Please lets survey just how flat the tops are on your ukulele's.

Now we have this stupid argument going on in three different threads. Enough already! Let it go and everybody go play your damn ukes, whether the tops are dished, bellied, flat, or have friggin feathers on them!
 
All this talk of dishes and big belly's is making me hungry. Eugenie, pass me my cake!
 
I'm trying to take a somewhat scientific approach to the problem here.

In Science the very first step is, Observe. I have observed bellies on my ukulele's but the sample size is still small. I would like us to cooperate to create a larger sample.

We can argue until the cow's come home but if no one has observed first then it means nothing of consequence. It wasn't right to place this survey in the other thread.

You can give your data in whatever form works for you to start with. If we have enough dedicated people then maybe we can be a little more specific but to start with check for a dip, or check for a belly and lets see what we get.

Anthony
 
There is strong interest in this thread judging by the view count. Some of you please be brave enough and put a straight edge across the tops of your ukulele's and see just how flat they are and let us know.

Here's an opportunity for experienced players and collectors to let newcomers know just what is "normal" for their ukulele's.

Anthony
 
My main uke has a slightly dished top (hard to see), this doesn't bother me at all. The top is thin, and is flexible enough.

I enjoy playing it and love its accompany.:)
 
Thank you for your input.

Keep them coming. Before we descend into further argument on the subject lets get some data first.

Anthony
 
Now we have this stupid argument going on in three different threads. Enough already! Let it go and everybody go play your damn ukes, whether the tops are dished, bellied, flat, or have friggin feathers on them!

Feathers would bad enough, but feathers actively engaged in friggin would not be tolerated on any of my uke tops.
 
my Martin C1K has a slight "belly"...
 
All four of my ukes have a belly behind the bridge and dishing between bridge and soundhole - one each of soprano, pineapple, concert and tenor.
 
I've just visited a local music store with a decent display of ukulele's and measured them with the consent of the shop staff. As these were all brand new instruments I wasn't expecting to see much of a belly or dip in any of them and overall they were pretty flat. What I'm going to describe bellow is all pretty minor or slight.

Concert size: over sound hole/ bellow bridge.
1,.....................flat.................flat
2......................flat.................slight rise
3......................flat.................slight rise
4......................flat...................flat
5.......................flat..................flat
tenor size
6.............slight dip..................slight dip
7................flat.......................slight dip
8..............flat.......................slight rise
9..............flat.......................slight rise
10,,,,,,,,,,,slight dip...................flat
11...........slight dip..................slight dip (times 3)
14............flat,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,slight dip
15.........slight dip...................slight rise
16........slight dip....................flat
17.........slight dip...................slight dip
18.........flat.............................flat
19.........flat...........................slight rise
Baritone
20..........flat.........................slight rise
Bass Ukulele
21............flat.......................slight rise.

So there is a quick survey of brand new ukulele's in a shop ranging in price from $100 to $600

Only a few that you would really call flat. I wasn't expecting to see a lot of rise in them although I was a little surprised to see how many of them had the bridge just a tad lower than the sides. Any of them and probably all of them will move over time.

Anthony
 
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I've had two ukes whose tops dished in front of the sound hole to what I decided was unacceptable degree...they each dished about 1/4" in a week or two from new with no sign of stabilising - tuning and intonation were adversely affected. The second was a warranty replacement for the first...I believe that they were from a poor batch from the manufacturer. I returned them both and I wasn't the only customer who did. The three ukes I currently have all exhibit a small amount of dishing, they're stable and play fine and I'm OK with it.
 
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Nobody expects them to be perfectly flat. They are wooden, what kind of perfection can you expect?

I think when most of us talk about "dishing", we're talking about something visible with the naked eye. Pick it up, look closely. Is it obviously distorted? This is dishing. Nobody could expect these to be perfectly flat from the factory.
 
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