What is reasonable intonation accuracy for Kala KA-C concert ukulele

abalter

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I have a new KA-C ukulele. I was feeling troubled by it seeming to sound out of tune all the time. I tested it against an electronic tuner, and I'm finding the frets to be sharp by anywhere from 10-25 cents with an average of around 15.

Do I have a lemon, or is that what you get for $100?

Since they are all sharp (albeit by slightly different amounts), should I just consider lowering the saddle or the nut?
 
Before you start modifying, take a look at this video and consider what he says about pushing the string down. See if it is helpful

 
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Andrew from HMS did a podcast about the inherent intonation issues which nylon and florocarbon strings. There are so many compounds, gauges, weights and tensions it causes problems. An instrument can have perfect intonation with one set of strings and be off with another set. I see this happen often on baritones. Try a completely different type of string, Kala comes with Aquilas try florocarbons like Worth Oasis or Martins.
 
There is also a very, very good chance that your KA-C (I have the MK-CE...it was my first ukulele) was not set up by the vendor...meaning that the action at the nut and saddle may be adding to intonation issues. If this is the case...this can be corrected by a knowledgeable person (not always a luthier—but possibly so).

This is why many UU members suggest buying from a store that automatically includes set-up, such as Mim, the Uke Republic, the Ukulele Site, and Elderly. I know Mim and Uke Republic carry these models—and you very likely save money by ordering from them with set up versus ordering somewhere else and sending an instrument to a luthier.

If your instrument was from a reputable dealer, bring it back to have them check it out.
 
All very good advice. Different strings, different intonation. High saddle, sharp notes up the neck. Rules of thumb: String height should be in the range of 2.5mm to 3mm from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the strings. Nut height should just allow a business card to slide under the string at the first fret when the string is held down at the 3rd. Welcome to UU!
 
Do I have a lemon, or is that what you get for $100?
No, that isn't what you get for $100. My first ukulele was a $65 MK-C that came from the factory pretty much spot on all the way up the neck. If I bought a ukulele that far off, I would send it back and exchange it. As long as ukulele players Are willing to accept ukuleles that are unplayable and then turn around and spend their own time and money trying to fix them, manufacturers will continue to sell them that way.
 
ukestraps.jpg

I have a Kala concert uke too that has been intonating badly lately. I'm not sure if I'm just starting to notice it or if it's been this way for a while. The note from playing the 12th fret is quite a bit sharper than the 12th fret harmonic.
It's the non-reso uke in the photo.
 
I have a new KA-C ukulele. I was feeling troubled by it seeming to sound out of tune all the time. I tested it against an electronic tuner, and I'm finding the frets to be sharp by anywhere from 10-25 cents with an average of around 15.

Do I have a lemon, or is that what you get for $100?

Since they are all sharp (albeit by slightly different amounts), should I just consider lowering the saddle or the nut?

Intonation that far off it not normal, nor playable unless you are almost deaf.

It can be easily fixed as others have said, and when you buy from a proper ukulele dealer instead of amazon or best buy, they will typically do a 'set up' that prevents you, the buyer ever seeing such intonation problems which is usually the norm for ukes made in an Asian sweatshop.

Where did you buy this instrument?
 
On a stringed fretted instrument, intonation is always only a compromise. Even with the most expensive instruments that are perfectly well set up, it is realistic to expect deviations of +/- 5 cents on some spots of the fretboard.

In our days of computers doing all the math and much of the work, it seems unlikely that on one instrument out of a line of hundreds, the frets or the bridge would be placed completely wrong. Instead, what happens is that factories send out their instruments with high action in order to avoid buzzing. Lowering the action is relatively easy, but only a handful of sellers will check their instruments and take care of that.

As others have pointed out, there are several factors affecting intonation, not just action height, but also string gauges, and last but not least: the pressure applied to the strings by the player. Sharp intonation usually indicates high action at the saddle and/or nut, but a lot of it could be caused by the player applying too much pressure and hence "bending" the strings to intonate sharp. This is to say that intonation is only partly inherent to the instrument, while another part is caused and can be controlled by the player.

My advice would be to check your technique before you do anything to the instrument: Fret a string and measure the intonation. If it is sharp, try to apply less pressure with your fretting finger and measure again. If this doesn't take care of the issue, then lower the action at the saddle and possibly at the nut. Be careful not to go down too low, since this will cause buzzing. If you are really picky, you would have to look into compensating the saddle and possibly the nut individually for each string.
 
I have a new KA-C ukulele. I was feeling troubled by it seeming to sound out of tune all the time. I tested it against an electronic tuner, and I'm finding the frets to be sharp by anywhere from 10-25 cents with an average of around 15.

Do I have a lemon, or is that what you get for $100?

Since they are all sharp (albeit by slightly different amounts), should I just consider lowering the saddle or the nut?

A 5-10 cent variation in intonation might be reasonable on a cheap instrument. A 25 cent error isn't reasonable at any price.
Changing strings and string heights isn't going to fix a 25 cent error. That's just too much and I would be taking it back.

The usual suspect when it comes to such errors is incorrect saddle placement. Do you have a ruler long enough to measure the length of the strings? Do you want instructions for a quick test?
 
High action at the nut is the most common cause of intonation issues I've seen on 'ukuleles. I'd always set that first. After that, and after getting the nut height in the right ballpark, I take a file and work in some saddle compensation if needed. If there's not an actual fault with the bridge placement it's usually possible to get the intonation pretty good that way.

Different string materials and gauges will affect intonation due to variation in elasicity and thickness etc but, whatever you string with, 25 cents is way out.

But unless the nut action is set properly it's hard to rely on any readings.
 
High action at the nut is the most common cause of intonation issues I've seen on 'ukuleles. I'd always set that first. After that, and after getting the nut height in the right ballpark, I take a file and work in some saddle compensation if needed. If there's not an actual fault with the bridge placement it's usually possible to get the intonation pretty good that way.

Different string materials and gauges will affect intonation due to variation in elasicity and thickness etc but, whatever you string with, 25 cents is way out.

But unless the nut action is set properly it's hard to rely on any readings.

Yes (for the above)
I´d say nothing but perfect!
Go for getting it as good as you can, at the very least.
 
Even at the $100 level, it's kind of unusual to get a Kala that sounds that bad.
After you check your fretting pressure, and you find it ain't you, I'd take or send it back. You shouldn't have to noodle around with the setup of a brand new uke. The dealer should have taken care of that.
Anyhoo, welcome to UU.
 
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