Anyone Install a 4-string Hardtail Bridge/Saddle on a Uke?

[knotscott]

The intonation on our Lanakai LU-21 isn't very good, so I've been considering trying to compensate a bit. I noticed that some of the Lanakai ukes have the TunaUke system, which lead to be wonder about installing a hardtail bridge. Anyone done it? Are some potential "gotchas" I should consider before attempting it?

 

[anthonyg]

Is the intonation going sharp or flat?

The simplest way to fix intonation is by compensating the nut. If the intonation is going sharp you can fix this by placing something like a matchstick on the fretboard up against the nut. This will flatten the intonation. If the intonation is going flat you will need to move the nut away from the frets. A little harder but still way easier than adjusting the bridge/saddle.

Anthony

 

[jer]

The intonation on our Lanakai LU-21 isn't very good, so I've been considering trying to compensate a bit. I noticed that some of the Lanakai ukes have the TunaUke system, which lead to be wonder about installing a hardtail bridge. Anyone done it? Are some potential "gotchas" I should consider before attempting it?

Safely getting the old bridge off without damage would require some skill for starters.. Beyond that, I don't see it being a good idea anyway. Electric style hardtail bridges mount by screwing down into wood. You'd likely have to figure out how to mount an additional piece of wood inside the uke body (underneath the top) to hold the screws that would need to reach down to that wood through the top. By the time you did that, you'd surely kill off a lot of the volume and resonance of the instrument. That type of bridge is going to be really heavy for a uke too. The holes on the bridge would need to be big enough to support nylon strings, whether they be through the body or top mount. The spacing of the saddles would also need to be correct for your instrument. Even if you can figure all that out, you'd be trading better intonation for worse acoustic sound quality I'd say. It doesn't seem worth it to me.

 

[70sSanO]

The easiest way, for me at least, is to compensate the saddle. If all the strings are flat or sharp, you can make a saddle that will fit into the slot, but be wider above it, like an inverted "L" or maybe even a "T" and then compensate for each string.

I have a ukulele where the saddle placement is off by over 1/8" and I have been using an inverted "L" shape saddle for years. I have used ebony, but I plan on taking the time and cut one out of bone. It is a time consuming endeavor. No loss of sound and the intonation is right on.

Usually adding mass to a saddle, like a tune-o-matic bridge, will negatively impact the sound on an acoustic instrument.

John