#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Bridge contact with body - advice needed

I am making a Cigar Box Ukulele with a nice solid cigar box I found in a car boot sale. A previous owner has routed what are presumably someone's initials in the lid. I don't particularly mind this innovation from a previous owner, but it transpires that the bridge for this instrument will be over the carved initials. I am mindful that the job of the bridge is to transfer as much sound as possible from the strings via surface contact.

I am planning to find a small sheet of brass, and then chisel out the initials and set the brass plate into the recess (chose brass to match the brass hinges I fitted). Does anyone see any problem with this?

Will this affect the sound quality in a negative way? Or can anyone suggest a different solution? The box lid is approximately 1/4" thick and is solid wood. Any comments happily received. Photo attached for your perusal.

Jonesy

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on February 26, 2013 at 11:35pm

If the bridge base goes completely across the carved out section there`s no worry about vibration transfer....if you worried i`d use some wood putty to fill in the space which will be under the bridge. With the use of the brass i`d be afraid it might add an unwanted sound if it vibrates loose. A great saying to remember when building these......Don`t over think it !!!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on February 27, 2013 at 10:06am

I'd thin the inside of the top by routing it out to 1/8" thick, and use a footed bridge, kinda like a violin bridge but lower. Kevin O'Connor, a member here, made me some maple footed bridges with bone insert saddles that would work well for this application. He charged me $15 per bridge, they're gorgeous, and they work well. Or, install a steel Gibson Tune-O-Matic style bridge.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Peter Greed on February 27, 2013 at 4:09pm

Or even cupboard door handle.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on February 27, 2013 at 5:11pm

something like this would work

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on February 27, 2013 at 5:18pm

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! And the cupboard door handle is the same idea ( which would also make a kewl tailpiece)...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Peter Greed on February 27, 2013 at 5:36pm

I have seen one of these as a tailpiece.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jonesy on February 27, 2013 at 9:29pm

I think we have a winner. I remembered I had this old tenor banjo bridge knocking around in my tin of 5 string banjo bridges. Some cool ideas here though, I will use them on future projects. Thanks for the help/advice everyone.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on February 28, 2013 at 12:01am

That's lookin' great, good solution.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on February 28, 2013 at 4:30am

You could just use a hardwood plate to cover them and a brass rod or something on that for the strings to cross. That is if you want to cover up the initials.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jonesy on March 1, 2013 at 12:48pm

I'm not overly bothered about the initials. When I started out making this I thought I would like it to look good, and I wished I had a band saw to make the neck, and a belt sander, but I started to think that when people made these years ago, none of those tools were probably available to them, so I decided to make it with what I had, and see what I end up with. It's my first build, and I am already thinking how I would do various bits differently or better for the next one I make.

I am pleased with the way it's going, just a bit uncertain about acoustic properties that might or might not happen :) It's great being able to get advice though, I went to the butchers today and bought some bones, and I am going to make a bone nut with those (again, with only hand tools). I can see how this can become obsessive :)