coolkayaker1
Well-known member
I have a soprano RISA natural uke, bought used from a music store, looks to be in great shape and works well. It has the friction tuners.
It has a peculiar tuning quirk. When I tune it (which it needs frequently, but less so now that I tightened the screw on the tuners), I can turn the friction tuners noticeably, and it still does not change the pitch of the string. Then, suddenly, with one more small turn, it changes the string tension. This is particularly noted when it is plugged in to the amplifier, and I can hear that it makes a small "ping" and then the tuning finally changes.
As we all know, friction tuners change the string with even the teensiest turn. BUt here, I can turn it a small amount three or four times with, literally, no change on the electronic tuner, then on the next small turn, "ping" and it changes.
Do others have this phenomenon with the RISA? I think, not sure, that it's the metal roller type "bridge" that turns slightly eventually, but I fear that it will snap a string because the turning tension is building up between the head and the metal roller. I see on an old thread on here about the breaking "A" string on these ukes, which may be partly from this issue that I mention , an also partly because of the obtuse angle of the strong over the roller. Question: there must be a way to lubricate the strings or the roller, but I need to find a non-petroleum based lube (wax? Chapstick? etc.) to put on the roller when I change strings next. Thoughts?
Thanks, in advance. Anyone without A RISA solid probably has no clue what I'm talking about here. Steve
It has a peculiar tuning quirk. When I tune it (which it needs frequently, but less so now that I tightened the screw on the tuners), I can turn the friction tuners noticeably, and it still does not change the pitch of the string. Then, suddenly, with one more small turn, it changes the string tension. This is particularly noted when it is plugged in to the amplifier, and I can hear that it makes a small "ping" and then the tuning finally changes.
As we all know, friction tuners change the string with even the teensiest turn. BUt here, I can turn it a small amount three or four times with, literally, no change on the electronic tuner, then on the next small turn, "ping" and it changes.
Do others have this phenomenon with the RISA? I think, not sure, that it's the metal roller type "bridge" that turns slightly eventually, but I fear that it will snap a string because the turning tension is building up between the head and the metal roller. I see on an old thread on here about the breaking "A" string on these ukes, which may be partly from this issue that I mention , an also partly because of the obtuse angle of the strong over the roller. Question: there must be a way to lubricate the strings or the roller, but I need to find a non-petroleum based lube (wax? Chapstick? etc.) to put on the roller when I change strings next. Thoughts?
Thanks, in advance. Anyone without A RISA solid probably has no clue what I'm talking about here. Steve