles vary in difficulty and complexity to adapt to the new string. You may need to drill and/or file. The same applies here - you risk damaging the saddle and string attachment, and thus the entire ukulele, if you make a mistake.
Converting a ukulele from Low G to high G
If the aforementioned conversion is done carefully, and you're a bit lucky, it might be that no reconversion is needed at all. You just switch back to a standard string set and you're done.
Alternatively, the saddle might need adjustment. But it's much easier to widen the saddle slot than to narrow it again. In some cases, a new saddle is needed.
But as I wrote earlier, if you're lucky, minimal adjustment is needed to convert the ukulele the first time, and then you can probably convert back without problems too.
But spontaneously, I think that if you can't decide whether you want to play high or Low G, it's easiest to have two different ukuleles.
