Slots & holes & trusses -- oh MY!

I think slot heads make it much harder to change strings. Useless eye candy IMO. If I am wrong, set me straight.

How about those ukes that have 2 sound holes-- 1 in the soundboard & a 2nd one on the side. It is said that the sound hole on the side helps you hear yourself better. Hmmm... seems to me that the extra hole would diminish the uke's outward sound projection, toward the audience. As for hearing myself better, I consider that to be a solution to a non-existent problem.

Now, as to Pono's famous truss rod... as for a tenor, it's no big deal, right? If some say it IS a big deal, then should I assume that most truss-less tenors suffer from mis-aligned necks?

Slot heads, extra sound holes, truss rods in tenors... BAH, humbug!!!

Is there a question in there?

There's a great book my mom used to read to my brother and I called Stephanie's Ponytail. I think the girl's response to "Ugly, ugly, ugly!" was, "It's MY ponytail and I like it!" A two minute read that probably has more to do with ukes than anything.

bellgamin said:

I think slot heads make it much harder to change strings. Useless eye candy IMO. If I am wrong, set me straight.

How about those ukes that have 2 sound holes-- 1 in the soundboard & a 2nd one on the side. It is said that the sound hole on the side helps you hear yourself better. Hmmm... seems to me that the extra hole would diminish the uke's outward sound projection, toward the audience. As for hearing myself better, I consider that to be a solution to a non-existent problem.

Now, as to Pono's famous truss rod... as for a tenor, it's no big deal, right? If some say it IS a big deal, then should I assume that most truss-less tenors suffer from mis-aligned necks?

Slot heads, extra sound holes, truss rods in tenors... BAH, humbug!!! ������

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I am one of those people who like the looks of the slotted head, although I haven't changed strings on one yet. I don't foresee a problem changing strings. Put the string through the hole, give it a couple of wraps, and start winding. No, I'm not an optimist.

I once had a mandola with a slotted head, and, as one accustomed to using a minimum-winding technique for restringing on regular pegheads, I found string changes on it to be a PITA. I wouldn't want a uke with one.

To me, a hole in the side, left unfinished, looks like an unsightly gaping wound. An ideal side hole would, in addition to having nice binding and/or purfling, also have an effective means of closure for when it's not wanted.

A truss rod won't do a darned thing to correct a misaligned neck; however, it will provide a means of adjusting relief, for those to whom that's important. Not really something I'd find necessary, unless the fingerboard had somehow gone convex.

Out of curiosity, I listened to Stephanie's Ponytail on YouTube, and it's cute, and quite relevant to these discussions. To each his or her own!

bratsche

ubulele said:

Why do people feel compelled to troll about features they just don't (have the sense to) appreciate? Surely there's a more diplomatic way to broach the subject, if one really wants to learn from others' views.

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Exactly. Well said.

bellgamin said:

I think slot heads make it much harder to change strings. Useless eye candy IMO. If I am wrong, set me straight. BAH, humbug!!! ������

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Some times you just have to do what you have to do to fit 8 tuners and 2 heads together.View attachment 108080

bratsche said:

... ... To me, a hole in the side, left unfinished, looks like an unsightly gaping wound.... ...

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When I first saw a uke with a side hole, I thought it was an ashtray.

I dunno... I've never had trouble stringing a slot head. and like it's been said, its not something you do that frequently where it really matters. That being said, I don't really favor a slothead over a regular. But I don't think it's a negative either. I don't think I'd pay extra for it on purpose though.

A sound port... makes a huge difference. As a player, it does sound better. It's not a gimmick. As for loss of sound... I think you'd probably see more difference between volume in cedar vs koa, than sound port vs not.

A truss rod.. is like auto insurance. It seems like a useless luxury until you have to use it... and then you're damn glad its there.

I don't know if this was tongue-in-cheek, but if not it is pretty sad. While it is fun to discuss all the technical/design stuff, woods, strings, features, etc., it is still about the music. The ukulele is a rare instrument that allows for complex arrangements and at the same time provides immense joy just strumming G and C chords... Jimmy Fallon's Office Ukulele.

If it is not about the music it might as well be an ashtray.

John

Seems like somebody got a lump of coal from Santa Claus and is still angry about it.

Sorry you are not able to allow others to find joy in things that you do not.

May your future days be more filled with happiness.