My custom Lichty Tenor Ukulele is started!

Yay!

I got the notice last night that my new custom tenor is started. I'm very excited about it and wanted to share with UU folks.

Here are the specs:

Low G tuned Tenor Ukulele

Sinker Redwood Top
Pau Ferro Back and Sides
Neck: mahogany
Fingerboard and Bridge: Ebony
Fingerboard markers: Paua Abalone dots
Tie Beads on the Bridge
Back strip of black or white (luthier's design decision)
Head Plate Wood: Pau Ferro
Nut and Saddle: Bone
Binding Material is Cocobolo with B/W strips, black white perfling on top binding
Gotoh tuners with amber knobs
Sound hole rosette: Paua Abalone w/ black/white/black inner ring

If you go to Lichty Guitars website (http://lichtyguitars.com/), there are lots of excellent examples of his work in both guitars and ukes. That was what first caught my eye when I was looking for a custom uke maker. A four hour drive to Tryon, NC in November and a wonderful three-hour (!) conversation with Jay sealed the deal. Jay was excellent to work with and had great suggestions for me.

He has already written to me about his work ideas for the inner bracing, trying to get the best tone out of the wood combination. I had never heard tap tone in a wood before, but he showed me how and why it works and is so crucial to the luthier process. I feel lucky to have found him: his reputation among guitar and uke players is growing rapidly.

I'm leaving a photo or two with this and will re-post when I get more.

I'm looking forward to this uke being delivered probably in the early new year.

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Aloha CTurner,
Many thanks for sharing..congrats on the new ukulele...Keep us posted on it's progress....MM Stan..

Aloha CTurner, sounds awesome congratulations.

Congrats C Turner! When in NC for Thanksgiving I actually read the Garden & Gun Magazine article about Jay. He's definitely made a name for himself.

The woods on yours are gorgeous. Should make for a wonderful sounding uke.

That is going to be a beauty. Went to the site, played the sound file....sounds sweet!!!!

Congratulations! If your uke sounds anywhere near as good as his guitars, you'll be in for a real treat!!! Thanks for the link you provided....I enjoyed watching his youtube videos.

Congratulations! The wood in your photos looks beautiful, and the instruments on the Lichty website are magnificent. I read that article about Jay Lichty when it was posted a while ago in another UU thread. He sounds very cool. (I'm still tickled that there's a magazine called "Garden and Gun.") Thanks for posting your pics. I look forward to watching your uke get built.

I hadn't seen his site before but now that I have I really like his work. You're going to get a great instrument!

I agree with the consensus--you are in for a wonderful treat with this new uke. I also had never heard of this luthier but visited his site and WOW!!!! the images and sound files there are amazing. Congratulations. Now the test of patience . . . . .

Lichty Tenor

Thanks to all responders for the enthusiasm and congrats!

Just got a newsletter update from Jay Lichty. Wanted to update this thread. My Pau Ferro Sinker Redwood tenor uke is coming along nicely. : )

Here are some pics:
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More Pics Update

I just received some more photos from Lichty, done by Corrie Woods who does the photography and website design for Jay.
So neat to see how the bracing is arranged and the work on the Cocobolo binding. She says the taptone is terrific.:drool:
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