Hamano H-100C new bridge?

Hi you all. I just got a concert Hamano (from a guy on ebay and he also had it on Flea Market)... I noted it has a tie bridge instead of the kind that requires the ball knots. This is different from all the ones I have seen on the net and I am curious if this is the new way for all of their new concerts or this is an anomaly. The action on this one is fine albeit not as low as on my soprano which has the older style bridge.

This is a fairly common bridge.

well the thing is that they normally have this bridge:

I just bought this same uke new 2 days ago and it has the knot style bridge in the photo above.

You like the tone and volume on this?
I like the new bridge. I see some reviews about cracking bridges in the ancient Hamano concert. Tension problems.... You can find by google.
Maybe this is the Hamano solution!

well I am wondering if that bridge doesn't raise the strings a bit. And I don't think they compensated by giving it a thicker fretboard. So, the action seems it could be lowered a tad but there is definitely no buzzing going on. I don't want to file on that saddle. I got it second hand, although it was bought new just a couple mos ago so I bought it for about 200. I don't know that I would want to pay three or four hundred for it. For Tone, Because it was second hand, it came with aquilas so has the aquila sound. I want to try it with Martins on it... maybe even Hilos. Then I could probably make a better judgement. So, the jury is still out. I should compare it to my Mele concert as far as tone and volume goes. I am on a trip right now so can't do it at the moment.

Yuk. I liked the old bridge.

I have a Hamano concert with the knot-style bridge. I love the extra-wide string spacing for fingerpicking. The tie bridge appears to give a more 'normal' spacing at the bridge.
Hamano may well have had problems with bridges popping off. I bought mine new, but with the bridge broken cleanly off. Glued it back on myself and its still holding 2 years later.

did you shine yours up? How did you do that? Oh I think mine are spaced wider than say an Ohana as the neck gets wider on this thing all the way down. Could you measure your strings distance on the saddle so I can compare for the database here? I can measure mine when I get home. Looks like your strings go all the way to the edges of the soundhole. Nice picture you got there!

Hi Huna,

The string spacing at the saddle is 51mm (2")
Yep, I wasn't so keen on the matte finish, so I buffed it out with fine metal polish paste. I think it was 'Peek' brand. Don't know if its available in the US, but I'm sure there are a variety of fine abrasive polishing compounds you could use.
Test it out first somewhere inconspicuous like the back of the headstock just in case.
The polishing was obviously a little easier as the bridge was off at the time.
I have some more photos here

OK so a major difference with the new bridge is the string spacing at the saddle is now 1 21/32 or 42mm. So theres 9mm difference in width on the saddle which is quite significant in my opinion.