Setup Now-fully-repaired Famous (Kiwaya laminate) FU-120P

[Oldscruggsfan]

Originally, I mistakenly posted this thread at Luthier's Lounge and will now delete it from that forum.

I plan to replace the pulling-away and partially-broken bridge on a Famous (Kiwaya laminate) FU120 Pineapple uke and am seeking expert guidance:
1. On the original bridge pictured here, the G-slot to A-slot span is 40mm. Should I worry about finding a replacement bridge with that same slot span, or will any soprano-spec bridge work?
2. Initial online research indicates that the least-costly CONUS source to buy a bridge that most closely resembles the one originally installed by Kiwaya is Mainland Ukes. I'm about a 90 minute drive from Uke Republic but don't see a "parts" section on their webpage. I've emailed Kiwaya but am not holding my breath on a timely response, particularly in regard to a model they apparently no longer manufacture.
Please PM if I'm mistaken about Mainland or if you have a similar bridge you're willing to sell (either new or used).

Thank you,
Clark

 

[Graham Greenbag]

It’s your choice to delete your post but to my mind it’s wasn’t doing any harm there and it was interesting to read the whole story.

Is this a valuable instrument that really should have an original type bridge or is it a player that just needs to work? I don’t know, but the answer might add direction and some evaluation of costs versus benefits.

Here in the UK I’ve looked for slotted bridges but found none so, pretty much short of making one I’d be forced to buy and adapt what’s readily available. On one cheap Soprano, that I’ve since gifted to a charity Uke group, I replaced the bridge. The replacement bridge that I used was a tie bar type with wide string spacing, wide string spacing was hard to find but worth the trouble - I’d do it again. That bridge originally had ’wings‘ each side and I cut them back to near flush with the main body, I don’t think that a winged wide bridge is needed on a Soprano and perhaps that replacement was intended/sold for a Tenor size.

Maybe you could do similar (to what I did above) but use hot hide glue / gelatine glue so that the ‘repair’ can be easily reworked with another ‘better’ bridge later - if so desired.

ps. Your photo wasn’t showing - well not to me - at the time of writing this reply.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

GG- Thanks for responding. I was remiss for not including some background info. This uke was given to me by another UU member who received it by accident (it was in a case he purchased which arrived with an old and lightly damaged pineapple uke inside). Monetarily, it's definitely not a valuable instrument. Emotionally, I really like the pineapple shape which is my basis for wanting the bridge appearance and the corresponding intonation to be as good as possible. Mainland Ukes offers a slot-style (knot-end) bridge but it's not quite the same profile.

Digressing- did the photo fail to show up in my OP? EDIT - Please forgive the silly question, here's another try. Note the fairly large wood screw between the C and E strings, which was presumably a previous owner's understandable but misguided attempt to remedy the loose bridge. I have yet to determine whether that screw has pulled forward & damaged / cracked the bridge plate.

 

[TerryM]

Would it be impossible to repair that existing bridge? Can't see where it's broken in the picture.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Would it be impossible to repair that existing bridge? Can't see where it's broken in the picture.

Thanks for the guidance.
I've considered a repair and may actually do it. For now, I'm just exploring options.
Bridge has pulled apart from itself immediately above its base in at least two places (look closely at the base between the G and C slots and the E and A slots). My first hunch is that the bridge was super-glued to the sound board & string pressure actually caused the wood to break which seems like far more pressure than FC or nylon should have exerted.
That leads to my second hunch which is that some previous owner used metal strings. But, even if that were the case, I would have expected that degree of pressure to have pulled out a chunk of the soundboard (or at least a chunk of the paper-thin, wood-look laminate) along with the bridge rather than this.

This probably qualifies as "TMI" but my longer-term plan is to convert this to a string-through bridge which (assuming the bridge plate is structurally sound and reasonably hard wood) should prevent this from recurring.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

GG- Thanks for responding. I was remiss for not including some background info. This uke was given to me by another UU member who received it by accident (it was in a case he purchased which arrived with an old and lightly damaged pineapple uke inside). Monetarily, it's definitely not a valuable instrument. Emotionally, I really like the pineapple shape which is my basis for wanting the bridge appearance and the corresponding intonation to be as good as possible. Mainland Ukes offers a slot-style (knot-end) bridge but it's not quite the same profile.

