Cigar Box Ukulele in the Hawaiian Style New Concert Scale

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Tukanu

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This cigar box ukulele is was inspired by the cigar box ukuleles built by Kamaka some years ago.

It has a concert scale with a wide nut.

This ukulele is a true acoustic instrument...not a novelty. It has the volume of a soprano.

The tuners are Pegheads with internal gears. They have the look and feel of ebony.

Asking $310 plus shipping.

Thanks for looking.
 
Where are you located? Where did you get it?

I build ukuleles and other stringed instruments here in Colorado Springs. I have built a lot of cigar box ukuleles over the years. I was intrigued by the cigar box ukuleles that Kamaka has built, so I built this cigar box in that style.
 
Back in the 60's Kamaka made a handful of cigar box ukuleles. I have always been intrigued by the simple style of the peg head. Definitely has Japanese influences.
There is a new book about cigar box ukuleles written by William Jehle which has scale drawings of the Kamaka cigar box ukuleles.
 
Back in the 60's Kamaka made a handful of cigar box ukuleles. I have always been intrigued by the simple style of the peg head. Definitely has Japanese influences.
There is a new book about cigar box ukuleles written by William Jehle which has scale drawings of the Kamaka cigar box ukuleles.

Lovely looking instrument, and I like its simplistic lines. I guess that the curved back makes a big difference to the sound.

I take it you mean ‘One Man’s Trash, a History of the Cigar Box Guitar’, https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Mans-Trash-History-Guitar/dp/1453802398
 
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Very cool, wish I had the extra cash...:shaka:
 
Bill has a new book out that deals exclusively with the Kamaka style cigar box ukuleles.
 
The curved back makes an unbelievable difference in the volume. Also, the back and sound board have been thinned to about 1/16th inch which really opens up the resonance. Most cigar box ukuleles are simply a neck attached to an un-altered box, and cannot vibrate and produce much volume.
 
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Very lovely. Pm sent.
 
Hmmmmm- really tempting.

I look forward to seeing additional work as you progress!
 
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Yes, that's the one. Bill owns one of the originals and made a set of detailed plans to go along with the book. I am currently building a couple of ukuleles based on his plans.
 
The curved back makes an unbelievable difference in the volume. Also, the back and sound board have been thinned to about 1/16th inch which really opens up the resonance. Most cigar box ukuleles are simply a neck attached to an un-altered box, and cannot vibrate and produce much volume.

Is the curved back something that Kamaka introduced? I had a look on the Cigar Box Uke site associated with the books, the latest book comes with plans but on them (limited image on site) the Uke’s back looks flat to me. Have I misunderstood something or has an enhancement been introduced?

I would guess that the sound board area on a Cigar Box Uke is reduced in comparison to a traditional design and the depth of the body also less. Is that so and are there other factors in the comparatively reduced volume ?

(From the original post: “It has a concert scale with a wide nut.

This ukulele is a true acoustic instrument...not a novelty. It has the volume of a soprano.”)
 
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You are right, the Kamaka ukulele is flat backed. Kamaka glued the lid (now the back) in place without thinning or curving it. Kamaka did, however, thin the bottom (now the sound board) and added some light cross braces. I built a few cigar box ukuleles this way, but they lacked volume due to the small size of the box. I stumble upon the curved back idea while working on a very shallow box...it was only 1 1/2" deep. I extended the depth of the sides and curved them. I was amazed at how much volume came out of this shallow little box. I have used that technique ever since. I would compare the volume to a standard soprano. Also, I attach the neck in the Spanish heel style. Some say this technique transfers more of the string energy to the box.
 
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