I don't know who John Calkin is, but I liked his article on alternative tone woods. Check it out.
The Heretic's Guide to Alternative Lutherie Woods, by John Calkin.
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ecosteel
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I've read this article before. Good food for thought.
santacruzer
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Does anyone build ukes with unquartered wood? John Calkin states "I don't believe that unquartered wood is a handicap." in the last paragraph of the article.
pie_man_25
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actually, my first cigar box uke had a flatsawn poplar neck, and a mahogany fingerboard, prob. flatsawn, and it sounded good, for my first one at least, mind you this one I consider "an opportunity for learning", but the current one I'm building is all flatsawn wood, I'll tell you how it sounds when I'm done.
koalohapaul
Well-known member
Sound wise, flat sawn wood can be wonderful. It's more flexible than quartered wood and can really make an instrument sing. The reason most people don't use flat sawn lumber, is due to the wood movement. Wood will expand and contract with humidity changes the most across it's flat sawn plane. Over time, it will crack. It's not a matter of if, but when. If you take a look at some vintage ukulele, you'll notice that they used a lot of flat sawn lumber back then. Almost every one I've seen has some kind of crack on the flat sawn tops and backs.
Ahnko Honu
Well-known member
I like the idea of alternative tone woods especially woods native to the area of the luthier. Looking forward to one day having Mike Perreira make me a pineapple out of Walnut and Redwood. My Waverly Street pineapple is Sycamore, Douglas Fir, with Walnut fretboard. I have a Guava soprano with Lychee fretboard, and a Mango and Norfolk Pine pineapple concert both from Emil Bader dba S&J 'Ukuleles with one more pineapple in the works in Milo wood. I love my Koa 'ukuleles but I have an open mind. 
Pete Howlett
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And there is the issue - if you can accept that indigenous woods are just as good as the industry standards then we have a home run. However, and believe me I try, it is a very, very hard sell. I have made thtree cherrylele sopranos against 20 or so koa and mahogany ones last year. In truth, the balance should be the other way but sadly it is not. It will take a supreme effort of will for the large builders to reset the standard, alter course and allow us more flexible small shops to more easily promote this necessary concept. I think it is right and proper for Hawaiian builders to use the local timber for their ukulele. For me in the UK, I'd like nothing better than to crank out cherry, walnut, yew and lacewood ukulele. Sadly it ain't going to happen any time soon despite the Copenhagen fiasco...
RevWill
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My son has an Art & Lutherie dreadnought that has a cedar top and cherry back/sides. It looks and sounds gorgeous. I'm not kidding - its sound is dropdead gorgeous.
It cost all of $250 new.
It cost all of $250 new.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Thanks for that Ron - the uke is list about $2000 and the guitar $2800 and they are both 'special edition' whatever that means. Great that martin are doing it. However they are not instruments in the mainstream - it almost seems as if they are local grown 'grace notes' in a large tropical hardwood score.
Ahnko Honu
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Now a Pete Howlett pineapple made from Yew... that would be another dream 'ukulele to add to my bucket list of must-have 'ukuleles. I also love archery and the Yew English Longbow connection would make this an ultra cool heirloom. I did not know Lacewood grew in the UK. It is very common on the island of Maui at higher cooler elevations. Introduced from Australia post WWII for reforestation of the slopes of Mount Haleakala along with Black Wattle both of which have taken over as 40 feet tall weeds.
Sorry, getting off track. You have to make what the market demands to survive in any business.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Aberation - I meant London Plane - it has been a very hard day back on the soprano run and and neck fitting. I've just about eliminated doing it by hand with some accurate machine jigs but that final fit is still difficult. I can understand why Martin wants to charge so much for their dovetail joint jobbies...
wheelgunner
Well-known member
Once again my question is answered before I get a chance to ask it. I just picked up a piece of poplar to make a neck for a myrtle bodied uke (they both have a kind of green cast to them) and was looking at the craft wood thinking about cheap wood for ukes. 10$ at Lowe's for enough poplar to make back, sides and neck.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Ohan have what they call willow for ukulele - nice sound. Not my choice because the willow in the UK is used for cricket bats, poplar for wooden clogs....
Did you notice what the fretboards are made from on the guitar. Basically layers of compressed paper laminated together.
All you need to do is become FSC certified and you can charge $2000 for a ukulele too.
BTW - London Plane aka American Sycamore. Pretty wood, one of my favorites
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Rick Turner
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We don't seem to have a problem making ukes out of cherry, walnut, maple, California sycamore, etc. They sell as fast as our mahogany or koa ones, and they sound fine.
Some woods are OK flatsawn, especially with the narrow widths of ukes, but for stability, quartered is better.
Some woods are OK flatsawn, especially with the narrow widths of ukes, but for stability, quartered is better.
Vic D
Well-known member
Great article. I've had it saved for a while now, it's in my green folder. I have a stack of black locust and spalted maple firewood that'll get some play in the future. Here's a shot of a black locust uke. http://www.russmorin.com/ukes2.html
I also have a lot of poplar and cherry. I still say hemp ukes are the way to go.
I have to say this article is just a starting point... local woods can be excellent tonewoods... I'm keeping my eye out for some sycamore firewood.
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