Misc Questions: Strings, Dull notes, Intonation

First question should be relatively simple. I bought spare strings when I bought my uke, having heard that cheap ukes tend to come with cheap strings and nicer ones are an easy way to improve the sound somewhat. I didn't look very closely at the packet I was sold until recently, it appears that the strings are designed for specific notes, and that the ones I bought are for B, F#, D, and A respectively. Are these, as I suspect, unsuitable for use with standard tuning (GCEA) or can they simply be tuned to the desired note without too much trouble?

Second question is rather abstract, so I hope you have a good imagination. The C(3rd) string on my uke seems to become dull as I move up (down?) the neck, towards higher notes. By dull I mean it resonates very little, the volume diminishes much more quickly than playing it as an open string (more so than on other strings). I'm wondering whether this is normal, perhaps something to do with the thickness of the string, or different tension.

Final question; it appears that I can't tune my ukulele to itself. Using an online tuner and tuning each string by ear, as well as using a free tuning program with a microphone, I can get the open strings pretty well in tune, but the notes that are supposed to be the same such as the 4th fret on the 3rd string and open 2nd string etc (all strings are like this) do not match. Using the microphone and tuning program I can kinda sorta say they are about 3-7Hz too high on the fretted notes depending on how hard I press down. The program doesn't let me test every note, so I can only say that chords with a mix of open and fretted strings sound off, and those where all strings are fretted sound ok.

This phenomenon reminded me of the ghettofied lutherie technique I happened upon before I actually bought my uke. So I experimented a little with paperclips, but found that they were not thick enough to be held in place by the strings, so I settled on a bamboo toothpick. Messing around with the position of the toothpick it seems the best effect occurs when it is around 5mm from the nut, though even then it is not perfect. So my question is essentially "what should I do?". If this sort of problem is related to the action (which I really don't know how to judge) how risky is a DIY fix? If it's related to the bridge-nut distance, is it likely to be off by that much? and if so how do I go about finding a place for a zero fret more accurately?

Despite those problems I'm enjoying the ukulele just fine, the occasional off-sounding chord just adds accent to the occasional pause or misplaced finger

First, what brand strings did you buy?
Second, intonation is an inherent problem with cheaply mass-manufactured ukes (I own one myself)

I have the same problems with my C string. Filing down the groove where the string goes through the nut (the end nearest the tuners) helped somewhat with the overall sound.
I put some D'Addario strings on my uke, helped with sound and sustain, but not much with intonation.

brickerenator said:

First, what brand strings did you buy?

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You'll love this. I'd done my research and decided to ask for worth or aquilas strings, but ended up just asking if they had any "better" strings to put on the uke. The ones I bought (without really looking at them) were Mahalo brand also here's some pictures.





So the strings are designed for tuning a full step up from my current setup. If I'm not making any grave errors, they should be under less tension when tuned to GCEA, so the only potential trouble would be loose strings, correct? Or will they sound worse having been designed for different tuning?

I take it your uke is a Mahalo soprano? If it is one of the laminated wood type, then it would certainly sound better when fitted with Aquila strings. The spare strings you bought are for a "standard" soprano. They can be used for either ADF#B or GCEA tunings (re-entrant, of course), with no problems, but as they are probably the same as the OE strings, they won't be any better.

The best advice I can offer is to buy a set of Aquilas for it. It will love you forever. The intonation problems you mention could simply be caused by the strings. If you are concerned about nut placement, bridge position etc. you can measure it.

I have a Yellow Mahalo with good intonation. The scale length is 13 5/8" (from the face of the nut to the crown of the saddle). From the face of the nut to the crown of the first fret is a whisker over 3/4". From the face of the nut to the crown of the 12th fret is 6 13/16". All measured by eye with a steel rule. My Mahalo is five or six years old, and I know the current ones are slightly different in some details, but I don't think the scale length will have changed.

If yours has the same dimensions, to - say - 1/32", then it's OK.

The other factor that can affect intonation, is the height at which the strings pass over the tops of the frets. This is sometimes referred to as the "action". When the strings are open (not pressed down), the gap between the bottom of each string and the top of the first fret should be about 1/32". At the twelfth fret, aim for a gap of around 1/8" or a little less. Precise adjustment of the "action" is a matter of personal choice, but those measurements give a good basic set-up.

An overly high action causes the strings to stretch when pressed down to the fret board, and this makes them play sharp.

Hope this helps.

Ukantor.