A welcome return to a ukulele brand I have always been impressed by. This one may look familar, but holds a subtle yet very important difference - The Baton Rouge V2-SW Sun Soprano Ukulele.
Showing posts with label nut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nut. Show all posts
27 May 2018
7 Feb 2015
7 Feb 2015T15:54
All about adjusting the setup of the ukulele to improve playability and tuning accuracy. Don't be afraid to adjust things - they are designed to be adjusted!
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Adjusting Ukulele Setup and the Impact on Intonation
A few people asked for me to expand on the topic of ukulele setup, so thought I would put it down in a video.
All about adjusting the setup of the ukulele to improve playability and tuning accuracy. Don't be afraid to adjust things - they are designed to be adjusted!
( DIRECT LINK )
29 Apr 2014
29 Apr 2014T12:45
I did this because I regularly see people advising beginners that they should definitely buy a concert or a tenor over a soprano as they are 'easier' to play. I personally find nut width has far more impact and this is a myth that keeps getting trotted out..
Things to bear in mind here
1. Not all ukes are equal. Most cheap tenors will have nuts that are the same width as cheap sopranos. People think they are getting more finger space because the neck is longer (true) - but they are not getting more space where it counts for large fingers - ACROSS the neck - that is governed by nut width. If anything, for a beginner a large scale length is MORE of a stretch in other ways.
2. I know many sopranos with more space than most concerts and tenors. That's a simple fact.
3. In short - if you have big hands, there is no reason whatsoever for a soprano to be considered 'too small' for you. I genuinely believe it's just a get out clause parrotted by people who are confusing the fact that they are still learning with scale size. A bad workman always blames his tools...
A WIDE nut on a ukulele is one that is about 1.5" max. Whilst you will see those on some tenors you won't see them on all of them. More importantly you will also see them on some sopranos. Brands like Koaloha, Kiwaya, Kanile'a, Kamaka and Flea will give you large nuts on all scales. A more standard 'Chinese import' nut width will be as narrow as 1.375" - and you will find those on sopranos, concerts or tenors. In other words, the scale is irrelevant!
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The Importance of Ukulele Nut Width - Beginners Tips
Another ukulele beginners tip video and advice guide - looking at how ukulele nut widths vary, and how they affect space on the fingerboard.
I did this because I regularly see people advising beginners that they should definitely buy a concert or a tenor over a soprano as they are 'easier' to play. I personally find nut width has far more impact and this is a myth that keeps getting trotted out..
Things to bear in mind here
1. Not all ukes are equal. Most cheap tenors will have nuts that are the same width as cheap sopranos. People think they are getting more finger space because the neck is longer (true) - but they are not getting more space where it counts for large fingers - ACROSS the neck - that is governed by nut width. If anything, for a beginner a large scale length is MORE of a stretch in other ways.
2. I know many sopranos with more space than most concerts and tenors. That's a simple fact.
3. In short - if you have big hands, there is no reason whatsoever for a soprano to be considered 'too small' for you. I genuinely believe it's just a get out clause parrotted by people who are confusing the fact that they are still learning with scale size. A bad workman always blames his tools...
A WIDE nut on a ukulele is one that is about 1.5" max. Whilst you will see those on some tenors you won't see them on all of them. More importantly you will also see them on some sopranos. Brands like Koaloha, Kiwaya, Kanile'a, Kamaka and Flea will give you large nuts on all scales. A more standard 'Chinese import' nut width will be as narrow as 1.375" - and you will find those on sopranos, concerts or tenors. In other words, the scale is irrelevant!
18 Sept 2010
18 Sept 2010T12:02
Yet, discussion forums are awash with theories and advice (some useful, some not so), so I thought it useful to give my own thoughts. I have structured these from the simple to the serious, so if you have a buzz you can go down the list and hopefully solve your problem at an early stage before things get difficult. It's most often something simple so dont rush down the list without ruling out the easy stuff!!
