kirbo
Well-known member
I'm just looking for a ballpark figure. Let's assume, it's a basic, no frills soprano. Waiting doesn't count. Real work hours. Thanks.
How many hours does it take to make a uke?
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Timbuck
Well-known member
Do you mean from scratch? one man starting with a log of wood no jigs etc:....Or a fully set up shop with jigs and tooling and workers at the ready.
This is a common thread here it comes up every couple of months or so.
This is a common thread here it comes up every couple of months or so.
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dofthesea
Well-known member
This is like asking how much does a new car cost? You can only get a specific answer by asking a specific question. And I might add every builder has a different approach so the answer is going to be across the board.
BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
Somewhere between 30 and 120 depending on your skill level, access to tools etc.
Finishing can be up to 1/2 of the actual build time.
Finishing can be up to 1/2 of the actual build time.
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kirbo
Well-known member
Thanks. That's all I wanted to know.
Sorry about being vague on the specifics. I really don't know anything about building. The search function on UU isn't all that great.
Dougf
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I've built two, not counting the one I made in Rick Turner's class. The first one I didn't keep track of my hours, but I felt like I must have put in about 100 hours. For the second one, I logged my time to the nearest half hour, mostly just estimates. The total came to 35 hours, which was pretty much from scratch, with no power tools except a dremel.
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kirbo
Well-known member
Wow, that's quite an improvement. It's something that I'd like to get into, but I don't know jack about jack. Maybe when I get older and have more time.
ksquine
Well-known member
If you start with wood from one of the luthier sites and keep the decoration simple.....I'd say 40 to 50hrs for your first uke. You'll spend some time making jigs and fixtures.
Fancy bindings or inlays can easily double that time.
Fancy bindings or inlays can easily double that time.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Too many with a piece of sand paper in your hand!
resoman
Well-known member
Truer words were never spoken. My least favorite part, sure
Braden
Well-known member
I third Pete's post!
As for searching the forum, a good tip I received was to do a google search of "ukuleleunderground (question)." It gleans better results.
As for searching the forum, a good tip I received was to do a google search of "ukuleleunderground (question)." It gleans better results.
I tell people that I ballpark each build at 40 to 50 hours... but I like binding and tenors... If I set up my shop to be a dedicated uke building shop I could cut that done easily 10 hours I think, but i build furniture as well and need the shop to function for both... my time includes resawing stock, and in some cases milling the logs... I get a good deal of my wood locally from a company I work with, Viable Lumber.
I do have a no frills soprano hanging around that I built and it probably took 25 hours... it gets hard to count when you get into finishing...
I do have a no frills soprano hanging around that I built and it probably took 25 hours... it gets hard to count when you get into finishing...
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kirbo
Well-known member
Thanks everyone for their replies! I should have thought of the google search, thanks!
Rick Turner
Well-known member
A few tidbits:
I'd like to point out that luthier Frank Ford took scrupulous notes one year re. how many hours he spent at the repair bench vs. how many hours talking to customers. It was 1000 hours of "work" and 1000 hours of "talk"...which is work. I had one uke customer with whom it took over 100 emails back and forth to get through the process of designing and building his uke; that's a lot of hours, and it has to be accounted for as time into that instrument. I've put in hundreds and hundreds of hours just building shops and fixtures and such. That has to count, too.
In my "build a uke" class, I provide kits of which the biggest time savers are a pre-slotted and tapered fingerboard and a rough machined neck. I do pre-bend sides, but that's as much so we can stay on a fast pace as for any other reason. The last time I taught, all students got their ukes done "in the white" in 24 hours.
The features that really will gobble up the hours are binding and purflings, inlay, and a really good finish.
When I worked for Gibson, they figured that 1/3 of the labor in a guitar was the finish process.
Most uke finishes that I see out there in the world do not hold a candle to guitar finishes from the top boutique factories or manufacturers like Taylor and Martin; the bar has been set pretty low in that department for uke builders.
I'd like to point out that luthier Frank Ford took scrupulous notes one year re. how many hours he spent at the repair bench vs. how many hours talking to customers. It was 1000 hours of "work" and 1000 hours of "talk"...which is work. I had one uke customer with whom it took over 100 emails back and forth to get through the process of designing and building his uke; that's a lot of hours, and it has to be accounted for as time into that instrument. I've put in hundreds and hundreds of hours just building shops and fixtures and such. That has to count, too.
In my "build a uke" class, I provide kits of which the biggest time savers are a pre-slotted and tapered fingerboard and a rough machined neck. I do pre-bend sides, but that's as much so we can stay on a fast pace as for any other reason. The last time I taught, all students got their ukes done "in the white" in 24 hours.
The features that really will gobble up the hours are binding and purflings, inlay, and a really good finish.
When I worked for Gibson, they figured that 1/3 of the labor in a guitar was the finish process.
Most uke finishes that I see out there in the world do not hold a candle to guitar finishes from the top boutique factories or manufacturers like Taylor and Martin; the bar has been set pretty low in that department for uke builders.
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kirbo
Well-known member
@ Rick
That's a valid point. You have more patience with people than I do. I probably would have said eff this! after about the 15th email. If I wasn't situated halfway around the world, I'd be the first to sign up for your next class.
That's a valid point. You have more patience with people than I do. I probably would have said eff this! after about the 15th email. If I wasn't situated halfway around the world, I'd be the first to sign up for your next class.
Beau Hannam Ukuleles
Well-known member
On billing for time, a guy I know in Australia was the Ovation warranty guy. They sent him so much stuff that he started billing them simply for all the unpacking and repacking.
Rick Turner
Well-known member
There's always been a line item "shipping and handling" that should cover that. That's just business 101. We charge separately for packing boxes, shipping insurance, and outbound shipping. We build the packing and handling part into our regular prices, but it's there in my bill of materials and labor. No real business would fail to take this into account.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Cost pf packing materials is £10/$15 with 20 minutes to pack... That's befor shipping and insurance. Good job UPS offers a collection service.
Beau Hannam Ukuleles
Well-known member
So the norm in the US is about $15-$20 packaging and handling if, for instance, your sent an instrument to repair and ship back + whatever material costs if new box/bubble wrap etc is needed + actually shipping costs???
I'm only up to business 100
I'm only up to business 100
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thistle3585
Well-known member
I don't itemize materials and handling when it comes to shipping. I just quote a shipping charge and leave it at that, but you need to charge for all those things. I just feel like I'm nickel and diming someone to death if I were to say shipping+handling+insurance+signature required etc. etc. I know I hate it. Besides,by itemizing it then people think something is optional and there isn't anyway I'm shipping an instrument uninsured or with no verification of receipt.
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