Harley Benton 490869 Ukulele DIY-Kit Concert User Manual
- June 12, 2024
- Harley Benton
Table of Contents
Harley Benton 490869 Ukulele DIY-Kit Concert
Product Information: DIY-kit Ukulele Concert
The DIY-kit Ukulele Concert is a musical instrument kit that allows you to assemble your own ukulele. It comes with all the necessary parts and tools for assembly, including wood glue, a Phillips screwdriver, rubber bands, clamping or adhesive tape, Gloss paints, and sandpaper. The kit also includes a user manual to guide you through the assembly process.
Safety Instructions:
- DANGER! Danger for children: Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of and are not in the reach of babies and young children. Choking hazard! Ensure that children do not detach any small parts from the product. Never let children play unattended with the product.
- CAUTION! Risk of injury to the hands: When assembling and screwing the individual parts, pay attention to sharp edges on tools, screws, and components.
Scope of Delivery:
Thank you for purchasing this Ukulele kit. In addition to this manual, the
following items are included:
- Wood glue
- Phillips screwdriver
- Rubber bands
- Clamping or adhesive tape
- Gloss paints
- Sandpaper
Product Usage Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
Useful tools and materials:
- Wood glue
- Phillips screwdriver
- Rubber bands
- Clamping or adhesive tape
- Gloss paints
- Sandpaper
Make sure when gluing that all adhesive surfaces are flat and clean to ensure an optimal connection of the individual parts. Always follow the processing instructions supplied by the adhesive manufacturer. When applying spray paint, you must wear a dust mask.
Finishing the body:
Before assembling the Ukulele, you can paint the body with commercial wood
paint completely or decorate it with patterns. DIY stores offer a wide
selection of paints and varnishes in spray cans that can be applied without
any special knowledge. Make sure that all surfaces are free of dust and dirt.
Carry out all painting operations in a well-ventilated, dust-free environment.
Considered and careful working are key factors for a qualitatively
satisfactory result. It is recommended that you first try out the color and
technique on another piece of wood.
Gluing neck and body:
The neck is fastened with a tongue and groove connection to the body.
First, check whether the connection between neck and body fits correctly. Wood
slightly changes its shape over time. If the neck sits too tight in the groove
on the body, a slight adjustment with a sharp wood chisel or sandpaper may be
needed. Apply wood glue to groove, tongue, and the rest of the neck heel,
which comes into contact with the body. Position the neck on the body and fix
the neck with a clamping or adhesive tape. Re-check the correct position of
the neck to the body before the glue joint has dried.
Gluing the fretboard:
The fretboard is glued to the neck. Apply wood glue on both surfaces.
Position the fretboard on the neck and align it so that at the base of the
headstock a 5 mm clear space remains for mounting the nut. To dry the adhesive
joint, fix the fretboard with rubber rings on the neck.
Gluing the nut:
The nut is to be glued above the fretboard on the neck (needed clearance
between fretboard and headstock 5 mm, see previous section). Apply wood glue
on both surfaces. Put the nut on the neck and fix it to dry the adhesive joint
with rubber rings on the neck.
Safety instruction
DANGER!
Danger for children
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of and are not
in the reach of babies and young children. Choking hazard!
Ensure that children do not detach any small parts (e.g. knobs or the like)
from the product. They could swallow the pieces and choke!
Never let children play unattended with the product.
CAUTION!
Risk of injury to the hands
When assembling and screwing the individual parts, pay attention to sharp
edges on tools, screws and components.
Scope of delivery
Thank you for purchasing this Ukulele kit. In addition to this manual, the following items are included:
| 1 | Body |
|---|---|
| 2 | Neck |
| 3 | Fretboard |
| 4 | Saddle |
| 5 | Bridge |
| 6 | Nut |
| 7 | Fixing rings for machine heads (4 pcs.) |
| 8 | Machine heads (4 pcs.) |
| 9 | Mounting screws for machine heads (8 × short) and bridge (2 × long) |
| 10 | Strings (4 pcs.) |
The assembly is described in detail in the following sections.
Assembly instructions
Useful tools and materials
Provide the following tools and materials for the assembly of the Ukulele:
- Wood glue
- Phillips screwdriver
- Rubber bands
- Clamping or adhesive tape
- Gloss paints
- Sandpaper
Make sure when gluing that all adhesive surfaces are flat and clean to ensure
an optimal connection of the individual parts.
Always follow the processing instructions supplied by the adhesive
manufacturer.
