Good place to bring Uke to check Setup (SoCal)?

Insight

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After playing for a bit now, plus recently getting my standark Kamaka, I realized I'm not sure if the setup is right or wrong. Specifically the C chord sounds a little "hollow". I'm not sure if its the c string resonating with the wood or if it's normal . I check with a tuner at the 12th fret for all string and noticed the notes play about +20 (1/2 to sharp) over (from 441). meaning possibly action is too high or something else. Anyone know a good place to take it too? There is a Guitar center close by.
 
Maybe McCabe's in Santa Monica. Probably too far for you but tonight I dropped off my Kamaka Concert off at 13th Street Guitars in Huntington Beach to get a Misi pickup installed. I am pretty sure they would address your issues. You can call Hugh at 13th street, he is a pretty nice guy.
 
Hugh's a good guy, currently fixing my Mainland, but a long drive from Ventura. Find a luthier in your area, I wouldn't trust Guitar Center with a dolphin.
 
Hugh's a good guy, currently fixing my Mainland, but a long drive from Ventura. Find a luthier in your area, I wouldn't trust Guitar Center with a dolphin.

Does your mainland have an open headstock? If so I saw it hanging on the front rack. Someone also had two other Kamaka's getting serviced.. Another concert and a pineapple.
 
Thanks! I will have to call or drop by 13th street Guitars this weekend. Might bring both as I never got the Lanikai checked. Worst case scenario. My Kamaka is under warranty :)
 
Aloha Insight,
You probally have a white label I presume, by the hollow sounds..of your Kamaka..if so let me know..it's probally has a thin soundboard and lightly built...MM Stan...
Try putting new string on for ne first thing...and see if that cures your intonation problems...and work from there...go with a thicker and warmer guage string....Your strings sound dead to me...
 
Try Tim Gibson in Camarillo, I have heard many folks that are pleased with his work.
McCabes is always a fun road trip and not a bad drive if PCH is open.
Stans suggestion to change strings is always the first fix.
If high action is causing the intonation issue, that is a fairly easy fix.

PS, Do I know you?
 
Aloha Insight,
You probally have a white label I presume, by the hollow sounds..of your Kamaka..if so let me know..it's probally has a thin soundboard and lightly built...MM Stan...
Try putting new string on for ne first thing...and see if that cures your intonation problems...and work from there...go with a thicker and warmer guage string....Your strings sound dead to me...

I'll try a different set of strings first. McCabe's in Santa Monica isn't that far from me. This seems minor plus - can get their opinion on the intonation and etc :). Tim gibson is out for NAMM, and is closer than 13th Street Guitar.
 
Are all the strings off by +20?

If it is only one string, there is a good chance it is the string, like mm stan and SailingUku have suggested. If all the strings are off by +20, it could be string height, but that is enough to where you would probably notice the action being way too high.

Another thing is you can check randomly from 1st to 12th fret to see if it becomes increasingly sharper.

Worst case... bridge placement off. Best case... if it is only the C string, you can turn the string around and see it that helps. I have had 20+ intonation swings when I swapped ends on the string.

I have an totally unproven theory that the initial stretching of a string over a saddle has potential to cause it to stretch unevenly because the saddle breaks the string at an angle. Swapping ends eliminates that break point. As I said totally unproven.

John
 
Thank's all. McCabe's is a great place indeedI took my Kamaka to McCabe's in Santa Monica. After the Luthier inspected it, he determined that some frets are a little high, noticeable enough on the C String, 5th fret. SO I get to send it back to Kamaka to have them work on it (some filing and etc)... so come next week, I'll arrange that but since they are going to be working on it anyways, I am going to ask them to them to put on my in initials on the fretboard like they wanted to initially (I didnt because I wouldn't be able to get it by the time I was in Hawaii). So I'll turn this issue into something good :).

Also going to restring my Lanikai with Low G, strings to wake it up. Ran into a uke player in the shop and she let me try hers (Sounded great).
 
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