A neat trick is to get some wooden beads at your local hobby lobby and place one under each of the screws on the back. Volume will actually increase . I've done this before on my Slingerland banjo uke. It also looks cool with contrasting colored beads. Cheers !
Thomas Davidson Very interesting idea. I don’t know if the screws on this are long enough to do that. And Slingerland? Thought they just did drums. Very cool!
You don't need to get inside the instrument to set the intonation of an instrument, especially this instrument. Set the bridge to double the length of the measurement from the nut to the 12th fret. If length is 19 cm from nut to 12th fret, double that length so now the full length from the nut to the bridge will be 38 cms. long to get the right intonation. You may have to tweak it ever, ever so slightly, but at double the length from the nut to the 12th fret should be dead on when it comes to intonation. From nut to 12th fret and from the 12th fret to the bridge should be the same lengths. I wouldn't adjust anything inside the banjolele's insides. That's factory set and should be properly aligned.
I have had one of these for a while now and it is fabulous value for money. Mine came with a fabric black case/bag but only has dot fret markers, no birds!. Also the plastic gizmo for setting the bridge was absent. I will probably make one from acrylic sheet for myself now I have seen it. Very nice instrument from a reliable company (I also have at least one uke from them). I applied matt varnish over the headstock logo to ensure it doesn't fall off in the future.
Received mine and am very happy with it and your review was spot on. I have the one with clover leaf on the fretboard, took it on a gig and created great interest.
Generally speaking, on most all stringed instruments which have a moveable bridge, the bridge is placed equidistant from the twelfth fret. Measure the distance from the nut to the twelfth fret. Then set the bridge the same distance from the twelfth fret. The twelfth fret should then be exactly in the middle of the scale length. Harmonic notes struck at the 12th fret should ring very loud when the bridge is placed properly.
@@onemanhouseband5840 I had a violin repair shop for long time. I still work on all of my own stringed instruments. My son does also. Bridge placement is a matter of physics and math and is not negotiable. It is either right or wrong and never in between. -AB
I don't know if you got a gig bag or need one, but I found that the concert sized bag from Ibanez fits perfectly. It's called the "Ibanez Power Pad" is quite sturdy, has several pockets and comes in different colors for under $30! (I know that's almost half what you paid for the banjolele, but it is a good case that will protect your investment.) There's a good video called classic banjo set up and tuning by thereallyniceman that shows how to adjust the head tension on a banjo, I would think it is the same for a banjolele.
Robert Lussier Nice! I’ve got a fairly decent tenor bag that fits it pretty well. Just have to put a little towel at the bottom of the bag. May investigate the one you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!
Very nice review. I wish mine had the bird markers. They are really classy. I did get a gig bag with mine and it was double boxed. I also paid a few dollars more but mine came from a California distributor. Action adjustment was easy but it slightly distorted the rim making it necessary to drill new holes to replace the resonator. I opted to leave it open backed and it is just as loud. I enjoyed the comparison with your ukulele. I am also an Oscar Schmidt fan and have three of their ukes. Thanks for the review. This instrument is priced right and Kmise puts a good value banjo ukulele in the hands of players everywhere.
The birds do look nice! And I wound up popping the back of mine off and tinkering a bit. Very easy to do and I got the back on pretty easily. That said, I tried playing without the back on and preferred with it on. Thanks for commenting and agreed that Kmise puts out quality instruments. Here's to many others enjoying them!
Mine came with a 5/8" high bridge. Yours looks the same. I wanted to lower the action at the bridge so I found a 1/2" bridge for sale online and replaced the bridge. I like the action better at the 1/2" height. The new bridge cost me about US$3 plus postage. Be sure you get one for a 4-string banjo, not the usual 5-string. This Kmise banjolele is a good deal. I paid about $88 but mine included a gig bag and Joyo tuner, but didn't have the bridge placement guide. That's a good idea. Without the guide, you can do the same by measuring the distance from the low edge of the nut to the 12th fret. Double that measurement. That's the distance to place the bridge from the nut edge. Make little pencil marks on the skin head where the ridge of the bridge should be located. Keep the strings a little loose so you can stand the bridge up there, and then tune it. Mine was shipped from a California warehouse so it came pretty quickly.
Lower the bridge for better action? Great idea! I'd love to see/hear the before & after on that. The bridge placement guide is super handy, but yeah - if you know what you're doing, you can get it in place pretty easily. Here's to more banjoleleing!
@@onemanhouseband5840 There's nothing to see/hear except that the strings are closer to the fret wires. There's still plenty of action for playing hard on the strings without buzzing.
