What neck joints do the four big K-brands use?

Andy Chen

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I know it's been said that dove tails, which are strong, are an overkill on ukes.

But wouldn't the other joints present problems even in low-tensioned ukes over the years?
 
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Kamaka and Kanile'a noawadays use a simple wooden splines or 'biscuits' to strengen the bond between neck and body. I'm not sure about the other two brands.

Dovetails are quite unusual, and more of a trademark of Martin ukuleles, who always had them.

Having said that, there is a big chance that older models of Kamaka, and perhaps the two remaining K-brands have a 'spanish heel', a kind of integrated neck-block-is-part-of-the-neck-itself system, with the sides fitting into slots at the 12th fret. That's the more traditional way of building a ukulele.
 
That's really helpful, thanks!

Would you know if spline joints are durable?
 
My pleasure!

It certainly is strong enough, Kamaka has had almost a century to change it they wouldn't have liked it.

Ukuleles have a fairly low combined string tension, compared to guitars or mandolins. I've never seen warped or bent ukulele necks - sunken tops yes, but that's because the tops on ukuleles are lighter. In fact, I have ukuleles with a neck glued flat on the body, and they hold well.

The spanish boot or integrated neck is the strongest bond you can imagine, but a pain to build: you can't change the neck angle anymore after the initial steps, you have to build the ukelele upside down, with it's face on the workbench. Also, repairers have a harder time taking them apart. It's commonly used on classical guitars, and Sobell even uses it on steel string guitars.

The easier way is sticking the neck on later, with glue, perhaps with a piece of wood perpendicular to the seam - the way Kamaka and Kanile'a do.

The hardest way is making a mortise and tenon or 'finger' joint, making the neck fit like a jigsaw puzzle in the body. A dovetail is a complicated, self-locking variant on that. Bad thing is that it takes a lot of work to make the puzzle fit, good thing is that the neck can be fitted later in the process, sits strong and can be taken apart again. Martin did it on guitars and so continued it on ukuleles. CNC made these thins easier to make, and Martin even made 'compound dovetails': the puzzle bit was simply screwed on at the end of the neck.

And the Fender way was to simply screw the neck in a slot in the body. Guitar builders do that on acoustics as well as electrics, but it's fairly rare on ukuleles: Kiwaya's K-rock series comes to mind, as well as the Konablaster electric ukuleles.

If ukulele necks are loose on antique ukuleles, it's most likely a sloppy glue job and a tenon cut too wide.
 
I have a KoAloha custom that has a bolt on neck. It was the prototype. All of their customs have bolt on necks now.

As to whether that's a good practice--let the debate begin!!
 
Thanks, karcsi and consitter! I love my Kamaka but I would just feel better if it had a stronger joint. I am not so worried about the top as I am about the glue coming apart at the joint due to high humidity and/or heat. I live in equatorial Singapore so humidity and temperatures are perpetually high.

From your description of the Spanish heel, it sounds like my Boat Paddle A style tenor has a Spanish heel. Its neck is one with the body.
 
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