Action over the 12th fret

Pete Howlett · May 13, 2019

Recently my local ukulele store has suggested that if I ever send them a ukulele again they would prefer the action at the 12th fret to be 2.25mm or 89 thou. This as a rule of thumb or a perceived industry standard is far too low for a professional musician. I had a long discussion about this with Richard Durrant who was recording with my ukes in the workshop today. Professional musicians need instuments that give them dynamic range and a higher action allows the options playing softly or really digging in!

Using my super tenor design, he rather liked the 'low' action on the ukes using the fretboard noise for effect in the collaborative quartet he has written for our festival here in Wales. He also preferred the 'versatility' of the spruce front over the cedar front.

Anyway see/hear for yourself how a musician builds up a piece working with an engineer who also reads music and plays. Their interaction is quite cool.

kerneltime · May 14, 2019

HMS has an excellent podcast around saddle height and saddle types.. it is a must watch on YouTube.
will link it later

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · May 14, 2019

Although 2mm is possible (heck, i can do 1mm if you are dumb enough to want it) but my min is 2.5mm, however I prefer it closer to 3mm- It sounds better closer to 3mm

EDW · May 14, 2019

Would that distance be the same for all sizes?

kkimura · May 14, 2019

Eastman ukuleles come with 2mm action which is okay for finger picking but a little low for hard strumming.

https://www.eastmanguitars.com/other_fretted

merlin666 · May 14, 2019

Is that for the G (low or high?) or A string or both? It's easy to lower the action by sanding the saddle. But if it gets too low, are there any remedies other than getting a new saddle?

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · May 14, 2019

EDW said:
Would that distance be the same for all sizes?

pretty much, but different scale lengths can have different string diameter/material and always do have different tension, which has to be taken into account in regard to buzz.

Ukecaster · May 14, 2019

merlin666 said:
......It's easy to lower the action by sanding the saddle. But if it gets too low, are there any remedies other than getting a new saddle?

Pretty sure you could heighten the saddle by installing a thin shim underneath, but a correct height saddle is always better. I've heard that whatever amount you increase the saddle height at the bridge, the increase will be 1/2 that at the 12th fret.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · May 14, 2019

merlin666 said:
Is that for the G (low or high?) or A string or both? It's easy to lower the action by sanding the saddle. But if it gets too low, are there any remedies other than getting a new saddle?

if you shim- use a hard substance- not a piece of foam or rubber. Old credit card, ebony etc.

sequoia · May 14, 2019

prb035 said:
How is the height measured? Is it above or below the string?

From the bottom of the string to the top of the fret.

Michael N. · May 15, 2019

Always amuses me when I hear folk saying that their instrument has super low action and zero! buzz!
Try plucking it so that people can actually hear it, you'll get plenty of buzz. . . . or as I like to say, there's no such thing as a buzz free instrument. Well perhaps with 20 mm action there's a chance it will be buzz free.

Pete Howlett · May 16, 2019

My int is that this idea of a sub 2.5mm action at the 12th fret is 'new'. 20 years ago 3mm was the norm on the instruments I sent out to Hawaii...

ProfChris · May 16, 2019

As a player/performer I find that on a soprano 2.5-2.7mm at the 12th is about right. 3mm makes accurate playing on frets 7-10 (and occasionally even on the 12th) too awkward. Anything below 2.5 mm creates rattles with my playing style. I'd guess something like 2.7mm on a tenor would produce the same string geometry.

But I think the player's style is the driver. I met Jake Shimabukuro at the weekend and he played one of my own build sopranos in the dressing room. He didn't attempt any runs at the speed he plays on stage (of course, he might not have been trying to do so), but watching him perform I'd guess he needs 2mm at the 12th and high tension strings for what he plays.

That style really wasn't around 20 years ago, and if you keep to the lower 7 frets then 3mm is perfectly comfortable.

eclipsme · May 24, 2019

ProfChris said:
As a player/performer I find that on a soprano 2.5-2.7mm at the 12th is about right. 3mm makes accurate playing on frets 7-10 (and occasionally even on the 12th) too awkward. Anything below 2.5 mm creates rattles with my playing style. I'd guess something like 2.7mm on a tenor would produce the same string geometry.

But I think the player's style is the driver. I met Jake Shimabukuro at the weekend and he played one of my own build sopranos in the dressing room. He didn't attempt any runs at the speed he plays on stage (of course, he might not have been trying to do so), but watching him perform I'd guess he needs 2mm at the 12th and high tension strings for what he plays.

That style really wasn't around 20 years ago, and if you keep to the lower 7 frets then 3mm is perfectly comfortable.

It would have been interesting to hear from Jake what height he likes!

Pete Howlett · May 24, 2019

Why? Jake isn't the only player out there who plays above the 1st harmonic and those that do need a fairly generous action because they are thrashing the instrument (generally).

Action over the 12th fret

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