Compensated Saddle

franulele

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
232
Reaction score
0
Location
Vermont (it's a state)
I've been playing my Kiwaya KS-1 (laminate soprano) lately, and besides the fact that it sounds great for a laminate and has lovely low action, this little uke with its compensated has GREAT intonation! Just for kicks, I inserted a different saddle, and it became an ordinary sounding ukulele. Put the compensated saddle back in, and presto chang-o back to a fabulous sounding uke!

So, if a compensated makes such a big defference in the intonation & overall sound of the uke, why aren't compensated saddles more readily available? I'd like to have compensated saddles on all my ukes!




Maybe this thread belongs in the Luthier section?
 
The difference in sound quality you're finding is probably not because the saddle is "compensated".

The quality (material) of the saddle is probably VERY good at transferring the string vibration to uke.
 
I should have mentioned that the non compensated saddle was made of bone, and the compensated one is dark brown plastic (or at least that's what I think it is).

I remember learning from my college marching band director that playing loudly in tune was actually much more powerful than playing extremely loudly but out of tune, because the soundwaves are all synced (sp?) up when you're in tune. So I'm wondering if if that's the case with uke intonation.

Still wishing that compensating saddles were more readily available 'cause I don't want to make my own!
 
Last edited:
I just noticed this on my Cordoba concert (25ck). The saddle noticeably slants down from G to A.

I love the sound of that ukulele. I suspect that owes more to the solid acacia coupled with Worth BTs, but the action is so perfect for me that I wished all my ukes had that action.

I know a lot of people shave their saddles. For the untrained, would it inadvisable to attempt this sort of compensation?
 
Typically, compensating is a labor intensive project, depending on personal tastes in strings and setup after it's sold, not something you can really buy premade. Probably why you don't see it done on factory Ukes.
 
Typically, compensating is a labor intensive project, depending on personal tastes in strings and setup after it's sold, not something you can really buy premade. Probably why you don't see it done on factory Ukes.

Oscar Schmidt's professional series ukes have compensated saddles and so do Applause ukes. There are a few other ukes with compensated saddles, too, but many Chinese-made ukes do not feature them.
 
WaverlyStreet ukes come with compensated saddles. I'm not experienced enough to tell how much difference it makes but a bluegrass playing buddy of mine was impressed.
 
Top Bottom