Weights of 3 different neck woods

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Nov 24, 2015

The weights are (these weights are including the 1/4 hook bolt i use for hanging while spraying)

Spanish cedar, - 276
Honduran Mahogany, - 252 grams (The mahogany neck doesn't have a volute so it would be a little heavier if it did.)
Narra- 284 grams.

All in all- not enough difference to complain about.

Pete Howlett · Nov 24, 2015

Funky heel! Glad I didn't have to cover that in my neck carving DVD!

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Nov 24, 2015

Pete Howlett said:
Funky heel! Glad I didn't have to cover that in my neck carving DVD!

yer- i like to, shall we say, paint myself into a corner with technique trickery.

ksquine · Nov 25, 2015

Neat. I'm surprised the mahogany is lighter than spanish cedar. Must be a big volute

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Nov 25, 2015

I find that the Spanish cedar I use is consistently much lighter than Honduran mahogany. Both species vary greatly from board to board though with Spanish cedar showing the greatest differences. Some Spanish cedar seems to soft to use while others is so heavy and dense I've rejected it for use as necks. I've had Spanish cedar with 4 grain lines per inch and some with 4X that.

Pete Howlett · Nov 25, 2015

Spanish cedar from Belize is generally quite fine textured and 'dense' - or at least the stuff I have seen in the UK has been. African grown Spanish cedar is very light indeed. I have some lovely old mahogany at present that carves like soap - even textured with no wild grain and a decent weight. It's wood innit? Organic and all that. Infinitely variable - like us

Sven · Nov 27, 2015

Those are very beatifully shaped and finished Beau. I would love to try one of your ukes after it all comes together, and compare it to my own rather crude products. My typical mahogany soprano weighs about 280 grams - all included. I imagine your instruments have some heft to them, mine are fun if you like light weight but they do come across as a bit flimsy.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Nov 27, 2015

I've never worried about weight and I think others should do the same. Ukes are like girls- weight just doesn't concern me in the slightest- its all about personality baby.

I've not weighed a finished instrument but will next time i string one up.

sequoia · Nov 28, 2015

I agree. I've never noticed neck weight to be an issue on an ukulele nor have I in a guitar. Neck width and taper, sure, that is a feel thing, but weight??? If a person complained about neck weight, I would be tempted to quote a famous rock and roll artist who once said: Just shut up and play yer guitar. (Who was that anyway? Frank Zappa? Keith Richards? I forget).

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Nov 30, 2015

Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:
I've never worried about weight and I think others should do the same.

Then what was the purpose of your post? And I, for one, will be contrary to what you think others should do.

Weight of an ukulele is an important consideration for me.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Nov 30, 2015

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Then what was the purpose of your post? And I, for one, will be contrary to what you think others should do. Weight of an ukulele is an important consideration for me.

The purpose was to show that no one need worry about neck material weight as they are all about the same (in these 3 necks anyway- I understand that wood density in a single tree can be different).

The only consideration for me is tone.
If a lighter weight instrument were/can be connected to better tone, then I would be totally on board with reducing weight but i've not read or heard that such is the case.
Weight seems to only be a consideration for player comfort, which is secondary to tone (they should be both though) ....unless it is outrageously unbalanced (butt or neck heavy) which makes it hard to play, which is a concern.

PS- General weight (what im talking about) is a separate issue to the weight of a top, which should be light.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Nov 30, 2015

Again, I will disagree with you on the weight of those species. In my experience they are not at all similar. As you know, there are many attributes that deserve consideration when building a good uke. Tone and weight are amongst two of them but they are not exclusive of each other.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Nov 30, 2015

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Again, I will disagree with you on the weight of those species. In my experience they are not at all similar. .

I agree- I was surprised to see that they were so close in weight. There is a range of weight of course. I'd never weighed them before (uke or guitar necks) so its possible I got some particularly heavy spanish cedar, light narra and normal Mahogany?? I don't know. I've never felt there was a huge discrepancy in those wood species though with weight- enough to not use one of them over another.
Perhaps others can weigh similar necks and woods for fun and general knowledge of wood. Im always open to learning

Weights of 3 different neck woods

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