Kanile'a soprano with pickup issue

I bought a second hand Kanile'a (soprano Deluxe) looks great but it seems to sound a bit dead.

The action has been set to 1.5mm - I have shimmed with a strip of credit card and this has improved things - but action is still too low and I guess a layer of plastic under the saddle does not help.

I am getting a new saddle so will correct the action.

It also has a pickup install that is glued to the underside of the sound board (picture below). I am guessing this is also impacting the sound projection.

Will this sort of pickup deaden the non amplified sound?

Would it be worth removing the pickup to improve acoustic sound? Or would the left over glue still affect the sound projection?

Any hints on how to remove this pickup??

I wouldn't think the presence of those electronic devices would affect the natural sound of the uke too much. If a previous owner thought it necessary to fit them, it suggests that this individual uke is not blessed with a lot of volume. As you say, a very low saddle doesn't help the situation. A new, properly fitting saddle would be my first step.

John Colter

A pickup attached to the soundboard does not usually impact the acoustic sound.
If the pickup works well, I would recommend to keep it. You could potentially do damage by trying to remove it, as strong adhesives are generally used.

My suggestions:

-New saddle, to remove the need for shimming
-Try different strings.