Ukulele Care & Maintenance
Please be sure to take good care of your ukulele and it will prove to be an investment that brings enjoyment for you and others for years to come!
**TIP: Follow these recommendations to help validate your instruments manufacturer's warranty, if for any reason construction or material issues arise.
Your ukulele is made mostly of wood
Wood ukuleles especially those made of solid tone woods require approx. 40 to 50% relative humidity. Damage from prolonged exposure to dry & adverse conditions and environments are not covered by manufacturer's warranties. Extreme dry conditions can cause the wood of your uke to warp, crack and cause buzzing when played. Hot temperatures can cause the glues used at the seams to come apart. Avoid leaving your uke in a hot car, near AC/Heaters or in other dry environments.
If the air is too dry the wood of your uke can crack. UKE Republic sells humidifiers that are small and fit in your ukulele case. These will help keep the humidity at 45 – 55% humidity. Most heated homes are at 15 – 20% relative humidity.
Clean your ukulele with a soft cloth whenever it becomes dirty. Use polishes and cleaners that are specifically made for wood instruments. It's best to use these products at a time when the strings are being changed out. Use products sparingly and use according to the products instructions.
Friction tuners from time to time need adjusting. Tighten end screws carefully, if tuners become loose. This often happens when the environmental conditions change. Typically, strings should be changed out with new strings every 3 to 6 months, maybe sooner if your ukulele is played often.
UKE Republic carries all your ukulele accessories & necessities you’ll need!
UkeRepublic.com
**TIP: Follow these recommendations to help validate your instruments manufacturer's warranty, if for any reason construction or material issues arise.
Your ukulele is made mostly of wood
Wood ukuleles especially those made of solid tone woods require approx. 40 to 50% relative humidity. Damage from prolonged exposure to dry & adverse conditions and environments are not covered by manufacturer's warranties. Extreme dry conditions can cause the wood of your uke to warp, crack and cause buzzing when played. Hot temperatures can cause the glues used at the seams to come apart. Avoid leaving your uke in a hot car, near AC/Heaters or in other dry environments.
- Keep a small instrument humidifier in your case
If the air is too dry the wood of your uke can crack. UKE Republic sells humidifiers that are small and fit in your ukulele case. These will help keep the humidity at 45 – 55% humidity. Most heated homes are at 15 – 20% relative humidity.
- Keep your ukulele clean
Clean your ukulele with a soft cloth whenever it becomes dirty. Use polishes and cleaners that are specifically made for wood instruments. It's best to use these products at a time when the strings are being changed out. Use products sparingly and use according to the products instructions.
- Adjust friction tuners & change strings when needed
Friction tuners from time to time need adjusting. Tighten end screws carefully, if tuners become loose. This often happens when the environmental conditions change. Typically, strings should be changed out with new strings every 3 to 6 months, maybe sooner if your ukulele is played often.
UKE Republic carries all your ukulele accessories & necessities you’ll need!
UkeRepublic.com
RECOMMEND UKULELE CARE PRODUCTS
Always have a fresh pack of ukulele strings handy
UKE Republic carries a wide variety of ukulele string brands in most sizes including low g, medium, hard and colors too!
Know your humidity levels
Oasis Digital Hygrometer
Any stringed musical instrument made of wood, is at risk of cracking when the relative humidity drops below 40%. The Oasis® Digital Hygrometer accurately measures relative humidity and can help you decide when to use your Oasis® Guitar Humidifier. Because relative humidity varies greatly, even inside your home, we recommend that you keep your hygrometer close to your instrument. Hydrate your uke
The Oasis Ukulele humidifier has two unique features:
-The mounting system allows the humidifier to hang horizontally inside the ukulele rather than vertical (like the guitar humidifier). -Secondly, the humidity output is about 50% of most guitar humidifiers, to accommodate the smaller instrument size. This also allows the humidifier to last twice as long between refills. *TIP: We recommend the use of distilled water in the Oasis Ukulele Hydrate your fingerboard
Most fretboards are raw wood, void of any kind of stains or sealants, which makes them susceptible to environmental changes. Low humidity will dry out your ukulele's fingerboard and could cause the metal fret ends to protrude out further than the wood. This can cause uncomfortable playing, finger cuts, and string breakage as well as uneven frets - that will cause string buzzing and poor intonation. So it's very important to keep your fingerboards hydrated with the right kind conditioners.
|
Keep your uke clean
Both Music Nomad Care Products and Mick's Emerald Isle Instrument Polish & Cleaner are a great choice in caring for your ukulele. Both Made in USA.
Music Nomad's Ukulele Cleaner Nothing plays like a clean ukulele. Music Nomad's Ukulele Cleaner puts everything you need to care for your ukulele in one easy spray and wipe product. It works great on both matte/satin & gloss finishes. A single spritz from the atomizer cleans fingerprints, dust & smudges on your ukulele finish like no other product. It even works great on your finished neck and finished fretboard. Music Nomad's anti-static agents help reduce dust from binding to your ukulele. Small in size but big in results you can take it everywhere, and it even smells great. **What we use at UKE Republic at our setup bench Mick's Emerald Isle Ukulele Polish Think the world could get by without another polish product? Try Emerald Isle and you’ll see why they invented it! They blend the finest ingredients available to give you a quick mirror finish on glossy finishes and a smooth clean appearance on all finishes. They package this wonderful polish in an eye-catching 4oz bottle with a super premium spray head for a fine mist application. Safe for all finishes and great for all instruments. Works great on guitars as well as drums and all instruments. Keep your uke clean
Don't just use any cloth on your ukulele, especially if it has a high gloss finish. Terry cloth fibers could scratch your instrument. MicroFiber clothes are the best choice and is what we recommend.
Ohana's MicroFiber Cleaning Cloth - Nice and soft and must be one of the best cleaning cloths we have found. Cost less than a combo meal at most fast food restaurants. All micro-fiber cleaning /polishing cloth. Perfect for keeping your instrument clean. Toss one in a uke bag pocket or case. Measures: 10.5" x 10.5" |
