The Care and Feeding of Your SpruceHouse Ukulele

Thank you for your purchase of a SpruceHouse Ukulele!

Your instrument should give you a lifetime of service if properly cared for. Here are a few tips on how to keep your ukulele in top condition:

The finish on your instrument is a three-part process. First, the bare wood is sealed with shellac, a natural, non-toxic product. Next, several coats of oil varnish are applied. This varnish is made with linseed oil, an organic product, and also contains some natural gums and resins to improve the hardness of the finish. Finally, after the varnish has cured, the entire instrument is given a lemon oil treatment. This last step not only gives your instrument a beautiful sheen, but it reduces the varnish's tendency to pick up the oil from your skin as you hold and play it, helping to eliminate fingerprinting. A commercial product such as Formby's Lemon Oil Treatment, applied occasionally (remove the strings first), will keep your instrument looking and feeling great. Be sure to wipe it off with a soft cloth immediately after application.

Your ukulele may have a top made from Mahogany (Meranti, Sapele, Khaya), Koa, Cedar, Spruce or Redwood. The latter three are quite soft, giving them a brighter tone, but also making them more vulnerable to dents and scratches. Extra care is taken with the finish on these tops to minimize this tendency, but SpruceHouse does not use toxic lacquers or polyesters which, while making a harder finish, are dangerous to use and dispose of and are environmentally hazardous. We suggest not using a hard pick when playing, but rather your finger or a felt ukulele pick to help prevent damage to the top over time. Mahogany and Koa, being semi-hardwoods, are much less likely to dent or scratch with normal use.

Some SpruceHouse custom ukuleles may have a "French polished" finish on the top or the entire instrument. This is a glossy, hand-rubbed shellac finish that adds additional protection. Some models may also have a gloss water-based lacquer finish. The best polish that I have found for either of these finishes is an automotive product; Meguire's Show Car Mirror Glaze #7. Apply it lightly with a soft cloth and polish it off immediately with another clean, soft cloth. It will really bring out the gloss and even removes very fine scratches. Do not use this polish on oil-finished woods.

A curious fact about wooden instruments is that the wood "learns" to acquire its tone. Your ukulele will take several days, to a week, of playing for the top to "open up" and play with maximum volume and clarity. Don't be discouraged if your instrument sounds quieter and more muted than you expected at first. Continue to play it regularly and the top will learn to sound its best. Generally, the harder the top wood, the longer this takes.

The tuners on your instrument are, in most cases, "friction-type" pegs and the tension can be adjusted with a small Phillips screwdriver by tightening or loosening the screw on the end of the tuner button. With any type of tuners, your strings may take a few days to stretch to their optimum tension and stay in tune, so you may loosen the tension screw (on "friction" tuners) a bit after this period, making tuning smoother.

Any wooden stringed instrument is a complex balance of lightweight, natural materials constantly battling the considerable tension of its strings in order to produce a pleasing sound. Temperature and humidity extremes can upset that balance, and are to be avoided at all times. Never leave your ukulele in a hot car or exposed to direct sunlight for more than a few minutes. A good, hardshell case is recommended as both protection and insulation. Avoid very high or very low humidity as well, as this can effect the integrity of the glue joints or, in extreme cases, the straightness of the neck. Even small temperature or humidity variations can effect tuning or string "action" temporarily, so allow your instrument to stabilize for a few minutes before retuning and playing in a new environment.

All new SpruceHouse Ukuleles are guaranteed for one year from the date of purchase in cases of material or workmanship failure, under normal use and conditions. Shipping is additional.

Please note: "Action"- the height of the strings above the fingerboard - has been set in our workshop to optimize the playability and intonation (a "medium" setting) for each individual instrument. Action adjustments are not covered under the guarantee. If, after time, you wish to change the height of the action, any qualified stringed instrument repair person can make this adjustment for a small fee.

Finally, SpruceHouse instruments are handmade objects - made by one man - and are, therefore, never "perfect." I try to make the very best instrument I can, but I'm only human.

We hope that you enjoy your new SpruceHouse Ukulele. Thank you very much for your business!

Al McWhorter,
SpruceHouse Ukuleles