Cigar Box Ukulele: The Hard Way Part 7

The neck attachment is called “Spanish Heel”. It is a traditional method found in classical guitars. It is the strongest means of attaching the neck and body. The neck gets glued to both the sound board and the back of an instrument, and there is no way for the neck to come loose or move. Supposedly, this method transfers more of the string energy to the sound box. Every little bit helps in an instrument this small.


The neck is notched all around in order to slide into the slot cut into the front of the sound box.


Here is the neck roughed out and ready for shaping. It will be in the traditional Kamaka Cigar Box style.


That’s about it for the “hard” steps. There is a lot of extra work in building this way. But it’s all about the journey. I’ll get some finish on it in the next few weeks, and post a photo when it’s complete. Thanks for your interest.

why is the inside of the neck rounded? It looks like it's going up against a straight body or am I missing something. I really like the headstock

Excess wood.