Hello!
Let me first provide some necessary background: a while ago I posted about my woes trying to barre the first fret on my uke (http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?130469-Unusually-difficult-to-barre-first-fret). The strings are stiffer there than anywhere else on the fretboard, and I need to apply more force fretting them to get a clean sound. The consensus I received was that my action at the nut was probably too high, which was also my initial suspicion, and logically it makes sense. (My uke is a Kala Solid Acacia Concert - KA-ASAC-C - https://kalabrand.com/products/ka-asac-c)
However, I have since taken my uke to two fairly reputable stores that do setups. The staff in both stores claim that the action at the nut is not particularly high (and therefore the problem is nonexistent). Furthermore, a few commenters - plus some other places on the Internet - seem to suggest that the first fret is inherently the hardest to barre. Bearing that in mind, I have tried playing some other ukes at the store using chords like Bb and Gb, and their first frets seem no easier or harder to barre than any other fret. Strange...
Therefore, my question is whether or not it is indeed normal for the first fret to be the hardest to barre (if so, resolving the problem should be a matter of practice) and if not, what plausible explanations there could be besides high action, and the best way to proceed. Help would be appreciated!
Let me first provide some necessary background: a while ago I posted about my woes trying to barre the first fret on my uke (http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?130469-Unusually-difficult-to-barre-first-fret). The strings are stiffer there than anywhere else on the fretboard, and I need to apply more force fretting them to get a clean sound. The consensus I received was that my action at the nut was probably too high, which was also my initial suspicion, and logically it makes sense. (My uke is a Kala Solid Acacia Concert - KA-ASAC-C - https://kalabrand.com/products/ka-asac-c)
However, I have since taken my uke to two fairly reputable stores that do setups. The staff in both stores claim that the action at the nut is not particularly high (and therefore the problem is nonexistent). Furthermore, a few commenters - plus some other places on the Internet - seem to suggest that the first fret is inherently the hardest to barre. Bearing that in mind, I have tried playing some other ukes at the store using chords like Bb and Gb, and their first frets seem no easier or harder to barre than any other fret. Strange...
Therefore, my question is whether or not it is indeed normal for the first fret to be the hardest to barre (if so, resolving the problem should be a matter of practice) and if not, what plausible explanations there could be besides high action, and the best way to proceed. Help would be appreciated!
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