Yay! My Custom "Amy” Model Long Scale Concert Pineapple by Bradford Donaldson

Teek

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I keep seeing reviews of customs posted here instead of the review section, so I posted a looong review with pics there and a teaser here.

I have loved reading about everybody’s new custom over the last year and a half and watching build threads, and I finally got to order one for myself! I am ecstatic with this ukulele built by Bradford Donaldson, I have had it for about six weeks and it is a dream to play. It’s taken me awhile to get a review together because I wanted to take good photos and take my time to write a review, and I work two jobs which suck up a lot of my spare hours.

I personally feel that a lot of UAS is a search for that elusive perfect look and fit and feel, and I have to honestly say I have found that it this uke. I still pick up my others but if I could only choose one, this is it. It used to be my Kamaka concert “Honey”, but this Amy pineapple concert is definitely my long sought after serious ukulele love.

The sound is balanced and very clear with good sustain, volume and projection, and with a sweetness that keeps me practicing! Intonation and pitch are spot on. It fingerpicks with a lovely bright, clean ring.

The details of the fit are just breathtakingly meticulous and the design is flawless. The assembly of the woods alone qualifies this instrument as fine art, and the functionality makes it doubly so. Note the fine purfling of maple and ebony, and the extremely fine line of maple purfling running the length of the fingerboard. The ebony on the back has maple purfling and the line of ebony on the back of the neck the same. The headstock has a thin plate of maple sandwiched between it and the myrtle, which produces a very classy effect in the slots of the slotted headstock. The side port is bound to match the top and bottom edges, and the soundhole has a recessed mahogany plate to hold the medicine wheel.

I consider it a wonderful investment, and I hope to be able to do it some kind of justice some day, but it does its job for me and right now that's what counts.

Thanks Brad, awesome work!

Specs

Amy model, pineapple shape, concert size with deep body
Bearclaw spruce top
Myrtle sides and back, with a third piece of Macassar ebony for the back
Myrtle neck with Macassar ebony core (stripe)
Macassar ebony bindings with maple purflings
Macassar ebony heel
Medicine wheel soundhole with abalone rosette
Side soundport, bound to match
Slotted headstock with Macassar ebony face, with maple layer in between
Macassar ebony fretboard, 12" radius, 14 frets to the body, 18 total, abalone position dots, doubled at 7, 12 and side dots in maple
14 silver frets to the body, 18 total, set low
Macassar ebony pin bridge with two compensated saddles for low and high G
Black ebony bridge pins with abalone inlay
Macassar ebony heel cap and butt joint
Ivory (legal) nut and saddle, compensated saddle low G, extra saddle high g
Grover open geared tuners with ebony buttons

Full review HERE

Brad' s video only gives a hint of the uke's quality but does he have a great voice!!!

Find that HERE.

Teaser pics.

AP1sm.jpg


AP5sm.jpg


AP8sm.jpg


APSun13small.jpg
 
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Really beautiful uke, and it sounds great!

For some reason, the link you provided didn't work for me.
I found the YouTube video here:
 
Thanks mds, fixed it. I do this stuff all day long at work, Sundays I try not to work, is likely why! ;)
 
that uke looks beautiful
 
I'm in love.....well, if it was a tenor it would be love. It's gorgeous.
 
It is a curved back, click on the review link. :)

Re previous posts, Brad does tenor sizes and will provide quotes on request depending on materials and complexity of design. It would have cost more if it was koa and a figure 8 shape, but I am in love with the myrtle. I was tired of koa. He also uses an aromatic inner brace wood that smells great. :)
 
Thank you so much Teek for taking the time to write this review and for all your generous comments, they are greatly appreciated. And thank you to the others for their comments also. I had a lot of fun working with Teek, and I think the outcome reflects the fun we had. Let me answer a couple of questions that came up in this thread. I am currently working on setting up a website. One of the things slowing down the process was my getting enough quality photos of my work for the site. Teek actually has been a great help, as she has sent me alot of pics of her and Lori's Amy models. So hopefully, soon, I'll have a website up and running. As for my prices, they are low, for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm retired with a nice pension, I build instruments because I love to, the extra money I earn allows me to buy tools and wood as I wish. Secondly, it is my belief that we are in the economic difficulty we are now in because we no longer make very much in this country anymore. I'm doing my part to rectify that. I'll get off my soapbox now. Kanaka916 has added my contact info to this forum's Custom Builder list. If I can answer any other questions please don't hesitate to contact me.

Brad
 
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