I note the difference in profile and find the Mainland bridge here: https://mainlandukes.com/store/ols/products/bridge . To me the Mainland bridge is too uncertain an option, but if there were dimensions then I’d look again at it.

I too love the pineapple shape. In the past I have had a Lanikai LU-21P - wish I’d had space to keep it - and for many years I have had a much loved - and very similar - Kala KA-P. Both of those Pineapple Sopranos have tie-bar rather than slotted bridges and they look perfectly fine that way.

As the instrument has negligible monetary value I’d look for a wide string spaced tie-bar bridge and, with modification suggested in my earlier post, fit that. My instinct is that such a (tie-bar) bridge will give you a stronger repair (which is probably important), my experience is that they work well, and I - as a bonus - anticipate that their ‘footprint’ will cover any existing cosmetic damage.
Edit. Check this listing out and read the written description for string spacing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/204314099607?hash=item2f9211bf97:g:doEAAOSwiYZj6uHQ&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwK2nX81BZWpA3w/FrWzvsOucZ2fpZ9g4ihF0MPkcYVSjuv0+JaAYh6DA4KidHRQdvJ8K7SKTHRbjXvh8g+6+ISNnhYUm3G8D5DhDhZbt0Rkx55DEr4YviDe1fkrjcTllJLNCAXLNutvpT9j8W1T84jtlACKzbQlMa8YO3BuJMyTG9f8iqhgDYszyvG5K6YEHIbIJSBUqxIGdWSUIz/2kYEMqbvxwRNlA/e2NTY3isun/EFdVUcIOx+ahqEn4GmLH9Q==|tkp:Bk9SR7Dl3L-pYg
I’d make my own bone saddle to suit.

Obviously other repair schemes are possible, I have two further alternatives in mind but think that the above will most likely give the better and more certain result.

String compensation is always a tricky issue; 2 - 3 mm to the crest (centre) of an uncompensated saddle seems about right to me, but you might like to check out some threads on here and then form your own view.

 

[TerryM]

↑ Yes ↑

Or, remove the existing bridge and sand the bottom until flat. Scrape away glue and wood residue from soundboard, reglue and clamp sanded bridge and use the slots as guides to drill for your string-through bridge. This assumes a good bridge plate underneath. (I'm not a luthier or woodworker, so grain of salt.)

 

[casualmusic]

……source to buy a bridge that most closely resembles the one originally installed by Kiwaya is Mainland Ukes. .. I'm about a 90 minute drive from Uke Republic but don't see a "parts" section on their webpage.

Hi Clark

1. I measured the bridge spacings of the five ukuleles in my outreach kit. They are all approx 1.5” spacing which is close enough to 40mm. This indicates that this is an approximate standard. What is the spacing on your yowler?

2. Mainland Ukes and Uke Republic each have a ‘contact’ page where you can ask about parts availability and dimensions.

You know that you secretly want to visit Uke Republic. Yup. Allow time to play lotsa ukuleles. It’s a chance to evaluate the tone and playability for a wide range of styles and prices.

3. If reusing the existing bridge, check to see how trimming the bottom will affect the action (string height) above the 12th fret. It may be okay to shim the slot with strips of old credit card, or buy a higher saddle.

4. Plan for intonation which is based on the distance from the nut to saddle.

If you like the intonation you can replicate by measuring from the nut to the saddle. Measure from the nut to the front of the slot at the two outside strings.

Use the two measurements to position the replacement bridge. Use a couple strips of painters tape to hold it in position.

Use a utility knife to scribe around the perimeter. Remove the saddle and use the scribed perimeter to scrape to bare wood. Clean the bottom of the bridge by sanding lightly.

Apply glue and position the bridge inside the scraped perimeter. Verify correct position by measuring from the nut to fronts of the slot. Clamp securely.

Clean squeezed out glue. Let the glue set thoroughly.

