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I am making a couple of tenor ukuleles. The Martin GAL plans I have are for a 12 fret body join but I plan to build to a 14 fret body join. The plan has a 17" scale which I will leave alone so I will move the bridge toward the sound hole. I am going to use the plans 3 brace fan. My other thought was to move the 2 outer tone bars out a bit so they would pass under the bridge the same as shown in the 12 fret GAL plans I have.

Am I on the correct path in moving forward with this?

Thanks

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

This may be a dumb question but have redesigned the neck yet?
The Hana Lima plan calls for the outside tone-bars to be tight to the ends of the bridge-patch and the center tone-bar to jump over the bridge-patch (snuggly). I tend to jump over the bridge-patch, more from habit than for any reason.
Remember, the bridge is the last piece to be glued in place, measure it EXACTLY.

Good luck

Bob

Thanks Bob, I do have a layout for a 14 fret to the body neck. I plan to glue on the bridge after the guitar is assembled and finished, like I do my guitars. I will place the bridge patch correctly and use it to help place the outside tone bars.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

John-you are on the right path....been there...12 to 14 fret, adjust fans to bridge wings, soundhole, f.b. extension....minor adjustments. I find 14 fret fuller sound as more balanced placement of bridge at lower bout....have fun!!! Doug

I took a page from Bogdonovichs book. Took an old Uke I had and made a stick that fits exactly between the nut and saddle. It gives me the exact measurements for the frets as well as the scale length. Not really much room for error using it. I just drilled a hole in it covered it with a couple coats of shellac and hung it on the wall where it awaits the next use. Just a thought.


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Yes, what you describe is what I do. Bridge closer to the Soundhole and adjust the outside braces so that the wings of the bridge are coupled with those braces.

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Kevin Mason
Mason Guitars and Ukuleles on Facebook
http://masonguitars.net

I use the Stewmac fret calculator and work in millimeters. I have found that if I am correct to half a millimeter (20 thou), I am accurate enough.

Bob

I feel the same about the mm's but use the stick for expediency. Very accurate as well as long as your carefull making it.


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Speaking of bridge patches ...

Are they needed? I'm used to building classical guitars and I don't tend to use them.

I'm building my first two ukes right now - both tenors, the second one for a client and the first to investigate just how badly I'm doing it before I do the second one for the client. I don't immediately need a bridge patch as reinforcement
for bridge pins as I'm going to use bridges with tie blocks like a classical. Is there anything important about the bridge patch to the sound? I look and look at the plans and everything seems so over-braced.

I'm doing sort of the opposite of John - starting with the Hana Lima 14 fret plan and doing the 12 fret version. All fretted guitar-like things should have 12 frets to the body, no?? Oh well. :^)

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

John, I did something similar with a mandolin (still under construction). I don't think you'll have any trouble at all moving braces, bridge, etc. I ran into a little situation with mine, because I re-used a mold made for a twelve fret mandolin with a cutaway. When I extended the neck to 14 frets, this necessarily changed the side taper of my neck slightly. In my case, it's okay. My mando is for me, and the difference in taper is very slight. The difference in string spacing is very slight--especially away from the body. With the cutaway, I was locked in to the neck width where it met the body. Without a cutaway mold, this wouldn't have been an issue at all. You will want to keep that in mind as you plan your neck taper.

If you use string through bridges, then you had better use a bridge patch. If a tie block bridge, then depending on how it's braced, then you could go without it.

Many plans call for a bridge patch that is overkill when paired up with the fan braces. Especially in tenors. However, if what you are building doesn't have fan braces, like most concerts and virtually all sopranos, then a bridge patch is absolutely necessary.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
Facebook
Cairns, Australia

Using fan bracing. I think I'll forgo the patch.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I built two ukuleles together one with and one without. They both worked out well. They both had tie on bridges.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

It's worth noting that David (Kawika) Hurd used very thin carbon fiber bridge plates on all of his ukuleles. The idea was to reduce or prevent top cracks by more evenly distributing string tension across the top and to counteract shrinking/expanding stress in the wood. I don't remember for certain, but I think he exclusively used tie-on bridges.

Did you notice any obvious differences in tone or volume?

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I can not really say as there were other changes, different top and back and side wood: adi\bearclaw sitka, Koa\Rosewood. So I could not really tell anything obvious with that change.

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I always use a thin mahog or spruce patch , whether it/s a pin or Cl style bridge . Cheap insurance. Bridges on ukes do come flying off.Don/t kid yourself there is a lot of tension on ukes depending on scale length .bracing top thickness ,bridge hickness, bridge patch, . FB, etc. My favorite for a balanced sound is a walnut bridge. Have built abt 25 ukes

Why would a bridge patch on the inside affect the tendency for a bridge to pull off the outside (assuming a tie-block classical-style bridge.)?

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu