Martin OX Bamboo bridge problem?

remaininreverie

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I received a Martin OX bamboo today that I bought off of reverb. Amazing little ukulele. But I noticed that the bridge is tilted slightly towards the soundhole. I can feel a slight concave area in front of the bridge. Maybe a slight raised area below it. I added some photos but it's hard to capture. The angle is slight. Is this EVER normal? Maybe some top deflection is just fine?

This ukulele is made out of formica/HPL. I bought this as a travel uke. This thing is supposed to be a tank. It's hard to imagine that the soundboard is warped! I bought it from a reputable seller on Reverb based on many reviews. Any thoughts would be appreciated. First time poster and feeling pretty bummed.
 

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I own one of these, and the bridge angle you describe is present on mine as well. I think this is how Martin designed them. I do not detect a concave area on mine, but what you describe may be some slight dishing which can be completely normal. As long as the bridge does not appear lifted things should be fine. One way to check for a warped top leading to a lifted bridge, is to try slipping a very fine piece of paper (such as a sales receipt) under all edges of the bridge. The paper should not slip though if the bridge is intact.

Good luck! These are great travel ukes, and sound fantastic as well!

~Jodie
 
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I would not sweat it as it seems that is somewhat normal. As long as it is not a structural issue it should be fine. I agree these are great players
 
Yes, a very slight dip and rise in the soundboard is quite normal.

John Colter
 
I have one of these Martins. I bought it brand new a few years ago. There is a slight dip between the saddle and the sound hole. Maybe 1mm at the deepest.

I have a couple of high-end solid-wood ukuleles that also have a slight dip in this area. As long as the instrument sounds good and the intonation is good and the saddle is securely attached, I don't worry about it.
 
Had the same on mine, plus a crack in the bridge. It was brand new, but purchased online (shipped from far away). Since no more of the bamboo were available, I opted to get the crack repaired by warranty. Martin and the repair guy said the forward lean and slight dish were normal. It's been fine since.

I'm not sure these are tanks though. More durable than wood, yes. But not indestructible, and I'd be careful not to abuse it.

But I think your uke is fine.
 
That is normal for this particular model of uke. I've had my hands on a few and all were like that.
Also, as noted above they certainly aren't indestructible. Martin still recommends humidifying them when needed due to the solid wood bracing inside. They are tough ukes though I'd say. It's nice to now have to worry much over the HLP parts of it at least.
 
Y’all saved the day because I stopped by guitar center (closest Martin repair location within an hour) today and the repair tech told me he would return it. Coming home to this thread was a relief. No bridge lift. I checked with a sales receipt and it’s completely secure. It sounds amazing, intonation is solid and based on this being a common thing I’ll definitely be keeping it! And will be making sure to keep it humidified. The dip is minimal. I was most concerned with the idea of it slowly worsening but it doesn’t sound that’s the norm. Big thanks to everyone!
 
Y’all saved the day because I stopped by guitar center (closest Martin repair location within an hour) today and the repair tech told me he would return it. Coming home to this thread was a relief. No bridge lift. I checked with a sales receipt and it’s completely secure. It sounds amazing, intonation is solid and based on this being a common thing I’ll definitely be keeping it! And will be making sure to keep it humidified. The dip is minimal. I was most concerned with the idea of it slowly worsening but it doesn’t sound that’s the norm. Big thanks to everyone!

Glad all is well and you can now enjoy it! I humidify mine as well. Despite the uke being mostly laminate, the bridge, fingerboard and bracing inside are solid wood. Thus humidifying during dry climate months can’t hurt.

~Jodie
 
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