Uke finally complete

lefty dan

lefty dan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
330
Reaction score
0
Location
Morgan Hill Ca
Hi everyone. I just finished my first scratch build uke. Hundred year old Black walnut from a winery. Ive done two Stew Mac,s and a Grizzly. Today I finished my scratch built. Bent the sides with a bender I made and did everything else too. Tomorrow once the glue for the bridge is dry it will get strings. I sure hope it sounds good.
Im also working on number two scratch build. Its a Black walnut soprano cutaway. Im going to put a K&K pickup in it when Im done.
This is so much fun. I now know why you guys love to build.
Tomorrow I will post photos.

Thanks to everyone for all the great Ideas and help along the way.

I know without photos it never happened but Im just excited.
Dan
 
Good for you! Be careful though, it's a hard habit to break.
 
O.K. I got it together but have a buzz on the higher frets. Ive been working on this all day long so I quit for now. Its got smudges all over it because Im beat. I will put the nut on tomorrow and mess with it some more.
But here is the photo I promised.
The neck was the hardest for me. Although if I cant get it to stop buzzing that may be a hurdle to.
Thanks guys and your right it is fun.
Cant wait to hear it play.





 
Last edited:
Here are some photos of the next one. A Black Walnut lefty cut a way. Got the back on today but have not trimmed it out yet.




 
Thanks Treebased but the photos make it look better than it is. Not that it turned out bad but as the builder I know all the mistakes.

Paul, I will post more photos of the cutaway as I get farther along. Im wanting for binding to come in. I will put bindings and try to make a longer fret board. Id like it to go all the way to the sound hole. Not that I would ever need to play that far down. But its a cutaway and should look the part.

Regards
Dan
 
Awesome work Dan, you're an inspiration.
 
Dan, very nice first builds. On the first one's buzzing issues, eyeball down the fretboard from the nut to the saddle or get a straight edge to check that the neck is "true" i.e. straight from the first fret to the last. Look for a bend or hump where the heel meets the neck (12 to 14th fret area). It could be that you didn't quite achieve a perfect right angle fit between the heel and the body joint causing the neck to body line to be off, causing the upper fretboard area to bend down a bit once glued in place...e.lo..
 
This video on youtube gives a great explanation of fret buzz also... and it's kinda fun to watch, once. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvuahP-ZO-c
Some of it only applies to full size guitars but I think it gives you a good understanding of the relationship between the strings and the neck. Of course you can't beat frets.com, I think that's where I learned the flat pencil trick.
 
Thanks guys, I was going to the uke jam today but I need to finish my uke so I wont worry about it any more. I watched the video and looked at fret.com so I now have a little better understanding about the buzz. Soon I will be in the shop and then will post my progress.

Oh did I mention my friend giving me enough Walnut and redwood to do two or three more ukes. Anyone build with redwood? How will it work out? Is it too soft. Im thinking about walnut back and sides with redwood top?

Now your in trouble cuz the questions will start.

Dan
 
Wow, the synchronicity on this forum is amazing, I just took a photo of a redwood / walnut project I'm starting while waiting for some binding to arrive for my current project. From what I've read the redwood provides a nice warm tone, not as bright as spruce. Coupled with the walnut I think it'll be a hit.

Had a problem with my old neck to body jig. Will finish this one today.

By the way, your ukes rock.
 
Last edited:
Vic thank you so much.
I was worried that the redwood would sound bad. The only way I would know would have been to complete a build. After all the work it would have killed me if it didn't sound good.
Please keep us posted on the build, I might have to ask ya a lot of questions.

Im off to fex my buzzzz
Dan
 
I so wanted to say the buzz was gone but its not. I worked on the uke today and noted a high fret. I got a straight board and taped sand paper on it. Then I sanded the frets even. The buzzing stopped for all but the first two or three frets. The buzz is only when I fret them and it dose not buzz open strings. Lowered the nut a little, didn't work. Check the bridge and think its O.K. Very frustrated I put it aside. PLEASE help with suggestions.

Because I was so frustrated I did what any red blooded male would do. I started another. Yep bent the sides ( walnut ) Later put the blocks on and keflings.
Im done for today. It was a long fun day in the garage so even though I didn't fix the buzz I had fun.
Help Please.
Dan
 
If you dressed the frets flat and you still have buzz in the first few frets, umm how low is the action? If you take a pencil and sand it flat, then mark the nut by running the flat part of the pencil over the frets, how high above the pencil line are your nut grooves? And what is the distance between the frets and the string on the 12th fret? It sounds to me like you might have set the action TOO low. You might have to raise the nut or the saddle a hair, or a scoche... whatever that is. How many "scoches" are in a hair? That's what I want to know.

PS... I think one of the most important things in building is to document everything, the final measurements especially.

Also... what strings are you using? Not that it matters that much when it comes to fred buzz... but just thinking too much.
 
Last edited:
Hi Dan, Great work! I think the redwood and walnut will sound sweet too.

Have you checked the clearence of the fret next to the one that's buzzing? I found that I'll get a buzz if I lower the bridge too low and I have no space between the 2nd fret and the string when I'm fretting the 1st fret. Make sense? I'm new to this as well with only three ukulele completed so this info may not be that cause.

Time to work on creating a buzz ;-p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Bales1983
New Uke Hanger DIY finally complete!
Replies
6
Views
538
Bales1983
Bales1983
smspears17
Finally got my uke wall set up!
Replies
9
Views
491
KohanMike
KohanMike
Timbuck
Finally listed a uke on eBay
Replies
12
Views
843
John Colter
John Colter
M
Finally choosing my first Uke
Replies
16
Views
2K
Mivo
Mivo
S
Custom Uke in Az finally has strings!
Replies
3
Views
445
Croaky Keith
Croaky Keith
Top Bottom