restringing through the sound board

garyg

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I bought a uke a few months ago and I noticed that it has an unusual bridge and restringing method. You thread the string through the bridge into the body of the uke, grab the string through the sound hole, put a bead on the end of the string, tie a knot and then cinch everything up. It basically seems like you need an endoscope to do this and I'm wondering if there's a simpler way besides groping around the small sound hole with a long tweezers and a small flashlight? What is the purpose of such an arcane stringing method - does it produce much better sound? Enquiring minds want to know. TIA, g2
 
The purpose is that when the strings are tightened they transmit their force directly to the bottom of the bridgeplate and then to the soundboard. The resulting stress is compressive. Tie-on strings exert tension on the bridge, stressing the glue. Most ukes have no problem with this but sometimes bridges pop off from the string tension.

I am not sure how all this affects the sound, in any uke the strings pull forward and down on the saddle.

I actually built a cigar box uke and used the string-through method, it is fairly easy to grab the strings through the two small sound holes.

I suggest making a wire with a hook on one end to grab the string - push a lot of string in to make it coil a bit and then hook it. But I have never had to resort to this, I have gotten the strings with my fingers every time.
 
The purpose is that when the strings are tightened they transmit their force directly to the bottom of the bridgeplate and then to the soundboard. The resulting stress is compressive. Tie-on strings exert tension on the bridge, stressing the glue. Most ukes have no problem with this but sometimes bridges pop off from the string tension.

I am not sure how all this affects the sound, in any uke the strings pull forward and down on the saddle.

I actually built a cigar box uke and used the string-through method, it is fairly easy to grab the strings through the two small sound holes.

I suggest making a wire with a hook on one end to grab the string - push a lot of string in to make it coil a bit and then hook it. But I have never had to resort to this, I have gotten the strings with my fingers every time.

What Pondoro said...

My Talsma (middle sig) is the same way and it was a pain until I found a system.

I hold the uke upside down (headstock to ground) and push a ton of string in and let gravity do the work. The strings will show up eventually. I also use little beads. I thread them onto the string, tie my knot or 2 so they don't come loose or pull through, cut off the excess so there is no unwanted buzzing, and then pull the whole string back through the bridge and onto the tuner peg.

Hopefully it's not too confusing.

Oh, and the beads add weight to make finding the strings easier when it's time to change.

4 minutes into this video I kind of explain the process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaU1Lw-zVwk
 
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Ryan, thanks for the info and great link, man you rock and I see that your original reaction to this method of stringing was the same as mine. ciao baby, g2
 
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