NUD BB Strings Ancient Spruce / Cocobolo

Tigeralum2001

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So actually the NUD was the Saturday after Christmas, but I have been too busy playing this thing to pause and take pictures, let alone make a sound sample.

Ancient Sitka Spruce - This was found buried in the mud when a wood supplier was expanding their building. Fortuitous? It carbon dated as 2850 years old! Who knows how long it was buried, but it absorbed minerals from the soil and has a blue/grey tint to it. It sounds great!

The wood is rather hard to get ahold of as they only have one log and only cut it a couple of times per year. I was lucky enough to get a set that had enough wood for 2 tenor ukes. This is the first uke I had made with it.

I thought it would look nice paired with Cocobolo and Byron found a nice set with some sapwood. It looks great and it sounds even better!

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I eventually want to give this to my son, but he is left handed and I am not. I talked to Byron and he made the bracing symmetrically. I also had side fret markers placed on both sides of the neck. Another custom touch was adding some Cocobolo buttons that go well with the uke. The most interesting surprise was how the abalone rosette turned out. The gray of the wood really pulled out the gray tones of the abalone. I might have added abalone purfling if I had known how nice it turned out!

This picture is not the best, but it is the truest to the real color:
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Wow, very nice! I never knew you could use wood from mud and the uke not sound muddy....it's very pretty.
 
Wowzer. Love the contrasts in the different woods.
(It's a vintage by a few thousand years!)

Please please give us a sound bit when you get time
 
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Best top ive seen on a ukulele so far. Look at that color, so unique. I love it. Wonder what combo you will go next with your one remaining top. Want to sell it to me:drool:
 
This is where the eyes of an artist come into play.

Description of the colors and components sound a bit iffy. But then with the right minds eye beauty is created.

Congrats on something unique and worthy of handing on.
 
Nice CJ....I like the color of the top and it matches with the B/S and the fretboard,rosette etc...good job!!...:)

it is a beauty.....not to blingy just perfect....
 
Congratulations! It's really beautiful!

Sorry for my lack of knowledge but who is BB Strings?
BB Strings is Byron Barnes from Benicia, Ca. http://www.bbstrings.com/index.html He has been a luthier fixing violins and building guitars, etc. for almost 15 years. He built his first uke last year from plans he bought from Hana Lima 'Ia. He put it on Craigslist and I bought it. The tone was very good, but there were a few things I thought he could improve. Gave him feedback and he built some more- and they were much better. Anyhow, he does luthier work as a hobby. He prefers working from local, sustainable woods, but will work "exotic" woods by request.

Here is video of uke #1 (after 13 years as a luthier). It is Spruce top Oak back and sides, Kasha bracing. Judge for yourself.


His tone is even better now. I hope to post a sound sample soon.
 
Nice looking uke CJ. Congratulations!


Guess one of those MB's needs a new home?
 
Congrats CJ! That is a gorgeous. Great composition of woods. You are right, the ancient Spruce looks fantastic with the abalone rosette.
 
Best top ive seen on a ukulele so far. Look at that color, so unique. I love it. Wonder what combo you will go next with your one remaining top. Want to sell it to me:drool:
Thanks tangimango! The wood is has a very unique color. It sounds great, too! I have plans for the other top, but if you like the back and sides, he has another set of the Cocobolo. All I'll say about uke #2 is it will have an Ancient Spruce top and not Cocobolo back and sides. :) I'm going for a look I haven't seen yet with the next one.
 
Fantastic spruce top. I would love to hear sound samples when you find the time. Nice contrast to the sides and back. Congratulations………
 
Congrats CJ! How would you describe the sound?
Ha! That is a loaded question, Dana! What does it sound like when someone good plays it, when I play it by myself, or when I play it with the pressure of recording? Lots of different answers! ;)

I think it has a very balanced sound. The note decay is slightly on the long side (could be the strings?), but I like that. I think many ukes kill the sustain too fast. Spruce has a reputation for being bright, but I think it is nicely balanced.

I hate to be the first person to put a sound sample up for a relatively unknown luthier because I am an adult learner of music (i.e.- I stink). However, I will indulge.

Strumming sample- https://soundcloud.com/tigeralum2001/strum-bb-strings-ancient-spruce-cocobolo

Finger style sample- https://soundcloud.com/tigeralum2001/bb-strings-finger-style-ancient-spruce-cocobolo

Please note- all first take/one take from me. I assure you if something sucks, it is not the uke! ;)
 
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