New to UkeUnderground. My roadword tenor uke. Also my first uke build.

UkeDave

UkeDave

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Hi all I'm Dave Im 22 years old from Pennsboro, WV. I have always been a fan of roadworn style guitars, and I thought it would be cool to make a roadworn tenor ukulele to take on trips and what not. This is my first uke build. Its not quite finished. I have some detail work yet to do but I'm going to Myrtle beach tomorrow and I need it playable for the trip. Hope you all enjoy:cool:
 

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Looks great! I have respect for anyone who's willing to build their own. Perhaps someday I'll work up the courage. :)
 
dude!! thats nice looking.. epecially for a first build.. i completed my first build in september.. what you building next???
 
thanks ! well I'm not sure whats next. Im probably going to concentrate on quality jigs and forms next. As far as another instrument goes Im planning on making some more tenors till I get some technique and experience about ukes. I will try to put a sound clip up in a few minutes.
 
It's definitely got style. Cool looking uke there. What was your source for the heel and tail block shapes? Create a youtube account and do a video.
 
thanks for the support guys. Vic as for the blocks for the heel and tail, I picked that up off a friend of mine in LA , Danny Ferrington. I dont know if you have ever heard of him but in my opinion hes a genius at building instruments. I'll do the youtube video after work today and put it up this evening. Sorry for being slow on the reply...just got back from the beach,haha.
 
Well hecks yeah, of course I've heard of Ferrington, I'm an old school lover of Kramer guitars. I've always wanted to try a Ferrington accoustic, do they have the rounded blocks? What I didn't know is that Danny is from my neck of the woods (Nashville).

Danny Ferrington.. "Since 1975, he's been quietly handcrafting custom string instruments for legends such as George Harrison, Johnny Depp, Keith Richards, and Chrissie Hynde."

Well I didn't know all that, except for Depp, all these cats n kittens are some of my favorite musicians. I have watched all of Depp's movies though and the wife... well we won't go there. ;)
 
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ohhh yeah he got his start working in guitar repair in Nashville. he lives in santa monica now. Danny built the acoustic guitar for Jack sparrows dad( Keith Richards) in the last pirates of the Caribbean movie. Uhm usually his guitars are a fatter block but he did say to try to keep it rounded. Something about it helps tune the top. easy to do too.
I just cut a square block and belt sanded the curve. The reason I used poplar is cause he said back in the day the old Sears Silvertones were made of poplar and he loved that sound.
 
UkeDave said:
ohhh yeah he got his start working in guitar repair in Nashville. he lives in santa monica now. Danny built the acoustic guitar for Jack sparrows dad( Keith Richards) in the last pirates of the Caribbean movie. Uhm usually his guitars are a fatter block but he did say to try to keep it rounded. Something about it helps tune the top. easy to do too.
I just cut a square block and belt sanded the curve. The reason I used poplar is cause he said back in the day the old Sears Silvertones were made of poplar and he loved that sound.
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Fascinating! I love the sound of poplar too... and the feel and weight when used in the neck. Can't wait to hear it!
 
Ken W said:
Looks good too. How are you connecting the neck on this one?
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Well for glue I use pretty much the strongest adhesive known to man, two part epoxy. You can play the hell out of it then turn around and use it as a club. Its super strong yet still lets the instrument reverberate well. Also for extra strength I use a small drill bit and make a series of holes in the shape of an X in the butt the neck. I promise you it will never come loose. And it does help that the fretboard is hickory, obviously cause its ridiculously hard.

And Vic has me anxious to put up a sound clip for some feedback. I made it pretty thick in the body and I myself think it has a great deal of tone and volume. However the clarity (treble) is slightly less. I guess your gonna sacrifice one for the other
 
Okay I finally got to record a video at work before the office opened. Hope you enjoy. I'm playing a small section of the song "Wait So Long" by Trampled By Turtles.









^^ edit: apparently the video has some lag in it. dammit.. But at least you can hear the uke fine.
 
It does sound great. It has a nice traditional Hawaiian sound to it. What woods did you use, what thicknesses. How did you approach the bracing? What strings are on it? Great job.
Looks like you've got the same cheapo web cam I do hehehe.
 
Vic D said:
It does sound great. It has a nice traditional Hawaiian sound to it. What woods did you use, what thicknesses. How did you approach the bracing? What strings are on it? Great job.
Looks like you've got the same cheapo web cam I do hehehe.
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lol well Vic this is gonna' be a loonng post. Literally every piece on the ukulele is poplar except the fretboard, which is hickory. I think my caliper said the top and back were .120" and the sides were .135" I know for sure. After I planed down the face and the back I sanded certain areas on the inside of the face and back to "tune" the body. As for the bracing I made sure to keep them thin but a little tall. This is so the width wont tear up the resonation but with the higth I still have the strength. Like I said before I use 2 part epoxy for all the gluing, and I can garauntee it will not come apart. I have a set of D'Addarios on it, simply cause thats all the music store had for a tenor, haha....and ya my webcam is terrible and aggravating..
 
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So what if we can't see you playing. We could hear you and it sounded great! And this is your first uke build. Damn - you did good.
 
My favorite guitarist of all time, Richard Thompson, also uses (or at least HAS used) Ferrington guitars.
 
ADD said:
So what if we can't see you playing. We could hear you and it sounded great! And this is your first uke build. Damn - you did good.
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Thanks man, I appreciate the feedback !

My favorite guitarist of all time, Richard Thompson, also uses (or at least HAS used) Ferrington guitars.
Click to expand...

Danny has made instruments for so many successful musicians. His work blows my mind. I flew to LA from West Virginia to meet him and learn from him. It was a hell of a trip.
 
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