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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
 Posted - 03/06/2008 : 12:20:07 PM
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I have a pretty old Martin tenor ukulele that was given to me by an uncle who has since passed away. While it’s apparent by looking at it that it was played a lot, it’s still in very good condition, with the exception of the tuners and the strings. Two of the pegs were really difficult to turn, and when I tried to adjust the tension by turning the screw on the end, the strings would slip out of pitch. So on a trip to Hawaii early last year; I picked up a new set of tuners and strings.
I don’t play the ukulele nearly as often as the guitar so about a month ago; I finally decided to replace the tuners and strings. I was sitting on the sofa in our great room at the time with everything laid out on the coffee table in front of me. In our house, the great room is open to the dining room, kitchen, foyer, den and the hallway leading to the rest of the rooms. With the exception of an area rug in the great room and carpeting in the hallway and den, the remaining floors are all hard surfaces.
While bringing the second string up to pitch, the bridge pin popped out, and I stopped to listen for the sound of it hitting something for a clue as to where it might have dropped. Well there was no sound. I proceeded to check the area rug, carpeted floors, furniture, flowers in the vases, my clothes and pockets, and any place that it might have dropped without making a sound……….but still no bridge pin. I even emptied out the central vacuum container and hunted through all the dust (yuck!) after wife vacuumed the following day but still………….no bridge pin.
I first make the rounds to all of the music stores in the area (there are 5) that sell guitars and/or ukuleles and no place had one that would fit. An email to CF Martin and the response is that I should be able to get one in a local store. So back I go to the largest one here and, since they already checked their stock, they bring out a box of “orphan” instrument parts. Digging through the large box, we find dozens of bridge pins, but only a single bridge pin that happens to fit and also happens to be black with the same size head on it. This matches the others pretty nicely, so now I’m a happy camper!
Fast forward to yesterday. I walk over to my ukulele sitting on top of the bookcase, and what do I find? One loose string and no bridge pin! I know the question you have in mind, but no, it is not the same string. So I go through the same hunting process all over again, even with the vacuum container and the result is the same as the last time……..no bridge pin. Since I have some extra guitar bridge pins, I put one of them into temporary use. So here I sit with my ukulele with one mismatched bridge pin. It’s the same color but it’s also a little longer, a little larger diameter and has a slightly larger head. So it sticks out of the bridge a little further than the rest of them. This is not good. Anyone have any suggestions as to where I might get one that matches or perhaps a whole new set………………with a few extras just in case!
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Aloha,
John A. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 12:53:16 PM
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You are now entering the twilight zone.
Do you have a kitty cat? I have lost a 10X eye loupe. several single earrings and countless stickers and other scrapbooking embellishments. Did you look in the seams of the sofa? Did you have any pants with cuffs? Once I lost a contact lense and hunted all over the bathroom floor for it. Turns out it fell into that nether world of my cleavage. I found it at bed time all dried up. Doen in your shoe between shoe & sock? Gotta figure out the trajectory. Would it have gone fore or aft? Maybe it went inside the instrument? Was your case hanging around, where it may have fallen into the cushy case? Any basket of clothes sitting around waiting to be folded and put away? Any waste basket nearby? Any afghan/throw or pillows on the sofa? What about in your hair and it might have fallen out when you were sitting somewhere soft?
What a puzzlement.
Good luck. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 1:09:07 PM
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You had some good suggestions there, Wanda, but we've looked everywhere you suggested. Yeah, we looked in all the nooks and crannies of the furniture, anything soft that was on the shelves or tables, even the kitchen sink and disposal! And no, we don't have any animals around.....unless you count the grandkids! ;0)
The first time it happened, I would have thought that it would hit the wall or ceiling in front of me but there was absolutel no sound. The second time, I wasn't there of course but since it was sitting on top of the bookcase on it's side, I looked across the room in the direction it was facing. My wife and I (she helped me look both times) absolutely can't believe that two of them could disappear just like that. |
Aloha,
John A. |
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808bk
Akahai
82 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 1:24:25 PM
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| Try look in the freezer.. |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 4:52:00 PM
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Visit Elderly Instruments website for a new set. Good luck.
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 5:39:38 PM
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| I think the menehune are trying to tell you it's time to change strings. |
Andy |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2008 : 5:59:30 PM
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| Funny, Andy. I never knew there were menehune here too! But that's what I was doing.....changing the strings! |
Aloha,
John A. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2008 : 2:07:49 PM
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Try to keep the ball on the end of the string tight against the end of the pin as you put the string into the bridge. If the string sticks too far into the instrument, it eventually pulls up against the underside of the bridge plate.(Where it actually should be.) But in pulling up, it dislodges the pin.
http://www.elderly.com/ http://www.stewmac.com/ Here's two good places to find parts, etc.
Paul
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"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2008 : 5:35:03 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by rendesvous1840
Try to keep the ball on the end of the string tight against the end of the pin as you put the string into the bridge. If the string sticks too far into the instrument, it eventually pulls up against the underside of the bridge plate.(Where it actually should be.) But in pulling up, it dislodges the pin.
http://www.elderly.com/ http://www.stewmac.com/ Here's two good places to find parts, etc.
Paul
Thanks, Paul. I always do that with ukulele and guitar strings as well. And thanks for the links. Both places sell bridge pins but they seem to be for guitars. There is no way to tell what size they are without ordering some and trying them. They're inexpensive enough that I might just do that. The problem I have is that every place I've gone to so far, the guitar bridge pins that were available were too large diameter for the ukulele. I don't know if this is true of most ukuleles but it's certainly true for my Martin tenor. I suppose I could try to make the holes a little larger......I know there is a reamer tool made for that purpose. |
Aloha,
John A. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2008 : 02:35:36 AM
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| Try e-mail Music Guy Mike. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 09:25:27 AM
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One thing I didn't think of before: On some pins, there is a groove cut to allow clearance for the strings. On some bridges, the groove is cut inside the hole for the pin. Most pins come unslotted, so they can be used on slotted bridges. On a plain bridge, you need to slot a replacement pin. Stewart-Macdonald sells a tool for this, but a very small file should work, or gring an old hacksaw or jigsaw blade thin enough to do the job. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Bridges/Bridge_Pin_Slotter.html This may be why you can't find pins narrow enough for your bridge.If you opt for the saw blade, clamp it in vice grips and work by hand. This is no job for power saws. You need all the fingers you currently have.
Your local guitar repairman could be allowed to do this, they probably have the tool.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 10:25:09 AM
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Mahalo, Wanda & Paul for trying to help. I got my pin to work by sanding the diameter smaller. The head is still ever so slightly larger but it's not really apparent. I'll still look around for a new set of matching pins. As an architect, things like mismatched pins really bother me! |
Aloha,
John A. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 2:07:56 PM
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| Call the folks at Dusty Strings in Seattle - they are good at tracking things down, since they do instrument building and repair in addition to retail. |
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Rich_Smith
Lokahi
USA
242 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 2:45:52 PM
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| Bridge pins come in 3 degree and 5 degree profiles. I believe Stewmac only sells the larger 5 degree pins. A source for smaller pins are LMII and hanalima.com in Hawaii that sells bridge pins for ukes. |
Rich Smith |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 6:32:33 PM
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| Mahalo, Greg and Rich for your suggestions.......I knew someone here would know! I will check those two places. |
Aloha,
John A. |
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Baritone
Lokahi
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2008 : 6:40:08 PM
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| Try asking Dennis Lake. He get 38+ years of Martin warranty cert. Ask em @ www.pomahina.com. He built my Baritone with abalone topped, ebony pins. Herb |
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