stubborn string on Kamaka bridge

Hi, I am trying to restring my Kamaka Soprano with new Kamaka strings. But the old one won't come out of the bridge. I don't want to try to force it out, as I have had bad experiences with the bridge wood flaking off and damaging the bridge.

Any suggestions or tips?

Thanks!

Removing old strings at the bridge

You are right to be cautious about pulling out a knotted string which is stuck in the bridge slot. Pulling it out using the long end causes the knot to rotate, and it might not have room to do so. Ideally (though it might not be possible) you should use long nose pliers on the shorter, "tail of the knot" end to pull it out. That way it should come out the way it went in.

Make sure you are pulling parallel to the front of the uke, not slightly upwards.Use a piece of thin cardboard, plastic, or something similar, to protect the front of the uke, as the pliers will be extremely close to the wood, and marks in that area are very visible.

Always leave a good tail on the knot when fitting new strings - not too long, just enough.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Will try again the pliers trick, pulling parallel to the uke. Unfortunately there is not tail, the whole thing is tucked under the bridge. Would a photo help?

Before further damaging the instrument, take it to a professional. It can be forced out using the appropriate numbered drill bit and the appropriate use of a small mallet. It will cost you next to nothing. (perhaps exactly nothing) Remember, this is a Kamaka. You don't want to be replacing the bridge.

So I tried again and was able to get the string out. But I did somehow manage to damage the bridge, probably from the pliers (there is a dent now in the middle, not the typical string damage). But now I cannot get the new "e" string in! It seems to be too thick for the bridge. I don't get it, these are Kamaka strings on a Kamaka uke. This might be my last Kamaka.

I have some old dental picks I got 50 years ago, some curved. I use them regularly to "dig" out something or another. I've gotten a stuck knot or two out of a bridge. They are usually available at most Flea Markets and are relatively cheap. They come in various sizes and shapes. Some are quite "heavy duty" considering, some more delicate.

Thanks for the tip. Good to know. I attached some pictures of the bridge. I did it, so it's all good now!