Members Freeman Keller Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 I'm almost afraid to ask this because it involves, gasp, bridge pins but I'm working on a little Martin ukulele and it has bridge pins. When it came to me it had no strings (and missing pins) so I don't know how they were attached - the shop that I'm repairing it for gave me a standard set of ukulele nylon strings (with plain ends, no balls). I assume that you tie some sort of knot that acts as the ball and seats itself under the bridge but since I've never seen this before I thought I'd ask. Just a couple of overhand knots? Anything to keep them from unraveling? Are their ball end ukulele strings out there somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 I've always just used knots (mammoth ivory ones). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 . . . Are their ball end ukulele strings out there somewhere? Not as far as I know. I think you're on the right track just tying big knots. Maybe put glue or something on it after it's tied so it won't come undone? I'd just tie knots and see if that works. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 3, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Thanks guys, knots it is. The owner gave me some unslotted ebony pins to put in it - I need to contact him to find out if he wants me to slot the bridge and I'll ask him how he was doing it. I keep learning things... Today I got a call asking if I would put a Floyd Rose trem in a PRS - hell yes I'll take a router to your 5K guitar LOL (sorry, bit OT but between ukuleles and expensive electrics I get a lot of interesting projects) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdBega Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Kind of an eye catcher thread title. Bridge Pins, Black Nylons and Elixir might be even more so ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Kind of an eye catcher thread title. Bridge Pins, Black Nylons and Elixir might be even more so ... Makes me want to start a thread called "Tonerite on banjo" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdBega Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 You got my vote ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Makes me want to start a thread called "Tonerite on banjo" I misread that at first so that it looked like "Tonite on banjo." Maybe an instrument themed late night talk show: "Tonite on Banjos After Dark." The house band could be Black Nylon and The Elixirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Special guest Steve Martin. Sorry to soil your thread Freeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 3, 2015 Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Don't forget James Taylor. And yes, sorry, Freeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 3, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 3, 2015 Actually I'm rolling on the floor laughing my ass off... I've always been partial to hose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 Ah yes - James Taylor played the banjo part in Old Man by Neil Young if I remember correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 Black Diamond Classical Guitar Strings - N68B Ball End, Full SetClassical Guitar Strings with Clear trebles/Silverplated Wound Set-Ball EndN68B (BALL END) .028 .032 .040 .030 .034 .042 Ukelele sets range - .029, .033, .041, .029 Or .020, .030, .032, .022 Possibly pick up some ball end classical strings (individuals) if you can find them. I'm not supposed to be here but you forced my hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 Strictly speaking it was supposedly a six string "banjitar" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_%28song%29). Still, it's a cool story. Linda Ronstadt was also in the studio and did vocals on the same song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 ^ I was wondering about trimming some classical strings too but it seemed wasteful. Then again, I'm cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'd really like to see a pic of that Martin uke. My brother has one from the early 1900's and I've seen a few more, but never seen bridge pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 4, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'd really like to see a pic of that Martin uke. My brother has one from the early 1900's and I've seen a few more' date=' but never seen bridge pins.[/quote'] Will post one tomorrow. Its an older tenor uke. I have a soprano Martin from the 30's with a thru bridge that you do tie a knot in - I'll add a picture of that one too. Good call on the ball end classical strings folks but the shop gave me a set of standard tenor uke strings and I'll try tying the knot. Now can we get back to the black hose and elixir - that warms an old man's heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 Here you go: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 6, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 And here you go my '30's Martin soprano and the tenor with the pins Think I prefer yours however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 6, 2015 Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 Nice! It was designed to have pins! Thanks for edumacating me on that one. I'd love one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 6, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 Nice! It was designed to have pins! Thanks for edumacating me on that one. I'd love one of those. Yeah, when I got in and looked at it it was already slotted from the factory. We dropped a set of new unslotted ebony pins in it, I made a new nut to replace the one that was missing, strung it up and it plays like butter. One overhand knot seemed to work just fine - if that isn't enough I learned a trick of sliding a bead over the string. Fun little project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted March 6, 2015 Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 Beads. Great idea. A small package would last a life-time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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