Not A Fan of "Low Set Ups"
- Thread starter luvdat
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buddhuu
Super Moderator (Retired)
My personal preference is for quite a low action at the nut, but medium high at the bridge saddle. In my experience it gives me the best combination of ease of playing and good intonation while not compromising too much on volume or tone.
High action at the nut can make fretted chords sound rough, and makes it easier to bend notes out of tune by uneven fretting pressure. Low action at the bridge can make a uke sound dull and sloppy.
IMO, action should always be set at the nut first. If that is done, it will often become clear that action at the saddle does not need to be changed.
Edit:
On a uke you don't need the action to be as low as you do on a mandolin, for example, which has significantly higher string tension and metal strings. High action on a mando is real torture.
High action at the nut can make fretted chords sound rough, and makes it easier to bend notes out of tune by uneven fretting pressure. Low action at the bridge can make a uke sound dull and sloppy.
IMO, action should always be set at the nut first. If that is done, it will often become clear that action at the saddle does not need to be changed.
Edit:
On a uke you don't need the action to be as low as you do on a mandolin, for example, which has significantly higher string tension and metal strings. High action on a mando is real torture.
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Ukuleleblues
Well-known member
I prefer kind of low at the nut (low enought so I get no intonation problems) and high at the 12th. I have big fingers and can pick better with that setup.
I would have to agree with both ukuleleblues and buddhuu. I prefer a low set up at the nut for ease of playing, and medium/high at the 12th fret. I purchased a Koaloha pikake concert from MGM before Christmas that I absolutely love, but the action is too high at the nut. I don't want to incurr the expense of shipping it all the way back to HI to have it adjusted, so I am going to have to bring it to someone locally. I would do it myself but don't want to end up with buzzing strings.The one down side to buying a uke online.
casarole45
Well-known member
I have to agree with luvdatuke, its sacralidge to give an instrument a low action, its like cutting your poor cats necessarys off... It takes so much away just to make an instrument easier to play, build up those finger muscles and harden those caluses!!! 
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It takes so much away just to make an instrument easier to play, build up those finger muscles and harden those caluses!!!
Signed!
Thumper
Well-known member
I'm still pretty new at this, but it seems my low-action ukes play in tune up the neck better than my one high-action uke.
buddhuu
Super Moderator (Retired)
When the action is high at the nut then the low notes (headstock end) often fret sharp. The sharpness gets less as you go up the neck.
High action at the saddle can make notes further up the neck intonate sharp, but to cause that the action would need to be higher than most I've seen. If the saddle height is so high it affects intonation I'd certainly adjust it - after I'd checked the action at the nut.
An issue like that might tend to be more obvious on the shorter scale models. Possibly more likely to happen on a soprano than on a tenor.
High action at the saddle can make notes further up the neck intonate sharp, but to cause that the action would need to be higher than most I've seen. If the saddle height is so high it affects intonation I'd certainly adjust it - after I'd checked the action at the nut.
An issue like that might tend to be more obvious on the shorter scale models. Possibly more likely to happen on a soprano than on a tenor.
hoosierhiver
Well-known member
It seems like some people are crazy about the idea of low action because theve heard about it here or elsewhere. The action ceratinly has to be low enough to play comfortably, but depending upon your style of play, you may not want it super low.
I tend to beat on my uke like it owes me money and if the action is too low, my aggressive strumming can make the strings buzz.
Caserole45 is right, you've got to toughen up those fingers if you want to really rock.
I tend to beat on my uke like it owes me money and if the action is too low, my aggressive strumming can make the strings buzz.
Caserole45 is right, you've got to toughen up those fingers if you want to really rock.
SweetWaterBlue
Well-known member
I have to agree with luvdatuke, its sacralidge to give an instrument a low action, its like cutting your poor cats necessarys off... It takes so much away just to make an instrument easier to play, build up those finger muscles and harden those caluses!!!
I got a Makala Dolphin for my birthday, and the action was so high that the intonation was terrible. By the time you got to third fret on some strings, that it was pretty much unplayable, unless you were tone deaf. I cut down the nut slots with an old hacksaw blade, and sanded some off the saddle and now it is fine. It wasn't finger strength that was lacking before I fixed it. Maybe with better strings it may have been fine, I don't know.
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buddhuu
Super Moderator (Retired)
Nope, better strings doesn't usually fix it. If the action is high enough to screw with the intonation then, IMO, what is needed is a lower action. But that's usually just at the nut end, and it doesn't need to be ultra low - just low enough to play in tune.
Action too high = intonation problems
Action too low = impaired tone and volume and string buzzing
But there's a nice range in between.
casarole45
Well-known member
Yeah, I think the thread is anti low action... my post was, lowering your action if its rediculously high and clearly not right to a sensible level is definately a good shout.... These dolphins certainly seem to be getting around at the moment.
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haole
Well-known member
I'm with buddhuu, Ukuleleblues, and the rest of the "low at the nut, a little higher at the saddle" bunch. Used to like my guitars set up as low as possible, until I realized that it was really sucking the tone out of them. All my ukes are somewhere in the middle and I'm happy with them.
Used to like my guitars set up as low as possible, until I realized that it was really sucking the tone out of them. All my ukes are somewhere in the middle and I'm happy with them.I tend to like it low because if it's too high, it's hard to find the string if you're picking fancy stuff. I would have my fingers slip off the string. Also the intonation is good all the way up.
But I have ukes with higher actions I use for strumming. But in general, I like it low.
But I have ukes with higher actions I use for strumming. But in general, I like it low.
Great summary.
HoldinCoffee
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Action is a fickle mistress. I have an Ohana with the lowest action ever, ever, ever. So much so, that if it were a Limbo contest, it'd win first prize every time. I can do chord changes from the 15th to the 12th frets no problem. Recently I got a new uke with higher action, not awefully high, but higher than the Ohana. With the new one, every time I grab that chord on the 15th and the 12th frets, I flub the third string. Its just a matter of fretting it more precisely, but its an ackward adjustment period. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if anyone has multiple ukes, have some consistency with how the action is set or you're gonna run into problems switching back and forth.