@@onemanhouseband5840 A lower action actually improves intonation because the strings are stretched less when fretting a note than they are with a higher action. The pitch therefore is closer to the ideal pitch determined by the location of the fret.
Can you tell us just how long that piece of plastic was to show the length the bridge should be set at/ Could you measure the length of that plastic for us and let us know, Thanks. That plastic length should work for most Banjoleles on the market if it's measured right. Most should be around and very, very close to 19cms. long, if full length from "nut to bridge" is close to 38 cms long (just a small amount short of 38 cms long. If properly set, yours should be set that way (very close to 38 cms long from nut to bridge).
i bought one,the neck was held on by two screws,not wood screws more like gyproc/sheetroc screws,i kept thinking the strings were stretching,i then fitted steel M3 inserts ans added super glue to the wooden thread hole to stabilise and strengthen the neck heel,two machine screws fitted through the body into the heel ,it now holds tune and the tone is great,it was cheap but i did expect it to work properly,good job i do my own luthiery work to my guitars or i'd be fu£xed.
Sheesh! That took some serious work. I don't think I would have had the patience. Sucks yours wasn't ready to go out of the box. Did you contact the manufacturer? I'd guess they'd want to make you happy, so they'd replace it or give you some money back or something.
Thanks so much and yeah - I'm in love! Hard to believe such a quality instrument cost so little. I was afraid I came off like a telemarketer, but man...very cool instrument! Do you have any other ukuleles by Kmise? I'm considering picking one up just to see if they're consistently this good.
@@onemanhouseband5840 Yes - it's great fun, and it is loud! My other ukes are Kala and Makala- is certainly consider another Kmise. Only problem is they seem to vary a lot in appearance from one listing to another - hard to know which one to go for...
I'm trying to learn mandolin, and I thought it would be neat to have a banjolele tuned GDAE same as the mandolin. There is the Pyle banjo mandolin available in my price range, but I think I want single strings instead of paired strings. For one thing the double number of strings puts more pressure/ tension on everything, making tuning less stable. Another option would be tuning GDAE but one full octave lower than a mandolin, which I think is the "Irish" tuning for a tenor banjo... unfortunately tenor banjos are a bit out of my price range at this point. In any case I wonder if either of these GDAE tunings are possible on a cheap concert-sized banjolele?
Nice review. I had to double check when you made this. $60.00 ?????? I paid $84, and I still think it's a great value. The wrist of my strumming hand rests on the bottom of the strings below the bridge, affecting the sound. It does hold it's tune longer than my uke.
Ha! Yeah, a lot of brands will start their prices low and increase them as they gain traction. Didn't realize they'd jumped that much, but I'm not surprised, and I would agree - it's a great value at $84! And I would maybe try to find a new position for holding the ukulele, as you don't want the sound muffled. It's a bit more awkward due to its weight, but I'd guess you can find a comfy way to hold it that doesn't mess with the sound. And what is your other ukulele? I find this one does indeed hold tune pretty well. Have to tune it up before every session, but it holds well while playing. Happy banjoleleing!
Lewis Sanders Oh - it was an insult. Ha! Couldn’t agree with you more! I’d love to hear it in the hands of someone with some real skill. All the best...
Lol no hate but why are you trying to tell me what I can and can’t hear (9:00) it came across immediately how much louder the banjelele was and then that note pops up xD
Dan Adrian Ha! My fear was that my phone would try to make all sounds the same level, which would mean you wouldn’t hear the volume difference. Glad it came through!
That's awesome! I've got a number of very cheap ukes that serve me admirably. That said, I love my OS. Maybe b/c it was the first I ever bought and is my only concert sized? I don't know. But I do know that I love it. Obviously everyone doesn't, and that's a-okay! I don't get paid by anyone to promote their stuff. To each his/her own.
A neat trick is to get some wooden beads at your local hobby lobby and place one under each of the screws on the back. Volume will actually increase . I've done this before on my Slingerland banjo uke. It also looks cool with contrasting colored beads. Cheers !
Thomas Davidson Very interesting idea. I don’t know if the screws on this are long enough to do that. And Slingerland? Thought they just did drums. Very cool!
You don't need to get inside the instrument to set the intonation of an instrument, especially this instrument. Set the bridge to double the length of the measurement from the nut to the 12th fret. If length is 19 cm from nut to 12th fret, double that length so now the full length from the nut to the bridge will be 38 cms. long to get the right intonation. You may have to tweak it ever, ever so slightly, but at double the length from the nut to the 12th fret should be dead on when it comes to intonation. From nut to 12th fret and from the 12th fret to the bridge should be the same lengths. I wouldn't adjust anything inside the banjolele's insides. That's factory set and should be properly aligned.
