g4ry
Member
I recently visited my parents for about a month. They live on a very small island (where I grew up) where there isn't really much entertaining to do. I was really interested in learning to play the ukulele, so I decided to build one while I was there. This is the first musical instrument I've ever built, but I was really pleased with how it turned out. I made it from some scrap birch wood. As you can see in the picture, the scrap wood I used was only around 2.5 inches wide, so I actually had to make a 4-piece top and back for the ukulele. I had no idea what I was doing, no templates or instruction, no experience, and very limited tools (and obviously not much selection of wood).
Anyway, just wanted to post so as to possibly inspire someone else to try something similar. My Koa Pili Koko arrived from MGM about a week before I finished the uke (and such was my inspiration for the bridge design
), so I decided to give this one to my dad for fathers day. I had a blast building it, and may revisit this again someday with proper tools, and maybe some nicer wood.
Oh yeah, they had a dialup internet connection, so I was able to do some research (although it seems information on ukulele building is a little limited on the internet). Other than that, it was mostly just built out of creativity.
I took tons of photos during the process, if anyone is interested in some ill-informed guess work ukulele building
Shown is the wood before i started, and the almost-finished uke hanging while the varnish was drying.
Edit: Here is a link to a bunch of photos during the building process.
Anyway, just wanted to post so as to possibly inspire someone else to try something similar. My Koa Pili Koko arrived from MGM about a week before I finished the uke (and such was my inspiration for the bridge design
), so I decided to give this one to my dad for fathers day. I had a blast building it, and may revisit this again someday with proper tools, and maybe some nicer wood.Oh yeah, they had a dialup internet connection, so I was able to do some research (although it seems information on ukulele building is a little limited on the internet). Other than that, it was mostly just built out of creativity.
I took tons of photos during the process, if anyone is interested in some ill-informed guess work ukulele building
Shown is the wood before i started, and the almost-finished uke hanging while the varnish was drying.
Edit: Here is a link to a bunch of photos during the building process.
Last edited:
