Gluing on the Bridge and Stringing ‘er up!

1. Polish bridge. Mike forgot to polish it and had already put glue on the back of the bridge and on top of the soundboard where the bridge placement goes. I am telling you this because I would have been in a panic if this had happened to me. Mike was very mellow about it and said we have time. He quickly took the pins out, polished it, flattened bottom, put pins back in and re-glued bottom of the bridge and then clamped it up! This was all done in a few minutes time. This was a great lesson for me. Next time something like this happens I will try to remain calm.

2. Bridge, with tacks still protruding out, is placed over the green tape bridge placement. With a sharp, new, exacto blade scribe around the bridge scoring the green tape. Be careful of the edges so you don’t go past the make a mark into the finish.

3. Take off bridge and peel the green tape off. Carefully use a chisel to take off left over glue residue.

4. Score the back of the bridge with some light cutting marks on the back of the bridge. Apply glue with a small painter’s spatula to the back of the bridge and the space where its home will be on the front of the soundboard.

5. Mike clamps the bridge with a special clamp he has made. This sits for about an hour.

6. Mike carefully peels away the green tape off of the fretboard with an exacto knife. Then file edges of fretboard with a small file to take off glue residue from tape. He touches up the upper fretboard where it is glued to body with an exacto blade to get glue residue off.

7. It is now time to ream the pegholes with a 3% reamer. This is carefully done, going slowly, so peghead tuner end comes out of hole about a 1/4". Before you glue them in you have to be sure they are turning the right direction. There are left and right hand tuners depending on the direction they turn. Check before installation. After depth has been reached (you’re not taking very much here) put a small amount of extra thick (10-25 sec.) CA glue on threads and place up into peghead holes.

8. Well, it’s time to hear how she’ll sound. We string her up with fishing line and she sounds wonderful! Great intonation and no buzzing.

Thanks to Mike DaSilva for the great lesson. I really learned a lot and am anxious to try my new skills out starting on a Zebrawood uke with a solid koa rosette. Yes, I’ve already started and things are going well.

And here she is! A real beauty!