5. It’s okay to shorten those 11” replacement bridges an inch or more on each side for better aesthetics.

6. There is no real benefit to converting a replacement bridge to string through style.

It’s simple to tie regular knots. Or use a bead or guitar string ball end before threading through the hole.

Cheers.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Hi Clark

1. I measured the bridge spacings of the five ukuleles in my outreach kit. They are all approx 1.5” spacing which is close enough to 40mm. This indicates that this is an approximate standard. What is the spacing on your yowler?

2. Mainland Ukes and Uke Republic each have a ‘contact’ page where you can ask about parts availability and dimensions.

You know that you secretly want to visit Uke Republic. Yup. Allow time to play lotsa ukuleles. It’s a chance to evaluate the tone and playability for a wide range of styles and prices.

3. If reusing the existing bridge, check to see how trimming the bottom will affect the action (string height) above the 12th fret. It may be okay to shim the slot with strips of old credit card, or buy a higher saddle.

4. Plan for intonation which is based on the distance from the nut to saddle.

If you like the intonation you can replicate by measuring from the nut to the saddle. Measure from the nut to the front of the slot at the two outside strings.

Use the two measurements to position the replacement bridge. Use a couple strips of painters tape to hold it in position.

Use a utility knife to scribe around the perimeter. Remove the saddle and use the scribed perimeter to scrape to bare wood. Clean the bottom of the bridge by sanding lightly.

Apply glue and position the bridge inside the scraped perimeter. Verify correct position by measuring from the nut to fronts of the slot. Clamp securely.

Clean squeezed out glue. Let the glue set thoroughly.

5. It’s okay to shorten those 11” replacement bridges an inch or more on each side for better aesthetics.

6. There is no real benefit to converting a replacement bridge to string through style.

It’s simple to tie regular knots. Or use a bead or guitar string ball end before threading through the hole.

Cheers.

Thank you!

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

A HUGE THANK YOU TO LUTHIER BRAD DONALDSON!
Not only was Brad willing to make and ship a new mahogany bridge to my specs, but he also kindly crafted the bridge, added two coats of stain, and shipped it from his HI shop to GA the very next day after agreeing to do so, all at a very reasonable price.

if you own one of more of his custom ukes, you already know this, but Brad Donaldson is a genuinely kind human being and master craftsman.

I also owe a thank you to @EDW for having suggested that I reach out to Brad after Kiwaya corporate and several CONUS - based Luthiers responded that they weren’t interested in making & selling the bridge but only in directly handling the repair.
Cheers!
Clark

 

[Graham Greenbag]

A HUGE THANK YOU TO LUTHIER BRAD DONALDSON!
Not only was Brad willing to make and ship a new mahogany bridge to my specs, but he also kindly crafted the bridge, added two coats of stain, and shipped it from his HI shop to GA the very next day after agreeing to do so, all at a very reasonable price.

What a great result and well done Brad .

I‘m really looking forward to seeing the bridge installed and the instrument returned to use. Just by moving the bridge to the right place (to get enough string compensation) I’ve made some duff Ukes sound fine … you’re doubtless aware that the reverse trick is possible too .

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Just for the sake of confirming the original problem, it finally occurred to me to post a magnified pic.

I now wish I’d also taken a pic from the bass side to show that the bridge was tilting toward the nut enough to shorten the scale. In other words, Kiwaya’s original bridge placement was spot-on but the pulling-away was definitely causing intonation problems.

I’ve been temporarily derailed by extreme fatigue caused by COVID but will post the finished product and a sample cover tune ASAP.

As @Ernie mentioned when originally shipping the uke, action was already extremely low so now that I’ve sanded the base of the bridge, I’ll definitely need to shim the saddle. As suggested by @Graham Greenbag, I plan to go with a bone saddle but not until I confirm that intonation is sorted out.
Clark

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

The Eagle has landed. Well, in this case, it’s more of a pigeon but you get the gist.
Thanks to @Ernie for the uke itself, to @BuzzBD for making and shipping the new mahogany bridge, to @Renaissance-Man for giving me the heads-up about the uke in the first place and for your kind words of encouragement, thanks to @EDW for suggesting that I contact Brad (BuzzBD), to Kevin Beddoe of John Kinnard Guitars for bridge removal guidance, to Ken Timms for his wonderfully well-made bridge installation video, and last but not least to all UUF members who offered experienced guidance. A sound sample of the now-repaired uke:


The Aquilas that @Ernie installed are still stretching a bit. Action is wonderfully low (under 2mm) with no buzz. If anyone is interested, I have a ton of “work in progress” pics I’m willing to post but also don’t want to bore everyone to tears.

