TODAY I installed the Peghed tuners on all of the concerts and got the strings on #42, a beautiful little "blonde" .
I spent some time after dinner lowering the nut and saddle until the action was where I wanted it and then sat in the living room for two hours playing it and hearing it mature as the strings settled in. I am very pleased. I put a set of Southcoast "extra Light Guage Linear" strings on it. This is one playable uke. Concerts lack the deep resonance of the tenor, but have lovely warm resonance that seems more precise and delicate. I really enjoyed the playing tonight and am thrilled with this swee
First you add the tuners. These are the excellent Pegheds that I prefer. They are modern geared tuners that look like old fashioned friction violin pegs. They have 4 to 1 gear ratio, just right for ukes.
Next I drill the string holes in the bridge, carefully auger the three percent taper for the pins, file a little notch for the string to escape the hole, and after knotting and inserting the strings we are ready to tune up.
Next I drill the string holes in the bridge, carefully auger the three percent taper for the pins, file a little notch for the string to escape the hole, and after knotting and inserting the strings we are ready to tune up.
#42 is on the left beside her big sister, #38, a tenor that has become my favorite instrument. Notice how the Englemann Spruce top on the tenor has darkened as it has oxidized in the five months of its existance. I am finding it really interesting comparing the sound and playing of the tenor with the concert. Quite different but each is lovely in its own way. I am going to give this concert lots of work in the next couple of weeks and will report from time to time my impressions. In the meantime, tomorrow morning I will string up the other two concerts. I hope they are as nice as #42 has turned out to be.
