Ukulele Setup and Repair | Island Bazaar Ukes Online and Retail Store

The Island Bazaar Professional Ukulele Setup
Three levels of quality control, minor adjustments, and full ukulele setup

While most ukulele manufacturers have their own quality control during production and final inspection, there are often minor adjustments that can make a significant difference in how your ukulele plays and sounds. At Island Bazaar, we go above and beyond to ensure your new uke is in top condition.

Each ukulele leaving our store undergoes a rigorous quality control and setup process. While all ukuleles receive careful attention, we dedicate more time to our higher-end instruments to bring out their full potential.

Basic QC (FREE)

Every ukulele is thoroughly inspected for basic quality assurance:

• Check for cosmetic defects
• Ensure the neck is straight
• Confirm the bridge is straight and securely attached

Intermediate QC + Nut/Bridge Adjustment - $75

The most impactful adjustment to improve playability is string height. This service includes all Basic QC steps plus precise attention to the nut and bridge, ensuring the best string action:

• Strings too high = uncomfortable to play
• Strings too low = fret buzz

Our team uses feeler gauges to ensure the strings are low enough for comfortable playing while avoiding fret buzz. This adjustment is especially beneficial for low- and mid-priced ukes, which often arrive with high string action to minimize fret buzz.

Intermediate QC includes:

• Check for cosmetic defects
• Ensure the neck is straight
• Confirm the bridge is straight and securely attached
• Adjust nut slots
• Adjust bridge
• Adjust string height

Full Setup - $125

Our Full Setup goes even further to refine your ukulele’s playability, sound, and appearance. In addition to the Basic QC and string height adjustments, this service addresses fret and fretboard imperfections.

Many new ukuleles have inconsistent fret shapes or sharp edges, which can affect both playability and comfort. At this level, we:

• Level frets for consistency and proper pyramid shape
• Remove sharp fret edges
• Recrown frets
• Sand, polish, and clean the fretboard

The result is a smoother, more functional, and aesthetically pleasing instrument—one that often exceeds factory standards.

Full Setup includes:

• Check for cosmetic defects
• Ensure the neck is straight
• Confirm the bridge is straight and securely attached
• Adjust nut slots
• Adjust bridge
• Adjust string height
• Level frets
• Remove sharp fret edges
• Recrown frets
• Sand, polish, and clean the fretboard