David Dart Instruments build thread

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Baritone ukuleles have been hot this year -- here's a look at the current three:
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Baritone uke back inside & braces. L to R: South American cedar, San Fran Presidio black acacia, jarrah

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Baritone uke rims. L to R: South American cedar, San Fran Presidio black acacia, jarrah

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San Fran black acacia sides & solid lining

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San Fran black acacia top, inside -- there will be two more small waist braces

You can see larger images of the same photos at dartinstruments.blogspot.com - click the photos to enlarge
 

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Interesting David. Love to see the finished X-bracing scheme. I do fan bracing not because I'm convinced that fan bracing the best way to do it, but more because that is the only way I know how to do it. Maybe my next uke will be x-braced. Change is sometimes hard. Oh no! Not another learning curve! Life is a learning curve. Sometimes I just wish it got a little flatter as I get older.
 
Lovely looking instrument David. I would love to hear what that X-braced bracing sounds like. When I'm headed down to Santa Rosa I'm gonna stop and climb that awful driveway in the woods and drop in.
 
I've been a custom maker for 50 + years and solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.
That x bracing is more than I usually do. I don't put the lower cross brace in. That particular top wood was very (too?) flexible so I put the extra brace/ cleat to hold it from over expanding, not as a tone bar. It's very thin.
 
This is a very light x bracing and usually I don't put in the bottom cross brace. That particular top was very flexible and so I added the brace/cleat for stability rather than as a tone bar. Usually the whole lower bout is open, giving a really good attack and the x gives good sustain.
 
After 50 plus years of instrument making, I think we should all be taking note of what you are saying, whether its making the rims stiffer with solid linings or the light X bracing you have used for your baritones!
 
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solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.

I'm still intrigued by that solid lining. As long as you can bend the lining who needs kerfs. I'fve used solid linings before, but it never gave me enough meat to cut in bindings. Or at least I thought. Do you cut binding channels into these ukes with solid, unkerfed linings?
 
I'm still intrigued by that solid lining. As long as you can bend the lining who needs kerfs. I'fve used solid linings before, but it never gave me enough meat to cut in bindings. Or at least I thought. Do you cut binding channels into these ukes with solid, unkerfed linings?
Looks like Dave has two laminated layers so plenty thick enough for bindings.
 
Nice! Are the same strings on all three of those? I can really hear the difference in tone from the warmer cedar, brighter acacia, and in-between jarrah.
 
They do say: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"...........They sound great to me so it looks as though solid linings and light X bracing is a good recipe for a baritone uke.
 
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