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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
 Posted - 01/06/2011 : 8:52:44 PM
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Originally posted as an afterthought on Talk Story, more folks need to hear about this phenomenon;
Let me tell everyone here, this Konabob guy has his stuff together. I brought two new ukes with me toKona,with the intention of giving my daughter (also visiting) a choice between the two for Christmas. She does not play, but I gave my son one so I thought she might like one; Turns out she decided an instrument should be in the hands of a musician, not on someone's wall as a keepsake, so I ended up with two ukes to take home as well. I met Konabob at Sam's uke shop in Holualoa and brought the two ukes with me for Sam to critique as I had noticed a buzz in one and a weird intonation thing with the other.
The intonation problem is one i have never come across. Often, when I first set up a guitar I find the twelfth fret sounds a bit higher in pitch than the open string; usually a factor of either the nut or saddle being too high, easily remidied by setting the action up (down) properly. Well, on the tenor uke, all strings ended up spot on from open to twelfth fret, except #1 string, which was LOWER at the twelfth fret, rather than higher. I re-filed the saddle to compensate the string to have a shorterlength, but even that did not fix it.
I showed it to Sam, he was baffled. But Konabob tried something; he did this on each string,starting with the 4th; press at th12th fret and pluck over the soundhole, then press above the 12th fret and pluck the neck above the 12th fret. It gives you the same sound, or very very close. When he got to the 1st string, the note above the 12th fret was flat, as before, and the note behind teh 12th fret was sharp!> He deduced the problem was a difference in the mass of that particular string at each end and recommended a sring change.
When I got home i removed the string and reversed its direction, putting the nut end at the bridge, etc.. The test showed the opposite effect; the note above the 12th fret was now sharp, the note behind was flat. Then I took the string off and replaced it; what do you know, perfect pitch both sides of he 12th fret.
Thanks Bob, you hit the nail on the head. I also lowered the action and got rid of the buzz in the concert uke, so all is well in the north country.
Mahalo
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Karl
Frozen North |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 08:02:17 AM
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| Interesting story. Just goes to show that many elements come together to make an instrument sound good. That is one reason I am always trying out new strings. Foe example I usually use Elixir but lately I have used DʻAddario bronze phosphor because I like the brightness. As usual i stretch em out til they stop going flat. Then one day I tried some Martins I found that i did not have to stretch them at all. The literature on the package stated they were using a new type of core material so maybe that made a difference. Any way I carry a set for breakage replacement because I donʻt need to fiddle with string stretching during a performance anymore. So I will now file your info into my collection of guitar knowledge and keep it in mind. I suppose this only relates to nylon strings being inaccurately sized along the length of the string. Any ideas? |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 01/07/2011 08:05:09 AM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 10:05:12 AM
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| Re harmonics and playing at the 12th fret. Banjos have movable bridges, the bridge sitting on the head. After a head change, or some other such event, the only way to get the bridge in the right place is to play harmonics at the 12th fret, then play normally at the 12th fret, and move the head around until they agree. |
keaka |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 7:58:18 PM
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I emailed the Ko'olau company and got this response from them. Seems like the problem is not that rare, and they are no longer going to carry the strings because of this. THey feel the strings are varying as they are stretched during installation, not at the factory.
Has anyone had this problemwith other string brands, or just this one?
Here is the reply;
Hi Karl, if you are referring to our "gold" nylon strings, yes we know that sometimes this has been a problem. The strings are made in Argentina by a 4th generation flamenco guitar string maker. and the tone surpasses any I have heard. that being said though, the gauging is occasionally inconsistant. I am not sure that it always occurs during manufacturing, but I think occurs during installation, and then increasing and decreasing when raising and lowering pitch. This is often done during the initial setup, including the abrasion in the nut slot and over the saddle. In other words, our experience has been that this particular string has great tone due to it's extreme fragility, thus bending and fluctuating in diameter.
And so, that is one reason we are discontinuing our Ko'olau Gold Strings. Many customers are unhappy with our decision, and obviously have not experienced this problem, either because their particular set was not altered, or possibly they wouldn't know the difference anyway. But regardless, we now have two other types of string. One we call Mahaha, which has a similar warm tone as the gold (but clear), and the other we call 'Alohi, which is defined brilliance because it's a monofilament material which is hard and dense and thus produces a brighter, more projecting tone. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Sharp/flat
