The first decent uke I made (walnut body, ash neck) is a nice enough looker, and has a good sound. However the mistakes I made on it became insurmountable. I drilled the peg holes in the wrong place, so the machineheads were upside down. I had not yet learned about compensated scales lengths, so the tuning went out as you left the nut. And the bridge was beginning to pull the body up as the bracing was inadequate.
I have now removed the bridge, removed the headstock veneer and filled the holes with ash dowels.
Then looking at it naked there, it began to remind me of my Hofner archtop and I thought wouldn't it be great to have a uke with a tailpiece and a floating bridge!
So I hunted around the charity and "£" shops in town eventually settling on a potato masher as the candidate for my tailpiece.
I only plan to use the central four 'tines' of the handle end of the masher, but it looks like it might work.
What do the experts think? I worry that the tailpiece might be a little too close to the bridge at the moment. I think I will make a cardboard copy and try out a few combinations before cutting.
Cheers
Max
I have now removed the bridge, removed the headstock veneer and filled the holes with ash dowels.
Then looking at it naked there, it began to remind me of my Hofner archtop and I thought wouldn't it be great to have a uke with a tailpiece and a floating bridge!
So I hunted around the charity and "£" shops in town eventually settling on a potato masher as the candidate for my tailpiece.
I only plan to use the central four 'tines' of the handle end of the masher, but it looks like it might work.
What do the experts think? I worry that the tailpiece might be a little too close to the bridge at the moment. I think I will make a cardboard copy and try out a few combinations before cutting.
Cheers
Max