New to building

Hello! Just joined the forums and my guess I will probably spend a good portion of my time in this section.

Posted an introduction post and then wanted to post a little something over here too.

Just a few pics and minus an audio example, just wanted to get a little feed back. I am not educated on luthier practices...more or less self taught...picking up a few things here and here.

I want to step it up and figured this may be the place for some inspiration, ideas and constructive critism!

A few ukes I have completed so far...with many more to come!

they look really good! at least from what I could tell from the smallish picture. the two tenor (I'm guessing) sized ones have a nice shape to them, reminds me of DeVine ukuleles. very well done.

Thanx, Yes two tenors and a concert. My first and second were soprano (not pictured). I got a ways to go but I am flattered for even suggesting the comparison lol! Maybe someday!

About pic size- I will have to figure out how to change that, not sure why they are so small?

They are lovely ukes. But fess up. You probably have some prior guitar building experience? Not many beginning uke builders try a Kasha braced uke as their first build. If so, my hat is off to you sir. Can't wait to see your further efforts. And yes, you need to increase the size of your posted pictures. Way too small. Increase the pixel count so we can see. I just love looking at ukes.

I guess new must be a relative term, I feel like I am new to building because I am struggling with side bending, neck carving, getting a rosette cut really well, and I haven't even considered how I am going to finish my first instrument..... and you are offering up three completed and from what I can see, really nice offerings as a new builder? These are your first endeavors at building an instrument?

No prior instrument building of any kind, I promise. Definitely not a stranger to the shop though. I have enjoyed building all sorts of things for as long as I can remember. Wood has been the preferred media though.

My kasha braced uke was my third build and I just had to try one after reading a little about the theory. I will do another but I want it to be really nice so I am going to get a few other builds in first. I have some old growth curly redwood I am putting to use and will probably save some for a kasha braced uke later.

The concert in the pic was my own bracing pattern. Kind of a hybrid from an x bracing and fan bracing. While I was sanding to thickness I had a miss hap and ended up needing to sand the top way thinner than planned. My solution was to beef up the bracing. It worked out cause there isn't any sign of warping on the top and it's super thin!! It plays pretty loud for little guy too!

Well you have mad skilz man, I hope my journey produces such great results..... keep up the awesome work!
Lou

Welcome to the forum. Looks like a great start to your building career: you appear to have the skill needed for instrument making. Since you are already being adventurous, I expect that you will be adding rosettes and bindings to your ukes in the near future.

Please post photos of your next instrument: its great to see what others are making.

greenscoe said:

Welcome to the forum. Looks like a great start to your building career: you appear to have the skill needed for instrument making. Since you are already being adventurous, I expect that you will be adding rosettes and bindings to your ukes in the near future.

Please post photos of your next instrument: its great to see what others are making.

Click to expand...

My most recent one was my first attempt at binding, back stripe and a rosette. Trying to figure out how to post bigger pics atm so you can see them a little better.


I want to try adding some purfling next as well.

That is clever, that multilam neck and the back stripe.

4strings4me said:

While I was sanding to thickness I had a miss hap and ended up needing to sand the top way thinner than planned. My solution was to beef up the bracing. It worked out cause there isn't any sign of warping on the top and it's super thin!! It plays pretty loud for little guy too!

Click to expand...

I also over-thinned a piece of redwood once and over-braced just a little to compensate structurally and my results were not as happy as yours. The instrument's sound could charitably be said to be "delicate" which is a nice way of saying it had no balls (volume). A finger picker uke for delicate strummers with tiny, weak, arthritic hands. Yeah right. A pretty thing though and destined to be a "wall hanger" as soon as I get around to hanging it from a wall. Currently it gathers dust in a corner unloved and unstrummed. But the rosette is of the finest paua abalone from the Marshal Islands retrieved by brown, slender naked island girls for which I paid an exorbitant price. Lovely stuff. Which brings me around to what I really wanted to say:

Rosettes and binding are not really needed on an ukulele. The real deal is how the the things sound and some of the best sounding ukes don't have rosettes or binding. My rosettes impress my neighbors and my wood working buddies, but contribute nothing to how the instruments plays or sounds. For the first time, I think I'm going to build an uke with no rosette and for me that is a step forward funny enough. Binding however I believe fulfills the function of sealing that end grain and contributes significantly to the stability of the top so I'm gonna continue to do that.

Below a pic of the unloved but pretty but over-thinned redwood uke: