Let’s talk about “Action”

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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #50425
    melanieh
    Participant

    Hi Guys,

    I recently bought a string action ruler. I’m just curious about the action height of all my ukuleles. I’m just wondering, what action height do you prefer especially Kanile’a ukes owners?

    Thanks,
    Melanie

    #50432
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    Action @ the 12 on my concerts are 2.5mm. I don’t remember what the standard height is out of the factory, but when I bought my first one from The Ukulele Site this is what they set it up at. When I had my custom uke built, I requested the same height.

    #50482
    melanieh
    Participant

    Thanks @Andrew! Glad to know mine is on the standard height 😊.

    #50484
    surferjay
    Participant

    Mine, never got a setup and is higher than 2.5 . It definitely makes it harder to play. I’m going to take mine to get lowered to 2.5 and also put on some Low G’s and new tuners.

    #50503
    recdog
    Participant

    I’ve been working with “action” quite a bit recently. Can be measured at 12th fret, from top of fret to bottom of string. Good to have a string action gauge or what I have now is just a good scale that starts at zero. I ordered a new kanilea saddle from the ukulele site as I thought my action was too low. I just raised mine up a few tenths of a mm to about 2.7-2.8 and I think the volume is better and still easy to play. My 3 tenors now all have about the same action at the 12th. I have heard Tobias Elof say that he likes it more like 3.0 and he told a story of James Hill going to a shop to get his action raised. The luthier told him that beginners bring ukes in to lower the action and pros bring them in raise it, so you must be a pro. Tobias thinks that too low an action limits the uke.
    Action is also measured at the nut slots, which is really important especially for beginners mostly playing on the first four frets. I like there to be just a tiny space, maybe .2mm at the first fret when the third fret is pressed.
    Ron

    #50574
    surferjay
    Participant

    @recdog interesting! The action is more of a problem for me at the nut slot. I have to press down really hard to get a clean sound and also preferably play closer to the first fret marker than the nut itself otherwise I get a muted vibration type sound. I’m sure a setup would fix this.

    It would be great actually to get a couple of saddles with different heights to play with.. I think only then I would know what I prefer as I have nothing really to measure it against.

    #50776
    melanieh
    Participant

    Thanks @recdog. I’ve measured mine on the 12th and it sits at 2mm. Most of my concerts have the same action.

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