sequoia
Well-known member
Since not much is going on in the Lounge, I thought I would post my long struggle to repair/rehabilitate a smashed and broken ukulele. It was a huge learning experience for me as a hobbiest/enthuasist builder and not a real luthier. The building order was backwards sometimes and out of kilter to my way of doing things. A big learning experience. Let us visit the victim:
A basic mahogany (Brazilian) tenor uke sorta on the lines of a Martin. Plain rosette. No bling. Meant to be a player. Sounded good. Not great.
A terrible accident then happens! The top gets caved in and smashed.
The damage was worse than shows in the picture. Top splintered and detached from the sides. Notice the cratering on the left side of the bridge. Mirror inspection shows the bridge plate cracked half the way though, a bent left fan brace and a totally snapped off central bridge fan brace. Basically a cooked top. Not repairable. Thus begins the top replacement. Taking off the bridge:
Bridge off...
Next the fingerboard.
A basic mahogany (Brazilian) tenor uke sorta on the lines of a Martin. Plain rosette. No bling. Meant to be a player. Sounded good. Not great.
A terrible accident then happens! The top gets caved in and smashed.
The damage was worse than shows in the picture. Top splintered and detached from the sides. Notice the cratering on the left side of the bridge. Mirror inspection shows the bridge plate cracked half the way though, a bent left fan brace and a totally snapped off central bridge fan brace. Basically a cooked top. Not repairable. Thus begins the top replacement. Taking off the bridge:
Bridge off...
Next the fingerboard.