The Banjo Ukulele Forum

Banjo Ukulele Bridges

The bridge on banjo ukuleles might be considered a bit neglected by the larger manufacturers of banjo bridges.   As far as I know there aren't any Banjo Ukulele specific bridges being produced.  That might not be the case in the U.K. but here in the U.S. the closest bridge for our purposes would be the Grover 30C.  It is a four notched bridge and tall enough to be trimmed down to fit most banjo ukulele set ups.  The spacing is adequate for strumming and picking on these and you can find them with a Ebony saddle (rail) over maple or in solid maple.  There are also the Grover "non-tip" bridges that have an insert to keep the bridges from tipping over when tuning. The problem with having so few commercial choices is that if you need a very low bridge, the feet of the bridge can change considerably while trimming down.

   Everything about a bridge affects the sound on a banjo ukulele.  The footprint, size and thickness of the bridge, the cut outs and overall design, material used, rail/saddle material, glue used for the that, width of rail/saddle and spacing.   It seems complicated, but these variables are to our advantage because it gives options to control an instruments overall timbre, projection and volume.

   Another thing to keep in mind is that bridges can break and it might be a good idea to carry a spare in your case.  If you don't have one, krazy glue can almost always save a bridge if the pieces are intact.  (use very little glue, align well and hold them for 1 minute).  

   Bridge design dates back to the first stringed instruments that were not in the lyre family.  The Baroque violin makers seemed to have discovered very early, that if you have a string directly over the vibrating area of the instrument (ie. the face of the violin, cello etc.) that it isn't the best for the sound.  They came up with very complex cut outs to avoid this direct vibration and they are still used currently.  This concept of latent vibration is being explored by several banjo bridge makers currently.  For the most part, bridge design on the banjo ukulele has been limited to a simpler approach that includes two feet with a cut out in between them of some dimension, and a saddle of ebony or solid maple.  The design of a bridge can enhance certain strings, or de-emphasize them depending on the particular needs of a banjo uke, or player.

  Also, more simply approached, the bulkier the bridge, the darker and less sound it might transmit, and the thinner and more knife like the design, the more edgy and piercing the tone will be.

  A good place to start would be with a Grover style bridge because it will be spaced well, sit flat, lack string buzzes and give a full sound.

  I mentioned in the post's about the Gibson banjo ukes that the bridges that seemed to be included with those instruments were also of excellent design.  Please email me if you have seen these in a vintage catalog.  I suspect that Elton or Waverly might have produced them.    They would appear bulky or stocky since they have more wood on them, but every one that I have tried seem to sound excellent.  It might be a very easy bridge to copy in terms of design, except for the raised saddle.  That could be added from the same wood and glued on, or made from a harder wood than maple if need be.

  If there is a conclusion to this topic it might be said that when you add the right bridge to a banjo ukulele it seems to make the instrument come alive and show it's full character and volume.  Anything less will choke the instrument from it's true potential.

  The bridge above can often be found with the Gibson banjo ukuleles and a few other makers. They are constructed of solid maple in one piece.
Below a variation almost certainly made by the same bridge maker.  It features a rosewood saddle.

This is a vintage Grover non-tip that has a hard rubber insert to keep the bridge upright.  This insert might buzz if loose or if contact with the skin is minimal.  It can be glued in place if loose, or filed to clear the skin if contact is poor.  This bridge was also produced with an ebony saddle.

Another vintage bridge that I have seen.  These are lovely bridges that have a dovetailed ebony saddle and are typically finished by hand.   Most of them have file marks around the cut outs.  Again, please let me know if you have a catalog that lists them.  Possibly Waverly or Elton?  You might notice the array of strings on this uke.  It needed a clearer low string so nylgut was chosen, the high string was "shouty" and popped out almost painfully so a lighter soft nylon string helped.  The 4th string was great with a GHS white nylon and the 2nd string was a bit dull too.  They all balance well with this bridge.  Usually setting up a banjo uke is not this complicated.

These are vintage bridges that are quite high in profile, about 1/2" or more.  The vintage grover catalog has the middle one pictured and it's possible that all three are grover.  None are stamped with a brand.  Spacing is quite narrow on these and make quite a loud slap if they happen to tip over under full string tension. They seem to be solid maple.

This is a vintage Grover #30 or #30C bridge.  It's actually much more yellowed than this but the camera color corrects which bleached it out.  These are ebony saddled and Grover is very specific and accurate about how they cut bridges in terms of grain orientation and precision of dimensions.  I don't think this one  dates too far back when compared to some of their bridges.

A few of my own bridges.  I used the Grover as a basic design but was curious about adding a foot in the middle.  Later, the walnut bridge in front was inspired by a Banjolin styled bridge.  I call it the "Helms Deep" in a reference to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.  I was surprised that this design was so vibrant and was looking for a way to cut down on vibrations in a harsh sounding instrument.  A wider version of it provided the needed effect. The smaller version works quite well to liven up a dull instrument and I have made them with ebony saddles too.  the bridge in back has an area in the middle that drops down but doesn't make contact with the skin.  I use it when the low string on banjo uke is boomy and muddy.  It seems to help clear up that sound which can muddle strumming.  I have an array of exotic and domestic woods, many are aged, that I use for bridges.  I charge about $20 per bridge and need to know the exact height needed along with spacing requirements.  Please email me to order one.  I can copy a bridge that is not currently being produced by any other makers.