Care tips?

Rosendust

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Hey everyone!
Is there any care tips I should follow for my Kala Dolphin?
Thanks,
Rosendust
 
Plastic and/or Laminated ukes require very little special care.

Don't step on them/crush them. Use common sense. No special humidification requirements. Don't scratch them. Etc. That is the beautiful part about plastic and/or laminate ukes, they are simple to care for.

Things change when you have a solid top, or an all solid instrument. Solid tone woods are sensitive to humidity, both too high and too low. I keep my solids in hard cases with humidity control packs for about 8 month of the year in my climate. My laminate sits out all the time, no issues.
 
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Plastic and/or Laminated ukes require very little special care.

Don't step on them/crush them. Use common sense. No special humidification requirements. Don't scratch them. Etc. That is the beautiful part about plastic and/or laminate ukes, they are simple to care for.

Things change when you have a solid top, or an all solid instrument. Solid tone woods are sensitive to humidity, both too high and too low. I keep my solids in hard cases with humidity control packs for about 8 month of the year in my climate. My laminate sits out all the time, no issues.

Thank you! I just wanted to make sure I'm prepared! :rolleyes:
 
A Dolphin has a wooden fretboard, right?
To keep it from drying out, apply some fretboard butter at each re-stringing. You'll know it's really dry if the fret ends protrude.
 
A pretty simple thing you can do to keep it cleaned up is to wash your hands before playing. It keeps your strings and fretboard a little cleaner. And, when you're done, grab a microfiber cloth and give it a 10 second once over, wiping your strings and the surface.

It's not really about keeping the instrument spotless... wear and tear is a cool way to see how you've played the instrument over time. It's just more about keeping your strings and fretboard cleaner, that's all.
 
Here is a perspective on laminates from someone who deals with ukes for a living:

I have addressed this in some of our materials and will continue to re think how we deal with these issues and educate our customers, but I just wanted to post it here as well for those that do not know.

During the winter time, if you heat your house, it gets extremely dry. While a laminate will not crack, it will warp. The top will sink in and the neck will bow back and you will get buzzing and other problems. If you are either in an extremely dry area, or heat your house during the winter, keeping it in a case with a humidifier is the only way to prevent this. In these extreme circumstances even laminate ukes need a humidifier.

We have taken back and replaced numerous instruments for customers long after they bought it, but they are still stuck paying shipping to us, and it’s no fun for them to be without their instrument as they wait. Save yourself the hassle and play it safe through the winter especially. Aloha!

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/archive/index.php/t-104550.html
 
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Do invest in a gig bag or case! Unless you have somewhere specific to hang them, your ukes will quickly pick up dust and dirt. You don't have to spend the world on one, there are some pretty fine deals on amazon! However I do not regard the thin, unpadded rubbery gig bags many cheap ukuleles come with as adequate protection.
 
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