Is intonation always an issue?

flyingv8

flyingv8

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Hey everyone! I have only been playing the Ukulele since the beginning of the year but have been an avid guitar player all my life. I noticed right away that the intonation on all my ukes is off but have just tuned them so they would be in the middle, slightly off open and slightly off at the 12th fret. My Lanikai U-21 is off, my Eddy Finn a little better but still off, even my Anuenue tenor is off. Why don't they make an adjustible bridge for Ukuleles? Is there a way to improve the intonation? I have tried Aquila and DeAddario strings but no change. I can't understand why a company would make a ukulele with bad intonation. Doesn't make sense to me. The action on all my ukes is great. The Eddy Simm was set up by a professional luthier and it's closer than the others but still off. I know finger tension can affect intonation so I'm careful about that. I think I am just going to sell all these lower end ukes and get a KoAloha! Can't stand playing out of tune!
Don
 
I asked this same question a couple of months ago (or a similar one at any rate). I've come to the conclusion that, as a long time guitarist, we're never going to be satisfied with the intonation on a Uke'. That's not to say that as guitarists we're any more accomplished as musicians, we're just used to the intonation being 110%

If you compare the scale length of a standard guitar (let's settle on 24.5" as an average) with even a Tenor Uke, the Ukulele has a lot less wiggle room or tolerance to a fret being a tiny bit out.
 
flyingv8 said:
Why don't they make an adjustible bridge for Ukuleles? Don
Click to expand...

I hear ya buddy. That's why us owners of Loprinzis love them, built by a classical guitar maker. I'll take a satin finish any day when I can tune it. It's doubly difficult on a uke because the short string length is affected by string diameter and whether the bridge contact point is at the front or back.

I'll wager most uke players don't know how an electric guitar can be set up with a truss rod and the adjustable bridge to have good action and spot on intonation, even the cheap dime store guitars. Youtube videos abound.
 
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The Loprinzi on E-Bay looks really sweet. The neck looks wide! Intonation is good on these? I ama tool designer by trade and am thinking of designing an adjustible bridge that you could install on any uke. I would love to have something like that!
 
If you don't want to go up to the KoAloha price range, check out Fleas and Flukes. Their intonation is great.
 
I was considering a flea after reading all the great reviews in a recent thread here. I will probably get one for my take anywhere uke. I can't wait to try one out!
 
If any of the custom Uke builders are reading this...PLEASE can we have a Uke with a violin tailpiece and an adjustable mandolin-style bridge!!

How about fanned frets too ?
 
flyingv8 said:
The Loprinzi on E-Bay looks really sweet. The neck looks wide! Intonation is good on these? I ama tool designer by trade and am thinking of designing an adjustible bridge that you could install on any uke. I would love to have something like that!
Click to expand...

My concert koa and tenor cherry LPs have thin narrow necks. The tenor neck is narrower than concerts of most other brands. Try one before you buy it, these necks are not to everyone's taste. I have small hands. I bought mine from dealers who care about setup and asked for low action, the intonation is where it should be.

A bridge that allowed adjustment of both string height and length? I'd give it a spin. I wonder about the engineering challenges of transferring string vibration through such a bridge into the soundboard. After all, a uke doesn't have much to begin with.
 
Good thread. As a three decade plus guitar player reformed to the Ukulele, these are observations I think we have all made. Certainly string composition and finger position affect intonation, but an adjustable bridge -might- help. I think that you'd end up chasing around for a 'perfect' spot on the fretboard, but you would invariably find someplace that wasn't quite right.

I gotta say, I have a Martin OXK that I cannot find any place at all where I cringe while playing. I'm using the stock Martin fluoro strings. After all, the body is for all intents and purposes plastic, and the neck is laminated hardwood. Probably one of, if not the stiffest neck in the Uke world...

Good luck, I watched the youtube video of the adjustable bridge. Interesting, we'll see if anyone follows suit. Big Kahuna, I think a Mandolin style bridge would help keep things tight and perfect, but the neck would probably have to be braced as well. Steel strings would probably keep things more in tune as well.

I took a classical guitar class 20+ years ago with a dreadnaught steel string guitar. My guitar was ALWAYS in tune, and everyone else was constantly struggling (instructor with a Martin Classical included) with intonation. Steel strings don't have as much intonation problems as nylon ones. Of course, then how would that sound???

All of this would cost money that as yet, the market is relatively untested on.
 
seneystretch said:
I wonder about the engineering challenges of transferring string vibration through such a bridge into the soundboard. After all, a uke doesn't have much to begin with.
Click to expand...

Perhaps brass posts descending from the bottom of each saddle onto a plate, pressing against the top.

Ok, posted that quickly to get it up there. What I envisioned was a brass plate with threaded posts rising from it, on to which the saddles are mounted, and which are adjustable fore/aft and up/down.
 
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Kekani said:
Why? That would be a completely different instrument
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No, it'd be a Ukulele with a violin tailpiece and a mandolin style adjustable bridge. Changing the hardware doesn't change the nature of the instrument, otherwise anything which differed in any way from the very first Ukulele would be classed as a different instrument.
 
The Big Kahuna said:
No, it'd be a Ukulele with a violin tailpiece and a mandolin style adjustable bridge. Changing the hardware doesn't change the nature of the instrument, otherwise anything which differed in any way from the very first Ukulele would be classed as a different instrument.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you could find a luthier to make one. Let us know how it is.
 
The Big Kahuna said:
Perhaps brass posts descending from the bottom of each saddle onto a plate, pressing against the top.

Ok, posted that quickly to get it up there. What I envisioned was a brass plate with threaded posts rising from it, on to which the saddles are mounted, and which are adjustable fore/aft and up/down.
Click to expand...

http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html This site calculates an approximate of the total string tension of instruments.

It sez a mandolin has a tension of about 170 pounds. Doesn't a uke have a tension of 15 to 30 pounds with its nylon strings? That makes a huge difference in volume. The uke doesn't give you a whole lot to work with.
 
The Big Kahuna said:
No, it'd be a Ukulele with a violin tailpiece and a mandolin style adjustable bridge. Changing the hardware doesn't change the nature of the instrument, otherwise anything which differed in any way from the very first Ukulele would be classed as a different instrument.
Click to expand...

Like this?

Chenell Archtop Close.jpg
 
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