1st string too close to the edge of the fret board...

peonies2h

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I bought two ukuleles online, and they just arrived.
One of the ukulele has its 1st string lined too close to the edge of the fret board. Is it something that can be fixed when taken to a luthier?
 
Can you post post some images? It's hard to say without seeing the instrument. It may just need a nut adjustment/replacement or even an adjustment at the bridge :D
 
Might be a lot cheaper to send it back, if that is possible.
 
Can you post post some images? It's hard to say without seeing the instrument. It may just need a nut adjustment/replacement or even an adjustment at the bridge :D

Here are some pics. I am not sure if you can tell.
I am adding pics of the other ukulele for comparison.

IMG_4719.jpgIMG_4711.jpg

IMG_4710.jpgIMG_4714.jpg


Action is a bit high, too. (At least, higher than the other one, and for my liking.)
 
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Here are some pics. I am not sure if you can tell.
I am adding pics of the other ukulele for comparison.

View attachment 108577View attachment 108578

View attachment 108579View attachment 108580


Action is a bit high, too. (At least, higher than the other one, and for my liking.)

It doesn't look overly close to the edge, but compared the the other uke it is closer. I think it's worth contacting the supplier, as Maki66 suggests, and at least talk through the options for rectification or replacement. :D It's a bummer when this happens, especially when you like already the uke.
 
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If it sounds ok, has good intonation then there is an easy fix for both issues.
Lower the action by gently filing the nut slots, it does not take much.
Fill the 1st string slot with baking soda and superglue, how to videos on YouTube, and then file the slot further away from the edge. Jobs like these are a great way to learn something about your instruments.
 
Whoa....before you go filing nut slots I will suggest you at least take some time to figure out what exactly is going on & where your action is high. Meaning that if it is the open position chords and up at the first few frets but fine down at the 12th....then yeah you can consider nut slots being the culprit but if the action is high at the 12th fret, then that is at the saddle (or even a neck issue) not your nut. Though it is not hard to make a new nut which will help you with the string placement issue, one needs to determine the real problem before going at it. This is not something I like to determine by only looking at pictures.

Also though this is not rocket science not everyone has the tools that will do the job or the finesse and handy nature. There is no shame in taking your instrument to a skilled pro to get the job done. Though I am all about folks learning to do the set up yourself....This is not for everyone.

I hope this comes across well as I am in no way trying to be "right". I just would hate for you to go about filing on your nut that did not need it then be complaining about buzzing and not have a nut template you can work off of. If you really want to do it yourself.....Check out some of the threads on ukulele set up, check some measurements, then determine what you think is best. I would then order a nut blank (saddle if needed) keep originals as if you find yourself over your head you can at least go back to where you started.

Or....Just take it to someone who already knows what they are doing.....Just my 2 cents worth

All the best!
 
A few points to consider:
Those strings are a bit close to the edge for a nylon stringed instrument. If it is causing you grief then you have three options.
1. Send it back.
2. Replace the nut. You cannot just fill the outside nut slots and recut them. You are going to upset the balance of space between the strings, since the middle two strings will be farther apart from each other than from the 1st and 4th strings. But, done by someone who knows what they are doing a nut replacement and setup is going to run at least US $75 and maybe $100.
3. Learn to cut a nut yourself and do your own setups. If you don't already have the tools or know-how it will cost more than paying someone else. Probably not on your bucket list, either.

Best of luck with your decision.
 
A few points to consider:
Those strings are a bit close to the edge for a nylon stringed instrument. If it is causing you grief then you have three options.
1. Send it back.
2. Replace the nut. You cannot just fill the outside nut slots and recut them. You are going to upset the balance of space between the strings, since the middle two strings will be farther apart from each other than from the 1st and 4th strings. But, done by someone who knows what they are doing a nut replacement and setup is going to run at least US $75 and maybe $100.
3. Learn to cut a nut yourself and do your own setups. If you don't already have the tools or know-how it will cost more than paying someone else. Probably not on your bucket list, either.

Best of luck with your decision.

If it sounds ok, has good intonation then there is an easy fix for both issues.
Lower the action by gently filing the nut slots, it does not take much.
Fill the 1st string slot with baking soda and superglue, how to videos on YouTube, and then file the slot further away from the edge. Jobs like these are a great way to learn something about your instruments.

Whoa....before you go filing nut slots I will suggest you at least take some time to figure out what exactly is going on & where your action is high. Meaning that if it is the open position chords and up at the first few frets but fine down at the 12th....then yeah you can consider nut slots being the culprit but if the action is high at the 12th fret, then that is at the saddle (or even a neck issue) not your nut. Though it is not hard to make a new nut which will help you with the string placement issue, one needs to determine the real problem before going at it. This is not something I like to determine by only looking at pictures.

