I haven't played my uke in, well... jeez, over 6 months. I live in a fairly humid climate. Do I need to do anything special with it other than tuning it when I go to play again? I have a tenor traditional koa Honu.
Reviving a koa uke
- Thread starter Melissa82
- Start date
Hi Melissa,
Great to see you here again! I miss your ukulele videos, although as a parrot owner myself (I have a red bellied parrot, a Poicephalus parrot related to African Greys), I've enjoyed your videos of your birds.
I have the same ukulele you have, and I haven't been playing it as much as I used to because I recently got a Kamaka. I sometimes need to retune it when I do play it, but I keep it in a Uke Crazy case with a humidifier and a hygrometer that ensure that the humidity in the case is between 40-50 percent, and it seems to be fine. If your ukulee has been in a case and the humidity in its environment is moderate, I think the only thing you need to do is retune it and play it. Just to be safe, you may want to inspect it for cracks, and you may find that the strings need to be replaced if they seem more brittle than they were the last time you played it. I hope you're planning to post more ukulele videos!
Great to see you here again! I miss your ukulele videos, although as a parrot owner myself (I have a red bellied parrot, a Poicephalus parrot related to African Greys), I've enjoyed your videos of your birds.
I have the same ukulele you have, and I haven't been playing it as much as I used to because I recently got a Kamaka. I sometimes need to retune it when I do play it, but I keep it in a Uke Crazy case with a humidifier and a hygrometer that ensure that the humidity in the case is between 40-50 percent, and it seems to be fine. If your ukulee has been in a case and the humidity in its environment is moderate, I think the only thing you need to do is retune it and play it. Just to be safe, you may want to inspect it for cracks, and you may find that the strings need to be replaced if they seem more brittle than they were the last time you played it. I hope you're planning to post more ukulele videos!
Rick Turner
Well-known member
You're better off with a uke going from a drier to a wetter climate...as long as it's not raining on the poor thing! What can happen is that the wood takes on more moisture and swells a little bit which could make the top belly up, thus raising the action a bit. You can also find the neck reacting, and that can lead to fret buzzing, particularly if the neck back bows a bit. Usually, though, it's just tune and play, and if the playability seems compromised, then take the uke to a luthier for a setup.
Wet to dry...that's where you have to watch for cracks because the wood shrinks, and if the top or back were made without any doming then the sides can restrict top or back shrinkage, and then something must go...and it's usually along the weakest grain lines in the top or back, and it will crack. This is not uncommon with tropics-built ukes going to US mainland desert areas or to the north or east where winter heating dries out the air quite horribly for delicate wooden instruments. That's where humidification is a must. Most builders will not cover dryness induced wood cracks under warranty, and rightfully so.
Wet to dry...that's where you have to watch for cracks because the wood shrinks, and if the top or back were made without any doming then the sides can restrict top or back shrinkage, and then something must go...and it's usually along the weakest grain lines in the top or back, and it will crack. This is not uncommon with tropics-built ukes going to US mainland desert areas or to the north or east where winter heating dries out the air quite horribly for delicate wooden instruments. That's where humidification is a must. Most builders will not cover dryness induced wood cracks under warranty, and rightfully so.
Meissa, Glad things are working out with your uke and that you are playing again. And very nice to see you back here again. You were such an active part in our community last year.
OP
OP
Melissa82
Retired Moderator
Thanks! I was a stay at home army wife while my husband was deployed. I got a job in October and have been working ever since and didn't have much time for other things. Now I have a new job with better hours, less stress and gives me more time for the uke.
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Aloha Melissa82,
Good to hear things are working out for you and welcome back....Glad to hear you have time for your Honu and us again...Polish that baby up and strum those strings..MM Stan
Good to hear things are working out for you and welcome back....Glad to hear you have time for your Honu and us again...Polish that baby up and strum those strings..MM Stan