Easy 'nuff! Thanks!
I have had one of these for a while now and it is fabulous value for money. Mine came with a fabric black case/bag but only has dot fret markers, no birds!. Also the plastic gizmo for setting the bridge was absent. I will probably make one from acrylic sheet for myself now I have seen it. Very nice instrument from a reliable company (I also have at least one uke from them). I applied matt varnish over the headstock logo to ensure it doesn't fall off in the future.
Sounds great d:) awesome playing!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much, and uke on!
Your video is so helpful! I’ve been playing the ukulele for about 3 months, and can’t wait to get my hands on a banjolele!
Glad the video was helpful, and it's always great to e-meet a fellow uke enthusiast! Here's to many happy strummings!
Received mine and am very happy with it and your review was spot on. I have the one with clover leaf on the fretboard, took it on a gig and created great interest.
Will Duwe That’s awesome! I’d love to see footage of the gig if you have any.
Generally speaking, on most all stringed instruments which have a moveable bridge, the bridge is placed equidistant from the twelfth fret. Measure the distance from the nut to the twelfth fret. Then set the bridge the same distance from the twelfth fret. The twelfth fret should then be exactly in the middle of the scale length. Harmonic notes struck at the 12th fret should ring very loud when the bridge is placed properly.
Bingo!
@@onemanhouseband5840 I had a violin repair shop for long time. I still work on all of my own stringed instruments. My son does also. Bridge placement is a matter of physics and math and is not negotiable. It is either right or wrong and never in between. -AB
@@theyoodoo Math is a beautiful thing, is it not? And you had a violin repair shop? The craftsmanship and attention to detail necessary is beyond me!
I don't know if you got a gig bag or need one, but I found that the concert sized bag from Ibanez fits perfectly. It's called the "Ibanez Power Pad" is quite sturdy, has several pockets and comes in different colors for under $30!
(I know that's almost half what you paid for the banjolele, but it is a good case that will protect your investment.)
There's a good video called classic banjo set up and tuning by thereallyniceman that shows how to adjust the head tension on a banjo, I would think it is the same for a banjolele.
Robert Lussier Nice! I’ve got a fairly decent tenor bag that fits it pretty well. Just have to put a little towel at the bottom of the bag. May investigate the one you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!
Very nice review. I wish mine had the bird markers. They are really classy. I did get a gig bag with mine and it was double boxed. I also paid a few dollars more but mine came from a California distributor. Action adjustment was easy but it slightly distorted the rim making it necessary to drill new holes to replace the resonator. I opted to leave it open backed and it is just as loud. I enjoyed the comparison with your ukulele. I am also an Oscar Schmidt fan and have three of their ukes. Thanks for the review. This instrument is priced right and Kmise puts a good value banjo ukulele in the hands of players everywhere.
The birds do look nice! And I wound up popping the back of mine off and tinkering a bit. Very easy to do and I got the back on pretty easily. That said, I tried playing without the back on and preferred with it on. Thanks for commenting and agreed that Kmise puts out quality instruments. Here's to many others enjoying them!
Mine came with a 5/8" high bridge. Yours looks the same. I wanted to lower the action at the bridge so I found a 1/2" bridge for sale online and replaced the bridge. I like the action better at the 1/2" height. The new bridge cost me about US$3 plus postage. Be sure you get one for a 4-string banjo, not the usual 5-string. This Kmise banjolele is a good deal. I paid about $88 but mine included a gig bag and Joyo tuner, but didn't have the bridge placement guide. That's a good idea. Without the guide, you can do the same by measuring the distance from the low edge of the nut to the 12th fret. Double that measurement. That's the distance to place the bridge from the nut edge. Make little pencil marks on the skin head where the ridge of the bridge should be located. Keep the strings a little loose so you can stand the bridge up there, and then tune it. Mine was shipped from a California warehouse so it came pretty quickly.
Lower the bridge for better action? Great idea! I'd love to see/hear the before & after on that. The bridge placement guide is super handy, but yeah - if you know what you're doing, you can get it in place pretty easily. Here's to more banjoleleing!
@@onemanhouseband5840 There's nothing to see/hear except that the strings are closer to the fret wires. There's still plenty of action for playing hard on the strings without buzzing.
@@odontomatix Ha! True. Intonation still pretty good?
@@onemanhouseband5840 A lower action actually improves intonation because the strings are stretched less when fretting a note than they are with a higher action. The pitch therefore is closer to the ideal pitch determined by the location of the fret.
@@odontomatix Make sense. Thanks for the response. May have to look into that new bridge!