Also though this is not rocket science not everyone has the tools that will do the job or the finesse and handy nature. There is no shame in taking your instrument to a skilled pro to get the job done. Though I am all about folks learning to do the set up yourself....This is not for everyone.

I hope this comes across well as I am in no way trying to be "right". I just would hate for you to go about filing on your nut that did not need it then be complaining about buzzing and not have a nut template you can work off of. If you really want to do it yourself.....Check out some of the threads on ukulele set up, check some measurements, then determine what you think is best. I would then order a nut blank (saddle if needed) keep originals as if you find yourself over your head you can at least go back to where you started.

Or....Just take it to someone who already knows what they are doing.....Just my 2 cents worth

All the best!


Thanks everyone for your input !

I took it to a luthier to get a quote, and they said it will cost me $75.
I paid $150 for this uke, and I do not know if I want to pay $75 for it.

I took the other instrument, which was $250 with me and they said the set up is good as it is. I could also feel that when I tried playing it.
However, the thing is I like the sound of the other uke better.
This is a hard decision.
 
Clearly the string tie holes in the bridge have to be misplaced. The nut seems quite alright to me.
Not an easy fix at all. I wouldn't waste any more time and money on it.
 
Set ups (especially when done to correct an error) can be fiddly work that takes a lot of patience, expensive tools & time.... Not to mention the experience one needs to gain to really do a proper job.

$75 for something that will last a lifetime & bring lots of enjoyment is not bad for a uke you like the sound of....Remember it is not what a uke costs or what it is "valued" in money...it is how it sounds & makes you feel that matters! If you really like it then it is worth it. If its just ok well then maybe someone else will want to deal with it.
 
Clearly the string tie holes in the bridge have to be misplaced. The nut seems quite alright to me.
Not an easy fix at all. I wouldn't waste any more time and money on it.

Set ups (especially when done to correct an error) can be fiddly work that takes a lot of patience, expensive tools & time.... Not to mention the experience one needs to gain to really do a proper job.

$75 for something that will last a lifetime & bring lots of enjoyment is not bad for a uke you like the sound of....Remember it is not what a uke costs or what it is "valued" in money...it is how it sounds & makes you feel that matters! If you really like it then it is worth it. If its just ok well then maybe someone else will want to deal with it.


Good point. But, still I feel like if I had to spend $225 ($150+$75), I would spend it to buy could get a "better" uke with better set-up, that costs $225.
 
If it is a tie bridge & the spacings at the bridge are the main problem, the most simple & cost effective solution would be to convert it to a through to the body style bridge, then it's just a matter of drilling 4 holes. :D
 
At the instrument price indicated, it appears this one may have slipped through whatever quality control inspection was supposed to be done. Based on the photo the nut seems cut off scale. Would be interested in a photo covering the four frets at the sound hole end, as that would indicate if the bridge also has problems.

High action on a mass-produced stringed instrument is normal. The lower the manufactured action, the more potential rejects during the manufacturing process, and rejected units impact costs snd profits. For this reason most manufacturers leave the action high and let the end user tweak it to his/her preference.

When the "outer" portion of the instrument appears to have multiple problems which should have been obvious to the final inspector, it makes me wonder what else may have been missed that''s not readily visible. There are a lot of good instruents out there which don't require rebuild work at the onset.
 
You can get accustomed to playing an instrument with strings close to the edge. I've done it. For a few weeks the string kept slipping off the fret but eventually my fingers must have reached a certain accuracy and it stopped happening, completely. Obviously there's a limit to what one can put up with. I'm pretty sure that mine was a touch worse than shown in the pic. The nut end seems fine.
 
Spacing of the strings, and spacing of the string relative to the edge of the fretboard differs from uke to uke, maker to maker.

From seeing the photo, I'm not sure whether you actually have a problem with the playability.
Does the 1st string actually SLIP off the edge under normal playing?
Or are you bothered by just a visual thing?

If it's not affecting your playability, I don't think it's actually a fault.
It just may be that this particular ukulele simply has different string spacings compared to your other uke.


If it IS slipping off the edge, what I would do is file that nut slot - slightly - with the nut file at an angle, so the groove causes the string to face "inwards" towards the fretboard a bit (so the string slightly angles away from the edge).

If the action is high, you'll need to do a combination of sanding the saddle down a bit and filing the nut slots down a bit.
But these kinds of setups require a bit of skill and familiarity - unless of course you're happy to practice yourself on this uke :)
 
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