greenscoe
Well-known member
This is the third in a series about using a floating bridge on a uke. In the first post I asked why we don’t see ukes with a floating bridge:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...we-tie-the-strings-to-the-bridge-on-a-ukulele
In the second, I showed a tenor instrument made using an Ammoon kit, replacing the top with one made from Engelmann spruce and braced for a floating bridge:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...78-A-flat-topped-tenor-with-a-floating-bridge
Here’s another floating bridge tenor, again based on a cheap Ebay kit, but with a new top. I’ve also introduced a second element. Instead of starting with a soundboard that’s stiff along the grain and weak across it, I’ve made a soundboard that before bracing is equally stiff in all directions. Since the strings apply only downward force at the bridge, the bracing is designed to support the soundboard equally in all directions.
The soundboard is constructed from 8 segments, all with their grain pointing to the centre of the soundboard, directly under the bridge. Scraps of sapele were used which were mostly not perfectly quarter sawn. The soundboard was thinned to 1.8mm.
2 curved spruce braces and a go bar deck were used to introduce a slight dome to this soundboard. The 60mm diameter bridge patch is in 4 pieces set around these braces but note the grain on each is across the grain of the segments to strengthen and unify the centre of the soundboard. The segment joints were reinforced with a single cleat.
In order to put the bridge at the centre of the soundboard, the lower transverse brace was moved towards the neck, necessitating the use of 2 smaller soundholes.
So how does the instrument sound? It’s possibly the loudest conventional shaped tenor I’ve made. Comparing it with 6 other conventional tenors with sapele tops I’d say it sounds similar but it definitely has a lot more bass. Sustain is also similar. It has a quick percussive response great for strumming but needs a gentler touch when picking. I’m not claiming it to be the best sounding uke I’ve ever made, but it’s certainly no lemon.
As always this was fun project. I wonder whether anyone else has tried a segmented soundboard on either a uke or guitar?
Summarising the 3 posts, I reckon there’s no reason not to make a uke with a floating bridge. There is enough downward force on the saddle to produce a loud instrument using a normal thickness soundboard. Based on the 2 floating bridge instruments that I have produced, for me the difference is in the way they play rather than the way they sound.
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...we-tie-the-strings-to-the-bridge-on-a-ukulele
In the second, I showed a tenor instrument made using an Ammoon kit, replacing the top with one made from Engelmann spruce and braced for a floating bridge:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...78-A-flat-topped-tenor-with-a-floating-bridge
Here’s another floating bridge tenor, again based on a cheap Ebay kit, but with a new top. I’ve also introduced a second element. Instead of starting with a soundboard that’s stiff along the grain and weak across it, I’ve made a soundboard that before bracing is equally stiff in all directions. Since the strings apply only downward force at the bridge, the bracing is designed to support the soundboard equally in all directions.
The soundboard is constructed from 8 segments, all with their grain pointing to the centre of the soundboard, directly under the bridge. Scraps of sapele were used which were mostly not perfectly quarter sawn. The soundboard was thinned to 1.8mm.
2 curved spruce braces and a go bar deck were used to introduce a slight dome to this soundboard. The 60mm diameter bridge patch is in 4 pieces set around these braces but note the grain on each is across the grain of the segments to strengthen and unify the centre of the soundboard. The segment joints were reinforced with a single cleat.
In order to put the bridge at the centre of the soundboard, the lower transverse brace was moved towards the neck, necessitating the use of 2 smaller soundholes.
So how does the instrument sound? It’s possibly the loudest conventional shaped tenor I’ve made. Comparing it with 6 other conventional tenors with sapele tops I’d say it sounds similar but it definitely has a lot more bass. Sustain is also similar. It has a quick percussive response great for strumming but needs a gentler touch when picking. I’m not claiming it to be the best sounding uke I’ve ever made, but it’s certainly no lemon.
As always this was fun project. I wonder whether anyone else has tried a segmented soundboard on either a uke or guitar?
Summarising the 3 posts, I reckon there’s no reason not to make a uke with a floating bridge. There is enough downward force on the saddle to produce a loud instrument using a normal thickness soundboard. Based on the 2 floating bridge instruments that I have produced, for me the difference is in the way they play rather than the way they sound.