Lowering the Bridge on a Tenor Uke - Good or Bad?

Nic_wg

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I am thinking of lowering the Bridge in my Kala Tenor Uke to make obtaining some of the notes in the 1st/2nd fret that much easier to get cleanly. I'm elderly with weak fingers and they struggle. I'm fine with my Soprano UKe though.

Has anybody tried this and can give me their thoughts on whether this is a good idea or not. And any recommendations they may have. (I gather the Washburns all have non slope strings.)

Thanks.
 
I'm presuming that you mean the saddle (the white plastic bit that the strings stretch over)
I've done this many times to improve playability.
It's probably the easiest modification you could do yourself. Just be careful to sand down the saddle in small stages - it's easier to take it off than to put it back on. That means putting the saddle back in and re-tuning the strings a few times to check what effect you're having.
Also, keep checking to make sure that the bottom edge stays level.
Good luck!
 
Last edited:
If you are looking to make it easier to fret at the first and second fret you are talking about lowering the slots in the nut. You will find that it will not only be easier to play, it will sound better because if the nut is high enough to be difficult to play it is definitely affecting intonation on the first few frets.

You don't absolutely have to have a file like the one from StewMac but it does make the job much easier. If you're only going to do the one uke there are other things you can use like 400-grit wet-or-dry paper wrapped around the back edge of a thin hacksaw blade, for example.

John
 
Nut first, then saddle, if needed. If you adjust the nut slots for good intonation at the first couple of frets, the strings will be lower than when you started. It will sound better & play easier.
On my Kala tenor (KA-T), I stopped there. There is not a lot of plastic saddle there to sand, only about 1.5 mm. The Kala baritone has only about 2 mm. to work with, & I adjusted only its nut as well. Same with the soprano.
I suggest that you do 2 things. Do a bit more study/reading here so that you have some understanding of why slots have angles, depths, and widths, & what changes take place when a bridge is made higher or lower.

That part is painless. My second suggestion is, too, I hope. Exercises. Hand and finger. Warming things up will help decrease pain while playing. I have also found that picking a couple of barre chords that you can do, and playing them up & down the neck a few times, a few times a day will strengthen your hand in a week of this. Hardest to barre is the first fret, because of the high slots. More slot adjustment will help, if there is room left to do it. (That's what you want to read about)
Just for the record, I'll be 70 this year, & have been playing since 1960.

Best of luck. The set up is worth it.
 
Nic,

First, be certain we're all on the same page regarding uke parts nomenclature: If the action (i.e., distance between top of fret wire and bottom of string) is already correct at the top of the neck, filing down your nut slots might only serve to introduce unwanted buzzing. If the action at the frets nearest the soundhole seems high (and that's why you're interested in lowering the saddle, which is inset into the bridge), you won't gain much if any lowering of strings at the 1st and 2nd frets by reducing saddle height, and you might also introduce buzzing (which can result from too-low action, causing strings to vibrate against frets after strumming).

Because you say you're elderly with weak fingers, I'd recommend consulting a reputable stringed-instrument technician at a guitar shop. A simple action adjustment by a pro can cost as little as $20, from my experience.
 
Last edited:
Weak fingers might benefit from tuning your tenor down to Bb. That's F,A#,D, and G. This provides a significant reduction in string tension, and could also produce a more resonant sound from your tenor.
 
Thanks - that's really helpful. Much appreciated.
 
Interesting idea. I will investigate - thank you.
 
Thanks for input. Am aware of causing buzzing which I would definitely want to avoid. May use a proper technician - just wasn't sure whether the whole idea was good or not!!
 
Lowering an action is good. Someone who's played Ohta San's and Benny Chong's ukulele told me they buzz in the open position. That's extreme but since they don't play open strings too often, I assume it's ok.
 
Top Bottom