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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.
@potato_lady – Saying you’re a premium member gets you an extra entry for the 3-monthly Kanilea uke giveaways, but it’s not necessary for these smaller prizes. Some of us just write it out of habit, though.
@potato_lady – NOBODY records a video without mistakes or some area that can be improved. That’s an impossible standard.
Like Jay said, it really depends on what you consider to be “good.” As I’ve progressed, I’ve picked up little bits of music theory here and there, but I’ve never learned it in any systematic way. Am I good? I don’t know. I can play just about anything on this site with a bit of effort, but I can’t do the Dorian thing that Jay was talking about (although, I know what it is…).
@uku241 & @dottiectrain – 戦闘機だったかどうかわからない but I love the bilingual banter.