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Hello,

What's the consensus on adding a bridge plate for a tenor uke? I'm usually using spruce or mahogany tops with fan bracing. Is it really needed? It it's skipped should the fan braces be maybe a little taller?

Brad

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I use them because my first uke plans all had them. I can't really give you a reason why or why-not. I don't mess with success, I guess

I use them and even my Cordoba tenor has one. But it has no fan braces. I am currently using three fans and a bridge plate.
Ed

I didn't use one on one of my first tenors. I wish I had, because the bridge area is twisting a little more than I would have liked. It took several years before it started happening though.

The bridge was quite narrow at 11/16. The top is .07 Koa and it has heavy fiddleback which I suspect might be at least some amount of factor.

Pat

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Pat

Cool, thanks. I'll stick with the plan. Was trying to avoid fiddling with getting them to notched out over the plate.

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I tend to use maple veneer running cross grain to protect the softer soundboard, but I use the HanaLima tie-through bridge.

Unkabob

I just put my bridge plate pieces around the braces. It seemed more intuitive because the braces are holding down the whole north south rotation thing and the plate is just spreading out the load a little.


Pat

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Pat

This works pretty well for cutting the reliefs in the braces for the bridge plate to pass through. I think it’s important for the plate to be continuous for stiffness across the top grain.

http://www.patfosterguitars.com/37hauser1/album/slides/DSC06833.html

The top surface of the vise jaws need to be flat and coplanar when closed. The slats of the spacer/jig are the same thickness as the plate. They gauge the amount the brace is raised above the tops of the jaws. Use the top of the jaws as a guide for the chisel and Bob’s your uncle.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Voice of dissent here.

Nix it unless you are using a pin bridge.
The bridge patch on a fan fret uke is there probably as a throwback to its cousin the classical guitar. The patch on the classical was there as a throwback to when they used pin bridges and wanted to protect the top.

Especially if you aren't making it much bigger than the bridge itself, it isn’t going to offer a lot in terms of rotational torque support.
So it is nothing but a huge pita.

Nix it

dl

I'd say yes to the bridge patch.

There are also tonal considerations with a bridge patch.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Noob question, as I'm new to building ukes and nylon stringed guitars... When you span the bridge plate with the fan braces, do you leave clearance, i.e., a gap underneath, or do you glue the braces to the bridge plate? (I spanned the bridge plate on the 2-3 ukes that I've built with fan braces, leaving a 1/32" gap, and they sound fine).
TIA,
Ken

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Ken, further up in the thread, Pat linked to his approach for cutting the notches. I’ve used that method a number of times and it works great (thanks, Pat!).

Using that approach the braces are notched the same height as the bridge plate and then glued directly to the surface of the plate.

I cannot say what might happen long term if there is a gap. Maybe nothing.

Hope that helps.

Brad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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