Beginner Setup

I just brought
(http://www.amazon.com/HOHNER-LU-21-Lanikai-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B001EL6I8W/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t)
a Lanikai, it's my first time touching a ukulele
but I've been told it needs to be set up.
How do I do that?

Set up is adjust the action and intonation of your uke.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/ukulele-setup.html

If you are confident in your ability and have the tools it is not that difficult, otherwise, take it to a good guitar repair shop or luthier and have it done professionally. Around here it runs about $40 to have a uke set up.
 
40 bucks!??! that is way to much
Can i play it without being set up?
 
I just got nearly the same one, but concert size, yesterday. I have been playing it a lot after just tuning it. It does need some set up, nut and saddle. I have a lot of experience with doing those things, but am having too much fun playing it to do that right now. It can wait until the intonation gets to me enough.

Congrats on the new uke. They seem to come fairly highly recommended for an entry level uke.
 
Set up is adjust the action and intonation of your uke.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/ukulele-setup.html

If you are confident in your ability and have the tools it is not that difficult, otherwise, take it to a good guitar repair shop or luthier and have it done professionally. Around here it runs about $40 to have a uke set up.

great video..I loved the way he used a drill to tune up the strings :eek:
 
40 bucks!??! that is way to much
Can i play it without being set up?

Yes, it will play just fine without a set up but it may not be an easy to play as it would be if the action needs some adjustment. But it should be just fine. My Lanikai LU-11 played okay out of the box......this was a $5 yard sale find but it was essentially new in the box. When compared against my higher end ukes, the LU11 could benefit from a set up as the action is high and the intonation from the second fret on up is quite sharp, but this is my office uke so it is not really a problem to me. I can definitely hear the difference though in the intonation when played side by side against either of my Islanders.
 
40 bucks!??! that is way to much
Can i play it without being set up?

String - that is why so many in here recommend buying from a real store who will often check setup for you for free...

Can you play it without? Depends how badly or well it's arrived to you. Do strings buzz? Do the notes go sharper when you fret at first couple of frets? Do chords and notes further down the neck sound 'off'?

If yes to those then it needs a setup and if you don't your uke is naturally going to sound out of tune. That may put you off, and others!

Other setup issue - are strings too high off fingerboard? That issue makes playing slower and much more difficult than it needs to be.

But, you pays your money.. Sorry to sound snotty, but there are many many good dealers around who wont sell you a uke and not let if leave without setup. You may spend couple of bucks more on instrument price, but no biggie. Amazon are NOT one of those dealers....
 
I was in the same predicament as you, 6 weeks ago. I bought my first uke throuh an on-line music store that gave free shipping. It was a Lanikai LU21-C. The "c" string kept popping off the nut, and the action was too high. I returned it for a refund. My current uke was purchased from HMS and came "set up." I paid a little more, but what a difference!

Also, be careful if you take it for a set up. Before I sent my first one back, I took it to a local music store, and the kid behind the counter told me the strings were wrong - he said "the thicker strings should be on top!" I didn't know much, but I knew enough to get out of there in a hurry.

Good luck with your uke.
 
I think string0123 is in the same place many of us were when we first started: for whatever reason, decide to buy a uke and head to Amazon. In fact, I had never even thought of buying a uke until one day last February when, for some reason, one popped up on my Amazon screen and I thought, "Well, that might be fun". I had purchased several guitars through Amazon, and had never had a single problem. After ordering it, I thought I should see what resources were out there on the web, and found UU - where I started reading about setup, and HMS, and Uke Republic, and Mim, and Mainland, etc etc etc. I didn't set out to try to save a few dollars by buying through Amazon rather than from one of the above; I just didn't know any better.

string0123 - good luck with the uke. Sometimes one gets lucky right out of the box, and I hope you do - or return it and start over with your new-found knowledge!
 
I bought my Dolphin before I came here and knew anything about setup. I hesitate to pay half what it's worth for setup. If I buy another, I'll go to the online stores that you recommend.
 
I have a Lanikai LU21-C which came with the strings set with a pretty high action. I was able to play it but it was much more difficult than it is now. The common Bb chord was very difficult as were barre chords. A barre chord on the first fret was nearly impossible. I called around to various music stores that did guitar repair and found one that would lower the action for $20. I took it there, had the work done and brought it home to discover they had only lowered the action at the bridge. The nut end was where it really needed it so I took it back, they aplolgized and did the nut end as well. The difference in playing was night and day! It was such a breeze to play with the lowered action. The best part, they only charged me $8 because of their mistake. It would have been worth it even at $20. If you can get it done at a price that works for you it is well worth it.
 
thank you everyone. I think when it arrives i might just keep it un setup, i probably will not even know the difference. I hope all goes well!
 
thank you everyone. I think when it arrives i might just keep it un setup, i probably will not even know the difference. I hope all goes well!

Really? Seriously, you might! Why work against an instrument when learning? There are so many tips on this site regarding setup, don't be afraid to give it a go.
 
strings

Personally, I wouldn't spend the money to have a setup done professionally on a $50 ukulele unless the intonation is absolutely horrid or there are bad frets or extreme action problems.

The ukulele you bought may be okay as is to start on. Once you've learned your first few songs and know you are going to be continuing with the instrument long term, you'll be looking for a nicer one. I'd say save your money to invest in the professional setup of the next one you buy.

Having said all of that, your $50 ukulele with a professional setup will likely be easier to play and sound better than a $100 ukulele that hasn't been setup.

Okay, it's a toss up ;-)

[UPDATE: Buy some Aquila nylgut strings and replace the cheap set that comes with that uke...that will be a major upgrade in the sound for only a few bucks.]
 
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So the ukulele arrived a few days ago. The strings were like plastic i though they would be more like guitar strings. They are clear and have a tag that saids they are aquila nylgut. Can anyone tell me if those are good strings?

Also I hear buzzing when i play it and still after tuning it it doesn't sound like what it's suppose to. When I look up ukulele tutorials the sound of my ukulele is completely off. I really think it is the set up.

Any suggestions on what i should do?
I was thinking about just doing nothing and leaving my ukulele out around my house and if any musician friends i know may stop by and ill ask if they can set it up for me.

I looked up videos of how people do it but i don't have the tools or really know how to. I dont want to screw my first ukulele up. :\ Bummer
 
Ukuleles come with nylon strings, not steel strings so everything is fine. Aquilas are good strings. As for the sound, my guess is the uke is not properly tuned. There are several sites you can go to to get an online tuner, just match up your strings to the tones you hear online. You will probably be better off getting your own clip on tuner though, as new uke strings will stretch and the uke will need to be *frequently* tuned the first week or two until the strings settle in.
 
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Try tuning your uke using this online tuner:

http://www.ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-tuner/

The G, C, E, A is probably what you'd be looking for, the most traditional or standard tuning. The G would be the string closest to the ceiling and the A would be the string closest to the floor when you hold the uke in playing position.
 
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I have the snark tuner. I really think it is the set up that is making the sound off, but iam not completely sure because i dont have a trained ear.
 
Do the open strings tune? If the sound is off when fretting a note it could be either the intonation of the instrument is off, due to issues with the nit and/or saddle, or it could just be technique. Generally I've found the second fret to be the most troublesome, especially on the c string....that would be the second string down from the top as you hold the uke in playing position. You can also try to check the notes at each fret since you have a Snark. Just play each string open and get it in tune, then play the first fret and check the tuner. It will show you how far off each note is from where it should be. For example, with the string closest to you, the G string, your notes should be open G, first fret G#/Ab, second fret an A, third fret and A#/Bb, fourth fret a B, etc. The fifth fret should be a C, one octave above the next string.
 
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