NUD - with questions

Bob-in-Alberta

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Hello all. I just got home from a holiday in San Francisco and UAS struck again. I was in a music store in the Haight-Ashbury district and ended up walking out with a Kala soprano banjo ukulele (picture attached). It seems like a fun little guy but, since it's like a banjo, I've got some questions that hopefully someone on the forum can answer for me. It came with a little tool to adjust the tension of the head but no user manual of any kind. It has a moveable bridge as I've now discovered that all banjos do but I have no idea as to where the ideal spot would be. I found some user manuals on the Deering banjo site but am not sure if they would be close enough to be applicable to my Kala. Does anyone have any input on the best care and feeding practices for my new toy? Thanks in advance.

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Hello all. I just got home from a holiday in San Francisco and UAS struck again. I was in a music store in the Haight-Ashbury district and ended up walking out with a Kala soprano banjo ukulele (picture attached). It seems like a fun little guy but, since it's like a banjo, I've got some questions that hopefully someone on the forum can answer for me. It came with a little tool to adjust the tension of the head but no user manual of any kind. It has a moveable bridge as I've now discovered that all banjos do but I have no idea as to where the ideal spot would be. I found some user manuals on the Deering banjo site but am not sure if they would be close enough to be applicable to my Kala. Does anyone have any input on the best care and feeding practices for my new toy? Thanks in advance.

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To place the bridge measure from the nut to the 12th fret then double that. Then use that measurement to measure from the nut to wherever it lands on the head. That's where to bridge goes.

To tighten the head do a 1/4 turn on each nut in a star pattern. In other words, you tighten one nut then you tighten the one directly across the rim from it, not the one next to it.

When I set up a banjo uke I stuff a rag in the head to deaden the sound. This help kill overtones so I can get the tuning & intonation spot on. After I'm done with that I take it out and then place a small piece of foam either in the rim directly under the bridge or on top in the space between the tailpiece and bridge.

This guy is definitely more of an expert than me.

 
Congrats on your new banjolele! A friend just got one, and when I tell her what I know, I'll impress her!
 
Rather than measuring I always place the bridge where I get the best intonation - i.e. move it until your notes at the 12th fret match those of the open string. Just the same for mandolins etc.
 
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Concert banjo ukes easier for me to play. Tutorials on nearly everything on youtube. Search banjo ukulele, how to.............and fill in the blank with phrases such as set up, adjust head tension, change vellum, how to fingerpick (see Aaron Keim's instructional videos), play Formby style or clawhammer, etc. etc.
 
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