Gibson Banjo Ukulele Model Scale Lengths
The distances to the 12th fret are as follows:
Baby Gibson 6 1/4"= 12 1/2" Scale
UB-2 6 15/16" = 12 7/8" (round to 13")
UB-3 Same as UB-2
UB-4/5 7 1/2"= 14" Scale
There are slight variations in the UB-1 scale length and it might have less than 17 frets occasionally.
Bridge Placement on the Banjo Ukulele
I have found that placing the bridge at the exact scale length can improve the intonation over the fret board. This method as opposed to tuning the octaves at the 12th fret will work even better for players that prefer a higher action since the strings stretch farther in the higher frets and will give a false octave that will sound well up in the high frets but not in the first position chords. Any firm piece of paper can be used to mark the far side distance of the 12th fret, and position the paper on that edge then move the bridge to where the pencil mark is on the inside of the bridge rail (not the feet of the bridge). On my ukes that can be as much as 1/2" discrepancy when using the octave method of bridge placement.
Recently I noticed how sharp the 3rd (c/d) string was at the 12th fret on a loaned Martin ukulele. Literally, the instrument produced a note more near a minor 9th than an octave. I had noticed this sharpness on several ukuleles but never to this extent. It is something that is exaggerated on soprano ukuleles and they are often set up rather high in comparison to the banjo uke. The lower action preferred
by the strummers of the George Formby style greatly lessens this sharpness.
The distances to the 12th fret are as follows:
Baby Gibson 6 1/4"= 12 1/2" Scale
UB-2 6 15/16" = 12 7/8" (round to 13")
UB-3 Same as UB-2
UB-4/5 7 1/2"= 14" Scale
There are slight variations in the UB-1 scale length and it might have less than 17 frets occasionally.
Bridge Placement on the Banjo Ukulele
I have found that placing the bridge at the exact scale length can improve the intonation over the fret board. This method as opposed to tuning the octaves at the 12th fret will work even better for players that prefer a higher action since the strings stretch farther in the higher frets and will give a false octave that will sound well up in the high frets but not in the first position chords. Any firm piece of paper can be used to mark the far side distance of the 12th fret, and position the paper on that edge then move the bridge to where the pencil mark is on the inside of the bridge rail (not the feet of the bridge). On my ukes that can be as much as 1/2" discrepancy when using the octave method of bridge placement.
Recently I noticed how sharp the 3rd (c/d) string was at the 12th fret on a loaned Martin ukulele. Literally, the instrument produced a note more near a minor 9th than an octave. I had noticed this sharpness on several ukuleles but never to this extent. It is something that is exaggerated on soprano ukuleles and they are often set up rather high in comparison to the banjo uke. The lower action preferred
by the strummers of the George Formby style greatly lessens this sharpness.
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