learning the hard way

The good thing about learning the hard way is that the lessons will likely be well learned. I always try to do one new thing on each 'uke I build. This one I tried 10 new cosmetic things I've never done before. The new stuff came out ok, more or less, a few glitches, but ok. The stuff that got me is the stuff I thought I had down already.

I tried to duplicate the sound from one I liked, but I miscalculated my limited data on deflection, mass and density and wound up with a top a little too thin for its' own good. Sounds GREAT, though. While it lasts. Got quite a belly below the bridge and a flat spot above it. The tone bars are so light you can practically read through them, and they still are visible in the reflection on the top. The best part of it all is that I'm finally starting to think of the 'ukulele as a whole and plan to make several small adjustments that I hope will ease these issues on the next one.

The neck needs to move a hair clockwise and the string need to drop a bit on both ends. I'll let it settle a couple of days before making the adjustments. Spent most of my time trying to get all the little things to line up, should have spent more time on the basics. This 'ukulele building is very demanding to me, I don't know why I struggle with it so much. Live and learn, time will tell, look before you leap. It's getting better though. The next one....now that's gonna be a keeper......

Anyway, here's some pics of stuff I didn't screw up too bad. Thanks for looking.

Steve

As I have said many times - it is a craft powered by art and intuition or 'mojo'. Some lucky people have it and some don't. And it's also why all the work people do measuring, gauging, deflecting and stuff doesn't always cut it with me because ultimately you are working with an organic material that is impacted by countless variables. In the end, in my opinion, you have to go with your experience and gut feeling Sometimes you get lucky, occassionally you dont. It's what the workshop mallet it for...

Well it seems that you've got a good handle on the craftsmanship, now you just have to start paying attention. It's not uncommon to develop a casual attitude toward those procedures we think we've already gotten down, while our full attention is on new things we're trying out. I can't think of a single step that doesn't require full concentration.
I've said it before. With experience your work may get better but I've never found it to get any easier. Every day I face a different set of challenges......always pushing.....taking it to the edge. Once this starts getting easy I'm quitting.

It's gorgeous, that's for sure. What did you use for binding, again?

The one you've posted pictures of looks delightful - I love the broken circular around the sound hole, and you've a knack with picture taking, looks so warm and cosy.

As usual Chuck gets it right. And this is the lesson - what looks easy ain't. Building good ukulele is hard. If you do it long enough it gets a little easier.

Don't beat yourself up too badly Steve. This uke has a lot going for it.
It is gorgeous. The binding on the body and the fretboard and the rosette are awesome.
Couple of things I especially liked are the connection of the neck to the body and the treatment of binding at the neck heal.
The other is the way you transition between the neck and the headstock.
Also like the design of the bridge.... seems to balance well with the rest of the instrument. The whole instrument seems to be very well balanced aesthetically.
Good of you to point out what you got wrong and it's always good to criticize yourself constructively but man.... the total results look superb from here.
Fred

Steve, can you explain your bridge design again. I know you did some time ago but I've forgotten how you did the thing with multiple holes...

Anyway, she sure does look good. Chuck and Pete are so right. I thought we had FP down but there seems to be just as many mess-ups as before. The moment you stop paying attention and really feeling what you're doing, boing...

Steve,
This uke looks incredible! Your accomplishments on this outweigh the thin top—Now you know how thin is too thin!!!

Stephen

Steve it looks great. I am envious of the heel. Very classy looking. A couple questions... Did you buy or make your binding and purfling? Is the purfling the same height of the binding or is it actually purfling? Is the headstock bound or laminated veneers to give the side bound look?

Andrew

Thanks everybody for the feedback. I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

Pete, not quite ready for the mallet on this one. The fatal flaw was catching the center tone bar while clamping the bridge. It pushed up and opened the center seam, ever so slightly. I got some HHG in it right away and a day later after it cured, sucked up and dried out I can barely tell there was a problem. I had someone I wanted to give this one to, but now I can't, because I fear this problem might rear its ugly head down the road. Mojo or luck,( probably luck ) this thing sounds better than I ever could have hoped for. Now to duplicate that sound using a little more wood.

Chuck, if it ever got easy I'd no doubt look for something else too. Not too worried about that any time soon.

Matt and Thistle, I made the binding out of koa. I like to make my own so I can bookmatch the pieces. The store bought purfling is really purfling. I bought a couple of lengths of that full height stuff, but don't like it. The headstock is veneered with .020 black and .020 white and then more koa.

Byjimini, the secret is taking pics in the late afternoon sun. Works every time.

Fahrner, thanks for the compliments. Here's a better pic of the neck transition to the head stock and one of the other side of the heel cap. I missed the purfling from body to cap by only 1/100", but now it lines up white to black instead of white to white. I nearly got the mallet out for that. Can't think of any way to fix it.

Erich, the bridge is just 12 holes instead of four, and not my idea, saw it on the anzlf. The idea is that it increases the break angle over the saddle for a little more torque on the bridge because the knot in the string isn't pulling it up, and makes it easier for my fat little fingers to secure the ends. Plus I think it looks cool. Here's a couple pics.

Flyfish, yes I finally under built one! Been trying for a while. Now I have something to work from.

Steve

Beautiful. My photography teacher clued us in on a cool thing that happens in late afternoon, just as the sun rakes over the horizon there's a very brief moment where light and colors are brilliant. I don't know how long it lasts... a minute maybe.

Byjimini, the secret is taking pics in the late afternoon sun. Works every time.
Not if you live in our part of the world

Michael Sprake made a reproduction of a famous 16th Century guitar from measurments and a photgraph made by his girlfirend. He finished it, a spectacular cornucopia of veneer work over pine in holly and ebony all over, neck included and decided it was wrong! He went to the Louvre where the instrument was exhibited, redrew and photographed and made the thing again! This guy was the ultimate craftsman who could carve a lute rosette in under an hour. Michael left Britain in the 80's to join what would become a new age commune in California... It's always possible to do it again....

Hey Steve -- the pics look great! Keep on building and don't sweat the small stuff. Belvibenz

Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things...

Pete Howlett said:

Michael Sprake made a reproduction of a famous 16th Century guitar from measurments and a photgraph made by his girlfirend. He finished it, a spectacular cornucopia of veneer work over pine in holly and ebony all over, neck included and decided it was wrong! He went to the Louvre where the instrument was exhibited, redrew and photographed and made the thing again! This guy was the ultimate craftsman who could carve a lute rosette in under an hour. Michael left Britain in the 80's to join what would become a new age commune in California... It's always possible to do it again....

Click to expand...

I'ma gonna look it up... just cause you said holly 'n ebony all over... sounds like a very cool build. I'm thinkin' about building a citole, to go with my hammered dulcimer i'm gonna build. *chaw!*