Here's my new MP Lap Steel Squareneck custom uke!!!

fumanshu

fumanshu

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Hi guys!!! Some of you might already know that I'm a big fan of MP ukes....since I alreday owned 4 customs from Mike!

But one of these days, I decided that I wanted something different than regular uke and decided that I would like to have a lap steel uke!!! I know that I can play lap steel slide with my regular ukes...but it's a little bit ackward and I wanted a uke dedicated to do that only...

I knew that Mya-Moe is doing a reso-lap....And I knew that it's not something very common found in the uke industry and that it will be hard for me to find someone who will build it for me...


But since I've been dealing and working with Mike for so long now, I knew that I can see with him if it's something he can built for me.

Mike did built electric guitar lap steel slide...but never try an uke lap like I want...

So after discussions with him and we conclude that he will build an acoustic lap steel uke for me!!!

So it will have a squareneck with steel strings and since I wanted to be able to play amplified, I'll have a K&K pick up inside.

Also, it will be a bridge pin.

As for the wood combo, Mike told me that he has a very nice set of Peruvian Walnut that is waiting to for a nice project like that.....so I decided to get that nice piece of wood for my uke!!

So...here's the first pics of this special project!!!


lap-joint-1.jpg


lap-fretboard-1.jpg


soundboard-1.jpg


Thanks
 
I played squareneck guitar for a while - wish I hadn't given up. You'll have fun and challenge with this axe!
 
harpdog wrote:
I played squareneck guitar for a while - wish I hadn't given up. You'll have fun and challenge with this axe!
Click to expand...

Thanks harpdog...I'm sure I'll really enjoy playing with this uke...I already have fun doing slide on a regular uke....now thta I will have one dedicated only to do that, I'll be in heaven!!!
 
The secrets out of the bag! Very cool Fu! That is also a gorgeous piece of walnut! Mike is shipping my tenor on Monday...I am absolutely giddy with anticipation.
 
beautiful wood, fu! And a really neat idea... I've never played lap slide anything (I'm just not that good, really) but I'd love to see a vid or two of you playing around on this little thing. Keep up the updates!

Jake
 
Nuprin wrote:
The secrets out of the bag! Very cool Fu! That is also a gorgeous piece of walnut! Mike is shipping my tenor on Monday...I am absolutely giddy with anticipation.
Click to expand...

Hahaah!!! Well, I think it's something different that I don't have yet...so I just want to extend my collection of ukes with that too....and I really like slide playing style too!! Even Mike has some fun building it!!

jehicks wrote:
beautiful wood, fu! And a really neat idea... I've never played lap slide anything (I'm just not that good, really) but I'd love to see a vid or two of you playing around on this little thing. Keep up the updates!
Click to expand...

Yeah...that Peruvian Walnut piece is beautiful!!!! Mike told me that piece is a very nice one and will be a nice choice for what I want to do...so I just can't hesitate to try it out even if I'm not familiar with Walnut tonewoods...
 
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Following in James Hill's footsteps. Always brave. Always a good idea. Good luck! Can't wait to see the progress.
 
pulelehua wrote:
Following in James Hill's footsteps. Always brave. Always a good idea. Good luck! Can't wait to see the progress.
Click to expand...

James Hill is very inspiring for his work, but I have to admit that Tomotaka Matsui of the Sweet Hollywaiians as well as Aaron Keim are doing some amazing stuff with their lap uke too. I think there's some cool stuff to be done and noodling with my future uke!

Oh I forgot, there's also Kaki King's work that is very inspiring for her work with her lap steel...very cool stuff and what an amazing guitarist too!!

Thanks
 
Wow Bao, that was an awesome idea you had and its great that Mike can do it for ya. The wood looks great! Thanks for sharing this with us and keep us updated!
 
ukestah wrote:
Wow Bao, that was an awesome idea you had and its great that Mike can do it for ya. The wood looks great! Thanks for sharing this with us and keep us updated!
Click to expand...

Hey!! I'm very happy with the idea and suggest it to Mike.. And the cool thing is that Mike took the challenge right away when I discuss the idea with him. Also, I've been talking with him regularly and he's enjoying a lot building my squareneck lap steel uke...it's new so the challenge is there for him and he has some fun building it!!!

thanks
 
Hi guys!!! So here's a few new pics that Mike send to me. My custom goes much faster that I thought it would be but Mike already has his idea on how to make the things in his head so, it goes quite well...

hope you enjoy!!

thanks

lap-body-only.jpg



lap-body-cote.jpg



lap-body-back.jpg



lap-neck-1.jpg
 
Nuprin wrote:
Looking amazing Bao!
Click to expand...

Hey Nu!! Wait until you see all the pieces glued together....it's quite cool!!! By the way, did you get your uke yet?? I think Mike put T2 strings on it. I don't know if you like T2 strings but I think they sound good on most of the ukes that I've tried. My MP Rosewood and Sitka-koa are on T2 so you can hear how they sound like with these strings on it... For sure you have to like ''zing'' that these strings produce...

Lexxy wrote:
Wow. The neck and body looks tantalizing
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Thanks Lexxy! I really like the squareneck look....it's very different from the normal uke neck for sure because it's purpose is to be played lap style!
 
fumanshu said:
Nuprin wrote:

Hey Nu!! Wait until you see all the pieces glued together....it's quite cool!!! By the way, did you get your uke yet?? I think Mike put T2 strings on it. I don't know if you like T2 strings but I think they sound good on most of the ukes that I've tried. My MP Rosewood and Sitka-koa are on T2 so you can hear how they sound like with these strings on it... For sure you have to like ''zing'' that these strings produce...
Click to expand...

I haven't received it yet. :( Mike shipped it this past Monday (8/16) and the post office told him 7-14 days. He said in his experience it's usually closer to 7. I PM'd mailman (another user on UU) as he works for the post office. Given that Shandon, CA (the origin) and Burlington, VT (the destination) are not big metropolitan areas and as it was shipped parcel post, he's thinking it probably won't be here until the end of this week.

I've never tried the T2 strings...very excited to give them a go! I've tried Aquilas (which I don't love...too much finger noise), Pro Artes (which I like a lot on some of my ukes) and Worths (which I like on some of my other ukes). My one problem thus far with the Worths is that, with a Fishman passive undersaddle ukulele pickup, the strings give off a lot of finger noise when plugged in. I don't get that with the Pro Artes.
 
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iDavid wrote:
where do you get T2 strings?
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HI david! I often buy them from stringsbymail...You can buy single strings with them too...so it's perfect for ukes since you don't have to buy whole set of classical strings...

And you can mix different tension too which is really nice!!
 
fumanshu said:
iDavid wrote:

HI david! I often buy them from stringsbymail...You can buy single strings with them too...so it's perfect for ukes since you don't have to buy whole set of classical strings...

And you can mix different tension too which is really nice!!
Click to expand...

kind of confusing. I wouldn't know what gauges to get!
 
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