To setup the FireFly Banjo – stand the bridge up and position it on the drum head centered between the pencil marks. If there is a dot on the bridge, face it toward the tailpiece. Place the strings in the appropriate slots and tune up to standard uke tuning (GCEA). Strings and head will stretch some for the first few weeks so frequent tuning will be required.
Tuner adjustment – may be required periodically. Grover 2B friction tuners can be adjusted by turning the screw on the knob. Peghed geared tuners can be adjusted by pushing in while turning to increase drag or pulling out to reduce drag.
Action and neck angle adjustment – can be adjusted by changing the number of black washers under the L bracket. Simply de-tune, remove the Philips screw holding the L bracket to the strut, and remove one of the black fiber washers to raise the action or add a washer to lower the action.
Drum head replacement – The pretuned Remo drum should hold tension for many years however should it loose tension or become damaged, it can easily be replaced. Contact Magic Fluke for parts and instructions.
String replacement – Use any standard soprano or concert uke strings. Replacing one at a time will allow you to copy how the others are done and make sure the get the different gauges in the correct order. Double knot or figure 8 knot for smaller G and A strings to prevent slipping through the slots on the tailpiece. Needle nose pliers work well for pulling knots tight and wire cutters or scissors for trimming. At the tuner end, pass the string thru the hole and leave enough slack to get at least 3 to 4 full turns around the peg (when up to pitch) wrapping over the top and toward the outside or wood portion of the headstock supporting the peg. Try not to exceed pitch when tuning and remember new strings will stretch requiring frequent tuning until they stabilize.
For long term storage or shipping – we recommend detuning slightly and laying the bridge down flat on the head to relieve pressure.