When applying spray paint, you must wear a dust mask.
Finishing the body
Before assembling the Ukulele, you can paint the body with commercial wood
paint completely or decorate it with patterns. DIY stores offer a wide
selection of paints and varnishes in spray cans that can be applied without
any special knowledge.
Before you start painting, carefully mask the adhesive surface for the bridge,
as painted surfaces do not ensure solid compound (for dimensions and position
of the bridge, see Ä ‘Mounting the bridge, inserting the saddle’ on page 9).
Make sure that all surfaces are free of dust and dirt. Carry out all painting
operations in a well-ventilated, dust-free environment. Considered and careful
working are key factors for a qualitatively satisfactory result. It is
recommended that you first try out the color and technique on another piece of
wood.
Paint the body edges first and let them dry. If the edges are dry, go on with
front and back side. By layered, successive application you can achieve a
uniform coating structure. If you notice surface irregularities, wait until
the paint has dried completely and correct them with fine sandpaper (e.g. 800
+) before proceeding to paint. For full coverage apply three or more layers.
Wait another two to three days to dry until the paint is fully cured. Polish
or burnish the body until it meets your expectations. Take care not to buff
too vigorously as this may remove the finish.
Glueing neck and body
The neck is fastened with a tongue and groove connection to the body.
First, check whether the connection between neck and body fits correctly. Wood
slightly changes its shape over time. If the neck sits too tight in the groove
on the body, a slight adjustment with a sharp wood chisel or sandpaper may be
needed.
Apply wood glue to groove, tongue and the rest of the neck heel, which comes
into contact with the body. Position the neck on the body and fix the neck
with a clamping or adhesive tape. Re-check the correct position of the neck to
the body before the glue joint has dried. 
Gluing the fretboard
The fretboard is glued to the neck. Apply wood glue on both surfaces. Position
the fretboard on the neck and align it so that at the base of the headstock a
5 mm clear space remains for mounting the nut. To dry the adhesive joint, fix
the fretboard with rubber rings on the neck. 
Gluing the nut
The nut is to be glued above the fretboard on the neck (needed clearance
between fretboard and headstock 5 mm, see previous section). Apply wood glue
on both sur‐faces. Put the nut on the neck and fix it to dry the adhesive
joint with rubber rings on the neck. 
Mounting the bridge, inserting the saddle
The bridge is to be glued in the middle of the body surface and fixed with the
two long screws. First mark the correct position of the bridge on the body
surface. Note the spacing dimensions shown in the figure.
Apply wood glue on both surfaces. Put the bridge on the body surface and fix
it to dry the adhesive joint gently with a screw clamp.
NOTICE!
Tighten the clamp very carefully and only hand tight. Excessive force may
damage the body surface.
After glueing the bridge, drill the two screw holes with a 1.5-mm wood drill
by through the two blind holes in the bridge and the body surface. Fix the
bridge with the supplied long screws on the body surface. Then place the
protective caps on the screw heads.
Finally, insert the saddle into the designated groove of the bridge.
Mounting the machine heads
Insert the four machine heads from the rear side of the headstock into the
holes provided.
Fasten the four machine heads with two short screws each.
Press the four fixing rings for the machine heads from the front into the respective holes of the headstock.
Stringing the Ukulele 
The package includes a set of strings for the Hawaiian tuning (G – C – E – A). Tie a knot at one end of the strings (simple knot for the two thicker strings, double knot for the two thinner strings) and insert the strings into the grooves of the bridge as shown in the figure:
- Top position: G string (second thickest string)
- Second position: C string (thickest string)
- Third position: E string (second thinnest string)
- Lowest position: A string (thinnest string)
Thread the loose ends of the four strings into the holes of the designated machine heads. Make sure to attach each of the four strings with two to three turns securely to the tuning pins (see figure). First, slightly pre-tighten all strings and check the action as described in the following section.
Checking the action
At the first fret, the distance between string and fretboard should be approx.
0.4 mm, at the twelfth fret approx. 1.2 mm. If necessary, check the
connections and positioning of the components.
Tuning
The package includes a set of strings for the Hawaiian tuning (G – C – E – A).
Tune the strings using an appropriate tuner or with the help of another
instrument by ear.
Protecting the environment
Disposal of the packaging material
For the transport and protective packaging, environmentally friendly materials
have been chosen that can be supplied to normal recycling.
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of.
Do not just dispose of these materials with your normal household waste, but
make sure that they are collected for recycling. Please follow the notes and
markings on the packaging.
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