Is Set Up really necessary on the expensive model ?

Finally, the voice of not only reason, but reality.

To the OP, first off (and off topic), an uku is lice, literally. If you're going to shorten `ukulele, uku is not it.

I think that was a little more rude than necessary.


Oddly enough, it seems the buyers of cheaper instruments (sub $1K) are the most critical.

I am not sure what you are trying to imply there, I would fall into that category. The reason being I don't see that big of difference between a $1000 ukulele and one half that price from another builder.
Stan has it right as well, a factory instrument is a factory instrument, even the mid range instruments in the $1K (to $2k) range. I would expect those instruments to be very playable off the rack, but still have room for a defined setup for the player (paid for, of course). Level frets from pressing is different from levelled frets; the latter of which I would not expect most factories to do. This is what a setup charge at luthier shops are for.

The person you call the voice or reason compared it to warranty work on a car, a car dealer my repair a car under warranty but the manufacturer pays them to do it. The companies that build high end ukuleles are not giant factories, the ones I have seen appear to be the size of machine shops. Maybe I am wrong, but it is one reason why I don't see the value as being worth twice as much as another brand. (the fact they may require set up)

I have been in manufacturing for a long time, one company I had part of for a while sold digital scales we did not send them to dealers and expect them to calibrate it for us.
 
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I checked out a book from the library (remember them) on the setup of famous guitar player,guitars. The thing that stood out to me was how many liked really high action. One older blues player (Albert King maybe) used to wind the entire string on the post. It looked like a ball of string on each tuner. He said when a string would break he would retie on the ball end and reuse the string, too poor to do much else, just stuck with it as he got more successful. Prior to reading this book I assumed every greatplayer used ultra low action and was figety on the other stuff.

action of musicians

The uke I play the most is an old harmony concert, high action, nothing subtle about it. I bought an Ohana spruce top and had to raise the action, it was setup perfect, if your definition of perfect is as low as it can be.

I think the minimum expectation for most folks on setup on a new uke is that the ukulele as delivered intonates properly (good action at the nut) does not buzz, and the action
up at the 12th fret is such that is still intonates properly up the neck.

But if the first thing you do is change string thickness, diameter or composition all that setup needs revisited.
 
I like a higher action myself. Over years of playing my fingers have become accustomed to long sessions with steel strings. I am accustomed to pressing hard and now as aging issues crop up I have learned to utilize a light but firm touch.

Kansas City, MO. $35/Hr
Harrisburg, PA, $60/Hr - capped at lower rates sometimes.

I am sorry I did not make myself clear... The new uku produce very quiet sound comparing to my old Kala that had no set-up...The sound is also not as loud as the Kala had no set up (this one may be improved with different brand of strings?...
I don't think these are set-up issues either. Have you determined the sweet spots on your new uke yet? That might help with volume issues.
 
I think that was a little more rude than necessary.

I am not sure what you are trying to imply there, I would fall into that category. The reason being I don't see that big of difference between a $1000 ukulele and one half that price from another builder.

The person you call the voice or reason compared it to warranty work on a car, a car dealer my repair a car under warranty but the manufacturer pays them to do it. The companies that build high end ukuleles are not giant factories, the ones I have seen appear to be the size of machine shops. Maybe I am wrong, but it is one reason why I don't see the value as being worth twice as much as another brand. (the fact they may require set up)

I have been in manufacturing for a long time, one company I had part of for a while sold digital scales we did not send them to dealers and expect them to calibrate it for us.

This is just an observation, and at the end of the day, a dollar along with this will buy you a cup of coffee at McD's....

You're telling Kekani that he's being rude, and in return, it feels as if you are being rude through your post back at him. I read his entire post, and to me, I felt as if he was trying to be informative, not rude. In all honesty, if someone went to a shop that sold ukuleles in Hawaii, and asked for an 'uku', they would most likely get laughed at, then corrected. As for the rest of the post, he's correct as well. The man is a highly respected luthier in his own right. He knows what he's talking about. He has also done inlay work for other luthiers.
 
Oddly enough, it seems the buyers of cheaper instruments (sub $1K) are the most critical.
What I should add, just to keep in context is:
And since that's where most of the `ukulele buying public is, majority expectations will set law of demand. Agree or not, it is what it is. Eventually, law of supply and demand will take over, or not.
 
