Tommy B
Well-known member
Hi everyone. I wanted to share some pictures of my swank, new "semi-custom" tenor ukulele by Dave Talsma. This is a new ukulele with a history. Instead of being built completely from scratch, this ukulele started out life as a different instrument. It originally was a four-stringed "guitar" made in the 1980s by the Aria company for its Pepe line of children's classical guitars. The original instrument had a narrow fretboard and bowed neck that made playing difficult. But it was built lightly out of quality materials, and it sounded great when tuned as a tenor uke.
Here are some "before" pictures of the guitar.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbutt/sets/72157628418569079/
Borrowing an idea from UU member Ernie, I asked Dave to reinvent this Pepe as an ukulele version of a vintage parlor guitar. Dave came through big-time, removing the old neck and bridge; carving a new, wider neck with a slot head; adding a radiused ebony fingerboard with fancy fret-marker inlays; carving a new rosewood pyramid-style bridge with bone saddle and bridge pins; and giving the body a gorgeous, vintage sunburst finish.
I've dubbed it the "Talsma Pepe Parlor." Check it out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbutt/sets/72157629191910798/
Here are some "before" pictures of the guitar.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbutt/sets/72157628418569079/
Borrowing an idea from UU member Ernie, I asked Dave to reinvent this Pepe as an ukulele version of a vintage parlor guitar. Dave came through big-time, removing the old neck and bridge; carving a new, wider neck with a slot head; adding a radiused ebony fingerboard with fancy fret-marker inlays; carving a new rosewood pyramid-style bridge with bone saddle and bridge pins; and giving the body a gorgeous, vintage sunburst finish.
I've dubbed it the "Talsma Pepe Parlor." Check it out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbutt/sets/72157629191910798/