Saddle height of a re-entrant uke: uniform for all strings?

P

Pleasure Paul

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
83
Reaction score
0
Location
Amsterdam
My Kala travel soprano has quite a sloping saddle. 1st string is lowest, 4th is highest. I can't remember seeing this on other ukes. What does uke set up-wisdom say about this?
Perhaps the saddle was original, I do not recall, but it could also be that my repair man goofed, and forgot to switch his mind from 'guitar' to 'uke' when he installed an undersaddle on the Kala. I have to say that my uke used to sound better.
 
Ear wisdom says that if it used to sound better then this is wrong.
 
Is the top sinking? Reduce string tension and see if that closes the gap. If so, it might need a brace repaired. If not, the culprit would seem to be the pickup install.
 
Last edited:
Pleasure Paul said:
My Kala travel soprano has quite a sloping saddle. 1st string is lowest, 4th is highest. I can't remember seeing this on other ukes. What does uke set up-wisdom say about this?
Perhaps the saddle was original, I do not recall, but it could also be that my repair man goofed, and forgot to switch his mind from 'guitar' to 'uke' when he installed an undersaddle on the Kala. I have to say that my uke used to sound better.
Click to expand...

I think you'd need to define "sound better" to make a valid conclusion ... also the "undersaddle" (I assume you mean piezo transducer aka pickup) could have a bearing on the matter.

Firstly, I'd slacken the strings and remove the saddle, to check whether the saddle has been sanded at an angle (no big deal to replace) or if the transducer has been installed asymmetrically or indeed if the saddle slot has been modified to accept the transducer and was left deeper at one end than the other ... you'll probably need to discuss this with your repair man if this is the case :confused:

Good luck.
 
Guys, I just want to know what is normal set up practice, straight or sloping saddle.
Paul
 
I do not think there is a definitive set up regarding saddle height or angle. Much depends on a player's preference. A sloping saddle might suit a particular style of play.
The main requirement is that the saddle should make good and constant contact with the bridge or, if installed the transducer, and that in turn has a good contact along the bridge.
At the end of the day, intonation and ease of play are what counts.
If your saddle is angled or sloping and you do not like it, change it or have someone else do the job. BTW, saddles are not difficult to adjust and fit.
 
The art of ukelele setup seems not as well developed as that of the guitar's, which is all over the internet and beyond. Finding uke action figures stemming from professional sources is hard. Only ones I found came from Mya-Moe: 2.5 mm @12th fret, each side. So, a straight saddle. Martin ukes I have seen: straight saddle. Others too. But I was thinking that perhaps some would say: the fourth string takes the full impact of the strum (after which the strum 'spills' to the other strings) so it needs some extra clearance over the frets.
 
Pleasure Paul said:
... I was thinking that perhaps some would say: the fourth string takes the full impact of the strum (after which the strum 'spills' to the other strings) so it needs some extra clearance over the frets.
Click to expand...

This shouldn't usually be the case. The "strumming device", be it plectrum, finger, thumb or other appendage should pass all the strings at a similar angle and similar velocity, that is to say more or less parallel with the sound-board, so that the strings deflect by an equal amount. Don't forget many (most?) players strum up as well as down.

Once you get into the realms of the various finger-styles, including claw-hammer and it's derivatives, all bets are off ... set up the instrument to suit the individual. I'll bet I'm not the only player with a different instrument for different styles of music ;)
 
I remember one of the saddles falling out when I was changing strings on one of my ukuleles, and noticing that it was slanted. I wondering which way it went, so I looked at my other one, saw that it was sloped as you describe, and re-installed the one that fell out, the same. I have no intonation problems, picking problems, or strumming problems, as a result. That is the extent of my expertise.
 
In my experience, most ukulele saddles are not sloped like a guitar saddle but flat across the top. Generally it follows the shape of the fretboad. Your Kala has a flat fretboard and the saddle should be relatively flat across the top. Some ukuleles have a radius fretboard and the saddles are slightly curved.

There are minor tweaks that might be done according to personal taste. For re-entrant tuning, I may slightly curved saddles to accommodate string tension and have the G and A strings a tad bit lower.

If the undersaddle pickup is not flush with the bridge patch you could have a problem or if the saddle was not sanded flat, as already mentioned.

John
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Explorer77
Ideal Bridge Height / Ideal Saddle Slot Depth? / Ideal Saddle Clearance above Bridge? (Tenor)
Replies
4
Views
476
Pete Howlett
Pete Howlett
G
Question about saddle height/ neck angle of my super tenor.
Replies
3
Views
477
dwizum
D
G
Question about neck angle/saddle height of my super tenor.
Replies
1
Views
220
clear
C
M
Is it easy to adjust string height at the nut and saddle?
Replies
15
Views
1K
sequoia
sequoia
Ukecaster
Saddle height
Replies
7
Views
2K
BlackBearUkes
BlackBearUkes
Top Bottom