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Gets me down a little that the term 'setup' is used overly. A check of obvious issues from a store is not, to my mind, a full setup. For me a full setup requires to know how I want my action and stores have never asked me that.

So the answer to the question is, for me 'possibly'. Certainly there is no reason why the highest end uke may have an action at the bridge exactly as I like it, but then I wouldnt expect them to know how I do. So I have adjusted some high end ones, but equally some have arrived as I like them. I suspect though that the latter is more by chance.

While I understand where Barry is coming from, there are players like me who do not know exactly how they want their instruments set up. So I am more than happy and grateful that HMS sets them up for me in a way I love.

It's a little like what Steve Jobs once said (and I am paraphrasing here): Many people do not know what they want until they get it from those who know what they are doing.
 
While I understand where Barry is coming from, there are players like me who do not know exactly how they want their instruments set up. So I am more than happy and grateful that HMS sets them up for me in a way I love.

It's a little like what Steve Jobs once said (and I am paraphrasing here): Many people do not know what they want until they get it from those who know what they are doing.

Maybe there are - but not in my case - never had that discussion. Nor do I expect some form of magical 'never needs to be touched again setup' from any store - I always fine tune myself - and that is my point. Buyers should expect to learn how to adjust themselves too.
 
Yes Kekani is right, seems like now lower end ukulele buyers are more critical of flaws that don't effect the sound or playability Of the ukes. What do you expect, you pay a few hundred dollars and want a perfect factory uke? Dealers would go Broke if everyone sent back ukes for minor flaws on less expensive factory to mid level ukuleles. Remember you get what you pay for, if you buy a Volkswagen, you certainly don't expect the finish or luxery of a mercedes
Concentrate on your playing is foremost, and not be too critical on flaws..if you want a perfect ukulele, order a
Custom and then if you have gripes you can certainly address them..:)
 
Yes Kekani is right, seems like now lower end ukulele buyers are more critical of flaws that don't effect the sound or playability Of the ukes. What do you expect, you pay a few hundred dollars and want a perfect factory uke?
I don't think anyone here is talking about lower end ukuleles or expecting anything other than a factory uke for a few hundred dollars -which should btw be uniform to others made along side it. There are many advantages to mass production when there is quality control. You wouldn't pay extra for a Mercedes made entirely by one guy in his shed would you ? I don't want to belittle a craftsman or his talents there are legitimate reasons that a one of a kind item is handmade, mainly it is less expensive to create a one of a kind item by hand than it is to make prints and have parts cut out by machines.

Dealers would go Broke if everyone sent back ukes for minor flaws on less expensive factory to mid level ukuleles. Remember you get what you pay for, if you buy a Volkswagen, you certainly don't expect the finish or luxery of a mercedes

I believe the topic of this thread is saying a Mercedes is expected to be luxurious when it rolls off the truck. Dealers shouldn't have to fix it up before it leaves the show room floor. Regardless, if a ukulele is sent from the factory to the dealer. Part of the service implied is that they would not send out a substandard ukulele to begin with. That is the argument that states people should go to a music store and not buy on Amazon.
Concentrate on your playing is foremost, and not be too critical on flaws..if you want a perfect ukulele, order a
Custom and then if you have gripes you can certainly address them..:)
You do realize that you are basically saying "if you are unhappy with the $1-2K ukulele you just bought you should shut up" ? Ironically the topic of the past week in the builder's area has been -don't beat yourself up over mistakes, no ukulele is perfect-. But only you are suggesting there is perfection. I am suggesting that things should be uniform so people know in advance what they are getting and if they are going to need to hire someone to make adjustments to their unique specifications. Nobody is suggesting things should be perfect.
 
To the question posed by the OP I say, yes maybe, because it is really a question of whether or not the buyers expectations are being met. And, as a buyer myself, I know from personal experience, my expectations can range from reasonable to wildly unreasonable. (Hopefully more reasonable now as I learn more.)

So if I buy that high end "K" brand and I know how I like my action set, yes that ukulele need a setup and yes there is no way the seller's setup person is going to know (unless I speak to him first) how to setup the instrument for me.

On the other hand, I have a couple of low or mid range instruments that may or may not have been "setup" and they work fine for my unsophisticated playing style. And yes the action is different on both ukuleles.

Some of this is from me shifting focus away from how the instrument looks or is setup to just playing it.
 
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