BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
Had to install a couple of these so shot a few pictures of the procedure.
You will need a 1/2 inch hole for the input jack. I pilot drill this first with a 3.5mm bit because it's also the size I will use for the bridge. Then I use a step drill who's maximum size is that 1/2 inch. It will cut a nice clean hole that follows the pilot hole.
The bridge requires a hole on both sides of the saddle slot. At approximately 45 degrees at each end so the ribbon has an easy entry and exit from the saddle slot.
This is because the terminated end of the ribbon is inactive and it needs to be fed through the bridge enough to get an active area under the saddle. Sure sign that you haven'd done this right is the A string will sound dead when played throug an amp.
I make by saddles 4.0mm wide in part because it allows me to use a 3.5mm drill for the pickup ribbon. It's 3.2mm wide and makes threading it through the hole from the inside so much easier.
The pickup needs to have it's stop nut adjusted to fit the tail block. I use the brass rod to fit through the hole in the end block and clip the pickup to it through the sound hole. Pull it into place and determine if it's set correctly, or needs some adjustment.
Some fine copper wire is handy to feed through the hole in the saddle slot to attach to the ribbon. Some careful coaxing through the sound hole of the ribbon and gentle tugging on the copper wire will fish the ribbon through. Note that you will want to have the copper wire as close to the end of the ribbon as possible and exiting more or less in line with it.
And the ribbon in place in the saddle slot with a bit of the terminated side pushed through the opposite hole I drilled in the saddle slot.
You will need a 1/2 inch hole for the input jack. I pilot drill this first with a 3.5mm bit because it's also the size I will use for the bridge. Then I use a step drill who's maximum size is that 1/2 inch. It will cut a nice clean hole that follows the pilot hole.
The bridge requires a hole on both sides of the saddle slot. At approximately 45 degrees at each end so the ribbon has an easy entry and exit from the saddle slot.
This is because the terminated end of the ribbon is inactive and it needs to be fed through the bridge enough to get an active area under the saddle. Sure sign that you haven'd done this right is the A string will sound dead when played throug an amp.
I make by saddles 4.0mm wide in part because it allows me to use a 3.5mm drill for the pickup ribbon. It's 3.2mm wide and makes threading it through the hole from the inside so much easier.
The pickup needs to have it's stop nut adjusted to fit the tail block. I use the brass rod to fit through the hole in the end block and clip the pickup to it through the sound hole. Pull it into place and determine if it's set correctly, or needs some adjustment.
Some fine copper wire is handy to feed through the hole in the saddle slot to attach to the ribbon. Some careful coaxing through the sound hole of the ribbon and gentle tugging on the copper wire will fish the ribbon through. Note that you will want to have the copper wire as close to the end of the ribbon as possible and exiting more or less in line with it.
And the ribbon in place in the saddle slot with a bit of the terminated side pushed through the opposite hole I drilled in the saddle slot.