1. Is it your technique? Getting a clean sound from a ukulele depends on good technique with your fretting fingers. Ensure you are pressing the strings perpendicularly to the neck and squarely between the frets. Ensure your fingers are not touching other strings. This will be difficult at first but practice! Sometimes buzzes can also occur due to over strumming or the position of the strum. Calm it down a little, strum at the end of the fingerboard.
2. Is it actually the strings? Buzzes don't need to come from the strings so check the rest of the ukulele. Are the tuner fittings tight? Are there any other fittings that are coming loose? The collars on the front of tuners are a common culprit. Another often overlooked culprit is string coils at the headstock, or the bits left over where you tie them on the bridge - trim them! I've even seen people think they have a buzz when it was the battery compartment rattling (or the clip on tuner clip!). Basically all sorts of things can buzz from the vibration that playing the ukulele causes. Check everything - wiring, trim, strap buttons, tuner bushings, collars, screws, you name it.
3. Is it a case of bad strings? Due to the nature of ukulele strings, it is possible to get a bad string in a pack. Can you isolate the string that is buzzing? May be worth swapping it, or another odd tip that often works, take it off and string it the other way around. This can solve problems where manufacturing has left a thin or thick spot on the string. But Barry - I dont want to waste a set of strings!! Seriously? If it isn't the strings - it means the strings you took off may still have life in them. Put them in the sleeves of the new pack and keep them in your uke case as spares! You WILL be changing strings at some point anyway!
4. Action at the saddle - we are now getting into more difficult territory, but easily fixed. If the saddle at the bridge is too low the strings are likely to vibrate against frets when strummed. Take off or loosen strings and pull out saddle carefully with long nosed pliers. To raise it you have two options. Either put a thin shim (or two) of wood veneer in the base of the saddle slot, replace saddle and strum. The alternative is a new saddle cut and shaped very slightly higher than old one. Your aim here is to raise it just enough to stop buzzing and we are talking thousandths of a millimetre. Raise it too much and you will cause intonation issues.
5. Action at the nut. Now we are in difficult territory. If the slots in the nut that the strings are on are too deep you are likely to get buzzes particularly on the lower frets. The fix is more difficult and you may now want to seriously consider going to a luthier. To try yourself you either need to fit a new nut (carefully tap out old nut and replace, filing down slots to suit action without buzzing) or try something cleverer!
I have successfully raised nut slots individually by taking a spare saddle and sanding it making sure to collect the dust. Apply a drop of super glue to the dust and quickly mix with a cocktail stick then fill In the offending nut slot (carefully). Breathe on it to start curing and leave overnight. What you have done is create a hard invisible fill to the nut slot you can re file down to the right height.
6. Others - if the above don't work then I am afraid you may have serious problems. You may have an offending fret that is too high and needs to be filed down. I would recommend a guitar tech doing this. Persistent buzzes may also signify a badly made uke, a neck out of alignment, a popped brace, or a bowed neck. If this is the case, and the instrument is new, I would return it. If it's an old or used instrument the decision whether to get it professionally fixed will depend entirely on the value of the instrument. I'd consider getting a vintage Martin fixed, but not a Makala dolphin!
I hope this is of use and helps remove any panic you may have. Buzzes are common and in the vast majority of cases are simple to solve. Just work down the list and good luck!
And if that isn't helpful enough - a video for you!
Read More »
Ukulele beginners tips - Buzzes and rattles
My Ukulele Is Buzzing... One of the most common questions I get at Got A Ukulele is 'how to fix ukulele buzzing'? In the best case it will be something simple like technique, but in the worst case can signal something serious like a flawed uke.
1. Is it your technique? Getting a clean sound from a ukulele depends on good technique with your fretting fingers. Ensure you are pressing the strings perpendicularly to the neck and squarely between the frets. Ensure your fingers are not touching other strings. This will be difficult at first but practice! Sometimes buzzes can also occur due to over strumming or the position of the strum. Calm it down a little, strum at the end of the fingerboard.
