Compensation on a uke

[kiwigeo]

A cry for help from the Ubeaut forums:

"This is a cry for help

Got the bridge built, and rough nut and saddle, but I'm stymied as to bridge position.

As I am not working off proper plans, (and am not a musician) I have only a hazy notion of what compensation would be normal on a soprano Uke.

As it is looking, will be 346mm scale length, and action at 12th fret will be 2-2.5mm.

The best references I can find on web suggest about 2mm of compensation, (ie 348mm to saddle)

Are there any gurus out there who can give me any advice?

regards"

[Alastair]

Many thanks to Martin for doing this. He has been a mine of information on the WWF over the years.

I have been lurking here for a while, and this has prompted me to register.

Please be gentle! I'm just a crusty woodturner/woodworker, and musical ignoramus in a family of musicians. As my son's interest in the guitar grew, I developed a fascination with the look and feel of the instrument. As I had no ambition to try and learn to play, (laughs) the only way to do this was to try and build. This uke is in the form of a pilot build, with a view to learning techniques, and to convince myself I had the ability to do a reasonable classical. I'll post some pics, when I have managed to disguise the faults a bit better.

The only bits of credible data on uke compensation I have found to date, came from earlier posts on this forum, so I believe I'm in the right place.

[Nick]

He has been a mine of information on the WWF over the years.

Always suspected Martin was a closet Wrestling fan!
Welcome to the forum Alistair, I know nothing of Ukes....yet but just wanted to say that it's good to have you on the forum. Allen McFarlen is a bit of a whizz with the Ukes & may chip in with some proper info later, others such as Liam may be good sources also. Hopefully you will post some pics of you build! We like shiny pictures

[Philstix]

Check out David Hurd's site. http://www.ukuleles.com/
Full of a ton of useful information.

[kiwigeo]

From my reading up on the subject many are of the opinion that compensating a soprano uke is not really necessary....some makers adjust compensation on middle strings by filing ridges on the saddle top.

Some are also of the opinion that a bit of out of tuneness adds to the unique sound of the uke.

[ProfChris]

I've made a handful of soprano ukes. I don't try to compensate individual strings, but some overall compensation is needed because otherwise all the strings will be very noticeably sharp at the 12th fret, and you will start to hear it from the 5th fret up. Some imperfection in tuning is part of the charm, but a completely uncompensated scale is too far off to be charming.

I use 1/8 inch compensation on my 13.5 inch sopranos (344mm which is near as dammit to the OP), or 3mm. I might go to 3.5mm on my next, as with such short and light strings its easy to go sharp through a little extra pressure with the fretting finger, but of course you can't go flatter.

(Have just measured one of mine, and with 3mm compensation the harmonics on all but the C string are just a fraction sharp of the fretted note at the 12th. 3.5mm should be an improvement - who ever plays the 12th fret C string on a soprano?)

[Allen]

I don't build many soprano's, just 2 so far and went with about 2 mm compensation on a 13.625 scale length. For the ones Rick Turner and I did for the uke festival last year (soprano pineapples but don't know the exact scale length) there wasn't any compensation but the saddle was rounded off so the break was about the middle of the 1/8' saddle. Giving about 1/16" compensation.

I'd advise not to get to wound up about getting this spot on. There is just so much variation in the equation with the short scale length - string choice - action height - playing style that you couldn't possibly get it spot on. The point of a uke is to just play them and have fun. As long as you get them close no one is going to notice.

[Alastair]

Many thanks to all for the info.

Also with some more searching on here, I discovered a set of plans based on the Martin Uke. The plans and accompanying photos are uncannily close to what I have produced, based on dimensions and local examples.

The plans show compensation of 2-3mm.

All taken into account, I think I will go with 2mm built into the bridge position, and rely on the crowning of the saddle if more is needed, and as suggested above, anything more will be ascribed to "ukulele character", assuming the thing is worth listening to at all

As I am all but tone deaf, the principal critic will be no.1 guitarist son, (hence the agonising over this)

[kiwigeo]

As I am all but tone deaf, the principal critic will be no.1 guitarist son, (hence the agonising over this)

You're assuming your son understands the ins and outs of intonation and compensation.

[Alastair]

That he does

He has just reached the point in his development where he is hearing the tonal faults present in his current entry level Yamaha, and finding this highly frustrating.

[kiwigeo]

That he does

He has just reached the point in his development where he is hearing the tonal faults present in his current entry level Yamaha, and finding this highly frustrating.

The kid has a bright future as a musician then. Good to hear.

[Allen]

Tell him that a good guitarist can adjust for compensation by their technique. Should keep him off yer back for a little bit.

[Puff]

"He has just reached the point in his development where he is hearing the tonal faults present in his current entry level Yamaha, and finding this highly frustrating."
Are the "tonal faults" in the Yamaha entirely the instrument's fault?

[John Maddison]

Also commercially available in Oz are Bone Compensated Ukulele Saddlles made by Dr. Parts.

[Alastair]

Good day All,

Following on from the assistance I received here, I have completed this build. While it needs some refinishing, and the strings to be tidied up after, I am reasonably happy with the result. As a non musician, I can't comment on the tone etc, except to say that the advice here was on the button, and working off a tuner, both the open and 12th fret show as true.

I'll stick the rest of the pics in the Build forum,

[matthew]

Well done Alastair, that looks grand! Always like the look of silky oak and a sober binding. Does it go "plink" when you pluck the strings? If it does I reckon you have a winner!