Compensating a Saddle

Ahnko Honu · Apr 17, 2009

I recently purchased a new soprano Koa Pili Koko solid acacia wood ukulele. They come with a rosewood nut and saddle. I'm leaving the nut alone for now but since a have a bone guitar saddle to shape down I want to replace the existing rosewood saddle. Is there a real noticeable differance if I compensate the saddle? Is there a online tutorial outlining the steps to compensating a bone saddle? Is compensation really needed on a soprano ukulele? Mahalo for your kokua. :shaka:

Spooner · Apr 17, 2009

Ahnko Honu said:
I recently purchased a new soprano Koa Pili Koko solid acacia wood ukulele. They come with a rosewood nut and saddle. I'm leaving the nut alone for now but since a have a bone guitar saddle to shape down I want to replace the existing rosewood saddle. Is there a real noticeable differance if I compensate the saddle? Is there a online tutorial outlining the steps to compensating a bone saddle? Is compensation really needed on a soprano ukulele? Mahalo for your kokua. :shaka:

I dont know if this helps but here goes:

http://www.lutherie.net/saddle_angle.html

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 17, 2009

You didn't mention what the intonation is currently like. If it's pretty close, minor intonation adjustments can be made on the saddle, by filing the high edge of the crown either forward or backward. This will effectively increase or decrease the scale length for a particular string. Never mind the link Spooner posted (sorry Spooner). While you sometimes see bridges with compensated saddles on tenors, and often on baritones, and almost always on guitars, I've never seen one on a soprano. On a scale as short as a soprano, it's not as critical.
On a side note: I'm off to sit the ukulele show at the Merrie Monarch festival. This is the last day, we tear it down tonight. We had 26 ukes represented from our builders guild. Very nice show. Mahalo to those who came out.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 17, 2009

oooops, forgot. My point in bringing up the ukulele show was to mention that we have one member who builds "old school" and uses nothing but either ebony or rosewood for his nuts and saddles. I'm not saying that it is this alone, but his ukes are always amongst the best sounding of the bunch.
Just something to think about............

Ahnko Honu · Apr 17, 2009

Aloha Chuck, Mahalo for the input, since it's a soprano I'll pass on the compensating for now, just use straight bone and radius the edge.
Wife and I have been watching Merry Monarch Festival on TV, always a treat, wish we still lived Big Island.

GX9901 · Apr 17, 2009

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
You didn't mention what the intonation is currently like. If it's pretty close, minor intonation adjustments can be made on the saddle, by filing the high edge of the crown either forward or backward. This will effectively increase or decrease the scale length for a particular string. Never mind the link Spooner posted (sorry Spooner). While you sometimes see bridges with compensated saddles on tenors, and often on baritones, and almost always on guitars, I've never seen one on a soprano. On a scale as short as a soprano, it's not as critical.
On a side note: I'm off to sit the ukulele show at the Merrie Monarch festival. This is the last day, we tear it down tonight. We had 26 ukes represented from our builders guild. Very nice show. Mahalo to those who came out.

Chuck, I've seen some sopranos with compensated saddles. Kiwaya's KTS series has compensated saddles and some luthiers such as Dave Means of Glyph compensates the saddle on their sopranos.

I personally kind of wonder about how much saddle compensation helps intonation because I have a cigar box uke that has a diagonal saddle (like a guitar) that was setup low-G. I re-strung it with a high-G string and it still has perfect intonation on that string (as measured by a digital tuner). I do like compensated saddles though. I think they look cool.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 18, 2009

I think it's pointless on something as small as a soprano. The only way to be close to !00% accurate is to compensate for each string individually for a particular set of strings. Change brands of strings or adjust your action and you're off a couple of cents again.

Spooner · Apr 18, 2009

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Never mind the link Spooner posted (sorry Spooner).

No problem bruddah Chuck. I don't expect people to pay me much mind any way.

But I will reiterate........LOVE DEM MBU'S!!!!!!!!!! :shaka:

Compensating a Saddle

Ahnko Honu

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Spooner

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Moore Bettah Ukuleles

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Moore Bettah Ukuleles

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Ahnko Honu

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GX9901

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Moore Bettah Ukuleles

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Spooner

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