background image

  Copyright 2015 © C. B. Gi

Ʃ

y Cra

Ō

er Supply                                                                             7 

 

P

 

3—I

 

 

B

   

S

 

 

In this section we’ll cover how to install the 

bridge and saddle, as well as the bridge 

bracing block that goes inside the box.  

 

Step 1—Install the Bridge 
Bracing Block 

Now take the smaller block of wood includ-

ed with your kit that will serve as a mount-

ing brace for the ukulele bridge and glue 

that wood block under the spot where the 

bridge will be on top of the lid. If there is a 

layer of paper on the inside of the box lid 

here, you can use a file to remove it for a 

better glue joint, if desired. 

 

Your bridge, at the point where the bone 

saddle will be seated, will need to be ex-

actly 15” (381mm) away from where the 

nut meets the top of the fret board. Place 

this bracing block so that it will be as close 

to the edge of the box as possible, but 

make sure the box lid will still close once it 

is in place (

Figure 16

). 

 

Step 2—Position and Drill the 
Bridge

 

Now, center the bridge on the top of the 

box (remember that the slot where the 

saddle will rest should be towards the 

front, and that the front edge of this slot 

should be exactly 15 inches from where 

the back side of the nut will be—see 

Fig-

ure 17

). 

Placing the bridge/saddle cor-

rectly (15 inches from the nut) is VERY 

important to ending up with a playable 

ukulele!

 

 

Drill two holes in the center of the tabs on 

both sides of the bridge. On top of the box 

Figure 11 

Figure 12 

Figure 13 

Leave about 1/8” 
of space below 
where the head

stock angle begins, 
for the nut. 

Pro tip: 

A water-dampened 

cloth will help to wipe away 

most wood glues before they 

dry. Check the directions of 

the product you are using to 

be certain. Once the glue 

dries it can be very hard to 

remove excess, so do your 

best to clean it up before it 

sets.

 

Summary of Contents for 36-009-01

Page 1: ...so known as alto cigar box ukulele sure to be the envy of friends and neighbors alike The ukulele is a very fun and easy to play instrument with a unique happy sound and your cigar box uke will provid...

Page 2: ...e saw Forstner bit Spade bit for sound hole optional Sandpaper recommended Scratch awl recommended Blue painter s tape recommended A digital chromatic tuner The diagram below shows a completed cigar b...

Page 3: ...lid trace the heel of the neck onto the box Be careful to hold the neck firmly in place without letting it move while tracing the outline onto the box surface masking tape Figures 3 and 4 show how we...

Page 4: ...rst mounting hole into the neck and then insert a single screw to hold the neck in place and then mark the other two holes This will keep the neck from moving shifting and it is very important that al...

Page 5: ...the body makes the build a little more complicated but it does make the instrument more versatile when played This guide shows the simpler method of cutting off the excess part of the fretboard so th...

Page 6: ...t to do this until towards the end of the as sembly process The rest of these instructions assume that the fretboard has been cut short er Once you have your fretboard cut to length it is time to get...

Page 7: ...to the edge of the box as possible but make sure the box lid will still close once it is in place Figure 16 Step 2 Position and Drill the Bridge Now center the bridge on the top of the box remember th...

Page 8: ...othing off the sharper edges and points is also a good idea at this point you don t want anything that will dig into your strumming arm when play ing Step 3 Prepare and Install the Saddle This is also...

Page 9: ...e get a better hold Now using two of the provided washer head screws the heads are a little bigger in diameter than the screws shown in the picture to the right carefully position glue and screw the b...

Page 10: ...the plastic washer and bushing on the front The tuning shaft will join all the components with the tuner button screwed into the end At this point make certain to tight en the screws attaching each w...

Page 11: ...k at Figures 28 31 for a visual guide of how to get your ukulele strung up The packag ing for the strings will help you to determine which strings go where The 4th and 1st strings are the same gauge t...

Page 12: ...top string when you are playing the rightmost being the bottom string and the circles tell you where to put your fingers The open circles at the top of the diagram indicates an open unfretted string U...

Page 13: ...usical instrument kits featuring cigar boxes and other reclaimed materials from the simplest one string diddley bows to 4 string cigar box guitars www CBGitty com Kits We also have a huge variety of p...

Page 14: ...Copyright 2015 C B Gi y Cra er Supply 14 www CBGi y com PureAndSimple Your Next Project...

Reviews: