New D style tenor

Hluth

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New D style tenor

This ukulele style was originally called a D style because the first one had Art Deco inspired trim. Then one of my customers said it looked like a Salvador Dali creation, and that stuck. It features a 2nd generation cantilevered saddle that I started using about a year and a half ago. The first saddles extended into the body and were angled for compensation. The problem was that it torqued the bridge unevenly which really didn’t have a great effect on the top, but I wanted an even pull. The newly designed bridge is taller and provides plenty of support’s without the saddle extending into the body, and is also set square with the compensation at the nut. The saddle also has two small adjustment screws on the bottom for adjusting height without the use of shims or need for a new saddle if a change in height is desired. The ukulele itself is flat sawn reclaimed ebony back and sides and reclaimed old-growth redwood top

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That's a very interesting saddle design, are the holes drilled at an angle to give them a break angle?
 
Freaking awesome jerry. What is the saddle made out of?

getting more excited for our build!
 
An incredibly classy looking instrument. Fabulous job
 
A very cool look on the compensated nut. First one I have ever seen. That's a very creative solution to allow a straight adjustable bridge.
 
compensating at the nut on a ukulele. hummmmm weird science. I'm going to have to think about how that works and why it would work the minute you barred the first fret.
 
compensating at the nut on a ukulele. hummmmm weird science. I'm going to have to think about how that works and why it would work the minute you barred the first fret.

It can be a little hard to wrap your mind around a compensated nut, but it’s just like a compensated saddle, only it’s at the other end of the string. (It doesn’t matter if the string length is compensated at the nut, saddle or both.) When you press down on a compensated string at the 1st fret it will compensate for greater string tension and play in tune instead of sharp. At this point, the string is vibrating between the 1st fret and the saddle and the nut is no longer part of what’s happening. The nut only gets involved when a string is played open.

Compensated nuts have been around for a long time and they’re most common on steel string guitars. They can be a little tricky to make if you use a slotted nut—much easier with a pinned nut.

The saddle slot is set at a 5 degree angle, and the string holes are also at 5 degrees.

The nut and saddle are aluminum. Lighter than bone, and they match the all-aluminum UPT tuners :).

More pictures below.

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Love the workmanship, style and innovation. Very cool. However, suggest you find a more elegant way to tie the strings through the saddle. Those knots with the string ends sticking up in all directions detract from all the good stuff. Only my opinion, feel free to ignore it.
Miguel
 
I wonder how a little micro piezo element stuck to that saddle would work for a pickup. Maybe hotter than hell ?? Worth a try. I think a couple manufacturers make tiny tiny violin pickups that could work.

Any comment on whether the aluminum saddle has any characteristic sound of its own? Have you compared to a bone saddle of the same configuration?
 
I'm thinking of routing a channel on the front surface of the saddle for a piezo strip, but haven't worked out the details yet. I have used bone, but on different ukuleles, so it's hard to tell how aluminum and bone compare. I think the new saddle applies more pressure and firmer contact than the downward pressure of a standard saddle, and that might help the overall sound, but that's hard to compare too.
 
I really dig your style Jerry and hope to own one of your fine instruments some day. That big D-Style 8-string Baritone I played at UWC last year sure was a joy to play. I also applaud your creativity and the way you keep trying new things.

Mahalo for sharing!
 
Nice work Jerry. I've seen the nut compensated for guitars as you mention. You are an innovator. I am wondering how piezo would work under you compensation screws? Piezo element has to be under flat surface. How do the set screws figure in? On the string nots thru the saddle, I would think a String-Tie (brand name) would clean that look up nicely. I have a set on my Pono and they work great. They are square pieces. There are other brands out there. when will the new D Style be available?
 
That's a very interesting saddle design, are the holes drilled at an angle to give them a break angle?

Beautiful instrument. I was wondering the same thing about the break angle. This could be a non-issue in practice, but ff the holes are in line with the strings it seems that the string could "float" in the hole some, robbing it of some energy. If, on the other hand, the holes are angled down the string would break over the lower edge -- just like on a normal saddle. At any rate I love the innovation and also the look of it.
 
Beautiful instrument. I was wondering the same thing about the break angle. This could be a non-issue in practice, but ff the holes are in line with the strings it seems that the string could "float" in the hole some, robbing it of some energy. If, on the other hand, the holes are angled down the string would break over the lower edge -- just like on a normal saddle. At any rate I love the innovation and also the look of it.

The saddle slot is angled at 4 degrees as are the string holes making a total of 8 degrees for the break angle. It's most likely slightly less if bridge rotation is factored in. The messy string ties were temporary, and just trimming them helps a lot.
 
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