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Permalink Reply by wormil on September 8, 2012 at 2:23pm

Is it an exceptionally short scale or something? You shouldn't have any problems with intonation on a 3 string with a floating bridge. 

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Lansing on September 10, 2012 at 4:16pm

25.5" scale. I ended up fixing the problem by lowering the overall nut height, and then going a littler lower than that on the low D. I guess the action was high enough to throw the intonation off.

Still curious about the split bridge thing. Sort of a poor man's tune-o-matic. At roughly what scale length does it become necessary to have some compensation at the bridge? 

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Permalink Reply by wormil on September 10, 2012 at 4:32pm

I really don't know but apparently somewhere around mandolin scale, 14". Since ukuleles don't have them I imagine it is exaggerated by the number of strings. I had to switch out the bridge and nut on my first build several times before getting it just right.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on September 10, 2012 at 10:08pm

Uke's don't need it cos there is substantially less difference in diameter between the light and heavy strings.. Classical guitars don't need sod all either. It's not about scale length, it's about the fatness of the strings, a longer neck will in fact née it less rather than more because as the scale shortens intonation becomes more critical not less. Good luck with your Bridge of many pieces :)

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Permalink Reply by wormil on September 11, 2012 at 5:31am

Interesting thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Huntz Meyer on September 11, 2012 at 12:05am

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/adjustable-bridge

I did a couple then realized it wasn't worth the effort.  A regular floating bridge, angled, with a reasonable action height and intonation is fine.

Huntz

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