Here is a tricky party of the build. Every steel string electric ukulele I have seen uses a Fender Telecaster style bridge. I am build a Gibson style Uke… I want a Gibson SG Tune-a-matic style bridge and tailpiece. Nobody makes them for 4 string instruments. It is fundamental to the design as well. Fenders have straight necks, Gibsons have a slight angle on their necks. It is the way the bridge works that decides which way the neck should be.
I have bought 2 different types of bridge from Hong Kong using ebay. These were cheapest, I can study their design and draw up my own in CAD and see if I can find somewhere to make me some. Screws and fixings I can reuse from the ones I have bought. Here they are, the first set of pictures show the traditional 2 piece bridge. This one looks easiest to replicate, but of course, is 2 pieces and will take up more of the uke body.
This next one is a single piece version. It is more complicated but will save precious space on the face of the uke.
I am going to draw up both and send the drawings along with the parts away for machining.
If you can figure out the saddle compensation ahead of time, a “Les Paul Junior” wrap around may be easier to manufacture.
http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages2009/bridge_wraparound1.jpg
However you go, good luck!
John
Hey John.. .
My second bridge is a ‘wrap around’ but has adjustable saddles… I’m not really well read on production techniques for bridges, so I am going to leave the decision on how to machine it to the machinists… Many thanks for your input though 😉 I’m going to check them out.
J
Nice work, really like the look of this project and want to tackle something very similar soon myself. I would be interested in what you find out about the bridges/where you could get one made up. I like the look of the 2nd one you have something like that for a uke would be awesome.
Hi ptp..
Yeah they are tricky, but I am trying to get them made. I will be putting more info up here as time goes on with this project. If I really get stuck I will have to use a fender style bridge, but that is a bit too defeatist for me.