Friesen5
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- Dec 22, 2015
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While completing an update on my Sonex last winter, I wondered what I should build next. It required learning new skills and precision. I decided to build a ukulele. This required hours of research, including the Luthier's Lounge.
I decided on a Concert size ukulele. Based on my research, I decided on the parameters on my build and drew up plans.
The first build (called my practice build) was made of cherry and cedar, using parts sourced from Ebay. I bent the sides on a hot pipe. The fretboard is made of cocobolo and the binding is mansonia. I learned a lot during this build. After it was completed, I began to learn to play, using tutorials on YouTube. It sounds nice, with clear voice and long sustain. It was finished with many coats of TruOil.
I decided on a spruce and walnut Ukulele for my second build. I wanted to refine some aspects of my build on the second one, including smaller frets, smaller dots, larger headstock, purfling, and quality components. I used the side bender to make this one. I decided on a Spanish Cedar neck, and decided to reinforce it with a short piece of carbon fibre arrow shaft, which was epoxied into a slot. Finished yesterday, it is still too new to evaluate the tone.
My son also expressed interest in building a Ukulele, so we spent many evenings and Saturdays working on them. He chose a mahogany soundboard with sapelle sides, back, and neck. He bent the sides on the hot pipe. His turned out very nicely.
Along the way, I made specialized tools and jigs to provide accuracy in the build. This included a pipe bender, form, thickness sander, binding router jig, side bender, fret sawing jig, radius sander, and saddle and nut sanding jig. I also sourced some bone from a local butcher and prepared it for saddles and nuts.
Thanks to the many contributors to this forum. I learned so much reading through current and past posts.
Next is a walnut and spruce (or cedar) concert with a longer 14 fret reinforced cedar neck.
Mervin Friesen
Canada
I decided on a Concert size ukulele. Based on my research, I decided on the parameters on my build and drew up plans.
The first build (called my practice build) was made of cherry and cedar, using parts sourced from Ebay. I bent the sides on a hot pipe. The fretboard is made of cocobolo and the binding is mansonia. I learned a lot during this build. After it was completed, I began to learn to play, using tutorials on YouTube. It sounds nice, with clear voice and long sustain. It was finished with many coats of TruOil.
I decided on a spruce and walnut Ukulele for my second build. I wanted to refine some aspects of my build on the second one, including smaller frets, smaller dots, larger headstock, purfling, and quality components. I used the side bender to make this one. I decided on a Spanish Cedar neck, and decided to reinforce it with a short piece of carbon fibre arrow shaft, which was epoxied into a slot. Finished yesterday, it is still too new to evaluate the tone.
My son also expressed interest in building a Ukulele, so we spent many evenings and Saturdays working on them. He chose a mahogany soundboard with sapelle sides, back, and neck. He bent the sides on the hot pipe. His turned out very nicely.
Along the way, I made specialized tools and jigs to provide accuracy in the build. This included a pipe bender, form, thickness sander, binding router jig, side bender, fret sawing jig, radius sander, and saddle and nut sanding jig. I also sourced some bone from a local butcher and prepared it for saddles and nuts.
Thanks to the many contributors to this forum. I learned so much reading through current and past posts.
Next is a walnut and spruce (or cedar) concert with a longer 14 fret reinforced cedar neck.
Mervin Friesen
Canada
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