2. Is it actually the strings? Buzzes don't need to come from the strings so check the rest of the ukulele. Are the tuner fittings tight? Are there any other fittings that are coming loose? The collars on the front of tuners are a common culprit. Another often overlooked culprit is string coils at the headstock, or the bits left over where you tie them on the bridge - trim them! I've even seen people think they have a buzz when it was the battery compartment rattling (or the clip on tuner clip!). Basically all sorts of things can buzz from the vibration that playing the ukulele causes. Check everything - wiring, trim, strap buttons, tuner bushings, collars, screws, you name it.
3. Is it a case of bad strings? Due to the nature of ukulele strings, it is possible to get a bad string in a pack. Can you isolate the string that is buzzing? May be worth swapping it, or another odd tip that often works, take it off and string it the other way around. This can solve problems where manufacturing has left a thin or thick spot on the string. But Barry - I dont want to waste a set of strings!! Seriously? If it isn't the strings - it means the strings you took off may still have life in them. Put them in the sleeves of the new pack and keep them in your uke case as spares! You WILL be changing strings at some point anyway!
4. Action at the saddle - we are now getting into more difficult territory, but easily fixed. If the saddle at the bridge is too low the strings are likely to vibrate against frets when strummed. Take off or loosen strings and pull out saddle carefully with long nosed pliers. To raise it you have two options. Either put a thin shim (or two) of wood veneer in the base of the saddle slot, replace saddle and strum. The alternative is a new saddle cut and shaped very slightly higher than old one. Your aim here is to raise it just enough to stop buzzing and we are talking thousandths of a millimetre. Raise it too much and you will cause intonation issues.
5. Action at the nut. Now we are in difficult territory. If the slots in the nut that the strings are on are too deep you are likely to get buzzes particularly on the lower frets. The fix is more difficult and you may now want to seriously consider going to a luthier. To try yourself you either need to fit a new nut (carefully tap out old nut and replace, filing down slots to suit action without buzzing) or try something cleverer!
I have successfully raised nut slots individually by taking a spare saddle and sanding it making sure to collect the dust. Apply a drop of super glue to the dust and quickly mix with a cocktail stick then fill In the offending nut slot (carefully). Breathe on it to start curing and leave overnight. What you have done is create a hard invisible fill to the nut slot you can re file down to the right height.
6. Others - if the above don't work then I am afraid you may have serious problems. You may have an offending fret that is too high and needs to be filed down. I would recommend a guitar tech doing this. Persistent buzzes may also signify a badly made uke, a neck out of alignment, a popped brace, or a bowed neck. If this is the case, and the instrument is new, I would return it. If it's an old or used instrument the decision whether to get it professionally fixed will depend entirely on the value of the instrument. I'd consider getting a vintage Martin fixed, but not a Makala dolphin!
I hope this is of use and helps remove any panic you may have. Buzzes are common and in the vast majority of cases are simple to solve. Just work down the list and good luck!
And if that isn't helpful enough - a video for you!
17 Sept 2010
17 Sept 2010T10:20
The uke works by holding the strings in tension over a sound chamber to resonate the sound - as a child you may have done the same thing with rubber bands and a tissue box. In order to make this play accurately, some maths comes in to play. For the frets to accurately change the notes of the strings when held, it is important that the string length is uniform and set in relation to these frets. The parts of the uke that hold the strings at the correct length are the nut (at the top end of the uke by the tuners) and the saddle held in the piece of wood glued on to the body of the uke below the sound hole. The distance between these two is the scale length.
As with all stringed instruments, the quality of these parts and how they are shaped is critical to a well playing instrument. To high at the saddle and you will have too high an action, too low and you will get buzzing as the strings touch the frets.
