Lanakai LU 21-C String Replacement

pdxuke

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Thanks to my UU friends who turned me on to the YouTube close up string replacement tutorial, I'm going to have a shot at restringing the Lanakai Concert.

It sounds muddy, out of tune, and has the original stock strings from a year ago (what are they BTW? They're black.)

My first instinct is to get Acquillas because this is a laminate, but I thought I'd ask opinions. Anybody?
 
Just noticed this

What do you think:

I just noticed that the c string, depending on how hard I press the string or where on the fretboard my fingerboard, can be almost a quarter tone out of tune! Just with finger pressure. It looks like the action must be really high? Not sure what to do...:confused:
 
It sounds like you have GHS strings on your Lanikai, which generally aren't too great. I would reccomend Aquila Nygluts for a laminate uke like the Lanikai you have. It will give it a lot more volume and tone.

As for what you're describing about how you press down on the strings, it sounds normal to me. That's why technique is so important, because depending on how hard or soft, or even where on a fret you press, you are going to get a different tone, and also why intonation is such a touchy subject for string players.

Action is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. A high action is where the strings are very high above the fretboard, especially at around the 12th fret, while a low action is when the strings sit very close to the fretboard. hope this helps
 
a Lanikai lu21-c is not a laminate it is Nato wood. i would recommend going with the aquillas. you cant beat em really.

problems with tone when you press are often attributed to pressing too hard. for all my instruments i have the frets filed and polished and the action optimised...this minimises press problems, it also might be that your neck is a bit out, take it to a luthier get the action and frets done, check the neck and they will do the restringing for you too, cost you about 30 bucks i reckon.
 
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a Lanikai lu21-c is not a laminate it is Nato wood.

The visible grain is nato wood, but not one solid piece. A laminate ukulele is composed of thin layers of wood glued together, so the top grain can look like anything. Kala sells Mahogany, Koa, and Mango laminates too. This is in comparison to a solid wood uke, where the top (and sometimes sides and back) are made up of solid pieces of wood.

edit: here's an example: MGM sells both of these instruments, a Kala KA C Mahogany laminate concert for 90 bucks, but a Kala KA SMHC solid Mahogany concert for 210.
 
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Thank You all

Please you all. So it ain't a laminate afterall, huh? It was the first uke I bought, I knew even less than I do now, and a local music shop sold it to me at what for me was a good price.

Thanks!:)
 
I am also partial to the Aquillas. I put them on my ukes just because I like them, and they sound really good. I have tried D'addarios and Worth, and they are good, but I seem to keep going back to the Aquillas. I was playing with a friend last night and she has a similar uke to my uke. Mine is strung with Aquillas and the volume was very different, mine being louder and "brighter". I guess a lot of it is personal taste.

Good explanation about action above. Really high action does cause the string to change tone more significantly when it is pushed down to the fret, however, I have noticed that cheap strings seem to suffer from this problem more. Correct me if I am wrong. If your action is indeed high, it is not a really hard problem to correct. I would suggest changing the strings, than see how you like it and if it is still an issue, take some pictures and post them here. So many people here are incredibly willing to help.
 
a Lanikai lu21-c is not a laminate it is Nato wood. QUOTE]

Sorry bud but it is a nato laminate. It is classified as Nato b/c it has nato layers. It is one of the misguiding tricks that makers use.
 
Success!

Thanks to all of you, my Lanakai has been given NEW LIFE.

I studied the YouTube re-string vid that y'all suggested, and got brand new Acquilla's and re-strung. It plays wonderfully, and once the strings settle in it's gonna be great.

Thank you so much. :bowdown: I was almost ready to give up on this one. What a difference new strings make!:smileybounce:
 
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