Rough Edges?

Hi,

I just bought a lanikai lu-21t from zzounds. I am very happy with the uke except for one thing. When I run my hand down the neck, I feel like there are little spikes sticking out. The ends of each fret seem rough or sharp from the sides of the neck, sometimes with a little amount transparent glue sticking out. Not sure if the metal was sanded or polished correctly. It's not a huge deal but kind of uncomfortable at times. Is this normal for this new ukulele? Anyone have experience with this dealer? Can or should I make an exchange? Or is there a way I can fix this myself?

Thanks for the assistance,
Michael

Hi neomike88

Sounds like a typical symptom of low humidity. What you are feeling is the end of the fret wire sticking out, and this happens when the fingerboard shrinks (and metal does not) at low humidity. Low humidity can cause other problems, the worst being a top crack. It happens but is not acceptable.

It probably depends on how bad the problem is. I hate the sticking fret ends - it hurts when I move up and down. I never dealt with ZZsounds but I know they've been around for a long time so I would expect a reasonable degree of customer service. You can certainly ask for an exchange, although it might be tough to explain how bad it is. Be nice and say "I am not satisfied" (and avoid the issue of how bad the problem is). You can also ask Lanikai about it. If one is bad, other Lanikais at ZZounds may suffer from the same climate control problem.

The fret eds can be filed down but I would suggest that you take it to a competent repairperson. May cost you $30 - $50 (you may have to pay similar $$$ to ship the ukuele back). You can also have him/her check out the ukulele and set up action etc.

When spring comes and humidity goes back up, it will be a lesser problem. Next winter, you will have to be careful about humidifying.

Welcome to UU and enjoy!
Chief