bridge preference ?

What style of string attachment [bridge type] do you prefer


  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .

strumsilly

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Just finished restringing a ukulele.I'm wondering what your favorite bridge style is?. not referring to shape, but the method of string attachment,

tie- you know, tie it around the bridge or use beads.

pin- you tie a knot and put it through a hole, then stick the pin in.

string through-just a string sized hole, the knot or bead is in the body

slot- you tie a knot and slide it through a slot cut into the bridge.

A m I missing some?

I know what my least favorite is as the uke I just restrung has it. But I don't want to bias my poll. I know there are advantages [and disadvantages to each type. what are your thoughts.Just finished restringing a ukulele.I'm wondering what your favorite bridge style is?. not referring to shape, but the method of string attachment,

tie- you know, tie it around the bridge or use beads.

pin- you tie a knot and put it through a hole, then stick the pin in.

string through-just a string sized hole, the knot or bead is in the body

slot- you tie a knot and slide it through a slot cut into the bridge.

m I missing some?

I know what my least favorite is as the uke I just restrung has it. But I don't want to bias my poll. I know there are advantages [and disadvantages to each type. what are your thoughts.
 
My response would be "anything but (not specifying it so as not to bias people)" - of the four in the poll, one is a dealbreaker for me, one I've never encountered, and the other two are equally okay by me :)
 
Let me just say, I don't care at all what kind of bridge I have. It's strictly cosmetic to me. I had a custom uke built and sent the builder this photo. I believe it's called a Gilbert Bridge, much more common with classical guitars than ukuleles. I think it looks very elegant.

Lanikai bridge.jpg

Here's how it came out.

DSCN0366.jpg
 
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I thought (not to bias anyone) was going to bomb in this poll, but it is my favorite and I hope that it's used more because it (not to bias anyone...insert word rocks or sucks here). My least favorite is (not to bias anyone), and although it is on most of my ukes, it really (only insert sucks here).
 
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I just changed the string tie on my Lanikai quilted ash to string through. Saw that on a uke at the U-Space Ukulele Expo and thought that it's a genius way of transferring the tension on the bridge from horizontal to vertical, and tighten the bridge to the top.

The only alternate I can think of is a tailpiece, like I just had done on a custom gypsy jazz style uke.

BWA gypsy done 1b.jpg
 
There are things to dislike about all four methods. String through can be hard to get started and sometimes hard to get out. Tie takes some practice to get right and you have to be careful. Slotted - it is easy to damage the high string slot. Pins sometimes hard to get out and sometimes hard to get to stay at first. Also pins break and get lost. I really hate pins but not enough that they are a deal breaker for me, but I avoid them if I have the choice. And what I really hate with vehemence is a tailpiece.
 
I'm going to go with tie. I was used to them on CG, I think they look classy if done well.

Slots are okay, don't have any strong feelings about them one way or the other and they're easy.

Not particularly fond of pins. I've had one fly out unexpectedly before. It could poke your eye out!

Never had a string thru, but I don't think I'd like having to fish the string out thru the soundhole.
 
Just finished restringing a ukulele.I'm wondering what your favorite bridge style is?. not referring to shape, but the method of string attachment,

tie- you know, tie it around the bridge or use beads.

pin- you tie a knot and put it through a hole, then stick the pin in.

string through-just a string sized hole, the knot or bead is in the body

slot- you tie a knot and slide it through a slot cut into the bridge.

A m I missing some?

I know what my least favorite is as the uke I just restrung has it. But I don't want to bias my poll. I know there are advantages [and disadvantages to each type. what are your thoughts.Just finished restringing a ukulele.I'm wondering what your favorite bridge style is?. not referring to shape, but the method of string attachment,

tie- you know, tie it around the bridge or use beads.

pin- you tie a knot and put it through a hole, then stick the pin in.

string through-just a string sized hole, the knot or bead is in the body

slot- you tie a knot and slide it through a slot cut into the bridge.

m I missing some?

