question

bt93 · Mar 30, 2009

hey, i had this idea and wanted to se if it would work. i decided that i wanted to build a uke, so i was thinking of ideas. if i just carved one block of wood into the whole body including neck and head without having to glue anything together, would that work? and also, how much does a huge block of koa cost?

Renaissance-Man · Mar 30, 2009

brad32593 said:
...how much does a huge block of koa cost?

Ah, 1 million dollars!

grappler · Mar 30, 2009

lol@ Renaissance-Man !
not sure about that question

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Mar 30, 2009

If it's a huge block I'm guessing a million and a half. (BTW, I have one for sale.)

dave alexander · Mar 30, 2009

OK guys, he's serious, so we should also be serious. I once carved an acoustic ukulele from a block of wood over a very long weekend. This involved hollowing out the entire body of the instrument with a sharpened spoon, and required hours of painstaking work. I don't suggest it.

Oh, you mean electric. Yeah. I've seen that.

ukeatan · Mar 30, 2009

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
If it's a huge block I'm guessing a million and a half. (BTW, I have one for sale.)

I'll go $1,499,999 AND throw in a free toaster.

dave alexander · Mar 30, 2009

No, seriously now. Does he need Koa for the whole body? And wouldn't it be easier and more efficient to glue/fasten woods together as opposed to building from a big block of Koa?

ukeatan · Mar 30, 2009

dave alexander said:
And wouldn't it be easier and more efficient to glue/fasten woods together as opposed to building from a big block of Koa?

I dare say, I think you may well be onto something, old chap...

koalohapaul · Mar 30, 2009

Definitely possible, but judging from your questions, sounds like you're a beginner. I would suggest getting a kit from Grizzly or Stewmac to start. It's not that hard, but the first time you do anything, the process can be overwhelming.

bt93 · Mar 30, 2009

i plan on taking a piece of wood, about the length and width of a tenor, and carving that into a uke. once im done, i will cut off a top layer, and then hollow the uke out and then glue it back one. seriously though, does anyone know where i can get the wood?

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Mar 30, 2009

OK, It's time for us to be serious now. It's impossible IMO. Or it's Ripley's Believe It Or Not stuff. How do you carve the end grain 1/16" thick in the lower bout? And you really think that after removing all that wood that what is left won't move at all? It's going to curl, cup, check, warp, etc. I even cut all my neck blanks out six months in advance because I know the necks will move a bit after they are roughed out.
Maybe Pete has done this?..........Pete, you sleeping over there?

dave alexander · Mar 30, 2009

Paul,
You really were talking about an acoustic? OK, I suggest burning out the center portion, as the Iroquois would do with their log canoes. This will both cure the remaining wood and give a pleasant smoky odor.

This actually was a scene from Meet the Parents where Kevin Rawley (Owen Wilson) carves an altar -- from a single block of wood. I'd hoped you got that reference in my last comment.

I can mail you a cigar box, if the solid block of Koa is too expensive.

bt93 · Mar 30, 2009

dave alexander said:
I can mail you a cigar box, if the solid block of Koa is too expensive.

thanks for the offer, but i want to just take solid wood and carve it. if its not koa, then ill try and get something related but cheaper. thanks for the advice
brad

JTY · Mar 30, 2009

brad32593 said:
i plan on taking a piece of wood, about the length and width of a tenor, and carving that into a uke. once im done, i will cut off a top layer, and then hollow the uke out and then glue it back one. seriously though, does anyone know where i can get the wood?

You can do it similar to the Akulele.

http://www.akulele.com/photo.html

koalohapaul · Mar 30, 2009

I probably wouldn't do it, for a number of reasons, but I do know that it's possible. Might be a fun project. I've seen a couple of really old ukulele that were done in that fashion, but I can't remember who made them.

The pro to me, is that it would be one heck of a cool instrument.

Unfortunately, with koa being so scarce these days, I don't think I could stomach the waste. The block would have to be 8/4" thick and 9+" by 26+". I could get 12 sets of tenor tops and backs from that. Or three tenor necks, plus some standard tops and backs. Or 18 tenor sides. Not enough cool factor for me to sacrifice that much koa.

My father actually started making mini ukulele, before the traditional sizes. They were 5 1/2" in total length, and fully in scale. He made his own tuners out of brass jewelery parts and the fret board was in tune. The neck and body of those were actually carved from a single piece. Only problem is that they didn't have Worth or Aquillas back then. Ha ha!

John Colter · Mar 30, 2009

I've played an Akulele soprano and liked it a lot. Neck and body all carved from the same piece of wood; separate soundboard. Not Koa though. Start saving!

Ukantor.

thistle3585 · Mar 30, 2009

There isn't any reason that it couldn't be done, and I wouldn't be too concerned with warpage or such unless you use poor quality lumber. Use the same process you would use to make a semi hollow electric. Rigel cut their mandolin rims from large blocks, leaving them fairly thick. I think you would be disappointed in the tone as weight seems to be a HUGE determining factor in tone. You might do an internet search for "William Cumpiano thinline cuatro" as another approach.

Andrew

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Mar 30, 2009

koalohapaul said:
The block would have to be 8/4" thick and 9+" by 26+".

Your ukuleles are only 2" thick?
And remember, Brad said he didn't want to glue anything. Doesn't "anything" include the top?

koalohapaul · Mar 30, 2009

Our tenors are actually 2-3/4" at the widest point, but if I did carve one, I would work with 8/4". Absolutely no way I would use 12/4". Even more waste and I would have to special order it.

I thought he said that he was going to carve out the basic shape, then cut off the front for the top? If nothing was going to be glued, then I would say the difficulty just sky rocketed. Unless you get stuck on an island. In that case, I would devote my time to training termites, rather than trying to carve from the sound hole.

Pete Howlett · Mar 30, 2009

This is the problem with this medium - it is really hard to make yourself clear. My Uklectics are machined from the solid with a high figure cap. Despite not much wood being removed they have an acoustic presence. Cumpiano builds a south American instrument using the 'solid cutout' method but then glues a thin back and front on the ribs. Looks like he is cutting to a 1/4" to 3/16" line in the stills I saw. It is possible to do for a ukulele but you would not be following the outside shape for the interior because of the problems identified by ChucK and others.

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