Awhile back, I picked up a pre-owned Famous by Kiwaya FS-1 at a very good price. It is as advertised: light, resonant, a delight to play. And since it's laminate, I can keep it out year-round and not have to put it in a humidified case during the winter.
The past couple of months, it's not satisfied me as much as I thought it should. It was my least-punchy soprano. My all-solid Ohana mahoganies rang out more and were easier to play, as was my Flea.
I tried Martin Premium strings. No improvement. Then went to straight fluorocarbons. A little better, but still no punch and jangle.
Then I thought about changing the tuning. The problem is the action is very low (but not low enough for buzzing) and the frets are almost invisible they're so low and dressed very flat.
I went down a half-step, reducing the string tension, and it's made a world of difference. The sustain is better and the play is cleaner.
It still doesn't ring quite like the others but it's always felt so good in my hands that I hated possibly parting with it.
It's fun to play again.
Plus, I can use traditional chord shapes and drop my voice a little lower for some songs.
Moral of the story, if there is one: Don't be afraid to experiment with an instrument you really enjoy.
The past couple of months, it's not satisfied me as much as I thought it should. It was my least-punchy soprano. My all-solid Ohana mahoganies rang out more and were easier to play, as was my Flea.
I tried Martin Premium strings. No improvement. Then went to straight fluorocarbons. A little better, but still no punch and jangle.
Then I thought about changing the tuning. The problem is the action is very low (but not low enough for buzzing) and the frets are almost invisible they're so low and dressed very flat.
I went down a half-step, reducing the string tension, and it's made a world of difference. The sustain is better and the play is cleaner.
It still doesn't ring quite like the others but it's always felt so good in my hands that I hated possibly parting with it.
It's fun to play again.
Plus, I can use traditional chord shapes and drop my voice a little lower for some songs.
Moral of the story, if there is one: Don't be afraid to experiment with an instrument you really enjoy.