Saddle Replacement

Jerryc41

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When I put Ratio tuners on my Vita Uke, the saddle somehow got lost. I didn't see a source for a replacement online, so I looked at what I had on hand. Fortunately, it was plain and straight, so I didn't have to duplicate a compensated saddle. I had four spare saddles, but only one was the same length as the bridge.

The slot in the bridge is very narrow, so I had to do a lot of sanding to get it thin enough to fit. Also, the slot isn't perfectly straight. The saddle would slide part way in, but I had to sand it thinner to slide it completely through. I knew that if I forced it, I would break the bridge. There are two tiny white pins that go through the bridge and into the top, so I had to notch the saddle to allow room for them. After getting it to slide through, I had to do a lot more sanding to get the action lower. It was a good project while I was watching TV, but the movie was from China, so I had to read the closed captions.

I suppose I should check the angle of the top of the saddle, but that's a future project. I could tune it, and it sounds nice.

We take little things like saddles for granted, but losing one can create problems.
 
When I put Ratio tuners on my Vita Uke, the saddle somehow got lost. I didn't see a source for a replacement online, so I looked at what I had on hand. Fortunately, it was plain and straight, so I didn't have to duplicate a compensated saddle. I had four spare saddles, but only one was the same length as the bridge.

The slot in the bridge is very narrow, so I had to do a lot of sanding to get it thin enough to fit. Also, the slot isn't perfectly straight. The saddle would slide part way in, but I had to sand it thinner to slide it completely through. I knew that if I forced it, I would break the bridge. There are two tiny white pins that go through the bridge and into the top, so I had to notch the saddle to allow room for them. After getting it to slide through, I had to do a lot more sanding to get the action lower. It was a good project while I was watching TV, but the movie was from China, so I had to read the closed captions.

I suppose I should check the angle of the top of the saddle, but that's a future project. I could tune it, and it sounds nice.

We take little things like saddles for granted, but losing one can create problems.

Jerry, you fiddle so much with ukes I think you'd find it immensely satisfying to take a short luthier's course. I bet you would come up with some interesting ideas for a build before even arriving.
 
Jerry, you fiddle so much with ukes I think you'd find it immensely satisfying to take a short luthier's course. I bet you would come up with some interesting ideas for a build before even arriving.

If there was something offered locally for a reasonable price, I might do it. Then I could make a fortune building custom ukes. :D
 
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