My friend Jon Dale, of Jupiter Ukuleles is an inventive kind of a guy. He recently shared this idea on Ukulele Underground, and in his blog, and so today I gave it a try.
This is his idea of finding compensation when installing ukulele bridges and saddles. I call it ingenious.! !
This is his idea of finding compensation when installing ukulele bridges and saddles. I call it ingenious.! !
here is the idea. You make a jig that will stretch two strings, the G and the A across the entire distance. The strings are not attached to the ukulele, but lay over the saddle and the nut as if they were. They are really attached to the jig at both ends. Key to the method is the little Korg tuner ($13.00 on Amazon) seen as the white electronic device.
First you set the center of the saddle exactly at the 17 inch tenor scale length, nut to saddle. Then you tune each string using the cheap little tuners you had hanging around.
Now comes the tricky part. You fret the G string at the 12th fret, pluck it and look at the tuner. If it shows exactly at G but an octave higher your saddle is in the perfect position. If not, you move the end of the saddle up ord down keeping the center of the saddle at 17". When the tuner again registers G at the 12th fret, you are right on, in tune.
Now you must go to the other side and compensate the trebles. Same process. Tune to the A, pluck at 12th fret and if not perfect, move the saddle up or down until the 12th fret rings true. then do the same to the other string and your bridge is in the perfect place. Tape it there and drill a couple of guide holes through the slot into the brace below to guide you as you glue it down.
First you set the center of the saddle exactly at the 17 inch tenor scale length, nut to saddle. Then you tune each string using the cheap little tuners you had hanging around.
Now comes the tricky part. You fret the G string at the 12th fret, pluck it and look at the tuner. If it shows exactly at G but an octave higher your saddle is in the perfect position. If not, you move the end of the saddle up ord down keeping the center of the saddle at 17". When the tuner again registers G at the 12th fret, you are right on, in tune.
Now you must go to the other side and compensate the trebles. Same process. Tune to the A, pluck at 12th fret and if not perfect, move the saddle up or down until the 12th fret rings true. then do the same to the other string and your bridge is in the perfect place. Tape it there and drill a couple of guide holes through the slot into the brace below to guide you as you glue it down.
HOW IS THAT FOR INGENIOUS?
