New Tahitian Ukes.

Hello everyone. I am making a set of three tahitian ukes this time. I'm trying some new things in hopes of getting a better sound each time.

Type of wood... When I look at the Tahitian ukes I have bought in the past, it seems like they are all built of pine, fir, etc... I guess that many guys buy this wood as it is easily found at the hardware stores and cheap. But maybe there is something beyond this? So I chose a softer wood in poplar and will see the results soon enough. It's really difficult to carve, but maybe the sound will make it worth it. Any thoughts.

Weight... I also compared the weight of Tahitian ukes I have bought with the ones I have made. I made from mahagony and mine are always considerably heavier. The poplar I am carving now is so much lighter than the mahagony. And even though my tahitian ukes are bigger than the ones I have purchased, I have about the same weight. So I 'think' the weight change will also help. Thoughts?

I'm also experimenting with a much larger sound box. I am carving a deep as possible and removing a lot of wood. I plan to also slim down the sound box cover. I think the sound box cover of my last uke was a little too thick. Anyone have an idea of the exact measurement I should go for?

Just a couple more questions... I am thinking the movable bridge that rests on the soundbox cover should be a small as possible to allow the cover to vibrate more. Is that correct? My last uke, I carved a pretty cool bridge from bone, but now that i think about it, it was probably too wide and heavy for the best possible sound. You think a bone or wood bridge will be better?

Lastly, a local uke store is asking me about prices. Assuming my sound is quality, what would you think my ukes are worth. I've looked around and cant find anything to compare to.

Thanks and here are some pics of the set.

that is quite possibly the most beautiful instrument i have ever seen.

Do you brace the sound board in any way? Is it flat, or carved? Makes a difference in how thin you can go.

Bridge footprint is a bit different. As a starting point I'd look at the size that is typical on a regular uke with the scale length you are using. The only way you'll know about any improvement between bone or wood will be to make one of each and try them out.

I know a mandolin builder that swears that different woods for tops affects his choice for bridge wood. He gets some mighty big $$$ for his mandolins so there must be some merit to his thoughts.

nick9809 said:

that is quite possibly the most beautiful instrument i have ever seen.

Click to expand...

Me too!

There's not a lot of building similarities between Tahitian and Hawaiian style ukes. My neighbor builds Tahitian ukes from bread fruit (ulu) wood which is quite light. The sounds boards are a very thin, unbraced disc of cedar with a very small bridge. Beyond that I can't be of much help.

Man that is extremely cool carving.
You should look at banjo bridges for ideas...there's lots of different styles and even more opinions about what works best. They do seem quite small and light over all.
I don't think the weight will really affect your sound much. I think the soundbox cover is where all your sound is coming from. Is there a sound hole in these ukes?? Now that you have a deeper air box, how will the sound get out?

Thanks much for the compliments. And even more for the input and advice. Hmmm, cedar. I'll try a smaller bridge this time. I hate to do it because there are so many cool things that can be done with the bridge. Maybe I can work on a bridge that has the smaller footprint but will extend/hover over the cover.... I'll just make it and report back. Thanks everyone for posting your thoughts. I appreciate greatly.
Ksquine, the sound hole is traditionally on the back side of the Tahitian uke.
Allen, there is no bracing on the sound box cover from the tahitian ukes I have seen. I am experimenting with three different size covers this time ranging from 6" diameter to nearly to nearly 7" diameter. I will try three different thicknesses and report back with the results.
Scott

I am sloooooooooowly moving on this project. But nearly finished. Just need to install all the accessories. I hand carved all the whale tail fret markers, nuts, bridges, decorative pendants, and some larger whale tails which will go at the bottom of the ukes to secure strings. Carved from beef bone. Sorry about the crappy flourescent lighting. Here are some pics:









Thanks for looking

holy moly!!!

Fantastic work. Let us know how you like the sound, weight and feel of the poplar. I know it can be a pain to work with

Wow! Keep us updated!

–Lori

"I hate to do it because there are so many cool things that can be done with the bridge."

Your ukes are already sick with cool things. I think a little utility would actually enhance the beauty. As far as pricing I would think you would want to be aggressive. Several if not many thousands. Those ukes represent a fair portion of an obviously skilled craftsman no artist time on this earth. If you don't value that no one else will. I would rather donate something of that beauty to a very high brow charity auction than sell too cheap.

Fantastic! And I second Michael's arguments about price.

Thanks much for the feedback! I finished the first one. I have a couple minor adjustments to make tho. And I am incredibly happy with the sound! Sound improvement is drastic!!! I have one tahitian uke from Tahiti and I use this one to compare mine. The one from Tahiti has some really great volume, but the sound is a little "twangy" if that makes sense (sorry, I'm new to this so I dont know all the terms yet). Anyhow, my uke does not have the volume of the uke from Tahiti, but close. And my uke definitley has a smoother sound with more bass. So I am pretty happy, happy, happy about the progress. I know I have plenty of room to improve. I am excited about making more. I'll post some pics shortly.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Scott

Thank Pueo! Here are some pics... I will get better ones when I finish all three.









Thanks for looking.
Scott

I'm a fan of your artistic carving..It reminds me of the fabulous artwork that used to be produced in Cornwall UK.. it was done by the "Newlyn Coppersmiths"
Most of these guy's used to be fishermen thats why most of their designs were familiar to their lifestyle http://www.google.co.uk/search?um=1...43890l46187l0l10l8l0l0l0l0l500l2420l2-4.3.0.1

Thanks much for all the help, advice, and kind words. I am finished... I have to adjust the action a little bit, then get some sound videos. Here are the final pics. thanks again everyone. Scott

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTg9G6aKoIk