Likewise at the nut - if the slots are cut too low, you will get buzzing at the low frets, too high and you raise action, and worse can cause a sharpening of notes when pressed at the 1st and 2nd frets.
In both cases, if the string is not as parallel to the finger board as is possible without buzzing you can get into intonation problems (ie frets not giving you the exact note they should)
Adjusting action for tuneability and to remove buzzes is something I will cover in a subsequent post, but on a nicely set up instrument if you hold a string at both the 1st and (say) 12th fret, you should be able to just slip a thin business card between the string and fret at or around the 6th.
So what are these items made of? Well in cheaper instruments, almost certainly plastic, or a composite material which is basically plastic, but is trying to big itself up by calling it something else (stand up please NuBone and Tusq). In more expensive instruments, these parts may well be made of bone, or a hardwood like Ebony.
Some suggest that moving up in quality will impove sound, but I think this is subjective. On a steel strung acoustic guitar a change from plastic to bone saddle will make a noticeable difference - Im just not sure that you will notice that difference (for the hassle) on a consumer level ukulele. I am happy to be persuaded otherwise though!
As a final thought - if you are fiddling with your saddle and remove it to take it down in height - remember - this is the key point of the instrument that transfers sound into the body of the uke. It is essential the base of the saddle is sanded totally flat and when re-seated makes a perfect fit into the bridge mount. This is even more important if you have a piezo pick up fitted under the saddle, as you may find a badly seated saddle results in volume differences across strings (not good)
Word to the wise - if you are not sure what you are doing but want a change to your ukulele - take it to a reputable guitar tech!
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Ukulele beginners tips - Nuts and Saddles
We've looked at strings, woods, tuners, so about time I moved on to some guidance on the other important parts of a ukulele.
The uke works by holding the strings in tension over a sound chamber to resonate the sound - as a child you may have done the same thing with rubber bands and a tissue box. In order to make this play accurately, some maths comes in to play. For the frets to accurately change the notes of the strings when held, it is important that the string length is uniform and set in relation to these frets. The parts of the uke that hold the strings at the correct length are the nut (at the top end of the uke by the tuners) and the saddle held in the piece of wood glued on to the body of the uke below the sound hole. The distance between these two is the scale length.
As with all stringed instruments, the quality of these parts and how they are shaped is critical to a well playing instrument. To high at the saddle and you will have too high an action, too low and you will get buzzing as the strings touch the frets.
Likewise at the nut - if the slots are cut too low, you will get buzzing at the low frets, too high and you raise action, and worse can cause a sharpening of notes when pressed at the 1st and 2nd frets.
In both cases, if the string is not as parallel to the finger board as is possible without buzzing you can get into intonation problems (ie frets not giving you the exact note they should)
Adjusting action for tuneability and to remove buzzes is something I will cover in a subsequent post, but on a nicely set up instrument if you hold a string at both the 1st and (say) 12th fret, you should be able to just slip a thin business card between the string and fret at or around the 6th.
So what are these items made of? Well in cheaper instruments, almost certainly plastic, or a composite material which is basically plastic, but is trying to big itself up by calling it something else (stand up please NuBone and Tusq). In more expensive instruments, these parts may well be made of bone, or a hardwood like Ebony.
Some suggest that moving up in quality will impove sound, but I think this is subjective. On a steel strung acoustic guitar a change from plastic to bone saddle will make a noticeable difference - Im just not sure that you will notice that difference (for the hassle) on a consumer level ukulele. I am happy to be persuaded otherwise though!
As a final thought - if you are fiddling with your saddle and remove it to take it down in height - remember - this is the key point of the instrument that transfers sound into the body of the uke. It is essential the base of the saddle is sanded totally flat and when re-seated makes a perfect fit into the bridge mount. This is even more important if you have a piezo pick up fitted under the saddle, as you may find a badly seated saddle results in volume differences across strings (not good)
Word to the wise - if you are not sure what you are doing but want a change to your ukulele - take it to a reputable guitar tech!
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