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OK, here’s my collection (from small to big)
Mahalo soprano (bought for my wife to use at work)
Luna Tattoo pineapple (waste of money, but it was our first uke)
Mele Mango concert
Kelly Stillfield custom boatpaddle concert
Koa Pili Koko tenor
Bruce Wei Arts guitalele
Ibanez Artcore electric guitar
Martinez lap steel guitarYes, the top 4 strings of a guitalele are the same as for a low g ukulele. The top 4 strings of a low G ukulele are also the same as a guitar relative to each other, just in a different key. The guitalele is the same as a guitar relative to each other, but in the same key as the ukulele. I hope that makes sense. I know it’s a bit tricky.
I’ve always been pretty good at stretch chords. I can do that stretch on my tenor.
@surferjay – That’s definitely a lot of stuff
I see my guitalele as kind of a transition instrument between the ukulele and the guitar. I started on the uke, and still only play a little bit of guitar, but the guitalele helped me bridge the gap. It’s much more comfortable for me to carry and hold than a full-sized guitar.
My one is a little bit fancy, but I got it ultra cheap second-hand because it has a few cracks in it that don’t affect the sound or playability.
I like my guitalele. Here is a video of me playing it a few years ago. Sorry the sound is out of sync.
I might be there for an open mic, but with the time difference, the chances are it would be scheduled for 3am or something.
@The_Bumble_Bard – nice new name! I’ve only sanded down the base of my saddle and changed my strings. More than that is too scary for me.
The action is the height of the strings off the fretboard. A high action makes it more difficult to fret and is more likely to go out of tune when fretting. A low action is easier to fret and more in tune, but it can cause buzzing if your fretboard isn’t level or you strum too hard.
And yes, part of the setup is just smoothing rough edges, but there is more to it than that.
BTW, this is what the saddle looks like on my custom-made uke. It’s very rare to have this level of setup on the saddle, though.
And why is it necessary to setup a uke? Is it only necessary if they were made poorly to begin with?
That is the $1,000,000 question! Different people have different answers and it’s all a matter of degree and context. For example, one of my ukes was custom-made, and it didn’t require any setup at all because the “setup” was part of the building process. I also have a few factory-made ukes that had a slightly higher action than I like, so I sanded down the saddle a bit to lower the action, but they haven’t been professionally set up. If you are happy with how your uke feels, then it is probably fine, but it’s probably a good idea to play a uke that has been professionally set up for the sake of comparison.
Hi @potato_lady.
I won’t get into the question of re-tuning strings and capos because I think you and Jay misunderstand each other (or perhaps I misunderstand you both), and I would only add to the confusion.
A pickup is a piece of equipment that detects the sound in the ukulele and outputs it as an electrical signal, which allows you to plug into an amplifier. Most ukuleles don’t have them, but they are useful for looping, for example.
Setup is the process of levelling and rounding frets, and adjusting nut slots and the bridge of the ukulele to make it more playable. You can do a pretty basic setup yourself, but if you want a more extensive setup done, it is worth taking it to a professional. Not all ukuleles need to be set up, but it can help.