Fantastic value great sound i use felt plectrums( softened) for strumming tunes like five foot two ,San Francisco bay blues
Adjust the truss rod to adjust string height. Adjust the position of the bridge to fix intonation.
Can you tell us just how long that piece of plastic was to show the length the bridge should be set at/ Could you measure the length of that plastic for us and let us know, Thanks. That plastic length should work for most Banjoleles on the market if it's measured right. Most should be around and very, very close to 19cms. long, if full length from "nut to bridge" is close to 38 cms long (just a small amount short of 38 cms long. If properly set, yours should be set that way (very close to 38 cms long from nut to bridge).
mm loved that G7 to Cmaj7
lkym The chord changes in that song are gorgeous. So well put together.
i bought one,the neck was held on by two screws,not wood screws more like gyproc/sheetroc screws,i kept thinking the strings were stretching,i then fitted steel M3 inserts ans added super glue to the wooden thread hole to stabilise and strengthen the neck heel,two machine screws fitted through the body into the heel ,it now holds tune and the tone is great,it was cheap but i did expect it to work properly,good job i do my own luthiery work to my guitars or i'd be fu£xed.
Sheesh! That took some serious work. I don't think I would have had the patience. Sucks yours wasn't ready to go out of the box. Did you contact the manufacturer? I'd guess they'd want to make you happy, so they'd replace it or give you some money back or something.
Thorough review! I have one, and I love it, too... mine doesn't have the bird fret markers, though. Very happy with the quality and sound.
Thanks so much and yeah - I'm in love! Hard to believe such a quality instrument cost so little. I was afraid I came off like a telemarketer, but man...very cool instrument! Do you have any other ukuleles by Kmise? I'm considering picking one up just to see if they're consistently this good.
@@onemanhouseband5840 Yes - it's great fun, and it is loud! My other ukes are Kala and Makala- is certainly consider another Kmise. Only problem is they seem to vary a lot in appearance from one listing to another - hard to know which one to go for...
Graham Cleaver Ha! Didn’t notice that. I could be wrong, but I’d guess that’s just the seller’s photo skills.
Kermit would be proud
Will Duwe Ha! Maybe he’ll call me for a duet.
I'm trying to learn mandolin, and I thought it would be neat to have a banjolele tuned GDAE same as the mandolin. There is the Pyle banjo mandolin available in my price range, but I think I want single strings instead of paired strings. For one thing the double number of strings puts more pressure/ tension on everything, making tuning less stable. Another option would be tuning GDAE but one full octave lower than a mandolin, which I think is the "Irish" tuning for a tenor banjo... unfortunately tenor banjos are a bit out of my price range at this point. In any case I wonder if either of these GDAE tunings are possible on a cheap concert-sized banjolele?
There's only one way to find out! (Actually, there are a few, but the only one I know that would work would be to give it a try!)
Nice review. I had to double check when you made this. $60.00 ?????? I paid $84, and I still think it's a great value. The wrist of my strumming hand rests on the bottom of the strings below the bridge, affecting the sound. It does hold it's tune longer than my uke.
Ha! Yeah, a lot of brands will start their prices low and increase them as they gain traction. Didn't realize they'd jumped that much, but I'm not surprised, and I would agree - it's a great value at $84! And I would maybe try to find a new position for holding the ukulele, as you don't want the sound muffled. It's a bit more awkward due to its weight, but I'd guess you can find a comfy way to hold it that doesn't mess with the sound. And what is your other ukulele? I find this one does indeed hold tune pretty well. Have to tune it up before every session, but it holds well while playing. Happy banjoleleing!
I'D Like to hear it played.
Lewis Sanders Think all you have to do is turn the volume up.
@@onemanhouseband5840 That Wouldn't do any Good, Give it to a player.
Lewis Sanders Oh - it was an insult. Ha! Couldn’t agree with you more! I’d love to hear it in the hands of someone with some real skill. All the best...
Lol no hate but why are you trying to tell me what I can and can’t hear (9:00) it came across immediately how much louder the banjelele was and then that note pops up xD
Dan Adrian Ha! My fear was that my phone would try to make all sounds the same level, which would mean you wouldn’t hear the volume difference. Glad it came through!
Cant believe its 60 bucks. They ripped off Taylor with that headstock shape.
Oscar Schmidt ukes are so disappointing in sound. I paid half the price for an Aklot ukulele and couldn't believe the improvement.
That's awesome! I've got a number of very cheap ukes that serve me admirably. That said, I love my OS. Maybe b/c it was the first I ever bought and is my only concert sized? I don't know. But I do know that I love it. Obviously everyone doesn't, and that's a-okay! I don't get paid by anyone to promote their stuff. To each his/her own.