Pete Howlett Talks About Setup and Radiused Fingerboards

Kenn2018 said:

I use a low action because I'm getting arthritis in my hands. And it's difficult to barre 1st & second frets if I don't. I also use fluorocarbon strings because even though they have a higher tension, they are bendier. And for me, easier to play.

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Thanks kindly Kenn - and THAT is of course the key here. There is no perfect 'one size fits all' setup - only the setup that suits the player and still allow the ukulele to play as it was intended. Pete is right - the guitar world has a surfeit of people who seem to spend more time trying to argue the point on finding the 110% perfect setup - it bemuses me!

I never setup ukes for others, only myself. That said, I follow less precise methods to get it dialed into my personal playing and the string set I select for the uke.
I picked up a tip years ago from a guitar luthier, or perhaps simply a tech, that works quite well for me.
When plucking the string a bit harder than I would ever actually pluck it during the normal course of play I want to hear a very tiny bit of fret buzz from the open string hitting the first fret. Anything lower than that is problematic.
I do go a bit higher sometimes if I feel it's close enough already. That's the method I've used for years though, on countless instruments that I've had pass through my hands.

jer said:

I never setup ukes for others, only myself. That said, I follow less precise methods to get it dialed into my personal playing and the string set I select for the uke.
I picked up a tip years ago from a guitar luthier, or perhaps simply a tech, that works quite well for me.
When plucking the string a bit harder than I would ever actually pluck it during the normal course of play I want to hear a very tiny bit of fret buzz from the open string hitting the first fret. Anything lower than that is problematic.
I do go a bit higher sometimes if I feel it's close enough already. That's the method I've used for years though, on countless instruments that I've had pass through my hands.

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Whatever works for you!
As far as myself, a little too variable for interpretation. I'm more of a gear type who relies on measurements, preferably in millimeters.

Why the USA hasn't wholeheartedly embraced the metric system is beyond me.

Along with banjos and resonators ukulele players love to 'mess' with their instruments and I have had a few returned that have been 'messed'. My nuts cannot easily be replaced by a anyone because they are a tapered push fit into the nut slot. It is such a minimal taper as to be imperceptible.It is bespoke to each instrument. If you try to replace a nut on one of my ukes because you have messed it up it's going to be more involved job than I could possibly explain on paper or over the phone! Bespoke is more than 'fitted' or 'made to measure' - it is more nuanced than just replacement. There is an excellent segment in the British TV series ' Made in Britain" which defines this very well.

so 'Bespoke' for me means 'to fit the player'. I'm not sure all stores provide this service. It is an American model that is slowly being adopted in the UK but it is not universal. Also I can only give this service IRL with the player present in my workshop. Hence my 'rule of thumb'.

I can report that using the .050" shim gives almost the same result as depressing the 2nd fret and using paper as a feeler gauge. So I will continue to use the shim method - it makes sense.

Pete Howlett said:

I can report that using the .050" shim gives almost the same result as depressing the 2nd fret and using paper as a feeler gauge. So I will continue to use the shim method - it makes sense.

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If it ain't broke, don't fixit