Strings and intonation.

John Colter

John Colter

It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it
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I had a strange experience yesterday. I've just finished making a uke (Yay!), and was stringing it for the first time - nice new soprano Aquilas. I fitted the "G" and the "A" strings, and immediately noticed that the "G" string played flat as I moved up the fret board. It was not the effect of new strings settling in. The "A" string was perfect. I checked with the digital tuner. The "G" string was consistently -20 at the 7th fret, and by the 12th it was almost a semi-tone flat.

I decided it was a rogue string, but didn't have a spare string to replace it, so I just took it off, and put it back the other way round. That solved the problem. The uke now has great intonation on all strings.

I suppose the string might have a variation in its thickness at one end. Whatever, it caused me a moment's panic and self doubt.

BTW the new uke sounds GREAT. It is an odd looking little thing, but I love it. I'll take some pictures soon.

Ukantor.
 
I never would have thought to turn the string end-to-end. You, sir, are a genious!
 
You could also just have turned the uke ar... ah, no. That's no option. You were right the first time around. Hat off to you! :rock:
 
I've had similar experiences. I think sometimes the strings aren't spun out perfectly, leaving part of it thinner or weaker, sometimes I've noticed a "wrinkled" look to a bad string, but why they work one way and not the other, I'm not sure.
 
My best guess is that the string could be thicker (or thinner) at one end, and when you turn it around the "bad" end goes from up by the saddle, to being wrapped around the tuning peg where it is "out of play". I built it up unlacquered, so the strings have got to come off while I apply the finish. I'll measure the dodgy one with my micrometer and see if that's the answer.

Ukantor.
 
And where is the picture of your new Uke? :D
 
Great Idea, Ukantor

I've got a similar problem. My uke had perfect intonation until now. I measured it carefully with a digital tuner when I got it. It had Aquilas, now I've just put Worth Clears on and the C string now has slightly dodgy intonation.

All very odd.

Thanks for posting the great idea, Ukantor, I'm going to turn the string round and see if this helps.
 
Dale at Magic Fluke told me the same thing over the phone once. He said it's an old trick and no one seems to know why it works. Sometimes it's wonky intonation, sometimes it's a buzz. Weird.
 
Thanks for the interest in my new baby. I've got to take the strings and tuners off, now I've got it set up, so I can mask it off and spray the final finish. Then I'll wield my digicam. Today, a friend said it looks like a uke made by Pablo Picasso. It was a compliment - I think.

Ukantor.
 
ukantor said:
Thanks for the interest in my new baby. I've got to take the strings and tuners off, now I've got it set up, so I can mask it off and spray the final finish. Then I'll wield my digicam. Today, a friend said it looks like a uke made by Pablo Picasso. It was a compliment - I think.

Ukantor.
Click to expand...

Can you spray a high gloss varnish on a mate finished Uke without damaging sound? Just asking. Would be cool to know.
 
Hi Paisa,

If you have a matt finished uke, and want to turn it to a satin/semi-gloss finish, try some rubbing compound or even metal polish. The very light abrasive action will do the trick. Try it on a small area first. If you've been playing the uke for a while, you'll see that the neck is no longer matt where your hands frequently rub the surface.

It is very difficult to advise on the possible effect of various finishes on the sound of an instrument. All ukes are different, finishing materials are different, the way they are applied can vary, your perception of sound will be different from mine. The short but vague answer is that any finish can affect the sound of a uke, it might even make it sound better.

I'd be wary of putting a coat of finish over an existing one.

Ukantor.
 
I've removed the string, and the thickness does vary slightly. The standard thickness of an Aquila "G" string is .65mm - this one goes from .61 to .66mm.

.05mm seems like very little, but it is the difference between a "G" string and an "A" string, so it is significant.

I'm using very cheap electronic calipers, but am getting consistent readings. I am NOT criticising Aquila strings; they are still my favourites. I've used dozens of sets, this is the first glitch I've encountered, and it was very easily overcome.

I guess that's the answer.

Ukantor.
 
ukantor said:
I've removed the string, and the thickness does vary slightly. The standard thickness of an Aquila "G" string is .65mm - this one goes from .61 to .66mm.

.05mm seems like very little, but it is the difference between a "G" string and an "A" string, so it is significant.

I'm using very cheap electronic calipers, but am getting consistent readings. I am NOT criticising Aquila strings; they are still my favourites. I've used dozens of sets, this is the first glitch I've encountered, and it was very easily overcome.

I guess that's the answer.

Ukantor.
Click to expand...

John, I've had Aquilas in the past that did the same thing and I mic'd them and found a variance as well. Some stretch unevenly and this is more likely to occur with older strings. Those might have sat on a shelf for a while.
 
Pippin said:
John, I've had Aquilas in the past that did the same thing and I mic'd them and found a variance as well. Some stretch unevenly and this is more likely to occur with older strings. Those might have sat on a shelf for a while.
Click to expand...

Is there a shelf life for new strings? I would have thought that if they were new and sealed in a package, they might not change much over the years. Or is the "shelf life" referring to after stringing and sitting on a shelf, unplayed?

Thanks
–Lori
 
As for why I also am not sure but in restringing ukes and setting up ukes I have come across countless weird strings that do not not intonate correctly or buzz when everything else is perfect and a simple change fixes it...I guess its the nature of nylon and other materials that causes such inconsistancies...I have had a string play 1/2 step off at 12th fret fretted to harmonic and changing it solved the problem
 
Lori said:
Is there a shelf life for new strings? I would have thought that if they were new and sealed in a package, they might not change much over the years. Or is the "shelf life" referring to after stringing and sitting on a shelf, unplayed?

Thanks
–Lori
Click to expand...

Nylon gets brittle with age. That can cause breakage. I am not sure what the likelihood of uneven stretching might be.
 
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