Kit Build Tips and FAQ
Kit build hit a snag? Does your donor guitar not want to be converted? Not to worry - build tips and extra instruction is available here.
Q: I'm struggling to get the strings fitted at the headstock end - its very fiddly.
Q: My saddle slot is to shallow - it wont hold the saddle in place when the pickup is fitted.
Q: The supplied nut is too shallow.
Q: There is a buzzing noise when I play - its not fret buzz (where the strings are hitting the fretboard).
- There is a knack. Sit down and hold the uke as if you are playing it. With your left hand, pull the string until is is reasonably taught (nearly in tune). Hold the uke against your tummy with your right elbow and at the same time squeeze the string against the first fret with your left hand. The string wont move while you wiggle the string / wire into position. If you are using the Plus or Gold kits, pull the wire through from the back using pliers and your left hand and begin tuning. The string will stay whilst you trim the tuning head wire.
- Another pair of hands makes the above much more straightforward.
Q: My saddle slot is to shallow - it wont hold the saddle in place when the pickup is fitted.
- Some guitars have a particularly shallow bridge slot, such as this, but its not a big problem. There are a couple of approaches you could try. Firstly, tune the uke up roughly, then rest the saddle on top of the pickup - often times it will simply sit there quite happily, the weight of the strings keeping it in situ.
- Secondly, cut thin strips of wood and glue them to the sides of the saddle slot to provide a little more height.
- Thirdly, and this takes a bit more patience, remove a couple of mm from the slot itself. This can be done with a Dremel and a rotating grinder attachment, and/or a square needle file ground down to a sharp, flat chisel point, or sandpaper wrapped around a suitable piece of wood or metal. Its important to get the bottom of the slot as uniformly flat as you can.
Q: The supplied nut is too shallow.
- Its not common, but some donor guitars may have a deep slot for the original nut. The solution is simple - build up the bottom of the supplied nut. the easiest way is to use a scrap piece of board - plywood for eg. Use CA / superglue and stick it to the bottom of the nut, then sand / file away to the right shape and height. If you over do it, sand all the wood away and repeat.
Q: There is a buzzing noise when I play - its not fret buzz (where the strings are hitting the fretboard).
- Somewhere, something is loose and is knocking on something else. It can be very deceiving because a loose tuner nut can sound like it is coming from inside the uke. Look everywhere and feel every part for parts that can vibrate on another. Some common culprits are:
- Screws holding the cogs in place on the tuners themselves.
- Brackets on the tuners allowing the tuner key too much play.
- Wires inside the uke body sitting on the wood.
- The saddle-support piece not being held securely.
- The string spacer plate not screwed down securely to the top of the uke on one corner.