Bridge style

Posted by Bluesheart on March 30, 2011 at 4:26pm

Thank you for all the input from my last post, I've decided to use a non tapered neck. Now I am trying to decide on a bridge style. I'm torn between a traditional Uke bridge/saddle or a separate bridge and string pins. Any input on pros/cons of either would be appreciated.

Thank you.

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Replies

  • econnofoot April 3, 2011 at 12:10pm
    my take is I like the more traditional fixed bridge/ tail piece, thus far I've not had any issues.
  • Bluesheart March 31, 2011 at 7:10pm
    I really lean toward the pins. I kind of like the look and love the ability to move the bridge if I need to. Don, it was you that first showed me those Northern Ukes and that is where I got the idea. The thing is that of all the hundreds of Ukes I've looked at,those seem to be the only ones that use string pins. Someone wrote, I'm not sure if it was Carverman, that intonation would not be critical on a uke? I always thought that the shorter the scale the more critical intonation would be. Seems that a long scale bass would be more forgiving of errors than say a mandolin? Am I wrong about that? Cause I've been wrong before, just ask my wife.
  • carverman March 31, 2011 at 11:58am


    Don Thompson said:

    I've had very good success sound wise and ease of building using string pins and a floating bridge. Just my take on it.

    http://www.ianchadwick.com/ukuleles/northern.htm

    Don

     

    Those are cute triangular- irregilar shaped ukes, Don.  Kinda look a bit like a Russian 3 string Balaika.

    Just like with CB, I think there is room for lots of experimenting not only with the shape, but with the

    hollow body thickness as well. I was thinking that on my "flying V" model (which I will paint white),

    I will make the neck area thinner than the tips of the two "wings" so that the bass string can

    have a little more resonance.  Being a nylon acoustic, I will definite put a couple of piezos on

    it so it can be plugged in as well.

  • carverman March 31, 2011 at 11:52am


    Bluesheart said:

    Nylon. Thats what I was thinking, but I also see them with a slot in the bridge to hold a knot tied in the string. I guess I'm a little nervous about gluing the bridge in place before I can check the intonation. With pins and a floating bridge I'd have some adjustment once the strings are on. I also was wondering which method would transfer the most vibration to the top?

    Thanks for the help.

     

    With a uke, the intonation probably is not as critical as with a longer scale guitar string/bridge.

    I'm building a concert size uke modeled after a flying V. I saw somebody on youtube play one of those

    and thought it would be a neat project. While I'm not using a CB in the traditional sense, because of

    the V shape, pretty much all the CB principles apply, as it is hollow inside. I got a Stew-Mac nylon

    uke bridge for it that I will glue down, once I make my custom FB for it.

  • Don Thompson March 31, 2011 at 10:08am

    I've had very good success sound wise and ease of building using string pins and a floating bridge. Just my take on it.

    http://www.ianchadwick.com/ukuleles/northern.htm

    Don

  • Bluesheart March 30, 2011 at 11:35pm

    Nylon. Thats what I was thinking, but I also see them with a slot in the bridge to hold a knot tied in the string. I guess I'm a little nervous about gluing the bridge in place before I can check the intonation. With pins and a floating bridge I'd have some adjustment once the strings are on. I also was wondering which method would transfer the most vibration to the top?

    Thanks for the help.

  • carverman March 30, 2011 at 9:45pm

    Is yours a steel string or a nylon string?  If it's a nylon, you should be using a  traditional uke bridge (ie: classical guitar style bridge/bone saddle), where you pass the nyon string over the saddle and loop it around the holes at the back of the bridge and twist the

    nylon string on it's self a few times so that the string doesn't slip when brought up to tension.

     

    If you ar using a steel string with ball ends, then the choice is obvious..use a bridge with pins.

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