Position dots at both the 5th and 7th frets are well out of line but since they’re in line with each other, I’m losing no sleep over it. It is what it is.

 

[Patty]

Bravo, Clark. A lovely little pineapple. Hope the Covid fatigue is over for you; a month after starting to test negative, I’m still sleeping 12 hours a night. Yikes. Congratulations on this project. Have fun with your new baby!

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Temporary soundboard support pillar. The recovery line is weed-whacker string. I considered fishing line but felt it needed some rigidity. Total height from base to left (tallest) edge of the canted upper surface is 2 inches, intended to slide snugly under the edge of the bridge block nearest the soundhole.

After inserting, clipping both parts back together and sliding back, it became clear that this uke had no bridge block, which explains why the former owner's attempt at correcting bridge tilt with a relatively large diameter screw was not successful. I overcame that by sticking sections of the furry sides of adhesive Velcro to the pillar's wooden base.

Can you name the 4.5-lb solid steel object painted desert tan in this pic? I refer to it as a "poor man's bridge clamp". I've had it in my possession since 1986 and have always used it as a paperweight, where a 50-cal round fits snugly into its vertical hole.
Note the golf tee strap button, which works even better than expected. The photo angle is a bit misleading in that the tee top doesn't extend nearly as far from the body as it appears to.

 

[Wiggy]

Very clever! It must feel so rewarding to bring an instrument back to life.

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

GG- Thanks for responding. I was remiss for not including some background info. This uke was given to me by another UU member who received it by accident (it was in a case he purchased which arrived with an old and lightly damaged pineapple uke inside). Monetarily, it's definitely not a valuable instrument. Emotionally, I really like the pineapple shape which is my basis for wanting the bridge appearance and the corresponding intonation to be as good as possible. Mainland Ukes offers a slot-style (knot-end) bridge but it's not quite the same profile.

Digressing- did the photo fail to show up in my OP? EDIT - Please forgive the silly question, here's another try. Note the fairly large wood screw between the C and E strings, which was presumably a previous owner's understandable but misguided attempt to remedy the loose bridge. I have yet to determine whether that screw has pulled forward & damaged / cracked the bridge plate.
View attachment 155096

Very clever! It must feel so rewarding to bring an instrument back to life.

Much agreed! I was so glad this uke went to Scruggs, and equally glad to see he's restored her to vitality! Now will this little pineapple morph into "yowling Thomette"?

 

[GreatPotoo]

Love the steel and especially the golf tee!

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Much agreed! I was so glad this uke went to Scruggs, and equally glad to see he's restored her to vitality! Now will this little pineapple morph into "yowling Thomette"?

I’m debating with myself about painting the soundboard. If I do it, I won't do another yowling cat because one copy of Kenny Hill's 1971-copyrighted Yowl-A-Lele is enough.

When cartoonist, teacher and musician Robert Armstrong first painted his cartoons on ukes in the mid- 1960’s, he only painted cheapies found at flea markets and yard sales, and only much later paired up with Kenny Hill of Hill Guitars to ramp up to custom versions. Other than the Yowl-A-Lele, my next favorite Armstrong design is Through-The-Keyhole.

Here are the three of the original, soundhole- oriented designs I'm presently considering, and a fourth tongue-in-cheek option is either a can of Dole pineapple or a thicket of pine trees bearing apples
If you feel strongly that I should go with one of these rather than "Yowling Thomette", please let me know.
OPTION 1 - Clownfish

OPTION 2 - Tall ship helm

OPTION 3 - Clarence Crab

 

[GreatPotoo]

Let us know what you choose!

I think uke lovers have more fun and enthusiasm than anybody else. (No offense to the rest of the world )