I know what my least favorite is as the uke I just restrung has it. But I don't want to bias my poll. I know there are advantages [and disadvantages to each type. what are your thoughts.
I'm going with tie i find it the most secure. I don't like the slot style at all.
 
My real preference would be someone else do it for me, hate changing strings.
That could have been my answer, too. :eek:

Thing is, uke strings never break for me, unlike CG strings where one of the wound basses will typically come apart at a pressure point.

My poor Mainland has had the same set of Worth browns on it for so long that they have rough jaggies from the frets. (At least two years, probably more.) I know I need to replace them, but it still sounds good to my ears and there's always my Pono, my Kala, my Lehua, my Fluke...
 
I started this because of my frustration with changing the strings on my Martin tenor. I guess after a number of years they get loose. One kept popping out and flying across the room. I lost it once and found it under a bed. I think they are 'fiddly'. I never had a problem with just tying them on. I've also had string through, and while a little trickier, they are supposed to be more secure. Slots are ok but can get chewed up if the string slips through. I had a Kanilea with pins, and I like the look, but not the drama. my preference is tie. and so far, it's a clear winner.
 
I like the three-hole-per-string setup on my LFdM *shrug*

ukaferri1.jpg
 
I think they are 'fiddly'.

One of several reasons why I'll probably never own a vintage Martin tenor even though I really like them - those pins are an absolute dealbreaker for me.

When I got my first uke as a kid, my dad made me learn how to change strings right away. Now I can do it in something like 5 minutes or less; it's become almost a game for me. There was a time when I used to gladly change strings for my less-experienced newbie uker friends, except if they had pin bridges - then I'd tell them to pay the shop the $20 fee and have them do it, because I wouldn't touch those things for any amount of money :)
 
Is a string-through design, in essence, the same as a pin bridge, just without the pins?

I ask because the survey shows String Through with about 33% more "likes" than Pin, yet they are about the same thing (minus the first and last steps, tweaking out and shoving in the pins), is that correct?
 
The string through I recently did was drilling four holes through the bridge and the top, then feeding the string into a hole, grabbing it from the sound hole, slipping on a plastic washer, tie a double or triple knot, then pull the string back up the hole and tighten on the tuners. Very simple, took about 30 minutes to accomplish and now changing will be a snap.

Bridge string thru.jpg
 
Thanks for this poll. I didn't realize how much other people dislike the pinned bridges. On another thread someone commented that they wished the modern Martin's had pinned bridges like the old ones did, and my responsive thought was that the pinned bridges were the worst feature of the old Martins. I didn't post it and no one responded to that. It's an issue I have with Kanilea and Islander too.

Compared to guitar strings, changing uke strings is easy. I must like to do it because I'm doing it all the time, just to see how different strings sound.
 
For smaller ukes, I build with the string through bridge design. For larger ukes I will use a pin bridge. If the pins fit the bridge hole properly (which most don't for various reasons), the pins are easy to remove or install and they hold the string securely into the small slot the string is suppose to fit into. When a pin bridge is made right and use correctly, you can actually remove the pins from the bridge while the uke is tuned up to pitch and the strings will stay put without any fear of them poping out. For some reasons, this process gets botched up because the bridges are not made correctly or people are not understanding how to install the string. Many imports do not have the small slot cut into the bridge and top plate so the string gets wedged into the hole by forcing the pin to hold it in place. This will not work. If this is the problem for your uke, get it fixed, any good luthier will know what to do.
 
Although I prefer the ease of changing strings on a tie bridge I'm surprised at the lack of love for pin bridges. I do really like pin bridges, maybe coming from guitar makes pins seem so normal. There really is no downside that I can see.
 
I voted slot as I prefer the look of that bridge and have yet to experience any problems with them. I am a soprano player and really dislike the look of a tie bridge on a soprano, nearly as much as I dislike geared tuners on them!
 
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